Rift of Askrah Book 1: Fracture

by Benjamin Andrews

Sleep didn’t last long for Nihlen. The quiet twilight that had just greeted him with blissful slumber erupted in sudden screams, explosions, and bursts of fiery light. As the room around him shook, Nihlen rolled ungracefully out of his bed, landing hard on the floor. As he pushed himself to his feet, he heard the sounds of his companions scrambling awake.

  Galen dashed over to the window, throwing it open. “The city is under attack… There’s fire everywhere.” He called over the screaming voices which flooded the streets below. Another explosion shook the building again, nearly sending them all to the floor.

  Steadying himself, Nihlen ran over to the window to take a look himself. The scene outside was one of devastation. The buildings in the plaza surrounding them were either destroyed, or already on fire. A quick glance upward confirmed The Jewel of Lake Berot, the inn they were in now, was also on fire. People ran in all directions below, driven by complete and utter chaos. Their screaming voices and fear filled cries echoed around the city constantly, punctured by massive explosions from the surrounding buildings. Nihlen leaned out the window, looking up and down the street of the plaza, searching for the source of the attack. When his vision reached the lake, he saw the source.

  A large wall of fire encircled the plaza just across from the lake. As the flames licked the air around them, twisting and dancing in the night, Nihlen spotted a lone figure in the center of the walled off space. Fire erupted from the figure’s hands, hurtling over the flame wall and crashing into an, until then, undamaged building. The plaza resounded with another jarring explosion, and Nihlen backed away from the window. He wished it was only because of the tremor that wracked the room.

  “There’s a person surrounded by a wall of fire just down the road by Lake Berot… A single person is creating such devastation…” Nihlen said, unable to mask the fear in his voice. How can we fight something like that? Even the Eye of Kings won’t do much when I burn alive…

  Galen quickly leaned out the window again, looking down the road. When he brought his head back in, he looked as worried as Nihlen now felt. “I doubt this is unrelated to us. Surely that person is another ability user from Illian… The power to command fire though, I’m not sure what to do.” Galen said, and fear was plain in his battle hardened voice as well. After all, how does one prepare to fight the very forces of nature?

  His fear only deepened Nihlen’s though, and he turned away from the window. He felt disgusted with himself, because he wanted to flee, to run and try to preserve his own life, and the lives of his friends. He clenched his fist, and it trembled.

  “Nihlen…” Marina said gently, glancing over toward the window. She made no move to see their newest pursuer though.

  He looked up at her, and her eyes met his. They were full of fear. That look of fear shook him inside. I promised to protect her, no matter what.

  Nihlen smiled at her, and the fear in her eyes softened slightly. “We have a big problem on our hands, no doubt about it. However, we’ve handled everything up until now, and we’ll handle this. Let’s go down there, and see what we can do to stop this.”

  They quickly gathered up their belongings, and left the room. As they made their way through the inn, they yelled a warning of fire, banging on doors to rouse occupants who might otherwise sleep to their death in the gradually burning building. When they exited the building, they deposited their possessions in the nearby stable, checked to make sure their animals could escape if the fire spread to the stable, and then ran quickly down the large plaza street, past throngs of fleeing people, toward Lake Berot.

  Nihlen watched the massive wall of fire the entire time as they ran, dodging people out of reflex. His jaw was clenched hard as he forced his feet to carry him toward what felt like certain doom. As they neared the fire wall, two guards appeared, blocking their path.

  “This area is off limits to civilians.” One of the guards said, leveling his sword toward Nihlen. He had a scraggly beard and a very gruff voice. “This area is extremely dangerous at the moment.”

  “You’re right.” Nihlen said, pained yet grateful for the delay. “That person has already destroyed several buildings. I ask that you step aside, and allow us to handle this situation.”

  “It’s our duty to protect this city!” The second guard yelled, drawing himself up. He was about the same age as Nihlen, and about the same height as well. “We will protect Cascadia with our lives!”

  Cal and Galen moved forward, each chopping one of the guards on the back of the neck before they could even react, easing their now unconscious bodies to the ground.

  “Your spirit is admirable.” Nihlen inclined his head, as they ran off once again toward the wall of fire.

  They slowed as they reached it. Large amounts of guards encircled the flames, but they could find no way in. They mulled around nervously, looking to their commanders with eyes filled with fear. It was clear to Nihlen that most were right on the edge of desertion.

