Darkness: Chapter 19 - Ascension

---

---

It had been two days since he had last ate, and the make-shift water skin he had made had run dry hours ago. Hanging here between two jutting spikes of rock, he had no easy choices.

Breathe slowly, conserve your strength.

Both hands, and legs wrapped around this shard of stone, gripping on for dear life. If he fell here he would plummet into the unknown, and likely be not so fortunate as to hit water.

A day now, he’d been here. After reaching the top of the cavern he had dragged himself half way around the roof until he found suitable holds and rocks to clamber inward, to the centre of the ceiling. From here, if he remembered right, he could leap upward. From here, he could make a last push for freedom.

It will be the last.

One of the rock formations that he had clambered and dangled across had fallen into the abyss as he moved on and removed his weight. If he was to repeat the climb, he would have no way to get back to this point. This would be the first, last and only attempt he would ever make. The significance had not been lost on him.

When that dreaded bow is strung, at last your immortal song shall be sung...

He murmured to himself, over and over. Reassuring him, affirming what he knew. It was all that gave him focus, strength to his tired limbs. Though he had to consider it, what if he lost his grip? He would plummet, and likely die. If he did not, he would die of injuries. And failing that, he would go down into the depths and throw himself into another abyss.

You will not let go. You will rise, you will succeed.

His fingers burned, the callous skin worked raw on his palms. He had little to soothe the itching, no way to gain respite for his exhausted body.

It will end...

Above him, through what he hoped was a thin layer of rock, was freedom. He could feel vibrations, occasionally, of movement. And better still, he felt the whisper of the spirits, like an echo of a voice at the end of a tunnel. They were close, but agonizingly out of reach. They were afraid, wounded, but simmered with anger below their subjugation.

They are in pain. I will avenge them.

Click!

The sound he had longed for had come at last. First the shunt and grinding of displaced stone, then a blinding burst of light shot downwards on his left... a pillar of colour, illuminating the whole chamber around and below.

It is time.

His eyes narrowed, strained, pained as they adjusted. He would be fighting blind for a few moments, but it was better than nothing. Above he could hear the rumble of laboured breathing and exerted bodies. He stole a glance above, he could see feet pushing aside the great stone. This would be it.

Make them pay.

He dug deep on whatever strength he had left, propping his feet on the rock ready to propel himself upward. Balling that those weeks of hate and anguish into a single, burning ember of fury, he thrust his legs outward and leapt upward while his throat let loose a rumbling roar of that name...

Mala’kal...

”MALA’KAL!!”