A Song of Stone (The Dragon Queen Book 2) by J.R. Rasmussen

Author:J.R. Rasmussen [Rasmussen, J.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-07-04T22:00:00+00:00

Died. Dead.

It wasn’t something Griffin wanted to think about, but of course, when one is told one is dead, it’s very difficult to think of anything else. And so he repeated the words over and over in his mind, and hoped they would sink in.

Died. Dead.

But try as he might, he couldn’t make them. He didn’t feel sad, or disappointed. Or even angry at Mairid for (apparently) killing him with that blasted stone. He didn’t feel anything. Except perhaps a bit cold.

They had barely begun to explain how they got there, before Alamund turned them around and marched them back the way they came. It seemed the word Mithrin alone was a sufficient indicator that things had gone horribly awry. The Marshal of the Fourth Ward (whatever that meant) listened to the rest of their story as they made their way to, and then through, the old hall.

“So you see, we didn’t really die.” Mairid stopped at the bottom of the spiral staircase and crossed her arms. “It’s clear what’s happened here. We were looking for Mithrin’s means of reaching the dead, and we found it. The stone is a transportation device. It didn’t kill us, it opened a door into the realm of the dead. And, er, pushed us through it. That isn’t the same thing. The door is obviously meant to be used both ways.”

Alamund laughed. “I assure you, it’s exactly the same thing. If your friends should come looking for you in that chamber, they’ll find your bodies on the floor. Cold. Lifeless. And so forth.” He shrugged. “Dead.”

Dead. Died.

“Perhaps they look dead,” said Mairid. “I can see how they would be mistaken for dead. But it’s only temporary.”

“It was temporary for Mithrin,” Griffin added. “Back when he was alive, I mean. He must have used the stone himself more than once, and come back.”

Mairid nodded, first at him, then more firmly at Alamund. “It’s like those miraculous recoveries you hear about, soldiers with head wounds, or a child everyone thought was drowned. But then they shock everyone by taking a sudden breath, and just like that, they’re back. We can do the same.”

“Not by standing still and gabbing at me, you can’t.” Alamund planted one hand on her back, one on Griffin’s, and propelled them forward through the cavern. “Once they burn you and do their funeral rites, it’ll be too late. Your temporary will become permanent. Which will leave me with a lot of mess, and a lot of work, and it’s no great confession to say I am not much fond of either.”

“But I already told you,” said Mairid, “the stone wouldn’t send us back. We need something more. There must be some sort of spell or potion or ritual to go with it. Or perhaps another stone, on this side?”

Alamund only grunted at that, suggesting to Griffin that perhaps he had no more idea of how to use the stone than they did. Which was bad, of course. But also possibly good, because if Alamund didn’t know that, then he didn’t know everything.

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