this one,” the scorpion replied, indicating Daine with the slightest twist of its mighty stinger. “Set aside your questions and place your trust in our guidance. Your kindred watch you with pride and await the night when you will fight alongside them once more. But you have yet to earn your way. For now your path leads back to the world of the living. Honor your ancestors, heed the spirits, and let no harm befall this man.”
The words burned in her ears. Protect this outlander? She had spent decades hunting his kind! But it was not her place to question the commands of the spirits or the wishes of the fallen. She bowed her head.
“Do I get any sort of say in this?” Daine said.
“No.” The voice of the scorpion grew cold, and the slightest shift of its stance served as a subtle reminder of its power. “You will need her aid if you are to survive the dangers that await you. Now you must make your way to the realm of the Woodsman.”
“And where’s that? We haven’t seen a lot of woods lately.”
“Xu’sasar is correct. You will have to pay for your passage in blood. Seek Colchyn, the Great Boar of the Hunter’s Moon. Lady Darkheart will guide you. Defeat Colchyn, and the path will be clear.”
Lei considered this. “If you want us to do this, how come
you
don’t beat this boar for us?”
“We
must earn passage,” Xu’sasar said. “Another cannot earn it for us.”
“It is as she says,” the scorpion replied. “I can only advise. Were I to fight your battles, you could never leave.”
Lei nodded but still looked unconvinced. Xu’sasar blew out her breath.
Humans!
“Your trial awaits,” The scorpion said. “Heed the voice of Lady Darkheart, child of Cannith. Beware and be wary. Many a hero has fallen to Colchyn’s tusks, and you will find him a formidable foe.”
With that, he was gone. There was no sound, no burst of light. One moment the scorpion towered over them, and the next they were alone. Even the grass was undisturbed.
Daine broke the silence. “Lei?”
The woman ran a hand along the shaft of her dark staff, which murmured slightly. “I can feel the direction she wants us to go. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. At least we’re not dead.”
Xu’sasar blew out her breath. To be so close and have eternity stripped away—this was nothing to celebrate. Still, she had been entrusted with a task by one of the mighty spirits. This was the stuff of tales—were there any other Jalaq left to tell them.
She watched the human she had been ordered to protect, and wondered what interest the spirits could have in such a man.
C haos. That’s what troubled Daine.
“We’re following a haunted stick, which is going to help us to hunt a boar,” Daine said, “because a scorpion says that’s the only way we can get through the night. And why do we think this makes sense?”
“It’s not about sense,” Lei replied. “This is Thelanis. This is the source of faerie tales and superstitions. Remember the story of the Tower of Thorns, where Kellan kills the ogre and its ribcage becomes a ladder? That’s what we’re dealing with. This is a world of magic, not logic.”
“So you’re saying that we should believe it
because
it doesn’t make sense?”
“No. I’m saying that it doesn’t matter.” Lei raised her staff. “The spirit in the wood wants to lead us
somewhere
. We can choose to follow. We can look for a boar. Or we can wander aimlessly around this wasteland waiting for more stars to fall from the sky and kill us.”
Daine glanced at Pierce, who had remained silent throughout the exchange with the scorpion. “Pierce, anything to add? Any insight from your mysterious friend?”
“No,” Pierce said. “My companion is disturbed bythis realm. It is sensitive to the flow of mystical energies, and the ambient level of magic in this place is causing it pain. I agree with Lei. We have nothing to lose from hunting this beast, and I would rather pursue a goal than
The words burned in her ears. Protect this outlander? She had spent decades hunting his kind! But it was not her place to question the commands of the spirits or the wishes of the fallen. She bowed her head.
“Do I get any sort of say in this?” Daine said.
“No.” The voice of the scorpion grew cold, and the slightest shift of its stance served as a subtle reminder of its power. “You will need her aid if you are to survive the dangers that await you. Now you must make your way to the realm of the Woodsman.”
“And where’s that? We haven’t seen a lot of woods lately.”
“Xu’sasar is correct. You will have to pay for your passage in blood. Seek Colchyn, the Great Boar of the Hunter’s Moon. Lady Darkheart will guide you. Defeat Colchyn, and the path will be clear.”
Lei considered this. “If you want us to do this, how come
you
don’t beat this boar for us?”
“We
must earn passage,” Xu’sasar said. “Another cannot earn it for us.”
“It is as she says,” the scorpion replied. “I can only advise. Were I to fight your battles, you could never leave.”
Lei nodded but still looked unconvinced. Xu’sasar blew out her breath.
Humans!
“Your trial awaits,” The scorpion said. “Heed the voice of Lady Darkheart, child of Cannith. Beware and be wary. Many a hero has fallen to Colchyn’s tusks, and you will find him a formidable foe.”
With that, he was gone. There was no sound, no burst of light. One moment the scorpion towered over them, and the next they were alone. Even the grass was undisturbed.
Daine broke the silence. “Lei?”
The woman ran a hand along the shaft of her dark staff, which murmured slightly. “I can feel the direction she wants us to go. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. At least we’re not dead.”
Xu’sasar blew out her breath. To be so close and have eternity stripped away—this was nothing to celebrate. Still, she had been entrusted with a task by one of the mighty spirits. This was the stuff of tales—were there any other Jalaq left to tell them.
She watched the human she had been ordered to protect, and wondered what interest the spirits could have in such a man.
C haos. That’s what troubled Daine.
“We’re following a haunted stick, which is going to help us to hunt a boar,” Daine said, “because a scorpion says that’s the only way we can get through the night. And why do we think this makes sense?”
“It’s not about sense,” Lei replied. “This is Thelanis. This is the source of faerie tales and superstitions. Remember the story of the Tower of Thorns, where Kellan kills the ogre and its ribcage becomes a ladder? That’s what we’re dealing with. This is a world of magic, not logic.”
“So you’re saying that we should believe it
because
it doesn’t make sense?”
“No. I’m saying that it doesn’t matter.” Lei raised her staff. “The spirit in the wood wants to lead us
somewhere
. We can choose to follow. We can look for a boar. Or we can wander aimlessly around this wasteland waiting for more stars to fall from the sky and kill us.”
Daine glanced at Pierce, who had remained silent throughout the exchange with the scorpion. “Pierce, anything to add? Any insight from your mysterious friend?”
“No,” Pierce said. “My companion is disturbed bythis realm. It is sensitive to the flow of mystical energies, and the ambient level of magic in this place is causing it pain. I agree with Lei. We have nothing to lose from hunting this beast, and I would rather pursue a goal than
Similar Books
