Amelia tilted her head back, but she couldn't see through the leaves and the darkness until he struck the ground, already in his state of rest. "Those dragons have become my least favorite creature on this world."
"Well, look at this," WroOth said, gesturing to the bone. "We now have one species that is absolutely genetically altered, perhaps even created from base. And that manticore-like venom in the cabiza that bit QueQoa? Another. It's a disturbing pattern and undeniable at this point."
"Those creatures couldn't have destroyed the cities though," QueQoa said. "And they wouldn't care about the monuments."
"No. There is more than one foul player in this disaster," Naatos responded. He drew his hand over his face. "But there's a troubling picture developing for our people's fate among others. Rasha may have been telling the truth."
"What did you find?" AaQar placed the bone near the fire.
Naatos pinched his brow, his shoulders tense. "We can't walk the canyon. It's overrun with scorpions. Several types. None of them good. And they don't get along with the new dragons."
"Then we go through Dry Deep?" QueQoa asked, frowning.
"Absolutely not," WroOth said. "There has to be another way."
"There is. These dragons are highly territorial, and their pack is large. If we identify what it is that makes them part of one pack versus another, then we can sufficiently adapt to those forms and impersonate them. We'll avoid direct contact with them, stay above the scorpion range and fly the canyon in a night."
It felt as if they were being forced into Dry Deep. Despite Naatos's insistence that they would not go, Amelia found herself unable to believe him.
Oh he was sincere in his belief. He'd never take her through there if there was any other choice. But little by little, their choices were being chipped away. And the dread—she closed her eyes as nausea roiled in her stomach. Half of her wanted to say, "yes, let's go to Dry Deep," and even the thought eased her stomach. But a deeper sense of panic set in as well.
Whatever wanted her in Dry Deep was dragging her there. Maybe Elonumato wanted her to go there too. He'd been quiet so much recently. There had been points when she had felt peace, that everything would come together. Now—now though?
Miracles were possible. The Tue-Rah had snatched her out of dangerous situations more than once. It would be nice if that happened again. But some dark paths had to be walked. What was the purpose though? It seemed that her prayer for a long while had been for Elonumato to help her. Help them get through.
Whatever path it was, Elonumato help them. Elonumato, get them through. And if there was any other path to take, let them take it other than Dry Deep.
The brothers continued speaking for a while longer, discussing which forms to take and what tasks needed to be completed. She finished her prayers and moved on to reading and practicing her mindreading exercises, focusing on what she could do once the conversation turned to how they could accomplish sufficient mastery of the new dragon form without their standard practices. Tacky took up his position on her lap and kneaded her thigh and stomach at intervals. So long as he got snuggles and scritches, his world was good.
When they finally finished their discussion, Naatos approached her. She knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth, so she put her thumb in the book and closed it. "You're tired. You should rest."
"I don't want you sleeping if the Ki Valo Nakar is coming for you or if it has been loosed in any sense," Naatos said.
She smoothed Tacky's fur down and then gently raked her fingers along his back. "I'm not going to sleep for a while. Get at least a couple hours. I'll be more tired when you wake anyway."
"Fine; let me see your foot."
"AaQar already looked at it. There's nothing we can do tonight. And it isn't going to kill me." She gestured to the folded blankets and then held up her book. "Go rest. I'm just going to read."
Naatos picked up the wool blanket. "Are you only reading one book tonight?"
"Maybe."
He picked up the other two and set them in front of her.
"Oh, thank you." She turned to look at him, but he had already stretched out on the ground and suddenly had his head on her lap. She held her arms up. "Are you—are you using me as a pillow?"
"My favorite pillow."
It seemed rather intimate. But—that wasn't bad. She slowly lowered her arms as Tacky protested having to share her. It scrambled then to QueQoa who accepted the furry blue creature and comforted it with more back scratches.
She smiled a little, smoothing Naatos's hair back from his jaw. "Sweet dreams."
