Trials of the Twiceborn by Andrew Hunter

Author:Andrew Hunter [Hunter, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Published: 2016-07-04T06:00:00+00:00

“Yes, that is true,” Tye confirmed, “and so, this temple is not a monument to any god but rather a place where we may meditate upon a certain truth. There are many such temples throughout our land, each one devoted to a different truth. This is the temple of Gau Behr.”

“What is Gau Behr?” Marla asked.

“Gau Behr is a thing that one fears, only because one does not yet understand it,” Brother Tye said, “A most fitting place for you to have chosen for your arrival.”

“I hope that you do not fear me,” Marla laughed, “but I didn’t exactly choose to come here.”

“Perhaps not with your mind,” Brother Tye said with a smile, “but the heart sometimes leads when the path lies in shadow.”

Marla smiled and nodded in return.

“Come, walk with me, if the light does not bother you too greatly,” the Laprian monk said, his silken robes rustling as he lifted his hand toward the garden.

“No,” Marla said, looking toward the sunlit path outside with a little thrill of trepidation in her heart, “I would like that.”

Cool light filled the courtyard garden in the center of the large, ring-shaped dormitory. Puffy white clouds filled the crystal blue sky above, diffusing the sunlight into a silvery glow, and snow glittered on the hazy peak of a great mountain that loomed above the monastery. The morning breeze moaned in the fir trees that towered beyond the rose-colored rooftops of the domed buildings, and Marla could smell the hint of an icy stream somewhere nearby.

“Are we high in the mountains?” Marla asked.

“As high as one may comfortably climb without leaving our friends the tree and flower behind,” Brother Tye said, lifting a leafy vine, covered in small purple flowers from a nearby trellis.

“What kind of flower is that?” Marla asked.

“A kind of sweet pea, I believe,” Tye answered, “Our gardener is fond of them.”

“Is your gardener a dragon as well?” Marla hazarded.

Brother Tye shot her an embarrassed look, and Marla grinned at having guessed correctly about his true nature.

“Is my guise so imperfect then?” Tye asked, his voice now rumbling with draconic undertones.

Marla shook her head. “I only guessed your nature because of the way your body moves,” she said, “and because of what I knew about the people who took my father away.” She thought about mentioning the faintly metallic scent of his breath as well, but feared it might be considered rude.

“Ah,” the Laprian monk sighed, “I shall endeavor to be more... human in the future.”

“Is it an illusion, then?” Marla asked.

Brother Tye narrowed his eyes, uncomprehending.

“A trick of the light,” Marla said, gesturing vaguely, “A way to fool my eyes into seeing you as a human, while your true body remains hidden.”

“Oh, ah, no,” Tye said, looking as though he were struggling to properly explain it all, “This is my body... at this time. It was with some difficulty that I, and the other acolytes of Gau Behr, have changed ourselves to appear more like your father and the people of the valley below.

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