Star nodded silently to show she heard him and that she was fine before she turned her attention back to the next and final climb to the top. She reached over, feeling for a good grip. She felt along the narrow edge making sure she could hold onto it before pulling herself up. She was just getting ready to reach for the next hand hold when she heard Madas’ voice call out in warning. Star had just enough time to see Madas jump to a small ledge as several smaller rocks broke loose. What caught her attention was the larger boulder that wobbled precariously before shifting down ever so slightly. Star stared at it for a fraction of a second before she realized that she had to move – and move fast. She called out to Dakar in fear as the boulder shifted a little more.
“Go,” he yelled out. “I’m clear of it.”
Star looked trying to see where she could go even as more rocks fell, biting into her shoulders and choking her with dust. About four feet from her was a small outcrop. The problem was there was no foothold as the rock wall curved too far under it. If she was able to jump to it, she would be dependent on just the grip she had with her hands. Madas harsh hiss echoed loudly as the boulder shifted again and began moving slowly at first then faster. Star had no choice. It was either try for the outcropping or fall to her death. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the ledge imagining it was a bar being swung out for her to catch. As both Madas and Dakar’s cries of horror resonated around her, she pulled the imaged to her and jumped. She felt the strength in her legs as the adrenaline flowed giving her the extra she needed to reach out and grip the rocky surface. Her left hand slipped but her right hand held until she found herself hanging almost sixty meters in the air by one hand.
“Gods, no!” Dakar cried out harshly when he saw Star’s tiny body dangling precariously.
Madas own strangled cry mixed with his. “Hold on, little warrior,” she called down frantically, trying to find a safe way back down.
“I’m fine,” Star called out as she swung her left hand up and gripped the rocky ledge.
Using just her upper body strength, she pulled herself up until she was able to get her foot onto the ledge. Balancing on the tips of her toes, she swiveled around on the narrow ledge and looked up at Madas with a grin. Her heart was pounding like crazy but she felt more alive than she had since the time she had done her first solo trapeze act.
Dakar’s oaths echoed as he began climbing again until he was almost level with her. His dark face promised Star he was not as excited about her little stunt as she had been. She raised her eyebrow at him before turning back around and studying the rock face again. The boulder incident turned out to be a blessing. She saw it would actually be easier to climb up from where she was at now than from where she had been before. Star looked at the incident as a simple test, as Madas would say, by the Gods to see if she was strong enough for what lay ahead of her.
I’m not only strong enough, she thought fiercely, just try to stop me. Gods or no Gods, she was going after her mate.
A small part wondered if this was similar to what Gril had to do when he went to save Madas. Maybe that was why Madas was so confident in Star’s ability. She knew what it was like to have a mate who would go through anything to save the one meant for them.
Twenty minutes later, Star reached up and gripped the two hands reaching down for her; one was a dark green and the other a dark tan. She chuckled when they lifted her up so high she was over a foot higher than the top of the rocky ground. She looked at the two much larger forms with a twinkle in her eyes as both of them scanned her for injuries.
“I’m fine!” Star said. “I promise.”
The moment her feet touched the ground, she found herself wrapped in Dakar’s powerful arms. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again,” he said in a thick, husky tone before letting her go so Madas could wrap her arms around Star for a brief hug.
“I agree,” Madas hissed gruffly. “My heart stopped when I saw you jump and again when you were hanging there.”
Star hugged her friend back before she stepped back and surveyed the area. Her eyes widened in excitement when she saw the metal grill covering the narrow pipe used for directing rain water into the fortress. The bars covering the entrance were about two feet apart. Star almost ran to the covering. She was getting closer and closer to Jazin. She could feel it. She glanced up at the sky. It was already beginning to get darker. She would need to move fast. She would cross the wire in the dark, relying on her skills and touch to guide her. It would be difficult but she knew she could do it. Once on the other side, she would follow through with the rest of their plans and shut down the control room at the top of the building. Madas and Dakar would then attached slide bars to the wire and slide down to the main tower without fear of triggering the defense system. Dakar could take care of the rest of the systems before helping her and Madas locate Jazin.