Evan's Eldritch Emporium by Locke Nolan

Author:Locke, Nolan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-09-12T00:00:00+00:00

22- Your News is Unwelcome

W e were something like eighty miles north of Surrek, but with several difficult options.

One, we could hike the ten miles back toward the savannah and take the truck back to town. It would be maybe sundown on the fifth day after leaving.

Two, we could get Zati to open a portal, allowing us to travel to Surrek instantly. She was pretty sure she could accommodate sending me, Auralla, Michael, Paul, and Avya through. Then she and Dallinya would need to travel the eighty miles south by themselves. Zati couldn’t jump through her own portal, and Dallinya would stick with her for the return journey.

While it was tempting to jump back into the fray this very moment, the first option would give us a little more time to just be free out here. Auralla and Avya didn’t want the brand, and I’d promised Auralla she wouldn’t have to take it. That required some thought on my part.

We decided to bring Mack back, and set out as soon as Michael was finished giving Third Domi the full service treatment, and everyone said their goodbyes. Unfortunately the rain kept hammering down, and we were thoroughly soaked by the time we reached the truck cab. Sure we’d all worn oiled and enchanted cloaks, but there’s only so much a raincoat can do when it’s pouring and you’re walking almost three hours.

Paul was uncharacteristically silent the whole journey. I couldn’t be sure what was on his mind, trudging through alien landscape with Truffy the six-legged bear anteater porcupine beside him, and Zati the beautiful brown-skinned snake-tailed naga on the other side. His first sexual experience in this world had been to a nellwyn with a serious chip on her tiny shoulder.

“What the…” Paul said, even though I’d already told him we’d be seeing Mack soon.

Shit. I hadn’t accounted for the extra people, like a complete idiot.

“Either of you assholes know how to drive one of these?” I asked.

“No,” Paul said.

“Yup,” Michael answered.

“Seriously?” Paul asked.

“My pops taught me.”

“You’re going to have to stop being surprised at everything,” I told him. “When we get to the city you’re going to see a lot more weird shit, okay?”

It turned out we did need to use Zati’s portal magic, just to make the drive back one that could be taken in comfort. The arrangement was to have Michael drive, Avya and Auralla care for Zati in the cab, and Paul, Dallinya and I to head back through the portal.

That would give me time to shove Paul into the deep end and let him flail, but also time to find a solution for Auralla and Avya not taking the brand.

Paul protested that he’d be fine in the truck (like a little bitch), but I nixed that. Michael could seemingly handle anything. Paul was going to be a fucking project.

Zati wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of opening yet another portal, and I didn’t blame her. I told her this would be the last one until she was feeling a hundred percent.

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