Those Who Watch From Afar: Magic's Erosion Book One by Zack Hacker

Author:Zack Hacker [Hacker, Zack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781733504935
Publisher: Anywhere Press
Published: 2021-03-23T16:00:00+00:00

The next morning I awoke in a spartan room, nestled in the building high above the previous afternoon’s meeting space. There was one whirring light overhead, a red woven carpet to distract from the cracked stone floor, and the bed I slept in. It was surprisingly comfortable, though I hadn’t slept well in light of the previous evening’s revelations.

A Rakshasa.

I considered them the subject of myth, much as I had thought of Humans—fodder for stories told by old men and used to scare children out of dark forests. But I was once again proven naïve. It was my role, my destiny Rosalie had explained, to parley with a Rakshasa, likely the only of his kind on Earth, in the far Northlands.

I got out of bed and approached the large window that dominated the room. I had a breathtaking view out over the city of Zorastria and the leaning, crumbling, square stone buildings. They seemed held together by the zigzagging alleys and stairs that ran between the, the city clinging to the side of the mountainous topography.

Ridella was still sleeping in the corner, so I seized the rare moment of stasis to converse with Sharn. I gathered the parchment, quill, and stone from my things, unfurled the paper, and lied down on the rug.

“Sharn, are you around?” I wrote.

I only had to stare at the paper for a few moments before her response came through: Of course. Where are you? How is it going?

“I’m okay, but I may need you to look something up for me. We’re in Zorastria, but leaving today.” I paused before continuing. “Do you know anything about Rakshasa?”

The devourers of flesh? Rakshasa are supposed to be incredibly powerful tricksters. Are they even real? I don’t like the sound of this.

“Well, there has apparently been one living in isolation on the Earth ever since we first migrated here from Reiol Tir. He’s been hiding away on an island off the east coast of the Northlands.”

That seems impossible, but I guess a lot of stories have been turning out to be real. What else do you know about this Rakshasa? I don’t know where to begin researching.

“Apparently there has been some initial contact with him, and he’s agreed to work with us. Well, he’s willing to work with me, at least.”

And that’s our plan? What does he want in return?

“Yeah, they probably don’t want me saying anything, but I need your help and I’m scared. The plan is getting the Rakshasa on our side, and then searching for this deposit of artifacts that may be powerful enough to alter how magic is harvested. The Rakshasa should be able to use the artifacts and permanently bind the flow of magic so no Mithryndor can alter it again. And the Rakshasa will only talk to me, so it’s my job to convince him.”

While I waited for Sharn, Ridella stretched and yawned before putting a paw over her eyes to shield herself from the light.

And you don’t know what the Rakshasa wants from you?

“No.

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