Changing Fate

Ash hated the wall. Its huge shadow covered the edge, smothering everything in its shadow. She had grown tired of the games that had filled her younger days, baiting the guards relentlessly until they lost their tempers and gave chase. Together, they'd race off into the maze of alleys, disappearing only to reappear once the guards had all but given up. The most fun always had the highest stakes. Not that the guards dared to give the kids much of a beating. It wasn't worth risking the delicate balance between the court guards and the gangs. Ash sat hugging her knees and stared out into the distance. Things were simpler then. It was easier to accept the wall as just a shadow. Of course, when you're small, the world feels much larger. I'm not small anymore. If Ash turned round, she knew she'd be able to make out the far wall well enough, like the walls were pressing ever closer together. The silvery lines of rivers broke up the vast green forest that stretched out beyond the horizon. The edge was always gray. Even in the midday sun, the light struggled to pierce the thick haze of powdered concrete. The sun drew lower to the horizon, the warm light still shining through the treetops turning the forest to gold. Ash liked to imagine what it would be like down there beyond the wall, out in the wilderness. Leaning out to peer over the edge, she took in the sheer concrete drop. It was forbidden to leave. So she remained in my world of concrete alleys, covered in shadow and thick grey dust. Ash thought, rolling her eyes at her own self-pity. 'You shouldn't be up here.' complained Weasel, poking his head up from the rickety scaffolding that connected the depths to the top of the wall. His lanky frame looked awkward in any situation but almost comical as he tried to manoeuvre himself onto the wide ledge. 'I'm not.' Ash did best to ignore him and the bubble of frustration that rose up, determined to enjoy the view a while longer. The air tasted fresher up here. Weasel dropped down next to her like a sack of potatoes, his arm brushing against hers. Ash fixed her eyes on the trees, not looking at him, as if ignoring him long enough might just make him disappear. 'You're so ungraceful. it's hard to believe you're even a shadow.' 'Im off duty.' Weasel looked at the view and then watched Ash as she looked at it. He'd never really understood her fixation. The walls made him feel safe. 'There's a meeting tonight at the clubhouse,' Weasel tried to get Ash's attention even waving his hands in front of her face and poking her impishly, the waning light illuminated his coppery hair as the wind whipped it around. She hadn't forgotten. Ash smiled weakly, 'another one,' She said, yawning, sneaking a long glance at her friend. Weasel rolled his large brown eyes. ' The last one was a month ago, and you didn't even show up.' He scolded but smiled, bunching up his freckled nose as he watched her. 'Come on, you'll get us both in trouble, I'm tired of always having to look for you.' Weasel said unconvincingly as he wrapped his hands around her arm, trying to help Ash to her feet, but she refused to stand, letting herself flop back to the ledge. He had always seemed more than willing to follow her anywhere and everywhere, whether she wanted him to or not. 'Do I have to/' Ash felt tired again. 'Yes, now come ON.' Weasel resorted to pulling her back towards the scaffolding. Ash signed, not moving but allowing Weasel to drag her to the inner edge. 'Come on,' he said, threatening to pull her right over the edge and down the 50-foot drop. Ash smirked inwardly, not a good game to play with her. Calling his bluff, She teetered right on the edge, legs outstretched out as she leaned back into empty space. Weasel, not knowing what else to do, gave her a playful shove. No one could deal with Ash when she got into one of her moods, but he was least likely to be stabbed, so it always fell to him to go fetch her. Not that he was ever any good at it. Weasels foot slipped as he tried in vain not to step on Ashs awkwardly spread legs For a moment, the pair were weightless right over the edge of the inner wall, suspended 50 feet up before the pull of the drop came clawing, eager to send them to their deaths. Smashed apart on the concrete city far below. Grinning, Ash rolled back into the empty air, catching Weasel round the waist and swung him. Landing neatly on the thin metal scaffolding platform, dropping him into a panicked heap as he gasped and spluttered. She had grown up climbing the wall, and it had become a part of her. frustratingly familiar. Not stopping to check on him, Ash nimbly began the climb down, 'Are you coming' Weaseld ghostly face appeared over the railing. 'You're impossible,' he shrieked. Weasel was Ashs closest and only friend, but he could never understand how tired of life she was. Ash usually spent each day coordinating her forces, the runners transporting goods and messages. Her shadows carried out their missions. The meetings and constant disputes over territory. There was always some new problem or scheme, but nothing ever changed. Nothing ever got better for them. It didn't for anyone here. Even the most ruthless and wealthiest gangs were one bad month away from starvation. They'd all seen it happen. Ash had grown bored, and weary of it, the struggle seemed no different if she participated or not. So she had taken to dissappearing to the wall, imagining what life would be like out there. The boss wasn't happy. Not that she cared. At the bottom, Ash waited, casually leaning against the corner, watching the road to the West towergate. One of the four that spread out from The Centre like the points of a compass, it was risky to walk the wall this close to the gate and its squad of guards, but there was an uneasy truce. No one liked to be up on the wall, except Ash, it was completely flat at the top with nothing to stop you going over the edge, and the wind was vicious up there. So Ash caused less trouble than it would be to try and stop her climbing it. They had learned that the hard way, of course. Like most days, the road was empty, and the guards sat around sleepily in the gatehouse. 