I’el tracked the rustling bushes, her left eye closed and the right focused on the movement. She pulled back her arrow and held it tightly for a moment. She let out a slow, steady breath then loosened the grip of her fingers and let her arrow fly. The bowstring popped in her ear and the arrow disappeared into the bushes when she heard a savage howl. A grimphom, one of the horrifying humanoid lizards that lived under the Phreesian ruins outside of Silver Falls, ripped through the bushes with its muddied claws. It let out another howl as it snapped the arrow that pierced through its thigh and then sniffed the air for I’el’s scent. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAQV640Ae3vH
Grimphom weren’t smart, but they were deadly for anyone that ran into them unprepared. I’el had fought off her fair share of them before and could tell she was being hunted the second she left Farnen’s Grove. It didn’t take much for her to coax one into position and sneak behind it. Two more appeared from the neighboring trees and dropped down to check on their injured companion. It barked some sort of order at them instead. The three grimphom split up and crept across the forest to I’el’s position. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAMQL8Ejavep
She slipped up against a tree and placed her arms across its trunk. The mud that coated her and her bow blended in with its dark brown bark. One of the grimphom passed in front of her, its eye swiveling across every inch of the tree. The amber ring of its iris shrank against its black sclera. It blinked and kept moving. I’el moved deftly behind it, placed her bow around its head and kicked it in the back as she simultaneously pulled the grip forward into its neck. There was a snap followed by silence as the grimphom’s body fell into I’el’s arms. She gently lowered it to the ground. One down, two more to go. 76Please respect copyright.PENANA0INQaY7lnU
I’el crouched down into the grass and pulled her hunting knife from the sheathe at her hip. She flipped it around, blade downward, and plunged it into the back of the wounded grimphom as it limped around the tree. She uppercutted into its rectangular jaw before it could make any noise and delivered three more fatal blows. Two down.76Please respect copyright.PENANAMNSSB2d63L
‘I’m impressed,’ Nolli commended. ‘I apologize for the imbecile comment earlier.’76Please respect copyright.PENANABHf1SHzNps
I’el furrowed her brow. ‘I may not be the quickest to learn, or the best at conversation, but I’m very good at what I do.’76Please respect copyright.PENANAyC4ef3m12r
The third grimphom stopped and lifted its head into the air as she approached. It seemed calmer than the other two and slightly more aware. I’el watched its nostrils flare and realized it was picking up a scent.76Please respect copyright.PENANAJWGh2DgIyn
‘It can’t be mine,’ She thought. ‘I covered myself up.’76Please respect copyright.PENANA3LB9A9KFKF
Her eyes glanced down toward the mint-colored blood that adorned her hands and knife. She tilted her head in uncertainty. The grimphom clicked its teeth and turned back toward I’el’s direction. I’el laid flat against the ground.76Please respect copyright.PENANAMbm6K1cSDq
‘It’s going to find me if I don’t do something quick,’ She determined. 76Please respect copyright.PENANA9GHtx36JBh
‘Try to talk to the forest,’ Nolli offered. ‘There is life all around you that can help. Use my knowledge and speak.’76Please respect copyright.PENANAHU33ccrbM7
I’el ran through the words that Nolli deposited in her head and came across one that she thought was the best for her predicament. She pressed her palms into the cool earth of the forest. The sounds of the grimphom walking closer melded with the songs of the birds and the buzzing of the insects. She could hear the water coursing through the roots of every plant around her.76Please respect copyright.PENANAaLDE592m8Z
“Nolavohpe,” She whispered. A mix of roots and vines burst out of the ground around the grimphom and wrapped around its legs and arms to hold it in place. I’el stood and lifted her hands in triumph. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAeAswAmvXxJ
“Ha!” She shouted. “Try to work your way out of that!”76Please respect copyright.PENANA6NVz4nLN0m
The creature’s eyes swiveled around rapidly in what I’el felt was an attempt to determine an escape. It huffed and then flicked both eyes in her direction. The grimphom opened its mouth, saliva dripping between its sharp teeth, and let out a stuttering squawk that resounded through the forest. I’el’s beaming grin dropped when she heard the sound repeated at least several times. The grimphom had called for help. She chucked the knife between its eyes and silenced it, but it was already too late.