Naatos grunted, his eyes closed. He reached up to cup her cheek, then folded his arms over his chest. Within the space of two breaths, he was asleep.
She tucked the blanket around his shoulders and chin before she resumed reading. Telepathic communication had proved surprisingly challenging. It was as if she were missing wires. Or threads. Most of what was in her mind seemed related to weaving and tapestries.
It had been challenging even when she was trying to reach AaQar's mind in Libysha. But she had slid into the deep mindreading to deliver the message rather than sending it telepathically. Supposedly that was harder. At the very least she couldn't risk sliding into the deep mindreading. It had left anyone involved spinning from the aftermath. Telepathy wasn't supposed to do that. Allegedly it was effortless, simple as an oral conversation.
She sent a thought to QueQoa. "If you scratch Tacky on the base of its neck, it will close its eyes and purr louder."
QueQoa continued stroking Tacky absently as his gaze searched the night.
Nothing.
One of these days it would work without her sliding into the deep mindreading. At least she was doing better at remaining grounded.
After a couple hours, Naatos roused. He sat up slowly, tended to a few matters, and then returned. "Time for you to rest."
It was easier to pull him into her mind this time than the first. The dark chamber with the tapestries felt heavier to her now, a duller scent present. Stale perhaps. The tapestries were just as bright though. Their images as vivid as always.
When she called for her mind to show her the Ki Valo Nakar, it showed her the same single tapestry with red thread wrapped around the edges. Naatos circled it, pressed his hand against the back and the sides, and even prodded it with the base of his spear. Nothing happened. Nothing changed.
It felt false though.
"Is it trapped inside this tapestry?" she asked. "Or does this tapestry represent its prison?"
Naatos scratched the back of his head. "All of this is just a representation to start with. This is how your mind translates all these components. But…" He paused for a moment, shaking his head. "I don't know, Amelia. I don't know if Sinara trapped it in the visual representation of that part of you or if it is somewhere else."
That frustration tingeing his voice mirrored her own. There was so much they did not know. And not knowing meant not preparing.
"I just feel like the Ki Valo Nakar is not as… dormant as it seems." She gestured toward the tapestry. "What would we do if it was awake?" She paused as she studied him. His shoulders were unusually tight, his arms folded over his chest in a broad and defensive stance. "Or is the whole reason we're waiting until we reach that bridge because there's actually nothing we can do if it is awake?"
"If it is awake, you resist. You fight. You do not do what it wants. That shouldn't be terribly hard for you."
"I am good at saying no." She eyed the tapestry with increasing suspicion. Could she set fire to something in her own mind? Probably not. It would most likely just free it if such a thing was possible.
Naatos smirked. "Ordinarily, I'd say that that is unfortunately true. At this point, I am glad it is true. From what I understand, it needs your consent to work through you, but it is not as simple as a yes or no statement. Your actions can give consent." He gestured to the broad expanse. "You need to sleep. Somehow."
"After I fa
ll asleep, I may boot you. I don't know. I might not be able to fall asleep."
"Well, let's see what happens." He set his arms akimbo and then glanced around the exceptionally large chamber. "Is this where you're planning to sleep?"
"I find it hard to create intentionally within my own mind." She shrugged. "Some of these things, it's like it's as easy as pouring water out of a pitcher. But then others… that water might as well not exist. It was so easy to do it for you and your brothers, but here"—She motioned to the dark space—"It's like everything is made of stone."
"It takes time." He swept his hand over the floor. A large bed appeared. Simple but solid.
She laughed, covering her mouth. He'd done something similar before. "How do you know how to do that?"
"Not all creation in the mind belongs to the Neyeb." He smiled slightly. "And you don't spend years working with the Neyeb without learning a few tricks."
"Including how elmis work. Even though that wasn't important enough for them to include in the handbooks." How many times in the course of her life had she touched her elmis and never once found them to be that sensitive? That was still challenging to wrap her mind around.
