The Balance of Power (Godsland Series: Books Four, Five, and Six) by Rathbone Brian

Author:Rathbone, Brian [Rathbone, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: White Wolf Press, LLC
Published: 2013-02-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Only when the will is singular can truly great things be accomplished.

--Thorakis the Builder

* * *

The shallows came into view when a new day bathed the world in a dreamlike glow. Catrin watched the sun rise and cast its fiery light onto the lopsided volcano. She'd seen it whole once, that megalithic spire; she'd seen it breathe and move. Even the memory was terrifying. They had lost good friends that day, and only the knowledge that they had gotten some of those friends back helped temper the loss. Tears slid down her cheeks when she remembered her reunion with Benjin and Fasha amid the shallows. The place had still been recovering from the eruption when she last saw it, and it was encouraging to see new growth, new saltbark trees, and new dryads.

For years, when Catrin had lain down for sleep at night, she dreamed of the dryad she'd seen in the shallows. She had longed to embrace that lonely soul who had reached out to her, but that embrace had been impossible.

Part of Catrin was glad to be in the shallows again. Even if she somehow knew that dryad had moved on from this life, Catrin felt closer to her here. As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the blue water shone, and a shelf of land could be seen rising from the depths. It was there that giant sharks lurked, and Catrin had no desire to ever encounter them again.

Kyrien soared low over the water, sending spray up behind them. Soon his shadow raced over white sands beneath shallow water. Even at their high rate of speed, Catrin could see the diversity of life this place supported. Though she saw none of the giant rays she'd seen in the past, she saw brightly colored red, yellow, and blue fish. Impossibly long snakes moved sideways across the water or hung, coiled, from the branches of saltbark trees. The trees themselves were a marvel. Catrin could never quite get over the crystals that encased the leaves, making them look magical. What was certain was that the leaves had powerful restorative properties and were a legendary cure for a long list of ailments. Knowing the results some of those close to her had seen, she vowed to gather some.

For a while, Catrin simply basked in the beauty of the place. Prios rested comfortably behind her, and her only real worry at that moment was making sure Kyrien rested. Bad weather had harried them, and she knew he was nearly spent. If she'd been honest, she would have admitted that worry of Sinjin shaded every thought, but she did her best to stuff those feelings deep down inside until she was ready to deal with them.

Rising out of mist-covered waters ahead were stone pillars the size of greatoaks. Within the ring, Catrin knew there was a place of great power, a place where the land's energy was somehow closer and more accessible. Kyrien cut a wide turn to bring them

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