Chapter 136:
Anton’s mind groggily roused from its slumber. Thankfully the time spent in the White Realm wasn’t growing fast but it was, despite his best yet unguided efforts, growing. It was probably only a second since touching the stone in Balefire Mine.
“My head hasn’t been this groggy since…”
Instead of seeing the early morning light of Qaiviel, he had returned to Duchess Belinda’s convoy for the night after removing the Mist Walker Elders, a faint blue light streamed through the tent. He was utterly naked but his clothes, usually placed in a rough pile unless Kal tidied them up, were immaculately stacked beside his rucksack. This was not the first time this had happened.
Anton shuffled across and reached out to the rough cloth of the tent. Though normally quite pliable it was harder than stone, resisting every attempt to shift and bend.
“So which God are we going to meet today?” Anton’s voice echoed, different from the White Realm. “Maybe the Demi-God of Beasts. Ferula didn’t tell us what the difference between a God and a Demi-God. Jira seems extremely powerful and Tethra didn’t get knocked down a level.”
Anton threw off the bedroll. Unfortunately, his feet remained unchanged, he flexed his toes and found them somewhat stiffer than usual. Each night it took a few tender minutes of massaging to get the blood flowing properly after being cramped into his boots but this was different. Something was affecting them, his tail too. It wasn’t bound but took considerable effort to move. Knowing there was no point in waiting inside he quickly dressed and moved outside.
Cetina, who should have been on guard outside, was nowhere to be found. Nothing of their camp was present. It was just him. Strangely the box that Cetina had sat on remained.
The land around his tent completely disappeared after a few feet, an empty light blue void extended in every direction. Light streamed from every point at once, there were no shadows in the God Dreams. A path of floating pieces and broken land stretched before him. Gingerly Anton tapped one with his boot. Just as the cloth tent they didn’t move.
“If it’s the Demi-God of Beasts I wonder what they look like,” Anton mumbled aloud as he took the first step. “Wasn’t much to go on with that totem.”
Anton climbed the floating stones until he came to another small plateau. This too was a camp, but the tent was unequivocally Dark Elf in design. Anton couldn’t find another pathway into the distance, the floating stones behind him fell away and disappeared into the blue light.
“Is this Verona and Kal’s tent?”
Anton pulled the flap aside, it moved but the other parts were completely rigid. Inside lay Verona and Kal, sleeping soundly side by side. Verona, annoyed by the light, groaned and rolled over, a hand nearly striking Kal’s nose.
“Hey,” Anton said softly. “You two awake?”
Both slowly roused from their slumber. Kal’s ears hanged low, like most mornings, while Verona stretched out her arms.
“Morning, Anton.” Verona licked her lips. “What’s for breakfast…Wait a moment.”
Verona rubbed her eyes hard and looked over his shoulder into the blue light.
“Oh. Oh! We’re here again. And you don’t have human feet, that’s a shame. But you’ve still got your tail.” Verona laughed, letting her arms fall limp. “At least I’ll have something to play with.”
“Aren’t you in Qaiviel?” Kal asked, still fighting away the sleep. “Why are you in The Shadow Isles?”
“I thought you two wouldn’t go to bed at the same time.” Anton passed over Verona’s neatly stacked clothes.
“We aren’t.” Kal murmured something and flopped back to bed.
“You’re terrible at waking up some days.” Anton gently rubbed Kal’s hand.
“But why are you here?”
“Because I’m not in The Shadow Isles.” Anton glanced outside. “And neither are you.”
“What?” Kal slapped her cheeks. Her sleepy green eyes focused. She frowned upon seeing the perfectly rigid walls of the tent. Her claws had the same impact as Anton’s, absolutely none.
“Where are we?” Kal searched for her weapons but found none. The God’s Dream never allowed such things. “Where are my weapons? Why can’t I feel my magic?”
“It’s fine, Kal.” Anton held Kal’s hands. “Verona and I have been here before. Not this exact place but close enough. This is how we meet the Old Gods. Did Tethra not bring you to one?”
“No.” Kal took the neatly folded shirt and rammed it over her head.
“She still is pretty weak.” Anton backed out of the tent. “When you’re dressed I’m sure we’ll find out where we’re supposed to go.”
The girls emerged into the dream world. Kal remained very close, holding Anton’s arm while scanning the empty blue void surrounding them.
“The books never said anything like this,” Kal whispered.
A pathway rose out from below the small plateau, leading further into the void. Anton held them close and slowly walked along the path. Neither were willing to take the first step onto a slim piece of dirt that was clearly too thin to support their weight. Nevertheless, it held but they remained very close.
Another large plateau emerged, this clearly wasn’t a recreation of some existing place. A large stone lay in the middle, nestled by a ring of dense shrubbery with a small stone fountain at the centre, water cascading over the stone, across the short grass and into the void. Dozens of small animals, many that Anton had yet to see in this world, scampered through the grass and darted into the shrubs. Upon touching the grass they stopped as one before running away. Once their feet left the pathway it too fell into the void.
“So where is the God?” Kal asked.
“Not sure.” Anton looked to the fountain. “It’s always been a large table in the centre of Atros for us. And they were already there.”
