Halo of Ashes by Gavin Ashside
Author:Gavin Ashside [Ashside, Gavin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-30T22:00:00+00:00
Chapter 14
Newman had been on the road for days, walking from dawn to dusk before settling down for the night by the roadside. Norland was further away than he had imagined and his food supply had run low. Rationing it into ever-smaller portions made his stomach constantly rumble with hunger and he often became dizzy. More and more often, he needed to take breaks before he could continue on his journey to the Cord Mountains. He was thankful for streams that he came across where he could refill his canteen with clean, fresh water. The occasional cart passed him on the road and he noticed that the carts coming from Norland were brightly painted, with decorative miniatures that made them look exotic. None of the drivers paid him any attention and he did not seek any, afraid that anyone who helped him would be targeted by Raakh. The people in the carts coming from Norland were dressed differently from those on the Magranian side of the Nightwood. They wore colorful, printed drapes over their canvas clothing and their hats were flatter and straighter. The men were also all clean-shaven unlike the customarily bearded men he had seen west of the forest.
The tips of the chest-high grass on either side of the road stretched away like a flat, empty sea. Newman was thinking of moving into it to find a quiet spot for a meal and a nap when a large snake, disturbed by his approach as it sunbathed by the road, jerked upright and hissed at him. He froze until it left, weaving its way into the thick grass. Deciding not to risk whatever poisonous animals might be in the grassland, Newman rationed out a small meal and ate as he walked. He continued his march until dusk. Out over the grassland, the red sky darkened to a deep crimson hue that made the landscape look awash in blood. In the days since he had left the Nightwood, Raakhâs presence had been growing constantly inside him and, like a mother with child in her womb, he could feel it getting bigger and stronger. He had no idea how to keep the creature at bay and the strain of holding its influence out of his thoughts was draining him.
Newman felt the ominous presence of Raakh stir with the approach of night and quickly filled his mind with random thoughts, which he had discovered seemed to subdue the foul creatureâs influence. He knew he needed to find somewhere safe to sleep before nightfall and spied a few large boulders rising above the high grass a little way off the road. He weighed the option of settling down by the roadside as he had been doing so far but the snake he had seen made him decide to seek safety atop the boulders instead. Hesitantly, he made his way into the grass and towards the rocks, which were bigger and lay further away than he had thought. It was almost completely dark before he reached them.
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