The Sword of Unda by Meg Hendry

Author:Meg Hendry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: high fantasy, dark fantasy, Fortius
Publisher: Parker Press
Published: 2023-01-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Kian

Kian didn’t know how long had passed before he woke up. Modus was talking to Raiknan, but the words wouldn’t come into focus. Everything faded away again. When Kian opened his eyes again, Valor was carrying him. Ferrum were stronger than other kinds. Kian didn’t see the others. Everything went dark again.

Kian saw only brief glimpses of things, of the forest, different every time he saw it, and once he saw the plains of Mendus. The dark thing inside of him was still spreading. He could feel they were in a forest, before he even opened his eyes.

The next time he woke up, he was in yet another forest. With how thick the forest was, he thought it might be the forest of Amissum. He was lying on the forest floor. He sat up slowly, feeling strange. There were dark lines under his skin. The runes were entirely gone.

“Don’t leave the forest.”

Kian looked to the right sharply. Someone was sitting there, almost blending in with the trees. The man had long red hair, tied back. It was rough and darker than that of most Cadrenti. He had slightly pointed ears, dark red feline eyes. He was also tall and covered in bark. When Kian stood, he only came up to the man’s shoulder. The man wore ragged clothes, no boots, and no cuirass.

“If you’re around any humans or Cadrenti who aren’t lost to their elements, you could pass on the curse,” the man said. He looked younger than Modus.

“Who are you?” Kian asked.

“Silvis,” the man said. “You’ve met Raiknan, my older brother. And Helen is my niece.”

Kian hesitated. “Are you...a Treant?”

Silvis smiled. “Yes. Does that bother you? This is the true form of Treant.”

Kian tried to push away Henrik’s voice echoing in his head, telling him being tainted was the worst thing that could happen.

Silvis frowned. “Bad things will happen if you resist, if you don’t accept what you will be.”

“It may take time, but I think I’ll get used to it,” Kian said.

Silvis looked surprised. “I suppose you did agree to it, though I know you didn’t know the full of what you were agreeing to. There wasn’t time for Modus to tell you everything. Sit down. I’ll explain some things. You really can’t go anywhere until you’ve become one of us.”

Kian sat. The dark thing inside of him was still spreading, but not fast.

“You were unconscious for a few days,” Silvis said. “You missed some things. For a start, Nailu Archwood of another timeline came to ours, killed our version of her, and is now on the loose with a powerful grudge against your brother.”

Kian thought about this. “Another timeline?”

“According to what she told Modus, she killed seven versions of you, Dimitri, Helen, and Vetus,” Silvis said. “And she is willing to kill all four of you again.”

Silvis told Kian all Nailu had said to Modus. Valor, Canus, and Vetus had heard only some of it, but had since been filled in on the rest. This was the forest of Amissum, not far from the clearing where the Infernalis had made their camp.

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