  Without warning, the wall of fire suddenly flared out, knocking all of the surrounding soldiers back several feet. The plaza was humming with the sound of the armored men slamming to the stone ground at once, and air crackling from the intense heat. The steeds of their superiors balked at the fire, moving around nervously as their riders tried to control them. As the fallen men began to get to their feet, many simply turned and ran, fleeing the scene. Their commanders shouted curses and threats at the fleeing men, but to no avail. They continued to flee in droves, more men losing heart as more fled. It was only a matter of minutes before the square was empty save themselves and the roaring wall of fire before them.

  Nihlen glanced nervously at his companions, and after a small nod from Marina, turned to face the wall of fire. “Cease this destruction!” He bellowed toward the flame wall.

  The flames flickered in response to his words, and the wall of fire began to thin. Slowly the fire burned down, until the circle was waist high off the ground. His view no longer obscured by a fiery oblivion, he was able to see the person who held mastery over fire.

  She was female, but quite tall. Taller than Nihlen, Galen, and even Cal. She was quite thin as well, which gave her a somewhat ethereal presence. She wore a long dress that was a fiery crimson red, which matched her hair. Flames licked off her body, crawling all over her freely. As she regarded them silently from the center of the circle, even her eyes burned with fire.

  “My quarry has finally come out. I didn’t think you’d be able to resist the lure of a city being destroyed.” The woman said, her voice was soft and light, but carried well across the darkness.

  “So you destroy the city to lure me out? You cannot help but exercise the supremacy you hold over others with such a vast and amazing gift? Is the power of the Eye of Kings truly worth mindlessly destroying whatever lies in your way?” Nihlen yelled into the darkness, unable to help himself from fear and anger.

  “Do not presume to lecture me, boy. You know nothing about me or my goals.” The woman retorted, even her voice seemed to be coated with flames.

  “I don’t need to know your goals.” Nihlen spat back. “Whatever you are after, you are killing innocent people and causing senseless destruction in pursuit of your goal. I will oppose anything that uses such methods!”

  The woman began laughing, the flames surrounding her flaring with her mirth. “You are nothing to me as you are right now boy. I could burn you all to cinders in the blink of an eye. I am Helida Goverra, a Tictinil. I hold dominion over fire. You, nor anyone else, can hope to oppose me.”

  Without another word, Nihlen jumped the small wall of flames. He reached toward the halberd on his back, but let his hand fall limply back to his side. It would be of no help to him against the roaring flames.

  The temperature on the other side of the wall was like another world. The cool nighttime air was replaced with a heat that felt as if he stepped into the hottest desert. The air was thick, which made it hard to breathe, and sweat was forming on Nihlen’s brow. His throat felt dry, and he pulled o
n the collar of his shirt as he stared at Helida, still unable to shake the feeling of his impending doom.

  Helida regarded him blankly as he closed the distance between them. Then, the fire surrounding her body, as well as the circle of flame which surrounded them both, suddenly evaporated. She continued her silent observation, a slight smile playing upon her face.

  “I must admit that your courage amazes me. Though perhaps it would be better to call it stupidity. You cannot defend yourself against my flames, yet here you stand before me. What is it that drives you? Why would you throw your life away in a futile attempt to protect a city that is not even part of your kingdom?” Helida asked.

  “This may not be a city of Draven, these may not be my people, but I will still protect them as if they were.” Nihlen said, drawing himself up to full height even as his fear tried to weigh him down. “I will do everything in my power to protect any innocent people, anywhere, from those who they cannot protect themselves from.”

  “Bravado will only serve you your death, boy.” Helida said, allowing fire to envelop her body once again. “Do your best to live up to the expectations you’ve set for yourself. Let us see how well you are able to protect the city from my fiery wrath!”

  Her right hand suddenly flew up from her side, pointing toward Nihlen palm facing out. From her hand, a large ball of fire suddenly erupted. It was large, twice the size of his head, and moved through the air at an amazing speed. Nihlen was barely able to react in time as he quickly sidestepped the oncoming attack. He could smell burning hair, and realized it was his own. Moments later, several more fireballs followed the first. As Nihlen dodged each one, he could feel the tremendous heat of the inferno. If that hits me, I’ll be burned to a crisp.

  It was like an intricate dance, delicately intertwining with the beat that was the oncoming fire. Already, sweat was pouring from Nihlen. The heat of his movement, combined with the heat of the constant barrage of fireballs, was quickly sapping his strength. He looked at Helida as he dodged around the flames. She hadn’t moved a step yet, and her face showed no sign she even considered it a battle. She looked disinterested, as if she had been given a particularly unpleasant job to do.

