The Way Into Magic: Book Two of The Great Way by Harry Connolly Page A
Authors: Harry Connolly
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monstrous roar.
Chapter 7
Ivy dropped the branch and sprinted to the tower beside Cazia.
The bellowing had come from somewhere out beyond the waves, beyond the great black stones standing in the water. Cazia peered at the ocean as she ran, barely looking at where they were going. Somewhere out there was a creature that could make a sound like the end of the world, and if it was going to drag her beneath the waves and devour her, she wanted to see it first.
They reached the relative safety of the black stone tower before the thing appeared above the water. Ivy, being faster, bolted through the doorway first, nearly slipping on the stones inside. Cazia followed her up the tunnel stairs. They met Kinz at the top, and the terrified look on her face must have mirrored their own.
“This way,” Cazia said, even though she had no idea what to do. They ran together out of the stinking room, through the low tunnel, to the room with the flat beds. There, they crouched beside one of the windows and peered at the waves.
There was nothing to see. A second bellow came, then a third. As near as Cazia could tell, it was beyond the ridge of black stone that ran into the sea. Water suddenly splashed high into the air, glittering in the rays of the setting sun behind them. Churning white wakes washed into view, but the creature or creatures that caused them stayed out of sight.
Chills ran down Cazia’s back. Kinz and Ivy had both begun to sweat in the chilly sea air, and Cazia wiped beads from her own forehead. As terrified as she was that some great monster would come out of the sea, now that she could hear it, she wanted to see it, too. She was desperate to see it. That sound, that bellowing, made her imagination run wild.
On impulse, she grasped the blue jewel in her pocket. She herself had cast the translation spell on it, and not only had it made the Tilkilit’s odor-speech intelligible, it had translated the screaming of the giant eagles and the roaring of the grunts. The only thing grunts said was some form of the word “Blessing” over and over, but it was speech. She squeezed the little jewel in her fist while the beasts outside bellowed and roared.
There were no words, just animal noises.
The sun set over the mountain range and the shadow of falling night swept quickly across the tower and the ocean. Things seemed to settle down at sea, just a bit, while the darkness deepened.
Then they heard the noise of churning water, and it grew louder with each moment.
“It is coming,” Kinz said, her voice tight.
“What do we do?” Ivy squeaked. “What can we do?”
Cazia’s people came from the westernmost part of the empire, and although she had never been there herself, she had listened carefully when storytellers and singers told tales of sea giants.
“We hide. Sea giants only come out after the sun has set, because their eyes are sensitive to light. They’ll be able to see us if we stand at the windows.”
“Are you sure this is a sea giant?” Ivy asked.
“No. I’ve never seen one, but this matches the stories. I thought they were only in the west, but--” Another bellow echoed across the beach and through the tower. Cazia tried to make her voice calm, hoping the princess would be reassured. “This tower has stood here for a long time. Either they’ll leave it alone or they won’t be able to damage it.”
It turned out to be the latter. None of the girls raised their heads to look through the window, but throughout the night, they heard gigantic forms splashing through the shallows and stomping on the beach. The bellowing was painful to hear, and the thunderous blows to the side of the tower were even louder. Cazia wasn’t sure if they were punches or kicks, but the wet slaps against the black stone made the whole structure tremble.
For half the night, it continued. The bellowing, the keening, the massive impacts against the side of the tower raged on and on.
Chapter 7
Ivy dropped the branch and sprinted to the tower beside Cazia.
The bellowing had come from somewhere out beyond the waves, beyond the great black stones standing in the water. Cazia peered at the ocean as she ran, barely looking at where they were going. Somewhere out there was a creature that could make a sound like the end of the world, and if it was going to drag her beneath the waves and devour her, she wanted to see it first.
They reached the relative safety of the black stone tower before the thing appeared above the water. Ivy, being faster, bolted through the doorway first, nearly slipping on the stones inside. Cazia followed her up the tunnel stairs. They met Kinz at the top, and the terrified look on her face must have mirrored their own.
“This way,” Cazia said, even though she had no idea what to do. They ran together out of the stinking room, through the low tunnel, to the room with the flat beds. There, they crouched beside one of the windows and peered at the waves.
There was nothing to see. A second bellow came, then a third. As near as Cazia could tell, it was beyond the ridge of black stone that ran into the sea. Water suddenly splashed high into the air, glittering in the rays of the setting sun behind them. Churning white wakes washed into view, but the creature or creatures that caused them stayed out of sight.
Chills ran down Cazia’s back. Kinz and Ivy had both begun to sweat in the chilly sea air, and Cazia wiped beads from her own forehead. As terrified as she was that some great monster would come out of the sea, now that she could hear it, she wanted to see it, too. She was desperate to see it. That sound, that bellowing, made her imagination run wild.
On impulse, she grasped the blue jewel in her pocket. She herself had cast the translation spell on it, and not only had it made the Tilkilit’s odor-speech intelligible, it had translated the screaming of the giant eagles and the roaring of the grunts. The only thing grunts said was some form of the word “Blessing” over and over, but it was speech. She squeezed the little jewel in her fist while the beasts outside bellowed and roared.
There were no words, just animal noises.
The sun set over the mountain range and the shadow of falling night swept quickly across the tower and the ocean. Things seemed to settle down at sea, just a bit, while the darkness deepened.
Then they heard the noise of churning water, and it grew louder with each moment.
“It is coming,” Kinz said, her voice tight.
“What do we do?” Ivy squeaked. “What can we do?”
Cazia’s people came from the westernmost part of the empire, and although she had never been there herself, she had listened carefully when storytellers and singers told tales of sea giants.
“We hide. Sea giants only come out after the sun has set, because their eyes are sensitive to light. They’ll be able to see us if we stand at the windows.”
“Are you sure this is a sea giant?” Ivy asked.
“No. I’ve never seen one, but this matches the stories. I thought they were only in the west, but--” Another bellow echoed across the beach and through the tower. Cazia tried to make her voice calm, hoping the princess would be reassured. “This tower has stood here for a long time. Either they’ll leave it alone or they won’t be able to damage it.”
It turned out to be the latter. None of the girls raised their heads to look through the window, but throughout the night, they heard gigantic forms splashing through the shallows and stomping on the beach. The bellowing was painful to hear, and the thunderous blows to the side of the tower were even louder. Cazia wasn’t sure if they were punches or kicks, but the wet slaps against the black stone made the whole structure tremble.
For half the night, it continued. The bellowing, the keening, the massive impacts against the side of the tower raged on and on.
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