Autumn King by Carol E Leever & Camilla Ochlan

Author:Carol E Leever & Camilla Ochlan
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2018-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9: Cypher

SHALONIE

When Shalonie had shared her idea, she hadn't imagined herself riding on a giant turtle's back through a bay teeming with poisonous sea monsters just a few hours later. Perched precariously on her mount's yellow-green shell, wet hair plastered around her face and dripping down her neck, she shivered from both fear and cold as she scanned the writhing sea beasts all around her.

The waters were swarming with creatures that looked to be a cross between eels and jellyfish — serpentine bodies with large teeth-stuffed mouths and long trailing tendrils covered in poisonous fibers that could blister and burn her skin. She knew she was protected from the poison well enough — she'd been told that the tendrils' wiggling fibers were not long enough to pierce through even the thinnest cloth. Already outfitted in knee-length stockings, leather breeches, and a long-sleeved shirt, she'd also slipped on leather gloves to protect her hands. But her face was still exposed, and she didn't relish the possibility of those tendrils accidentally scorching her skin.

The sea turtles were strong swimmers, but she didn't want to risk weighing them down. Don't need to be dragged under the waves in case things go horribly wrong. So she had given up her hardened leather jerkin and warm cloak but had kept her sword and the metal Cypher Rune she carried.

Glancing across the waves, she saw Dev not far from her, also perched on a giant turtle's back. He too had removed all of his armor and most of his weapons, keeping only a slender sword. And of course, he carried the metal rune she'd given him.

And somewhere back on the beach, she imagined, the other companions carried their runes as they marched into battle.

Dev gave her a wide, encouraging smile across the waves. He can't possibly have done something like this before in his life, but he's riding the turtle as easily as his horse.

The Teyledrine had assured her that these particular sea turtles were the giant eels' only natural predators, and the eels had an instinctive fear of the creatures. Shalonie didn't exactly trust the faerie warriors' overconfident assurances to keep them safe, but as promised all the eels veered away from the turtles. But it would take only one bold one to get us. She was protected from the poisonous tendrils, but the nasty teeth could still bite off a sizable chunk of flesh.

And my arm aches. A violent shiver shot through her body. Omen and Templar had managed to close the wound inflicted by the wyvern, but the skin around the mending scar had turned black and blue. Without any opportunity to rest and heal, Shalonie was starting to appreciate the frailty of her own mortal flesh.

How did I get here? she wondered, not for the first time. Of course, when she thought about the others — all of them heading into a battle they couldn't possibly win — all on the faith that she could do what she claimed she could, she felt sick to her stomach.

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