The Dappled Dread by D.K. Holmberg

Author:D.K. Holmberg [Holmberg, D.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

LAN

Lan looked up. The strange-looking creature had spoken. Lan was certain of it. That was the only other person—or entity—who was here. But the voice had been soft, painful, and yet, there was something about it that was strangely familiar, partly because it seemed to be tinged with a bit of power mixed within it.

“Another power, I take it?” Lan asked, glancing over at Fergus before turning his attention to the strange-looking creature. “Or are you the Dappled Dread?”

The idea that he was talking about some other dark and dangerous god seemed… Well, it seemed impossible. As did the idea that he was dealing with an angry god.

When he had joined the Taihg, Lan had known that he was going to have to deal with terrifying, and perhaps impossible, powers. He had never thought he would have to deal with a god. Then again, once he had learned about his own god-touched ability, what else would he be dealing with?

“You can call him whatever you want,” the strange creature said. “But he is powerful. Or was, and seeks to be again.”

“And you are…”

Fergus started to laugh. “This is Oliankazan. You may call him Ollie. Some find saying his full name too difficult, especially in your tongue. And there is a danger in misspeaking his name.”

Lan found himself looking over at Ollie and frowning. The strange little creature was watching him, almost as if trying to decide what to do with him. Then again, Lan was wondering whether he needed to do anything with this strange little creature.

“What are you?” Lan asked, directing his question to Ollie.

“What are you?” the creature asked.

“I am Lan, soldier of the Taihg, god-touched by Odian, and—”

“Does he truly believe Odian gifted him?” Ollie asked.

“He has a connection,” Fergus said. “He is slow to reach it, and it is not fully developed, but it is there.”

“We’ve seen others like that,” Ollie said.

“Not like this. And not recently.”

“Yes,” Ollie hissed.

“Lashinart has distracted,” Fergus said. All notes of the strange, almost playful, way he had about him in the past had faded. When he was talking to Ollie, Fergus seemed almost a different entity. Then again, he had not moved any farther forward. It was almost as if Fergus was afraid to get closer to Ollie, as if doing so would put him in some sort of danger.

Why?

The answer came to Lan, and he didn’t even need to say anything to have a bit of understanding.

Because Ollie was just like Fergus.

“Maybe it was because of the Shavln,” Lan said.

Ollie turned to him, and for a moment, his gaze darkened. “It was released again,” Ollie said. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. “But it was contained. This was you?”

“Not only me, but others as well.”

“Others touched the same?”

Lan was tempted to say yes, as he thought that was the key, at least from what he had heard from the Karell and the Raven Queen, but now he wasn’t even sure. Maybe they weren’t touched the same way that he had been.

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