Rise of a Valkyrie

Part 7

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Rose's father had sent her to mindfulness classes hosted by the League's Adjudicate office, who worked to spread Helvet culture throughout the colonies. They had taught her that reason must overcome the base limitations of instinct. They had taught her to elevate her soul through logic and discipline, so that she could do the same for others.

Rose tried to slow her breathing. She had to persevere. She reminded herself that it was supposed to be her duty to elevate unfortunate girls like Kayla, and that meant earning her trust.

Reaching out with shaking fingers, she took hold of the carved stone and stepped up on the balcony railing behind Kayla. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the ground below, and for a moment the world spun like she was going to faint.

"I-I'm not very good at climbing," she said, as she clutched at the masonry with every fiber of strength in her being. The apparently fearless Kayla watched her with a blank expression. Rose wondered if she was ashamed to be climbing with such a scared girl.

Kayla hauled herself onto the roof, then leaned down and held out her hand. "I'll help you. Hold on tight and don't look down."

Rose gripped the offered hand so tightly that Kayla grimaced. She pulled with all her might, and for one terrifying moment her foot kicked at empty air. Eventually she struggled up alongside Kayla onto mercifully solid tiling, though she could barely stand up, her legs were shaking so badly.

"Oh my gosh!" Rose said, panting with exertion as a rush of euphoria flooded through her.

Kayla nodded happily. "See? You made it. It'll be easy on these rooftops now." She set off, climbing higher up the slanted, intersecting roofs.

Rose staggered along behind, mind reeling and unable to process what she had just done. Her usual confidence had vanished, and now she was no more than an obedient puppy.

Kayla sat down next to the bell tower, gazing into the distance.

Rose stopped dead as she crested the roof. "This is an incredible view!" she said. "You can see everything!"

Across the canyon, the opposite cliff rose above Rackeye's towers of glass and steel. From the base of the rock wall, a slope ran down to the city center, where the river raced beneath bridges and boats, flowing westward to a distant bend. Rose turned and gasped again when she saw that the school roof rose just a little higher than the closer edge of the canyon. Beyond lay a green rolling plain, framed by forested mountains. How had she never seen them before?

"It's much nicer than the farms where I lived," Kayla agreed. "They're flat and boring, but there were some nice mountains on the horizon. Maybe we can visit them someday."

She reached into her backpack and pulled out her little bow, along with a few blunted arrows.

Rose watched in fascination. "Where did you get that?"

"I made it myself. It's not very good, but it'll be easy to hit one of those fat pigeons." She gestured to a cooing mass of feathers at the far end of the rooftop.

Rose frowned. "It isn't right to hurt innocent animals."

Kayla shook her head. "They're pests. Everybody hates pests. You can't let them do what they want, or they destroy your crops."

"Well... This is a school. We don't have any crops."

"Fine, but they'll make a mess out of the place."