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Tuvhe stared down at his metal boots as he felt the eyes of nearly everyone in the village boring into him. He didn’t blame them. If one of the other adjudicarum had shown up covered in blood spatter, he would be curious too. He made his way down the main street of Senna’s lower district and into Yegori’s Forum, where Marshal Cavner and the rest of his judgen and adjudicarum gathered for their day’s work. Snow dusted the rooftops and gave the city a soft white glow. Tuvhe knocked at the spiked metal gate of the forum and waited for one of the jurinite guards to open it. 76Please respect copyright.PENANA0QRZdYd5AN
‘Be cautious of what you tell them,’ Eslen warned. ‘We both know I’m somewhat of a black sheep among the gods.’76Please respect copyright.PENANAMeoyd1sKOt
Tuvhe let out a tired chuckle. ‘That’s one way of putting it, Eslen.’76Please respect copyright.PENANAzglDeucLzM
The bronze-armored jurinite opened the gate and let Tuvhe through. The latter walked up the cobbled steps of the Forum’s main building and entered. The adjudicarum were assembled in eight rows of ten, each clad in the same silver armor that Tuvhe wore. Ahead of them, the seven judgen stood in a singular row, their golden chestplates and gauntlets sparkling in the rays of sunlight that managed to break through the building’s stained glass windows and cracked roof. Marshal Cavner, an older man of imposing stature and the only one to be dressed entirely in gold, stood on a platform at the back. His white mustache bristled as he spoke to the assembly of soldiers in front of him.76Please respect copyright.PENANADzmK5luU8M
“That is why it’s of the utmost importance that we patrol the perimeter. We cannot risk anything going wrong during the festival of the frozen flame. Am I understood?”76Please respect copyright.PENANAzUXKSKYJJc
A resounding “Yes, Marshal” rang through the chamber. Tuvhe was about to step forward and make his way into the group, but someone behind the Marshal cleared their throat loudly. Tuvhe leaned to the side to get a better view and let out a sigh of frustration when he saw the maroon robes of Duke Walry, leader of the city of Senna.76Please respect copyright.PENANAqV9MJFJAoA
‘Do you have an issue with that man?’ Eslen inquired.76Please respect copyright.PENANAb4j4bAg3yu
‘No, not him specifically,’ Tuvhe answered. ‘The Duke is… fine. It’s more so his -’76Please respect copyright.PENANAXfG5OsQIIF
“Tuvhe Vull,” an icy voice shouted from across the room. “Are you going to continue hiding in the shadows, or will you make your presence known?”76Please respect copyright.PENANAEsSjo5meRS
Tuvhe straightened his back and stepped forward as everyone turned to look at him. A young woman with striking features, a long black ponytail that reached down to the small of her back, and crystal blue eyes that put the brightest of diamonds to shame rounded the Duke. She crossed her arms against her ivory dress and gave him a look that would freeze even the hottest suns. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAeysD9eXyac
‘Oh,’ Eslen remarked. ‘I think I may know what happened here. Hael hath no fury.’76Please respect copyright.PENANAzWZrGb5VJb
“Will you continue to stand there with that vapid expression or are you going to explain to us why you look like the rear end of a horse?” The woman demanded.76Please respect copyright.PENANAMzbELCc6t8
“The blood isn’t mi-”76Please respect copyright.PENANAw2nQWX4AkA
“I wasn’t talking about the blood, Vull,’ The woman interrupted.76Please respect copyright.PENANASvhXk8UKsG
Tuvhe heard snickering from various parts of the assembly. He stepped toward the middle of the rows, not wanting to give Rialev the satisfaction of knocking him down a peg in front of everyone else. She was the Grand Magistrate, the daughter of the Duke and he may have deserved it, if he was being fair to her, but the situation at the Soule Flame was far too important to be swept aside for a lovers quarrel. 76Please respect copyright.PENANACpb4wEo7LQ
“I’ve returned from the Soule Flame and uncovered dark magic at play,” He informed them. “There seems to be something stirring up forces outside of the Mark.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAHTk0svHBFB
“What proof do you have of these claims?” Rialev retorted. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAJbd81Ejql4