He chuckled. "In truth, that is another reason you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You have had no one to teach you the foundation. None of the basics. Most of these skills are taught in person and over years of oral tradition and mentorship. The fact that you can do what you can is better than decent."
"I would have thought telepathy would have been intuitive for Neyeb."
"Who was speaking with you telepathically for you to learn?"
She offered him a bland smile. "I could be telepathically deaf."
"Based on everything you've experienced, I'd say not." He stretched out on the bed. "You seem the opposite. You hear too much, and you can't stop it from getting in. Even if it isn't always clear. Now come on."
She hesitated, looking about the chamber for a moment. Then she crawled onto the bed and curled up next to him. "Are the unformed ones the reason that the Ki Valo Nakar exists?"
Naatos raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You said their souls were crushed. The Ki Valo Nakar. It frees them from that."
Everything about Naatos had tightened. "In part."
"So it's like a reaper for tortured souls."
"It can do some good and has, Amelia. But it is evil above all else."
"Neutral." She didn't know where this knowledge came from. Perhaps it had gotten free and was whispering in her ear though she couldn't see it. She shuddered. She was a stone in the ocean, and it was wearing her away. Somewhere in the darkness it waited.
"So it would say. So would the Neyeb say. But I saw it consume good Neyeb who had to be brutally slaughtered after it ripped out the souls of hundreds and devoured them."
"Why would it do that?" she whispered, staring into the darkness.
He laughed, his voice harsh as he shook his head. "Because it could. It requires no sustenance, but it enjoys eating souls, tormenting and shredding them until they pass at last to judgment. Tearing apart their essence to give itself strength. I watched an entire town blink from existence, the souls of hundreds, thousands devoured in a single night. Men, women, children. And their suffering was long. As bad as the crushing of a soul is, the suffering of those devoured is even greater."
"So I am to do nothing," she said softly. "If more unformed ones come—"
"And they will."
"I just listen and let them suffer." She wrapped her arms around herself.
"You can't save everyone. No one can."
"But—"
"No. Whatever voice it uses to call you, Amelia, you have to fight it."
"So is the Ki Valo Nakar awake?" She wiped her eyes, tears stinging her again.
"It doesn't look like it is. If you rest, maybe it will come out. Many Neyeb are aware of the unformed ones though. And these have been sent for you. So while it isn't good, it isn't a promise that something is wrong."
"How do you know they're sent for me?" She shuddered again, recalling that slipping sensation and the weeping.
"Rasha spoke of blood portals. We know that the Okalu is involved. It makes the most sense. Also…" Naatos stroked her hair. "It's the best trap to set for you. You have the most easily pricked heart of anyone I've known, veskaro. Those cries might as well be a siren call. You're going to have to harden your heart. The good thing though is that means they won't be able to sneak up on us. At least when you're awake. As long as you can speak, you'll be the best warning system we have for their coming."
"It was hard to get the words out," she admitted reluctantly. "I may not be the best to rely on for this."
"Unfortunately, a great deal of Neyeb and Tiablo sorcery involve binding words and communication. So that is likely to make it trickier. But you have to tell us if you can. Even if you only think something is wrong. It's better than what we have. Animals don't respond negatively to the unformed ones until they're within a couple feet. But what matters is that you don't rip out, let alone eat, souls."
She propped her head up on her hand as she met his gaze. "Why would anyone eat another's soul?"
"Power. Vitality. Depending on which myth you take into account, the answer changes. Regardless, you must stay away from it. The Ki Valo Nakar is not the only one who can accomplish those purposes. And if you start pulling souls, you'll find yourself with a whole host of new temptations."
She curled her fingers against his chest, her focus shifting back to the darkness. "I don't want to eat souls. So I won't. Though I never thought I'd hear you advocating against the slippery slope."
