The Forever Knight by John Marco

Author:John Marco
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2013-04-02T06:00:00+00:00

* * *

All the next morning we followed the river. The sunlight had broken our melancholy moods, and we stopped for a time to watch fish jumping in the chop. It was a remarkably beautiful day for the Bitter Kingdoms, the first one I could remember since laying eyes on Isowon. Once again the landscape was changing, shifting from the bleakness of Akyre to southern greenery. We were less than a full day’s ride to Fallon’s palace, and only an hour or so from the dell where the tomb lay. The river meandered toward the valley where we’d first encountered the monster.

When we saw the valley, each of us fell silent.

It was Cricket who first sniffed the air. Once, then again, deeper. I did the same, but couldn’t catch a whiff of the pile of bones and flesh that had greeted us last time. Cricket, who’d already seen her share of horrors, braced for another. This time, though, we’d prepared ourselves. My mind touched Malator as he stretched out over the dell, looking for the creature. Through his eyes I saw him racing through the trees and around the rocky enclaves, like a wild bird set loose from a cage. This time, we were determined to find the monster first.

It’s nowhere, said Malator. His frustration grew. I don’t sense it anywhere.

“It’s daytime,” I said. “It must be here.”

Just because it kills at night doesn’t mean it won’t move about in the day. It’s a spirit, Lukien, not an owl.

“Check the tomb,” I said as I continued riding toward it. “Do you see it?”

It’s just ahead. But I don’t feel the monster. I would if it were here.

Perplexed, I turned to Cricket. “It’s not here,” I said. “Malator can’t sense it.”

“He’s sure?” she asked.

“Seems to be.”

I am, Malator replied. It was unmistakable last time.

“Then where is it?”

“Maybe eating,” suggested Cricket. “We saw all those bones last time. Like they were licked clean.”

“Malator, do demons eat?”

Maybe. If they get hungry.

“Quit joking,” I snapped.

I’m not. This creature isn’t like me, Lukien. It’s here in your realm as flesh. It shouldn’t be, but it is. Maybe it gets hungry, cold . . .

“Lonely?” I scoffed. “Maybe we should sing to it.”

Malator suddenly flashed out of my mind. The next second he was standing in front of me, glaring and frightening my horse.

“Are you an expert on the realms of the dead?” he asked. He folded his arms over his shimmering self. “We’re here to learn about this creature, aren’t we?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

Malator glowered at Cricket. “You?”

Cricket just looked overwhelmed to see him. “Uh-huh.”

“Then do as I say. Get down from your horses. We’ll go on foot from here.”

I was uncomfortable but trusted Malator. The two of us dismounted, then reined the animals to a nearby tree. We were at the edge of the dell, but coming at it from the north this time. I could see the river cutting across the valley, disappearing in places amongst the evergreens. We walked downhill, skidding over loose

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