Lair of the Beast by Adam Jay Epstein

Author:Adam Jay Epstein
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Imprint

12

THE ORACLE OF OAK

The next morning, as Wily and the others were preparing to leave, his mother limped to his side, wincing with each step.

“I need go back to the palace,” Lumina said. “My leg is only getting worse. I can’t slow you down.”

“You won’t,” Wily said.

“We both know I will,” she replied. “Besides, somebody has to make sure the royal palace will remain standing until you return with Palojax.” Lumina touched Wily’s cheek softly with her hand. Then she turned to the others who were preparing their mounts. “The only sage within a day’s travel is the Oracle of Oak,” she said. “She will know how to get into the Below. That’s where you should head next. Do you know where to find her?”

“Rootmire Glen,” Odette said with a nod. “We’ve visited her before. She guided us to a very important person.”

Which was absolutely true: it had been the Oracle of Oak who had told Odette, Moshul, and Pryvyd to seek the trapsmith of Carrion Tomb. If it hadn’t been for her, Wily might still be polishing the gears of the snap traps and feeding the ghost spiders in the subterranean tunnels of Stalag’s dungeon.

“That’s to the north,” Valor said. “The same direction the golems on the Web were heading.”

“Then we’ll have to proceed with caution,” Pryvyd said.

“And here are the jewels you should give to the oracle as payment.” Lumina handed a leather bag to Pryvyd. Then she called over to Impish and Gremlin. “Come on, you two. Say your good-byes.”

The two ferrets bounded down Moshul’s partially flattened back to the ground. They scampered over to Lumina and scurried up into her jacket pockets, tucking themselves in comfortably for the long ride ahead.

Then it was time for Lumina to say good-bye to her son. She enfolded Wily in a big embrace.

He whispered in her ear, “I wish you could come with us.”

“You did just fine without me before,” Lumina replied quietly. “You’ll do just fine now too.”

She let go of Wily and glanced over at the others. “Take care of him,” Lumina said.

“A future king who needs to be watched over?” Valor scoffed. “That’s reassuring.”

Wily felt his cheeks flush red as his mother mounted her horse. She gave a final wave to the companions and rode away.

Valor didn’t even wait for Lumina to disappear into the trees before turning to the others. “If we want to reach Rootmire Glen without being spotted by the golems,” she explained, “we should cut through the Opake Woods.”

Odette was used to being the alpha-female, the leader of the band. Her humorless expression indicated she wasn’t happy to have to relinquish her role.

“Why don’t you lead the way?” Pryvyd said to Valor as he mounted his horse.

“I was planning to,” Valor said. “Follow me. And try to keep up.”

With one swift movement, she was on Stalkeer’s back. The mountain lion roared with delight and bounded ahead.

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