A Day in the Clouds (Chapter 6) - The Hours Between 1000 and 1100 (Part 1 of 2)

_{This is a continuation of the Steemit-exclusive, original novel A Day in the Clouds. Be sure to check out the previous chapters to catch up with the story. Enjoy!}

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<< Chapter 5 (Part 2)

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The sudden influx of power surprised even myself. I was neither aware nor prepared for the extent of viento I had within me. If only I had directed the charged spheroid towards a giant or the wall that lined the prison compound, then we could’ve gotten the escape underway. Instead, it had to land on a part that was the farthest from freedom.

The crater reeked of the stench of a thousand rotting corpses. Oh, but that's ... maybe too over the top. Perhaps, the smell of mounds of excrement would be a more apt comparison, though it still paled to the stench in reality. If only the sight didn’t give me an unimaginable sense of accomplishment, I would’ve vomited the meal I was fed earlier.

They took us away from the site as they congregated and discussed how they would repair the damage. Simplones.

I stuck close to the mesh fence that lined the fortress I was being kept in, hoping to catch wind of their discussion. The distance made it hard to hear what they were talking about, but the look on their faces only spelled one thing for me: victory.

The giants talked at the same time; their garbled words became too difficult to comprehend. Some of the words that I heard were "tank," “spill,” “septic,” “rusted” and “cave-in.” I didn’t know what to make of it but the distressed demeanor with which they talked was music to my ears.

    "Tank" — if my memory served me correctly, tanks were metallic monsters the giants used whenever they battled. Usually with a cannon mount, tanks were traditionally equipped with an impenetrable armor that could withstand gunfire and missiles. We fought tanks during the Great War, but we had a particularly difficult dealing time with those diabolical contraptions. Was my viento now strong enough to pierce through the heart of those metallic beasts?

If that was indeed the case, then it was a tremendous opportunity that I could capitalize on. I went from doubting whether I still had my wind powers to trying to keep it at bay so that the giants wouldn’t have an inkling of its continued existence. A theory I had long ago about why these fiends were keeping me alive was to harness and weaponize my armas de viento — it was never conclusively disproven, so that suspicion might still be in play.

But, my viento … I knew that we Sachaphoyans had the capability to harness immense power, but I’ve never seen an individual perform such a feat on his own. I’m not usually one to question my potential greatness, but this was just too incredible to not dispute.

I looked at my hands, and at that moment I swear I felt a gust blow by. Had I known a skirmish would be the key to release my potential, I would have been involved in more prison riots long ago.

I paced around the tiled floor as I devised a plan. Teten withdrew into the inner recesses of the fortress while Ayesa was taken back to her own. I furrowed my eyebrows thinking that it would aid in the thinking process.

Doma sat in a shabby, brown cushion nearby, clutching Eddie close to her chest. The wretched, little … thing had a glass bottle, filled with a white liquid, permanently fitted to his mouth. He looked at me with doe eyes, as he suckled on the latex teat.

    "Avert your gaze," I calmly requested.

Silence answered my plea. Eddie lay unmoving, apart from subtle jerks by his hands and feet. He coughed a little, to which Doma patted him on his back. I didn’t know whether he was the giants’ plaything or he had the giants wrapped around his fingers all this time. His gaze was unnerving.

    "I said," I followed, growing frustrated. “Avert … your … gaze.”

I almost spat out what I was trying to think about but I didn’t want Doma to have any suspicions. Not really sure whether the giant understood me, I was taking necessary precautions to avoid unwanted attention. She flashed me a smile, but I reciprocated it by avoiding her stare.

Drawing a blank, I slid beside the cushion to hide myself from the gazes. Time was not on my side. I didn’t want to lose right when I discovered I had an ace hidden deep within me. Tch.

I peeked slightly to see if Eddie was still looking — to no surprise, the plump creature still fixated his gaze upon me. Looking at my hands, I felt my viento surging through my veins, though I wasn’t sure how much was left after that tremendous discharge from earlier. I had to test it somehow on something or … someone.

I inhaled deeply and, without hesitation, leapt up the cushion and charged Eddie.

    "Ha!" I shouted while mounting my assault.

Doma stood up and swatted me away, effectively protecting Eddie. She clutched him tightly as he wept in agony. I didn’t even exert much effort but he still felt the force of my viento — I was really onto something.

The giant rocked the incompetent wretch to try to appease his wailing, but to no avail. She leered at me with disdain and I looked back at her beaming with pride. They retreated inside the fortress, Eddie’s cries still echoed all over the halls. Finally, I was alone.

I focused my gaze on the mesh fence that blocked the passage to the prison grounds. A rhythmic exchange of inhales and exhales followed. I tried to recreate my mental state during the skirmish with Teten, hoping that it would truly unlock my viento, and not just a freak coincidence.

Gusts of wind soon filled the hallowed hallway of the fortress. Winged creatures fluttered about above, seemingly perturbed by the disturbance brewing just below them. I relaxed my jaw and let out a menacing roar.

With all the strength I had left, I barreled towards the mesh fence and slapped it with the full force of my armas. The combination of my wind and physical power proved too much, as it was enough to unhinge the metallic barricade. Admittedly, the blowback of the attack caused me a great deal of physical pain, but the thought of impending freedom was comfort enough to get me through.

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<< Chapter 5 (Part 2)

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