The Druid's Guise: The Complete Trilogy (The Druid's Guise Trilogy) by Michael J Sanford

Author:Michael J Sanford [Sanford, Michael J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2017-07-23T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

THE ELVES THAT had escorted them to the cavern were as they had been left. If they noticed the strange sack that Wyatt carried, they gave no indication as Athena and Wyatt climbed from the calm pond and approached them.

“Take us to D’orca,” Athena demanded, brandishing her new blade.

The elves turned and began walking back into the pine forest with nary a sound or other motion. Athena grunted, braced the blade over her shoulder and stomped after them. Wyatt looked at the laden sack in his hand, shuddered and did the same.

The way back seemed far shorter to Wyatt, but the head he was carrying provided a fair amount of distraction. Nonetheless, the silent elves stopped abruptly at a spot no more remarkable than any other. The fog had faded some, only kissing their ankles with faint tendrils.

Athena unslung her sword and thrust it into the ground. “Well, where is he? I’ve got a present for him.” She looked at the sack and then added, “Actually, I’ve got two presents.”

The elves remained stalwart, hands clasped in front of their ragged black robes. Wyatt could see Athena fuming and thought for a moment he could see steam curl from her dark skin, but shivering, he realized the air had grown colder. He coughed nervously and his breath frosted the air.

“I said—” Athena couldn’t get the rest of the words out as the ground shifted below them.

Wyatt lost his balance and fell to his knees. A thick layer of pine needles jumped and shook atop a wooden platform that rose steadily into the air. He hadn’t even noticed the ropes running down the trunk of four thick pines, but now they were taut, lifting the party high into the canopy.

They jerked to a stop and Wyatt peered over the edge, but was unable to determine how high they were. Certainly, higher than they had been strung up before, he thought.

“Holy shit,” Athena said, bringing Wyatt to her side, sack clutched tightly in his hand.

The crude elevator rested against another wooden platform that turned into a wide street traveling throughout the sprawling branches. Little of the surrounding pines could be seen as the space was filled with crude wooden buildings built into every nook and cranny. Some of the buildings rose multiple stories into the canopy and Wyatt could see additional walkways above them.

“It’s a city,” Wyatt said airily.

Their elven guides moved off the platform and headed down the middle of the strange avenue seated high in the pine forest. Athena cursed again and followed after, leaving Wyatt to catch up.

Torches burned brightly along the outer walls of the buildings and after a dozen steps Wyatt could no longer tell they were walking hundreds of feet above the forest floor. It looked every bit a village. Glass windows blanketed the buildings through which heads peered out, eyeing the strange procession. Some elves wandered the street as well, but they moved quickly to the side to allow passage as Wyatt stumbled past in awe.

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