  Nihlen tried to work his way up to Helida. Anytime he made any progress toward her, however, the intensity, size, and frequency of the fireballs increased, driving him back.

  What should I do? If this continues, she’ll wear me down before I can do anything. I have to find a way to get close… Nihlen thought to himself.

  In his desperation, Nihlen abandoned his fear. He quickly reached for his halberd, and turning the bladed end toward Helida, he threw it at her. In her surprise, Helida's onslaught ceased as she was forced to dodge the incoming projectile. Nihlen seized this opportunity, and quickly bolted in toward her.

  It was to no avail though.

  As he neared, Helida unleashed a wall of fire. The wall encircled her, forming an impenetrable barrier that forced Nihlen back. He cursed as he ran from the fire, wiping sweat out of his eyes. Now he was back where he started, and weaponless to boot. The wall of fire disappeared moments later, exposing Helida once more, as calm and collected as ever.

  “Your final, desperate attack has failed. You now stand before me even more helpless than before. Submit to me with no further aggression, and I will cease my attack upon this city. Its destruction wasn't my objective from the beginning.” Helida said, spreading her arms wide in a friendly gesture.

  “I would sooner gouge this eye from my head than surrender and give it to you.” Nihlen spat angrily.

  “Perhaps you need a little more persuading then.” Helida said, turning away from him. Without another word, she launched a volley of fireballs high into the sky.

  Nihlen watched as the fireballs disappeared into the sky, their bright light illuminating the darkness around them temporarily. Then the sky was dark once more. Moments later, however, the light began to reemerge from the jet black clouds. They dove back towards the land below, and Nihlen watched in horror as they crashed into the city. All over the mountain the fireballs rained. They crashed into the higher tiers of the city, spreading destruction to what little remained unmarred on the mountain.

  His fury stoked, Nihlen drew deep from the Eye of Kings. He drew deep enough that his fear was lost to the calm and calculating thoughts the eye gave him. With his increased physical capabilities and mental processing he closed the gap between them so fast the look of relaxation and control on Helida's face slipped for an instant. She quickly launched a fireball to try and ward him off, but he simply slid beneath it. In range to attack now, he threw his right fist. Helida shuffled back, dodging the blow. Nihlen followed her back, determined to keep the distance he had worked so hard to gain. He followed up with a kick aimed for her side, but she stepped back to avoid that one as well. Nihlen readied another attack, but a sudden burst of heat below him grabbed his attention. He barely moved in time to dodge the erupting pillar of fire from below his feet.

  Undaunted, Nihlen moved sideways instead of backward, keeping his distance to Helida unchanged. Another pillar of fire followed him to where he stood, and he sidestepped again. Not waiting for a third, Nihlen jumped toward her. She was ready for his attack though. Her hand flew up once more, but this time a stream of fire erupted from her hand.

  Nihlen was still in his jump as the fire erupted. I can't dodge… She's got me. Nihlen thought, feeling defeated. He closed his eyes, and could feel the inferno closing in on him.

  Suddenly, he felt a cooling sensation on his back. The cooling sensation washed over him, and he realized it was water. A cascade was suddenly rushing over him. Its sudden appearance dumbfounded him, but he had no time for bewilderment as the water washed over him and collided into the fiery jet, sending him hard into the ground as steam rolled across the plaza.

  “Who's there!?” Helida called, looking around the plaza. It was the first time Nihlen had heard her sound anything but calm. Nihlen also looked for the source of the life-saving water. He saw no one though.

  “You have made a grave mistake coming here tonight.” A light voice echoed around them. Nihlen looked all around, moving into a half-sitting position, but still he could not see the source of the voice.

  “You…” Helida whispered into the night. “Show yourself!”

  “As you wish.” The soft voice echoed around them.

  Nihlen looked around the plaza, waiting to see who this mysterious new figure was. Still he saw no one.

  “Look! Over at the lake!” Marina called, pointing toward Lake Berot.

  Nihlen followed to where she was pointing. In the center of the lake, the water was bubbling like a boiling cauldron. More and more vigorously the water frothed and bubbled, until it seemed like something below would explode.

  Then, something began to rise from the surface. Nihlen strained his eyes against the darkness of the lake, trying to see exactly what it was. As it rose further, Nihlen was able to see that it was a person, cradled in the water. As the person rose from the water, a light blue glow began to emit from the lake, bathing the surrounding area with water-colored light. As the woman's features came into focus, Nihlen was taken aback. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought he was looking at Helida, only with a few subtle differences. Her dress matched the color of the water's glow that surrounded her, as did her hair. Her eyes were blue, and seemed to swim like the water she manipulated. Besides those features, she looked exactly like Helida.