The Duke stepped in front of Rialev and placed his arm up, as if making a barrier. The creases in his forehead deepened as he chewed his lip. He ran a finger across the tip of his nose and cleared his throat before speaking. “Tuvhe, what you’re suggesting is quite a predicament. Especially this close to the festival. Do you have anything physical that can help us? Whose blood is on you?”76Please respect copyright.PENANAdJKPKkgSDX
“Judgment’s Edge has been destroyed. It was burned down by a horde of Ravilors that killed everyone inside. I tracked the Deridens to the Flame and found Tomhaus dead, killed by Yarcon’s own hand. He was possessed by some malevolent entity with three irises.”76Please respect copyright.PENANA4SQu9XvA5s
A look of familiarity flashed across Duke Walry’s face before shifting into a falsified expression of doubt. He pressed a fist to his mouth and coughed. “What did you do to Yarcon? If he murdered his brother in cold blood, why is he not here to face punishment as the Sennan laws state?”76Please respect copyright.PENANAi5a0uMM3f0
Tuvhe hesitated.76Please respect copyright.PENANAUdh3XTWbm3
‘Your Duke is hiding something,’ Eslen murmured. ‘I can sense it radiating from him. He’s trying to draw attention away.’76Please respect copyright.PENANA0pUmIlebRH
“Yarcon could not endure sentencing because he was too far gone by the time I met him,” Tuvhe told everyone in the room. “It was him or me, and I couldn’t risk him coming back to Senna and causing more harm.”76Please respect copyright.PENANA4vRcHsRJDS
“Your concern for our people is commendable, but you know the laws,” Marshal Cavner responded. “Only judgen’s or myself are allowed to carry out on-site execution. That is not a decision an adjudicarum can make, especially for a task that was, if I recall correctly, taken on entirely by yourself and without the permission of your command.”76Please respect copyright.PENANA3ygdOFAyfE
Tuvhe tried to argue but the Marshal held his hand up and continued. “We will send out a small group to investigate Judgment’s Edge and the Flame, then we shall reconvene for further discussions. Until then, I’m afraid you’ll have to be placed in a holding cell.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAXPLs4U31z4
Tuvhe shook his head at the thought. “I can’t be placed in a cell for doing what’s right. You don’t understand the severity of the situation. Something was coming this way and only I could stop it in the moment.”76Please respect copyright.PENANA67FMrphmVy
Marshal Cavner drew his sword from the sheath and stabbed it into the platform. His rounded face reddened with anger. “You would dare question my command? What gives you the right to tell me what you can and cannot do for breaking our laws and striking down our citizens?”76Please respect copyright.PENANATFOZ4LS7vt
“I do!” Tuvhe yelled in a voice that wasn’t his own. His normally brown eyes burned with white heat and his body bent back in an unnatural way. “I was prepared to stand by and listen to you speak, but it’s clear that you have no sense of true justice anywhere in your being. You claim power in the name of being powerful, not in the name of making things right. I will not let someone as incompetent as you stop me from completing my journey.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAYZwO1tervv
Tuvhe fell to the floor in a clatter of metal and regained control of his body. He heard Rialev gasp and whisper his name. Marshal Cavner stood in frightened silence, as did those around him. Duke Walry cleared his throat once more.76Please respect copyright.PENANAHLbhbI7QJQ
“You’ve been chosen as the Tomekeeper of the Betrayer,” He huffed, getting more heated with each word. “There is no greater shame. We cannot take anything you say at face value, nor can we remove you from this plane of existence, you conniving waste! I, Duke of Senna, do not want to see you in this fair land any longer. You will not bring your plagues and your dishonor to my great people. You, exile of exiles, are to leave immediately!”76Please respect copyright.PENANAALkML6fwly
The adjudicarum around Tuvhe snapped to attention and withdrew their swords, pointing them at the disheartened Tomekeeper. He raised his hands and got up without a fight. As he stepped backward from the assembly, he locked eyes with Rialev and, instead of the rage he was expecting, saw sadness. Somehow that hurt even more.
