of runes fall from his lips like a string of tiny bells. I
lost myself in their lilting notes, feeling my body stitch itself
whole again. "It's going to be alright, Miraj. You're going to be
alright."
A chorus of yelling ensued behind me.
Koronos opened my eyes and forced me to watch. The Crone was forced
to fight in melee, which obviously wasn't her specialty. However,
she wasn't without her defenses. Marvin egged Achoo forward. Leo
brought up a series of reanimated Sickly Sisters I'd killed
earlier. Some two dozen minions went at the Crone, but still they
were no match against her.
"Formosa?" I croaked. Where could she be at
a time like this?
Larry swore above me. I rolled my eyes
towards him.
"I need to fight."
"You've done enough!" The steel in that
sentence took me by surprise. "You've got an infection and I can't
get it out."
Diana hovered over me. I felt her hands on
my back.
" You can't
release Koronos, Miraj. The Crone will summon him to fight at her
side. "
I pushed myself out of Larry's arms,
breathing hard.
"Then what do you want me to do? Die?!"
Marvin whirled on that last word. I saw him
looking at me in alarm. I also saw the Crone reaching out to strike
him with her bramble arm. I started towards him, but in my heart I
knew I wouldn't make it in time.
"GO!"
Formosa's shrill voice emerged from the fog
of the Grey. She positioned herself between the Crone and her son.
I watched as blood sprayed from her mouth and the hole between her
ribs.
The Crone paused long enough to smile.
"I've underestimated you, Formosa," she
cooed, pulling the woman close. Even with her fatal wound, the
Shaman Mother managed a condescending sneer. "Despite your inferior
status, I rather enjoyed your company."
For a brief instant, remorse flashed in the
Crone's gilded eyes. She pursed her lips, tearing her hand out of
the gaping hole she'd produced. Formosa staggered on the way down,
but still managed to remain on her knees.
The will of this woman!
"Find the Ice Empress." Her eyes
blurred. "Miraj, I leave my fool son in your care. Urah ."
Her soul left her body. I felt as though I
was the only one who could see it billow towards the ceiling, a
gray puff of fog streaked with black. My legs itched. I looked down
to see additional kauna blooming across my upper thighs.
Leo grabbed Marvin by the hand.
"We need to go, NOW!"
I don't know what they had planned, but
Larry took this as his cue to pick me up and run into the water of
the lake.
12: Six Months
Miraj. You're dying.
I blinked, almost blinded by a flurry of
faces passing over my head. Haggard and worn, Marvin, Larry, Leo,
and Will argued amongst one another. Jiki was there, too. As were
necromancers. Lots and lots of necromancers.
And Koronos wasn't helping.
You've been poisoned, Miraj. You've stayed
in the garden so long you won't be able to survive once I leave
your body.
I wanted to snort, but all that came out of
my mouth was a tiny wheeze.
But I can offer you a means to live, Miraj.
And all the power you could possibly need to avenge your
family.
Marvin was frantic. I'd never seen his face
so red. I imagined mine was the same way the night the Kurai
destroyed my home. The vision of powerlessness. Oh Marvin. Don't
make that face.
Say something. I need you to say anything if
you want me to save you. If you die now then I die with you.
Consider it a free deal. No strings attached.
There was a note of desperation in the
devil's tone, which told me that he was telling the whole truth for
once. Koronos did not want to die, and as it stood it was only a
matter of minutes before I took him down with me.
"- t ," I croaked.
The commotion paused long enough to
determine whether or not I'd actually said anything. I closed my
eyes.
" Alright ."
Everything went green.
I felt my body absorb the Crone's poison,
binding to me on a deeper level than I thought possible. Then there
was Koronos, who, rather than fight me during this process,
welcomed my existence in
lost myself in their lilting notes, feeling my body stitch itself
whole again. "It's going to be alright, Miraj. You're going to be
alright."
A chorus of yelling ensued behind me.
Koronos opened my eyes and forced me to watch. The Crone was forced
to fight in melee, which obviously wasn't her specialty. However,
she wasn't without her defenses. Marvin egged Achoo forward. Leo
brought up a series of reanimated Sickly Sisters I'd killed
earlier. Some two dozen minions went at the Crone, but still they
were no match against her.
"Formosa?" I croaked. Where could she be at
a time like this?
Larry swore above me. I rolled my eyes
towards him.
"I need to fight."
"You've done enough!" The steel in that
sentence took me by surprise. "You've got an infection and I can't
get it out."
Diana hovered over me. I felt her hands on
my back.
" You can't
release Koronos, Miraj. The Crone will summon him to fight at her
side. "
I pushed myself out of Larry's arms,
breathing hard.
"Then what do you want me to do? Die?!"
Marvin whirled on that last word. I saw him
looking at me in alarm. I also saw the Crone reaching out to strike
him with her bramble arm. I started towards him, but in my heart I
knew I wouldn't make it in time.
"GO!"
Formosa's shrill voice emerged from the fog
of the Grey. She positioned herself between the Crone and her son.
I watched as blood sprayed from her mouth and the hole between her
ribs.
The Crone paused long enough to smile.
"I've underestimated you, Formosa," she
cooed, pulling the woman close. Even with her fatal wound, the
Shaman Mother managed a condescending sneer. "Despite your inferior
status, I rather enjoyed your company."
For a brief instant, remorse flashed in the
Crone's gilded eyes. She pursed her lips, tearing her hand out of
the gaping hole she'd produced. Formosa staggered on the way down,
but still managed to remain on her knees.
The will of this woman!
"Find the Ice Empress." Her eyes
blurred. "Miraj, I leave my fool son in your care. Urah ."
Her soul left her body. I felt as though I
was the only one who could see it billow towards the ceiling, a
gray puff of fog streaked with black. My legs itched. I looked down
to see additional kauna blooming across my upper thighs.
Leo grabbed Marvin by the hand.
"We need to go, NOW!"
I don't know what they had planned, but
Larry took this as his cue to pick me up and run into the water of
the lake.
12: Six Months
Miraj. You're dying.
I blinked, almost blinded by a flurry of
faces passing over my head. Haggard and worn, Marvin, Larry, Leo,
and Will argued amongst one another. Jiki was there, too. As were
necromancers. Lots and lots of necromancers.
And Koronos wasn't helping.
You've been poisoned, Miraj. You've stayed
in the garden so long you won't be able to survive once I leave
your body.
I wanted to snort, but all that came out of
my mouth was a tiny wheeze.
But I can offer you a means to live, Miraj.
And all the power you could possibly need to avenge your
family.
Marvin was frantic. I'd never seen his face
so red. I imagined mine was the same way the night the Kurai
destroyed my home. The vision of powerlessness. Oh Marvin. Don't
make that face.
Say something. I need you to say anything if
you want me to save you. If you die now then I die with you.
Consider it a free deal. No strings attached.
There was a note of desperation in the
devil's tone, which told me that he was telling the whole truth for
once. Koronos did not want to die, and as it stood it was only a
matter of minutes before I took him down with me.
"- t ," I croaked.
The commotion paused long enough to
determine whether or not I'd actually said anything. I closed my
eyes.
" Alright ."
Everything went green.
I felt my body absorb the Crone's poison,
binding to me on a deeper level than I thought possible. Then there
was Koronos, who, rather than fight me during this process,
welcomed my existence in
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