  “What are you doing here, sister?” Helida called toward the lake. Her tone did not speak of any sisterly love. It was full of resentment and hate.

  “I've come for Prince Nihlen, and it seems not a moment too soon.” The mysterious woman answered, shocking Nihlen. This was the last thing I would've expected.

  “I'm sorry to disappoint you sister, but I will be taking this boy with me.” Helida said, and without warning launched a fireball toward her sister.

  Helida's sister did not bat an eye, however. She simpl
y raised her own hand, and a ball of water shot out. The water slammed into the fireball, extinguishing it in a puff of steam.

  “Surely you jest sister. I am your natural predator. No matter your orders, you know you have no chance against me. On top of that, you wasted all that power destroying the city and fighting the Prince. You may not live to regret it if you don't flee now.” The water woman's voice took a very dark edge with the second sentence.

  “I will not run from you sister!” Helida screamed into the night. “I will kill you here tonight! The boy will be ours! You will regret showing yourself here on his behalf!”

  Another jet of fire erupted from her hand. The water which cradled Helida's sister shifted, moving her out of the way. As she dodged, she answered with a jet of water. With a fiery explosion, Helida soared into the air, landing several feet behind where she previously stood. As she landed, she suddenly slipped. The ground where she stood had suddenly become ice. Helida's sister did not stop there though.

  Nihlen, still in his sitting position on the ground, suddenly felt moisture beneath his body. When he looked down, he could see water quickly bubbling up from the ground beneath him. The water was icy to the touch, and quickly soaked through his clothes. Then, the light coat of frigid water which covered the surface of the surrounding plaza began to ripple. The ripples increased in frequency, and the surrounding water began to move from beneath him toward the two fighting women.

  In an instant, the water suddenly gathered in one place. It surrounded Helida, encasing the area around her so it looked as if she was trapped in a giant globe made of water. There was silence, and Nihlen thought the fight was over. He began to push himself up, but stopped before he made it very far. The water prison, which surrounded Helida, had begun to deform. Inside, Helida was thrashing about. The deformed sphere began to bubble, and steam rose around it. As the boiling reached its climax, the water exploded, and Helida sat up, coughing and spitting up water.

  Helida's sister looked on from above, unperturbed that her sister had escaped from her watery grave. She merely watched her cough and choke, no concern visible on her face. When Helida finally stopped, and wiped her mouth, she pushed herself up onto shaking legs.

  “I will have you answer for you crimes tonight Helida. You owe your life for what you have done, and the elders have tasked me with taking it.” The woman said.

  “You...” Helida rasped, as her entire body shook. Nihlen wasn't sure if it was from fury, or from nearly drowning. “I've had enough of this!” She suddenly screamed.

  As she screamed, fire roared forth from her body. A torrent of flames engulfed her, twisting and flickering around the plaza. The fire grew, expanding both outward and upward. Helida appeared at its top, moving her hands as if she was conducting an orchestra. As the flames grew, they began to mold and twist. Within a few moments, a shape was beginning to become visible. An animal. It didn't seem to be one Nihlen had ever seen though. The fiery beast stood on two legs. The upper body encompassed most of its bulk, massive chest, shoulders, and arms. Grasped in its large hands, also made of fire, it held a massive double bladed ax. The head was the strangest part though. It did not resemble a human's, nor any other animal Nihlen had ever seen. It was asymmetrical, and flat. Nihlen could discern no features from the fiery face.

  Helida's sister watched the transformation silently. As the beast turned to her, the pale blue glow surrounding them suddenly brightened. Lake Berot began to churn once more, and more of its waters flowed up toward her. The water supporting her swelled, and began a transformation of its own. Unlike the fire beast, however, the water stretched itself long and thin. It snaked around the woman in thick coils, and the end that floated above her began to grow and take shape. It formed a beast just as strange and unknown as the fire creature. The coils branched off into countless strands that covered the entire body, and each of the tiny tentacles moved and wiggled independently of one another. The bulging part above her took the shape of a head. At least Nihlen thought it was a head. Like the fire beast, the head was asymmetrical. A strange shape that was even harder to grasp because of the fluid nature of the water.