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76Please respect copyright.PENANAtgXWR0UcrG
Utic looked up at the twinkling jewels of the night sky and wondered when he would be able to see his family again. For all they knew, or cared, he died in the storm the other day. Still, he pictured the joy he hoped they would have if he opened the door and told them of his great adventure and even greater power.76Please respect copyright.PENANAfPm0fS86Pl
‘Your admiration for your family is sweet,’ Verna said. ‘Do not let that cloud your mind or affect your decisions, though.’76Please respect copyright.PENANAK2xXHqG5Ik
Utic heard a scrape from behind him and turned to watch Orghov struggle with the tossed crates. He grumbled something beneath his breath before planting a foot through one in anger. Utic stood up and walked over to help the old man.76Please respect copyright.PENANAGD9clrpD2U
“If it isn’t the mighty Tomekeeper,” Orghov teased. “Come to bless an old crow with those powers? They move crates?”76Please respect copyright.PENANAS32DtdSfGh
“No, I don’t think so,” Utic laughed in response. He kneeled down to grab one. “I’m pretty used to helping out with tasks like this anyway.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAIKIFB4Ejhq
Orghov studied him as he stacked the crates back in pairs. “Why you?”76Please respect copyright.PENANAtqH9UKaujs
“I’m sorry?” Utic responded in confusion.76Please respect copyright.PENANAuEzX1u63Wk
“Why choose you?” Orghov clarified. “I grew up hearing stories of the mighty Tomekeepers and all the influential things they’ve done for Lidaesea. Always imagined them as the perfect picture mixture of intelligence, strength and beauty. You’re just some gangly boy from Montenau.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAmAlFQOKhyV
“Thanks,” Utic sneered. “This gangly boy just finished all your work for you.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAOkP8x5wyoj
“And a fine job you did, boy!” Orghov said. “I don’t mean to be rude. It’s more so out of curiosity. What did Verna see in you that made her think you’d be worthy of wielding such powerful magic? What makes any of us worthy?”76Please respect copyright.PENANA0jHT4ALNA0
‘It’s a fool’s quest to try and find hidden meaning in our actions,’ Verna chimed in.76Please respect copyright.PENANACtvKbbpTel
Utic smiled in response.76Please respect copyright.PENANAikErzzwBoy
“See! You wonder what I wonder!” Orghov exclaimed. Utic realized he must have mistook the smile to be towards his own comment. He shrugged and let the man continue his train of thought. “What makes fate come down and say ‘Today I’m going to change your life. You’ll be a beggar no more. No, today you’ll be the fairest knight in the land. Maybe a prosperous king, or the most dashing pirate in all the sands!’ What I wouldn’t give to have just a piece of that glory.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAUPzCMUxurh
Utic watched as Orghov stepped to the railing of the barge and leaned over to soak in the sight of the desert extending past the horizon. It was a sea of sand, each dune a wave and every rock that dotted it a bubble from its depths. He seemed to be deep in solemn thought. Utic contemplated going over to console the man, but was at a loss for words. Instead, Orghov’s voice drifted back to him.76Please respect copyright.PENANAjRA97w05wv
“What was that word you used earlier, boy? The one that made the sand solidify.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAOjaIS21aCe
Utic joined the old man at the railing. “Matcahver. It means ‘stop the sand’.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAJzij2JJdXc
Orghov threw out his hands and yelled the word at the top of his lungs. The evening breeze tousled the desert particles but nothing else happened. He nodded in understanding. “It seems like words alone don’t do anything. You need the power of the gods themselves. It was worth a try. Say, boy, can you do me a favor?”76Please respect copyright.PENANANzsH4dqkp1
“Only if you stop calling me boy and call me Utic instead,” The Tomekeeper bargained.76Please respect copyright.PENANArCg4tb2vEy
“Alright, Utic,” Orghov agreed with an unnecessary inflection on the name. “Will you spin the sands for me? My old lass and I used to sit on this barge and watch the pits of Hourglass Cove whirl around every night before she passed. I haven’t been back since. Not the same, you know?”76Please respect copyright.PENANAZGeedM7Zr7
Utic gave Orghov a tender smile and went through the words in his mind. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAJVTBnBPbEg
“Qasilvera.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAzuAZM73iEf
The sand in front of the barge began to slide and shake before it turned into a swirling funnel. The soft rattling of the grains of sand passing over one another filled the air. Orghov placed the tips of his fingers on an ornate sapphire pin that adorned the upper right side of his jacket. Utic realized upon closer inspection that it wasn’t actually a pin, but rather two sapphire earrings melded together to look like one. The old man seemed lost in his own memories at first, then uttered words that Utic could barely hear.76Please respect copyright.PENANAFrXDBNszDQ
“Thank you, Tomekeeper.”