'Come on,' Weasle urged, appearing at her back, pulling Ash back into the gloom of the alley by her elbow. He kept hold of it the entire way there. The meeting was held in one of the low concrete warehouses that made up the edge. It was fully dark by the time they arrived, having followed the wide curve of the wall rather than make their way through the dense maze of The Edge. Barrel, a buff bald guy, glared at them as they approached, but then he glared at everyone. Ash had long suspected his face was just stuck like that. He heaved open the thick metal door to the stash house. Ash slowed near the door, letting Weasel go ahead. 'Thanks,' muttered Weasel sheepishly, slipping inside. Nodding at Barrel, Ash turned on her heel and strode off. Weasel would be upset, but she was his only friend too. It was hard for him to stay mad at her. There was nowhere really to go. The Centre was shut up tight as a drum by nightfall, shop shutters down, and only the guards patrolling, and the change of shifts had already happened in the industrial district. So the streets would be deserted. In the end, Ash made her way back to the bunkhouse. With everyone at the meeting, it should be almost empty. As always, navigating The Edge at night was mostly done by memory. The network of identical alleyways was dark and dusty, making it difficult to tell the distance. It felt like moving through a dream. The floodlamps hadn't been powered on in days, but everyone who lived here knew how to get around in the dark. To use a lamp or torch here, you might as well lay out your possessions and ask the nearest thug to take them and beat you. Ash let the tips of her fingers brush against the wall, the textures of old paint, paper scraps and rusty nails combined with memory and what she could glimpse in the dark formed a map in her mind. Ash liked to walk at night, her slight footsteps echoed by the concrete dust, and everything was calm and peaceful. No random fights breaking out or shady deals going down. All that would come later, but the night was only just starting. Ash didn't encounter anyone as she walked, not that anyone would have dared approach her, in her stolen riot gear with my coat and hood. It marked Ash as a shadow, a rite of passage she had started when she had begun to climb the ranks of the Spectres. Her predecessor had challenged her to break into the inner walls guard house and bring something back in order to earn her armour. It was suppossed to show that she could be one of them, a shadow. She chose her trophy. The riot gear had been way better than the cobbled together armour they would have given her. For weeks, they had her running missions in it, actually starting riots to give her the cover. Until they caught on, and she had adapted it with the Spectres symbol. Ash made myself a shadow. Covered in concrete dust, she blended in with the alleys, becoming a part of them. Ash turned the last corner, the outline of a thick wooden door barely visible in the dark. Turning the handle, She had to shove against it with her shoulder, the wood groaning against the ground as it scraped open. Like most of The Edge, it had originally been a warehouse, but when the Spectres seized the space, they converted the buildings to suit their needs. No one had used them as warehouses in years. Technically, it was still owned by some rich merchant family that no doubt lived in The Centre, safely tucked behind the inner wall. Occasionally, Ash would have to dress up and go parading around the fancy shops and restaurants , hunting a different class of prey.. It wasn't a job she liked, the clothes felt awkward and uncomfortable and she preferred to be with her own kind. There was something dark and dishonest about the extravagance of the centre. There were different sets of laws there. Ash had long believed the only good people were those of the outer city, caught between the inner wall and the edge, the thousands of workers that kept the city running. Built directly around the underground stations, everything that existed within the city had once in some form passed through the industrial district. Ash didn't like to make a habit of going there. They were hardworking, honest people who had to labour for what little they got, and it felt wrong to take from them. Besides, the last time they went on strike, the city nearly tore itself apart in the hysteria. The Edge belonged to the gangs and outcasts, a vast maze of low concrete buildings that went directly up to the wall, its spiderweb of alleyways dangerous for anyone who didn't already belong there. Even when the sun was at its peak, it only seemed to illuminate the ever-present cloud of concrete dust that settled over everything. Even then, it was still grey. This was where Ash called home. Here, she could be like the feral cats that infested every alley. She went where she wanted when she wanted . 