Destiny Unchosen (Rust & Relics 1.5) by Lindsay Buroker

Author:Lindsay Buroker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: urban fantasy, fantasy, paranormal, science fiction, epic fantasy, elves, contemporary fantasy, fantasy contemporary, fantasy about an elf
Publisher: Lindsay Buroker

Chapter 6

Temi had never been on a hovercraft, but the vehicle Eleriss drove through the trees fit the name. The truck-sized craft had a pair of seats up front, where the elves sat, and a cargo area in the back with two benches along the sides. Temi sat on one, watching the forest as the craft, floating several feet off the ground, zipped in and out of the trees.

Birds squawked at their passing. There was more wildlife out here than there had been near Temi’s meadow, including bird-sized insects. Something that looked like a flying tarantula landed on Jakatra’s shoulder. He brushed it off, as if it were of less consequence than a mosquito. Temi gulped. If the insects were that big, what kinds of higher-order predators would be lurking out here?

Here and there, narrow animal trails meandered through the brush, but Temi had yet to see anything that qualified as a road. She had yet to see a house, either, aside from her small tree abode. The elves had to be deliberately keeping her out in the wilderness so no one would see her. Delia would be peppering them with questions about their world, how populous it was, how many languages they spoke, and Temi felt remiss for not asking such things. Jakatra probably wouldn’t answer, but Eleriss might. But she had other things on her mind.

It was nearing the end of her fifth day here, and for the first time, Jakatra had let her sleep in. Because they were to hunt tonight. Temi would have been more enthused at the prospect of hunting during daylight hours, but the pale yellow sun was setting, the trees casting shadows miles long on the forest floor.

To the side of the hovercraft, leaves rustled, and wood cracked. Something large bounded through the brush. Neither of the elves did more than glance in that direction, but whatever was making the noise didn’t go away. It paralleled them, crashing through the foliage and keeping up with easy lopes. The leaves obscured it, but Temi glimpsed long, powerful legs, a broad head and snout, and sleek fur. It was bigger than the domesticated bear things that had been part of her first test.

The sword rested between Temi’s knees, and she wrapped her hand around the hilt. She leaned toward the elves. “Is that what we’re hunting?” Another branch snapped. Or maybe that was a trunk being knocked over. “And, ah, is the hunt going to start soon?”

“Not until tonight,” Eleriss said over his shoulder. “This aramushua—truck?—is protected. It is unlikely the uruv-neshi will attack.” Apparently that second word didn’t have a translation. No Earth equivalent.

“But we won’t be protected when we hunt?” Temi asked.

“No.” Jakatra climbed into the rear of the hovercraft and sat across from her, putting his back to the creature. “We evolved here, alongside these predators. They used to hunt us until we developed weapons and armor to thwart their attacks. They can tell when we carry these protections with us, and they do not attack, because they would be harmed.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.