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Irada Holst was halfway through harvesting the cornfields when he came across the body of an unconscious man. The unknown male was roughly the same age, give or take a year or two, and was wrapped in a large orange cloak. Underneath the cloak was a pair of loose-fitting brown pants and a long-sleeved shirt the color of an eggshell, but it was the sharpened spikes sticking out from the soles of his leather boots that caught Irada’s attention. He was clearly an Asceniate, one of the people that lived in the mountain kingdom of Zhondra. How he managed to make it halfway across Lidaesea and into the Varlan plains was a mystery Irada couldn’t wait to solve. Irada tapped the man’s boot with the blunt end of his sickle and braced for a jump. Nothing happened.76Please respect copyright.PENANAgKXQTHNX4O
‘Maybe you need to splash him with some water,’ a high-pitched and syrupy voice advised him.76Please respect copyright.PENANAcxJUQPZ1lt
Irada looked around nervously to make sure no one else was nearby. “Do I have that power, Heivara?” He whispered.76Please respect copyright.PENANAE5pa26ZI6b
‘Water is Drinex’s thing,’ The goddess of the hearth answered back. ‘I’m afraid you’ll need to find some. Oh! You can use the wagon to take him back!’76Please respect copyright.PENANA2VPhAHdFmy
Irada looked at the decrepit wagon full of the corn he had worked all day to gather. He knew what the right thing to do was, but that didn’t make the idea of leaving behind half of his hard-earned bounty any better. His speckled mare whinnied as rain started to pour from the clouds. Irada clicked his tongue, dusted his grimy hands against his ripped brown tunic and grabbed a shallow iron bucket from the wagon. He placed the bucket on his head, sliding the handle under his chin, and proceeded to drag the man toward the wagon. Irada was used to lifting heavy loads, but the deadweight of the unconscious man felt like sandbags had been tied around his feet. The man’s pants and boots carved into the mud as Irada pulled him up to the wagon’s side.76Please respect copyright.PENANAOT3oWKxVJV
Irada hopped into the back of the wagon and started to throw as much of the corn as he could to the side. Every piece pained him that much more. Once the wagon was half empty, he slid his arms under the man’s and used every ounce of his strength to hoist him up. The rain picked up from a drizzle to a thunderous storm. Lightning flashed against the dark clouds swelling in the sky and a crack of thunder boomed through Irada’s core. He turned and hopped over the wagon’s edge then onto his mare. He took a moment to tuck the wavy chocolate hair that went halfway down his back into the bucket. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAjnjxKILpb4
“Hey, Heivara,” Irada said as he lightly poked the mare’s side. “ I just realized that you said we needed water to wake this guy up, and now it’s raining. I guess that didn’t work.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAuDhnwJKRYx
‘Yeah, you’re right,’ Heivara replied. “Whatever happened really knocked him out. Maybe we can try smelling salts next?”
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Fwen awoke with a start as the hull of the Midnight Lily rumbled violently. Verina, asleep on a makeshift bed at the foot of Fwen’s, snored loudly. Fwen jumped up and cracked her neck. She didn’t remember falling asleep. In fact, the idea of falling asleep and letting the psychotic harlequin stab her mid-dream had been more than enough to stave away the exhaustion. Verina had kept her blade put away, but Fwen didn’t know how long that would last. At some point, however, Verina had nodded off and, as a result, Fwen figured she must have as well. The ship rumbled again.76Please respect copyright.PENANAyTGQM1MXtt
“Verina!” Fwen yelled at the dozing Terrolaff. “Something is wrong.”76Please respect copyright.PENANApJxFBe1ZzD
Verina rolled onto her other side with a mumble and began to snore again. Fwen scratched the top of her head in frustration. She turned to grab her rapier, a gift from To’tenkhar Academy for her acceptance, and rotated back around to stop mere inches from Verina’s face. She flinched in surprise. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAPGbUvcZJxu
“You woke me up,” Verina droned. She wiped her eyes and smudged the black circles that surrounded them. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAaSIhBBmfha
“Yes, I did,” Fwen stated. “Something is happening up top.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAnFFQfkmBwM
Fwen extended out a hand and let Verina exit the cabin first, not intent on letting her new partner slip behind her. The rest of the ship’s cabins and hold were eerily empty, yet Fwen could hear voices shouting from the main deck. As the duo ascended the staircase, Verina pushed open the hatch and was met with a sudden blast of heat. She waved the air away and raced through the hatch. Fwen followed quickly behind. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAMRSt3RWlSB
Up above, flames whipped and fanned against the navy sails. The crew of the Lily ran around in hysteria as cannon fire crashed across the deck and the starboard flank. Another ship, beige in color with bright red sails, was hooked into the Lily’s side and pulling closer. 76Please respect copyright.PENANA2OuRP7TtUv
“Are those pirates?” Verina wondered aloud.76Please respect copyright.PENANA5hMKCk0Zug
“Yes,” Fwen confirmed. She could feel her anger swelling as the wood of the Lily chipped and cracked around her. “And they just picked the wrong damn ship to board.”