  Seeing both of these strange beasts before him, Nihlen was struck with a strange sense of both fear and awe. He was transfixed on the scene before him, and many different kinds of thoughts bounced around in his head. Fear that he was expected to fight ability users such as these. Awe that they existed in the first place.

  “Nihlen! You have to get out of there!” Galen called from behind him.

  Nihlen turned his body so that he could look back at his friends. In the heat of his battle, and now this incredible display of abilities he had nearly forgotten about them.

  It was then that the two elemental manifestations clashed.

  The beasts attacked one another, raining fire and steaming water all around. Nihlen winced as the boiling hot water sprayed him, and winced again as fire crashed into the nearby ground and exploded. He shook his head and tried to stand. When he tried to move his left leg, however, he felt a sharp twinge of pain. He inhaled sharply, gripping his leg.

  “Nihlen!” Marina called. “Hurry!”

  “I can't!” Nihlen called, grunting both from the pain in his leg and from another spray of boiling water. “I injured my leg when that other woman saved me!”

  A scream from Helida brought Nihlen's eyes back to the battle. The mysterious woman's snake-like creature was coiled around the fire beast, forming a circle around it. The many tendrils hanging off its body attacked like individual needles, all stabbing through the fire countless times. With its upper body, it lunged in toward the fire monster, shearing off large chunks of fire whenever its attacks connected. The fire beast would counter with fireballs or jets of flame, bursting parts of the water beast into steam.

  The sound of footsteps running across the ground behind him brought his attention away from the fight once more. Marina was running towards him. When she reached him, she grabbed him under his right arm with both of her hands.

  “It's dangerous here, we need to get back further.” Marina said, trying to pull Nihlen to his feet.

  Helida screamed into the night once again. The fire beast's flat and smooth face was turned up toward the sky. The water beast had torn a huge section of the fire beast's upper body off, and the large mass of flames came hurtling toward Nihlen and Marina.

  “Marina! Look out!” Nihlen yelled, forcing himself to his feet. He didn't feel the pain at all as he rose. He grabbed Marina, and pulled her up against him.

  Just as he grabbed her, the fiery mass slammed into the ground behind him. The force of it as it exploded was deafening. The explosion lifted them off the ground, flinging them across the plaza. As they descended, Nihlen flipped their bodies so that he landed first. The force of the sudden contact with the ground, combined with catching Marina's weight as well, emptied the breath from his lungs. He coughed as she rolled off him, desperately trying to take in some air.

  “Oh no! Nihlen, are you all right?” Marina asked, hovering over him.

  “I'm all right.” Nihlen choked, sitting up. He cringed at the increased pain in his leg. “Are you all right?”

  “I am thanks to you.” Marina said, offering him her hand. “Now let's get you up. We need to be ready for whatever happens next, there's no telling when this will end, or who will be the victor.”

  She helped him to his feet, and his hand lingered in hers. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and something passed between them. It was like a quick flash of a picture, something he couldn't quite recall. Then his leg began to wobble, and he began to pitch forward.

  “I've got you.” Galen said, his deft and agile hands snatching Nihlen before he hit the ground. Nihlen leaned his weight onto Galen, thankful for the help.

  Galen prodded his leg as he held him up. “It looks like it's just some muscle damage. Some herbs and a few days it will be good as new. We'll have to worry about that after... That.” He finished by pointing toward the raging ba
ttle.

  “The water woman will be the victor.” Marina said, sounding confident. “Those women are twins, and judging by Helida's reaction when the water woman appeared, she was always in second place. Plus water beats fire right?” Marina added, pointing toward the fire beast. “Look how strained Helida's face is. She's also breathing heavily. The water woman looks completely fine though. I think at this point, our main concern is the true intentions of that water woman.”

  Galen nodded, and his face showed he was quite impressed. “I believe you are right. She referred to Nihlen as Prince, but that does not mean her intentions are good. What do you think Nihlen?”

  “I can't say for sure, but she does not feel like a hostile force to me. I think we should just wait this battle out and see what happens. We are kind of backed into a corner right now.” Nihlen said honestly.

  It turned out they wouldn't have to wait long. Helida was on her last leg. Her fire beast still stood, but part of the upper body that had been cleaved off had not repaired itself. Upon closer inspection, Nihlen also saw the countless tendrils still attacking the fire beast. Small holes were appearing in the flames, and growing bigger by the second. The flame beast stumbled, and toppled forward. As it hit the ground, it exploded, and a blinding light swept through the plaza, followed by a deafening boom.