"This is too dangerous a path for you to even start down. Now." He slid his hand along the side of her face, his fingers slipping into her hair. "Are you going to sleep?"
"Yes."
"It will go easier for you if you stop talking."
She quirked her mouth up at him. "You're in my mind, sir. There is almost always quite a lot of chatter. Though I suppose that's why we're here in the deep mindreading rather than the place where every possible thing I am thinking is."
"Yes, the foremind. Dangerous spot even for people who don't think a lot. With you." He whistled low. "I suspect we might not escape with our lives."
She chuckled. "Thus the prophecy was fulfilled."
He slid his hand down her waist and along her backside. "This was not how the day after our coupling was to go."
"Has anything gone the way we thought it would?" She guided his hand back to her waist, despite the pleasurable shiver that coursed through her. "If you want me to sleep, you need to not get me aroused, all right?"
He half shaded his eyes, grumbling. "When we reach Darmoste, I will build us a home. And then I'm sealing both of us inside for a week."
"I like that idea." It was much better than the Ki Valo Nakar getting free and turning her into some soul-eating monster. The warmth of Naatos's body as well as the solidity of his presence both comforted and calmed now. What he could actually do against something like this she wasn't sure. Could dreams be battled? Could the Ki Valo Nakar be fought beyond resistance? Maybe it didn't matter. It was just good to be close to someone.
Sleep finally came. Or at least something like sleep. Having someone else in her mind made it challenging to tell.
She was aware of her body relaxing and her vision softening. Everything turned hazy. The tapestries in the deep mindreading slowed but did not stop, many turning to expose their woven backs. She slipped in and out of darkness but remained aware of him next to her. Occasionally he got up and paced a few steps. Each time he returned, she snuggled against him.
So far as she could tell, no dreams came. A few times she thought she heard weeping, but each time it faded before she could follow. The tapestries kept moving, slowly shifting and slowly sliding.
She woke when someone shook her briskly. "We need to go."
Naatos's voice cut deep along the dream, pulling her back to consciousness. Sitting u
p, she wiped her hand over her eyes, her side somewhat sore.
"Three attacks just before dawn," AaQar said grimly. "A total of seven unformed ones. No signs of any blood portals."
She stood, her heart heavy. The air smelled fouler this morning, but the sun was beautiful, the golden rays catching on dew drops that made the grasslands look like they were awash in diamonds. The clouds were lavender with silver highlights and periwinkle shadows. Jacinda would have probably taken inspiration from those to make a new dress or ensemble—and it would have been stunning. She missed her so much.
Gathering up her books, she slid them into the pack. Tacky circled her and moved under the blanket, continuing to make agitated dolmath clicks. Though she put its bag down and ushered it in, it remained distraught. "Don't worry, baby, we'll keep you safe."
Another grueling day of walking and fighting began before the dew on the grass had dried. The warning calls and shrieks of the dragons warned them that they were getting deeper and deeper into their territory. Most of the attacks came from the tree mantises and grass crabs as well as raptors. An ilma attacked late in the afternoon. Not even Proteus could devour all of it. But it weighed too much to drag along. Scavengers descended as soon as they moved on.
Late in the afternoon, the ground shook as one of the larger dragons dropped into the grass. It swiveled its head on its long, armored neck, its bloody jaws gaping as it scented the air. Its scales lifted up like hackles. Then it shook its neck and shoulders, its wings flared up and out.
Amelia put her hand on Proteus's side as the bavril moaned. Everyone had drawn in closer. "Is it—does it hunt based on sight?"
"Right now, it's trying to determine whether we are a threat. It's challenging us." Naatos glanced at WroOth. "Don't antagonize it."
WroOth lifted his hands with a flourish. "No intention of doing so. I know better than to kick sand in the face of a big family. And that little brother is just waiting to call his kin if we do more than stand here. Tedious little cold blood." He folded his arms as he tilted his head. "That scale trick is interesting. The stench alone is horrifying."
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