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76Please respect copyright.PENANAMgey2bn5qd
Yonni despised the phrase “fish out of water" but felt the words perfectly encapsulated her situation. The air above was much thicker than she had anticipated and each breath felt like she was swallowing a large ball and shoving it down into her lungs. Her hair frizzed from the lack of moisture, and her skin burned slightly every time the thing called “wind” decided to blow by. Worst of all, though, was the transformation from fin to legs.76Please respect copyright.PENANAgdIUIrSMSS
Drinex had promised her that it would be relatively quick and painless. Like every Anqualai, her body would naturally adapt to the change in environment and know what to do. It was nothing but lies.76Please respect copyright.PENANAWMdCib8uZs
Instead, Yonni had to endure what felt like an eternity of painful evolution. First, her fin had to dry out and she suffered through the horrible itching of her scales shedding. Then, once she had shed enough, her fin popped into two slimy halves that made her instantly nauseous. The color changed to better match her tone, and the last of her scales retreated into her skin. Each felt like tiny needles being pressed into her body and left colorful flecks that dotted her legs. Learning to walk was a whole other endeavor, one that she had temporarily given up on.76Please respect copyright.PENANA1yXw9oLaD7
‘I promise you it gets better, and goes faster too,’ Drinex tried to comfort her. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAQxAi3NqZjv
Yonni ran her hand through the tangles in her hair and let out a frustrated yell. She stood, falling immediately back to the sanded shore of the Font. She stood again, took two steps, and faced another tumble. Yonni pounded her fists against the shore. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAVxXFR7ehWT
“Lady, are you okay?” She heard a quiet, childish voice ask in concern.76Please respect copyright.PENANAx7qDWJ2QyS
Yonni looked up to see two children, a boy and girl she guessed to be around ten and eight, staring back down at her. The girl had a rounded blue orb tucked onto her arms. The boy scratched his leg and repeated his question.76Please respect copyright.PENANAauAoeXvCRz
“Isn’t it a little late for you children to be out playing by the shore?” She inquired with a sincere tone. “Where are your parents?”76Please respect copyright.PENANArl3nk308Nc
“Our mom works at night at the cabin,” the boy answered. He pointed toward the top of the curved shoreline. “She lets us come pick out shells for her, long as we’re careful.”76Please respect copyright.PENANAS8mqmk6Fnd
“Your legs are scary,” the girl chimed in. “Why do they look like that?”76Please respect copyright.PENANAVF0YDOjLqp
Yonni thought about the best way to respond. She didn’t want to lie to the children, but she also didn’t want to say anything that went over their heads. She pointed toward her legs. “I’m a mermaid who just got my legs. I don’t really know how to walk. Can you help me?”76Please respect copyright.PENANAmdcsPZH1i9
The kids looked at each other in surprise.76Please respect copyright.PENANA446eJ8svJi
“A mermaid? Wow!” The girl shouted. She jumped up and down enthusiastically. “This is the best day ever!”76Please respect copyright.PENANAAjDu3tPpMy
“We can help,” the boy added. “But you have to carry some shells for us. Oh, and I want to learn to speak wallu!”