  Nihlen rubbed his eyes from the bright flash, and peered into the blue tinged darkness ahead of him. As his vision readjusted, he saw Helida lying face down on the ground. The mysterious woman, riding the snake-like water beast, lowered herself to the ground.

  “You have failed sister.” The mysterious woman said, walking toward Helida's outstretched form. “After all this time, I will finally take my revenge on you.”

  Helida stirred slightly at the words, but did not move to rise. Suddenly, her body ignited. The fire burned brighter and brighter until Nihlen had to avert his eyes. Then the light was gone, and Nihlen turned back. Helida was gone, no trace of her remaining.

  “Is she dead?” Marina asked.

  “I'm not sure.” Nihlen said, turning his attention back to the mysterious water woman.

  She was silently staring at the spot where Helida had been. There was a look of pure hatred on her face that burned in her eyes She shook her head, and then regarded their party, standing next to her water beast. As her eyes met Nihlen’s, she suddenly dropped to one knee. “Prince Nihlen, I am Shaila Goverra. I'm sure you have many questions, but for now we must leave this place. Please collect your belongings and come back here as soon as possible.”

  “Can we really trust her?” Cal asked suspiciously.

  “I think we can.” Marina stated.

  “I agree. I'm not sure we could get away anyways to be honest.” Nihlen said. “It will be faster if you leave me here though. Run quickly and grab our things.”

  Galen eased Nihlen gently to the ground, then he, Cal, and Marina ran off across the plaza back toward the inn. Nihlen silently regarded the woman as he waited for his comrades to return. He desperately wanted to question her, but knew he should wait until everyone was present again. The woman seemed to share his feelings, and said nothing until the other three returned.

  Galen dismounted, and helped Nihlen into Palata's saddle. Nihlen winced as his injured left leg bore his weight while he swung his right leg over the horse. Once mounted, they rode over to where the woman waited.

  “How will we get down the river?” Nihlen asked.

  “I will carry us down.”

  “Carry us down?” Cal echoed. “As in without a boat?”

  “Water answers to my will. It will carry us down the mountain faster and safer than any boat ever could.” Shaila answered. “Now that the battle has ended, those guards will make their way back here. I would rather we were gone before that happens, so we can avoid any needless fighting.”

  “What is your name?” Galen asked.

  “Shaila.” She answered.

  “What do we have to do?” Marina asked.

  “I am prepared to depart. Just ride on to the lake. It may seem strange, but I promise you will not sink.” Shaila said.

  Nihlen spurred Palata forward. As he neared the edge of the water, the horse hesitated slightly. On he walked though, and he stepped out onto the lake. As Shaila had promised he did not sink. The water still rippled beneath the horse's hoof, but it also seemed solid. Palata quickly became complacent, and stood calmly with all four hooves on top of the water. The others quickly followed suit, easing their temporarily frightened horses onto the lake behind Nihlen.

  As Cal, whose horse displayed the most nervousness, got into position, Shaila waded into the water, disappearing into its dark depths. She rose out of the water just ahead of where Nihlen sat, and slowly they began to move. They quickly skittered across the surface of Lake Berot, teetering on the edge of the Natu river.

  “Here we go.” Shaila called lightly, sending a reassuring look over her shoulder as they plunged over the edge.

  The mountainside rushed by them at a tremendous speed, yet the ride was far smoother than the ferry they had taken up the river. Not once did Nihlen even feel the horse's footing falter, nor any sudden jarring movements. It seemed to be only a matter of moments before their trajectory leveled out, and they were slowing down. Shaila guided them toward the edge of the river bank, and they disembarked into a shaded copse of trees.

  They wandered into the shelter of the trees, exhaustion catching up with them. Nihlen looked around at his companions as they disembarked. His gaze met with bagged, heavy lidded eyes and deep yawns. Nihlen’s muscles groaned in protest as he dismounted and removed the pack and saddle from Palata. It was with many exhausted sighs that the group finally gathered around a small fire to stave off the chill from the night air near the river.

  “I think we are all too fatigued to speak of these heavy matters tonight. Rest for now. The river will watch over us, so sleep peacefully. Tomorrow, I will answer all the questions you have.” Shaila said.

  Nihlen’s eyes slid closed, and he was grateful. As much as he wanted to talk, and as important as he knew it was, he couldn’t have argued even though he wanted to. Everyone else seemed to agree, as they climbed into their blankets without any argument. Sleep, which had eluded them thus far, graciously awaited, taking them all immediately away.

  Chapter 18

  Divination