'I won't let anyone take that from me.'Ash said, aloud, reminding herself. She had started to feel bad about bailing on Weasel the way she did. It had been his idea to join the spectres in the first place, safer than being their prey. Ash had made him that promise then, she would join, but she did what she wanted and no more. She had been a fool. These streets had a way of bringing out the worst in everyone.. Taking the stairs two at a time, Ash burst into the little office where she kept her nest of blankets, making sure to bolt and lock the door before she settled in. Ash carefully stripped her armour and laid it out beside her corsy nest. Curling up in a ball, she traced the handle of her pillow axe and went to sleep. Ash woke to cheers and jeering from countless boys. Feeling like screaming into her pillow at the after-meeting in full swing, the bunkhouse filled with noise and laughter, the sounds of fights breaking out and loud arguments over who had won and shouts of cheating. The party was supposed to stay at the meeting hall. There would be no chance of actually sleeping here tonight. Annoyed, Ash pulled her stealth gear back on She wrapped herself in my longcoat, adjusting the oversized hood to obscure her face. Ready, Ash slipped out of the window into the night. Not knowing where else to go and in no mood to start trouble, Ash headed back to the wall. The wind had picked up, ripping away any sound, but it's howling, the fierce gusts like icy daggers on her skin making Ash regret not putting her mask back on. It must have rained because the metal rungs were slick, still Ash moved with the ease of someone who had been climbing for years, every movement smooth and decisive, her muscles moving to a familiar rhythm It was dark, but Ash didn't need to see much, guided by the slight glint of water on the rungs. Though she probably could climb them in her sleep. There have been more blackouts again recently. The power to this section had already been out for two days. It was a sure sign that the fast approaching winter would be a bad one. Reaching the top, Ash crouched on the ledge, bracing herself against the wind, her hood ripped back by the stinging wind. There was no guard rail up here, just a flat expanse of concrete 10 feet wide. It circled the entire city, with walls spreading to the distance to meet the other cities, forming one giant ring around the entire kingdom. It was the only place that still gave Ash hope. She had grown up on the stories of the wall walkers, a group of thieves that travelled to every corner of the kingdom walking on top of the walls. If Ash squinted she could barely make out where the city wall connected to the ring wall, it was a secret dream of mine, but too many a fool shot dead, their bodies disappearing into the empty air for the monsters to devour in the wilderness. Still, that was why after joining the Spectres, she became a shadow. Ash'd started from the bottom running messages. She had worked hard to make herself in to who she was now. Ash looked across at the tower, the only structure that rose above the wall, part of it really. The guards were huddled inside from the rain. It'd be the best time to try to leave, but the real problem was the wind and darkness. One misstep, and it would all be over. It was forbidden to go beyond the wall, and the only permitted travel was by underground train, not that any city would give her a travel permit. To leave was a death sentence in itself. The world, while so open and free, was completely infested with monsters. That was the reason for all this, all the rules and walls. To keep them out. The witches and werewolves and every other manner of savage creature that would seek to harm them. It's why she was stuck here while they had the rest of the world to live freely. Miserable, Ash decided didn't want to stay in the freezing wind, but the thought of going back to the bunk house was equally unappealing. She crouched, pulling my coat tight, her annoyance and frustration fading away, taking with it every ounce of the energy she thought she had. She'd just about decided to head back when, with an electric whine, the floodlamps on the wall flickered to life, illuminating a man as he emerged out of the darkness right in front of her From over the ledge. This monster was very handsome. They were close enough that she could see the colour of his eyes. A blue so deep it was almost purple. They stared at each other frozen. Ash still crouched in place while he was holding himself up by his muscular arms, the rest of him still hanging in the open air. Wearing matching looks of shock. Ash couldn't decide if maybe he looked like more of an angel or a demon. 'Not that there's really any difference,' She sighed, talking out loud, taking on the persona of the shadow, cold and unfeeling. It slipped on like an old glove. Ash rose to her feet, towering over the monster, his eyes wide, transfixed by every fluid movement. She could imagine what he saw; Ash clad in her stealth armour, strong and still despite the gale, her long blonde hair whipping madly around her head. She met his eyes with her stormy green ones. Smiling sweetly, she said. 'Back down you go.' her boot hitting him squarely in the chest, throwing him back into the darkness. No, he looked more like some kind of earth-bound spirit, appearing from the ether to tempt mortals to their deaths. The calm threatened to c***k, her heart racing. She had just seen a real-life monster. It had been so easy, like dealing with any of the Edge boys. Ash approached the edge, straining my eyes against the darkness. She laughed, trying to control the shock that she'd only just started to feel. She almost wished he had put up more of a fight. Life had grown so boring recently. Shaking the thought from my head, Ash decided it was time to find some warm corner to bed down in and turned back to the scaffold, Ash stepped forward, her boot caught something. With a moment of panic, she realized that shouldn't even be possible. Ash looked down with disbelief at the hand wrapped around my ankle. She flicked out a blade with a precise movement and was about to cut herself free when, with an inhumanly strong force, Ash was hurled from the wall into the abyss. The biting wind and darkness took her. The last thing Ash remembered thinking as she fell was that from inside the darkness, the wall looked so bright.