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Kliev pushed through bushes and branches as he made his way through the moonlit forest. His senses were heightened by the dark and he felt his back tense up at the slightest noises. He sniffed the air for some semblance of civilization, but was only met with the stench of moss and pine. He wrinkled his nose and bent his ears in. While the long ears were great to have in the snowy mountainside of Krijya, they either kept smacking into every tree or the fluffy tanned fur would stick to the mucky surface of the vines he passed. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAL37x2TNMIJ
‘Where’s your sense of adventure, keeper?’ Wogiwoj boomed. ‘This whole journey is about getting out of your comfort zone, and I can definitely tell you’re uncomfortable!’76Please respect copyright.PENANAiYJK7NnQQq
Kliev’s stomach gurgled loudly. He tried to remember the last time he had eaten.76Please respect copyright.PENANAVqWH1pj8Fh
‘I could go for a snack too,’ Wogiwoj agreed. ‘A big leg of mutton, some pitchers of honeyed mead, and a couple of pies.’76Please respect copyright.PENANAz7pAZtD5TL
“If that’s a snack, I worry about what a meal for you is,” Kliev responded. “Come to think of it, I’m not feeding you, am I? You’re not sucking out my life juice?”
‘That’s disgusting,’ Wogiwoj expressed. ‘I just live through your experiences. At least for now.’76Please respect copyright.PENANAfxDkcRthNh
Kliev stopped. “Wait, what do you mean for now?”76Please respect copyright.PENANADYZGe8IT9B
Before Kliev could get an answer, a scream echoed through the forest. His ears twitched and twisted to find the direction. He tracked the scream and the sounds of a tussle to the south of his location. Kliev rushed toward the sound. As he ran, large stone columns steadily appeared. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAyWA6UnzXpc
‘Ruins, maybe?’ He thought as he hopped on top of a crumbled stone slab.76Please respect copyright.PENANA28JK44OOsH
‘Looks like it,’ Wogiwoj confirmed. ‘Probably from those old wood elves.’76Please respect copyright.PENANAdUzORyMyxu
Kliev hopped over to another pillar, then a second slab. He dropped flat to his stomach and watched as five odd lizard-like creatures chased someone across the ruins. Kliev squinted his eyes to try and make out who it was.76Please respect copyright.PENANAjComQasXKB
‘That’s a Phreeton woman!’ Wogiwoj informed him.76Please respect copyright.PENANAmRloirZEPQ
“And a real stunner at that,” Kliev added. It was time to save the damsel in distress. He dropped down, smoothed back his hair and took off as fast as he could. Up ahead, the woman shot two of the lizard creatures squarely in the chest, and a third in the face with an arrow. They fell to the ground in just enough time for Kliev to jump over their bodies. Another arrow, this time to the fourth lizard’s knee. It squawked and stood still, claws gripped around the arrow’s shaft. Kliev took the chance to smash his knee into the back of its head.76Please respect copyright.PENANAoJT3PEEVXf
The final lizard leapt onto the woman’s back and pressed her face first into the forest soil. Despite her struggles, she couldn’t shake it off. It croaked at her and pulled its claws back for one last slice. Kliev grabbed the throwing ax off of his pack and launched it into the back of the lizard’s head with a sickening thwack. It made a screeching noise and stumbled away from the woman. She flipped over and delivered a kick into its stomach. 76Please respect copyright.PENANAqCV5hDipXC
Kliev leapt through the air and landed in front of the woman. He threw his hand up at her and cleared his throat. “Don’t worry, madame. I’ll take care of you from here.” 76Please respect copyright.PENANAS2WZfhCIz0
He gave her a wink and turned to face the still-screeching creature. He clapped his hands together and pointed toward the sky. “Carinogi!”76Please respect copyright.PENANAAKyRu8fAzI
A singular bolt of lightning flashed from the sky and struck the ax in the creature’s head, serving as a conduit and exploding the lizard into a mint cloud that covered Kliev and the elven woman. He turned to her with a look of sheer excitement, his chest heaving from the adrenaline.76Please respect copyright.PENANA1Nj8QSKAJI
“What the Hael is wrong with you?” The woman cried out, desperately wiping the mint green splatter off of her face and clothes. Chunks clung to her orange hair. “Why would you explode it?”76Please respect copyright.PENANAx2SKejxKOQ
Kliev gave her a look of confusion. She should have been grateful, not frustrated. He didn’t understand what went wrong.76Please respect copyright.PENANAzGFWLHIjvo
‘Odd way of saying thanks,’ Wogiwoj noted. ‘But I like her!’
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