The Vitalis Chronicles Steps of Krakador by Jay Swanson

Author:Jay Swanson
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780983469940
Publisher: The Northern Range
Published: 2013-05-16T23:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-ONE

ARDIN LAY ON HIS BACK, STARING AT THE BRILLIANT ARAY OF STARS IN THE NIGHT SKY OVER GRANDIA. His parting with Donovan and Hevetican had been ominous to say the least. The old Truan's words of warning hung over him much like the night sky. His parting words rang clear in Ardin's memory. “Beware the Dread gods, Ardin. They will not stand to have you join the ranks of the Swift, and they will do anything in their power to bring you low.”

The strange thing was how strongly the concept spoke to him, regardless of how new it was. The fact was that he could see the Dread forces at work, even if he didn't think of them as gods himself. He knew that the danger was far closer at hand than he would have otherwise liked to believe, and perhaps Shill could even help protect him, even in his weakened state. So long as the old soldier kept up with him, he had told him he could come along.

In the first few days of their journey, Shill had done fairly well. Ardin was actually somewhat jealous, because as soon as his head hit his pack in the evening, Shill was asleep. The travel took its toll on the old man, to be sure. His wounds had only served to catalyze the aging process in him, but he was resilient and made up the difference in getting more sleep than Ardin was able. They had crossed through the hills only the day before, and now they set their course to the northwest in hopes of catching the high road and making for Islenda.

That was the only idea of direction that Ardin had at this point. He couldn't be sure that he would find Rain and her brother there, nor could he be certain of whether they would even strike out to attack the Demon or rescue the refugees Rain had worked so hard to free. His gut told him they would seek the Demon out, but he didn't know where that would take them. He wanted to search for them, to send his consciousness out over the burned plains and hills and reach out to Islenda to see where they were, but his previous encounters with the Relequim on the borders of his mind kept his ambitions in check. He would have to find them the old fashioned way.

A gentle thrumming in the air caught his attention, then repeated itself two more times. He sat up in the darkness, Shill still snoring gently on the far side of the low-burning embers of their fire. The horses seemed as still as the windless night, but something was different; he could feel the presence of a power he recognized.

Ardin picked himself up slowly, trying to keep from waking Shill. As much as he wanted to trust the old soldier, he found that he didn't truly. Something told him it was wise not to, even beyond Hevetican's warnings.

He walked back over a low rise, picking his way carefully among the low foliage and strange trees.

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