question I didn’t ask. “They grow bored and easily amused.” He smiled again.
I took a knee and bowed my head. “I am most honored, lord.”
He waved his hand in dismissal. The motion reminded me of Zola so much I had to flash a smile at her.
“So, friend Adannaya and friend Vesik, what brings you to my lands?” He turned his gaze from Zola to me and back.
“The vessels, Aeros. I fear the time for hiding them has passed.”
“Mmm, most unfortunate. Do you request the vessel?”
Zola nodded. “Yes.”
“Then it shall be yours.” Aeros leaned forward and placed a bulky granite hand into the glowing field of tendrils at the bottom of the pool. A small silver pendant materialized on his enormous palm as he pulled his hand free of the wisps and water. “As we agreed, the vessel is safe.” He turned his wrist and dropped the pendant into Zola’s hand. The chain hissed as it pooled into her hand.
She bowed her head again and said, “Thank you.”
Aeros nodded and shifted his body on the stones in complete silence. The lack of sound intrigued me, the antithesis of the grinding thunderclaps that accompanied his earlier movement.
“There is much worry and unrest among our kind,” Aeros said. “I do not believe your visit here to be a coincidence.” He paused and moved his head to stare at the setting sun, the grinding soundtrack returning to his motions. “You should depart before the park rangers find you.” Aeros’s face split into a wide grin and he laughed again, sending ripples across the pools of water and vibrating the nearby trees.
“I leave you to your travels, friends.” He turned to me and nodded. “Young one, you are welcome on my land. Any friend of Adannaya is a welcomed ally.”
“Thank you, Aeros.” I bowed my head.
When I looked up he inclined his head before turning to Zola. “Quest well, friend Adannaya.”
She reached out and touched the knuckles of his left hand, laid across a granite boulder. “Rest well, friend Aeros.”
He nodded and sank into the shallow pool. His lower body dispersed into the luminescence, followed by his arms and torso and finally the top of his red granite head. The wisps of light flickered and vanished. Only pebbles and water remained. Zola shifted the pebbles into a random pattern and took a step back.
She dangled the pendant from her right hand and grimaced.
“So, that’s it?” I said.
She nodded.
“What is it, exactly?”
“A demon trapped in a soulstone.”
“Jesus, that’s a soulstone?” I scratched my chin and stared at the silver pendant. “Ah, right. And we’re going to do what with said demon?”
“The stone is sealed within the silver. It is a tiny stone.” She dropped the plain silver demon talisman into her pocket and stood up.
“Let’s head on to Fort Davidson.” I glanced at the sun, sitting just above the horizon. “We can get there before sunset if we hurry.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I watched the small town streets blip by as we came off the highway again. It felt like I could see from one end of the town to the other in the dim streetlights. Small buildings, both homes and businesses, lined the streets on ample lots set back from the road. There were hills and forests in the distance, almost black in the fading orange sun.
Normally, other than the dead, I don’t see things or sense much unless I try to. As we drove further from the highway, something was strong enough to brush against my senses and grab hold like a determined tick. It built slowly, pressure seeping into my temples.
“What town is this, Zola?”
“Pilot Knob.”
“What the hell is here? It’s so quiet, but something’s here. I feel like we shouldn’t be here.”
“Ah don’t know,” she said as she shrugged. “You may feel the presences at the fort. We’re getting close. This has never been a bustling town.”
I let the worry slip away, but something continued to gnaw at my senses.
We left the rental outside the borders of
I took a knee and bowed my head. “I am most honored, lord.”
He waved his hand in dismissal. The motion reminded me of Zola so much I had to flash a smile at her.
“So, friend Adannaya and friend Vesik, what brings you to my lands?” He turned his gaze from Zola to me and back.
“The vessels, Aeros. I fear the time for hiding them has passed.”
“Mmm, most unfortunate. Do you request the vessel?”
Zola nodded. “Yes.”
“Then it shall be yours.” Aeros leaned forward and placed a bulky granite hand into the glowing field of tendrils at the bottom of the pool. A small silver pendant materialized on his enormous palm as he pulled his hand free of the wisps and water. “As we agreed, the vessel is safe.” He turned his wrist and dropped the pendant into Zola’s hand. The chain hissed as it pooled into her hand.
She bowed her head again and said, “Thank you.”
Aeros nodded and shifted his body on the stones in complete silence. The lack of sound intrigued me, the antithesis of the grinding thunderclaps that accompanied his earlier movement.
“There is much worry and unrest among our kind,” Aeros said. “I do not believe your visit here to be a coincidence.” He paused and moved his head to stare at the setting sun, the grinding soundtrack returning to his motions. “You should depart before the park rangers find you.” Aeros’s face split into a wide grin and he laughed again, sending ripples across the pools of water and vibrating the nearby trees.
“I leave you to your travels, friends.” He turned to me and nodded. “Young one, you are welcome on my land. Any friend of Adannaya is a welcomed ally.”
“Thank you, Aeros.” I bowed my head.
When I looked up he inclined his head before turning to Zola. “Quest well, friend Adannaya.”
She reached out and touched the knuckles of his left hand, laid across a granite boulder. “Rest well, friend Aeros.”
He nodded and sank into the shallow pool. His lower body dispersed into the luminescence, followed by his arms and torso and finally the top of his red granite head. The wisps of light flickered and vanished. Only pebbles and water remained. Zola shifted the pebbles into a random pattern and took a step back.
She dangled the pendant from her right hand and grimaced.
“So, that’s it?” I said.
She nodded.
“What is it, exactly?”
“A demon trapped in a soulstone.”
“Jesus, that’s a soulstone?” I scratched my chin and stared at the silver pendant. “Ah, right. And we’re going to do what with said demon?”
“The stone is sealed within the silver. It is a tiny stone.” She dropped the plain silver demon talisman into her pocket and stood up.
“Let’s head on to Fort Davidson.” I glanced at the sun, sitting just above the horizon. “We can get there before sunset if we hurry.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I watched the small town streets blip by as we came off the highway again. It felt like I could see from one end of the town to the other in the dim streetlights. Small buildings, both homes and businesses, lined the streets on ample lots set back from the road. There were hills and forests in the distance, almost black in the fading orange sun.
Normally, other than the dead, I don’t see things or sense much unless I try to. As we drove further from the highway, something was strong enough to brush against my senses and grab hold like a determined tick. It built slowly, pressure seeping into my temples.
“What town is this, Zola?”
“Pilot Knob.”
“What the hell is here? It’s so quiet, but something’s here. I feel like we shouldn’t be here.”
“Ah don’t know,” she said as she shrugged. “You may feel the presences at the fort. We’re getting close. This has never been a bustling town.”
I let the worry slip away, but something continued to gnaw at my senses.
We left the rental outside the borders of
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