Что-то шевельнулось за камнем, постучало что-то легкое и нежное по траве и камню. Молодая женщина с луком в одной руке и колчаном за спиной медленно поднялась на камень. Кем бы она ни была, она обладала дикой красотой, как Кэл; женщина с мягкими чертами лица и короткими каштановыми волосами, спрятанная под меховым капюшоном. Она не носила ткань или шелк, вместо этого белый и светло-коричневый мех покрывали ее верх, образуя грубое сочетание рубашки, обнажающей подтянутый живот, и юбки из темного и грубого меха. Кожаные сандалии почти не издавали шума, когда она сидела рядом с фонтаном. По взмаху ее руки вода потекла от нее вверх по камню, совершенно вопреки гравитации и логике.
«Привет.» Ее голос был мягким, но обладал определенной властностью. «Присоединяйтесь ко мне сюда, пожалуйста. Это намного проще, чем кричать на весь мир».
Женщина снова взмахнула рукой, камень и растения образовали тропу, ведущую к вершине камня. Верона и Кэл позволили Антону сделать первый шаг и внимательно последовали за ним.
«Так вот этот человек беспокоит Тетру». Женщина усмехнулась, положив лук и колчан рядом с собой. «Пожалуйста, присаживайтесь. Меня раздражает вести такие важные переговоры стоя. Сидение может сделать все намного проще».
За ними возвышались три маленьких плоских камня. Женщина достала четыре толстых меха и передала три.
«Я не думал, что полубог зверей сможет контролировать землю». – пошутил Антон, садясь на свое место. В мехах было на удивление комфортно.
«В этом сне я могу внести несколько изменений, которые мне не под силу». Она скрестила ноги и почесала пальцы ног. — Если только ты не хочешь посидеть на каких-нибудь кроликах или что-то в этом роде. Я могу это организовать, если хочешь.
Четыре больших кролика шаркали по короткой траве. Они были похожи на маленьких Тамперов, Антон не мог видеть их зубов.
«То, что у нас есть, — это хорошо. Мне просто было любопытно, вот и все.
«У них довольно мягкая шкура. Если хочешь, можешь просто поохотиться на Тамперов к югу от Атроса. Женщина кашлянула. «Меня зовут Флиодер, полубоги зверей. Я рад познакомиться с вами троими. Ты бы хотел что-нибудь съесть?»
Перед ними из камня вырвался небольшой огонь. Она достала шашлык из мяса и подержала его над огнем. Запах жареного мяса наполнил воздух. Могут ли они на самом деле есть в этом мире или это просто ради вкуса?
«Я не ожидал, что вы свяжетесь с нами в первый же вечер».
«Я уже давно хотел связаться со всеми вами». Флиодер вытянула руки над головой, намеренно позволяя одежде задраться высоко. «Но Нитроэлу это не понравилось, поэтому мне пришлось идти долгим путем. Сначала я поговорил с Эсперит, которая разговаривала с ведьмой…
«Ферула?» — спросил Кэл. — спросила бы Верона, но ее глаза были прикованы к кулинарному призу, и Флиодер нашел это забавным.
“Indeed. Not that she worships any of us, but she can still commune from time to time.” Fliodher slapped her thighs. “Anyway, it took long enough but you’re finally all here. How is that tail of yours, Anton?”
Anton hadn’t wrapped his tail around his waist and simply let it trail behind him. He picked it up, it still felt slightly stiff and difficult to control, and twirled the thin ends.
“So far it’s alright.” He glanced at Fliodher. “Do you know anything about this?”
“Not really.” Fliodher sighed. “Only that you’ve been corrupted by a strange power.”
Fliodher vanished, not in a puff of smoke but she simply ceased to be. Anton felt warm hands rub near the base of his tail. Fliodher stood behind him as gently rubbed the base, where the scales and his skin merged together. She had a strange animalistic smell to her, not entirely unpleasant.
“Fascinating,” Fliodher mumbled. “But I cannot reverse this. Perhaps Kronique could.” Fliodher shrugged, gave the tail a final pat before returning to her original position. “He wouldn’t know what it is but I think he could reverse it.”
Anton chuckled. “Our knowledge of the Old Gods is rather limited I’m afraid.”
Fliodher titled her head. “Even when all three of you have glyphs markings that large. Especially Jira’s.”
“Not entirely intentional,” Verona grumbled. “I would have preferred just about anything else, though I won’t deny that it’s powerful.”
“Well…” Fliodher rotated the roasting meat. “Kronique is the God of Time and Prophecies. Though it would be tough he could reverse that.”
“Then-”
Fliodher pursed her lips. “That’s never going to happen. Never. He’s thrown his lot in with Nithroel.” She sighed and rotated the meat once again. “And one of her most ardent allies. It’ll take a true miracle to change his allegiance.”
“A god that can see the future?” Anton groaned, rubbing his cheeks. “There’s no way we can win against that.”
“It’s not that bad.” Fliodher passed out the meat skewers. The juices dripped from the meat, disappearing before reaching the ground or onto his clothes. Fliodher began devouring the food at a speed that would put Verona to shame.
“He can’t see everything,” Fliodher spoke with a full mouth. “If he focuses all his strength he can see about ten or so days into the future, with each day it becomes vaguer until it’s just a wild guess.”
“That’s still pretty bad.” Kal mused.
“It’s the prophecies you need to be careful about.” Fliodher forcefully swallowed too much food at once. “They can see far, far into the future. But…Here’s the thing. Kronique doesn’t have any real control over them. Think that he’s just writing things that come to him during a drug induced fever dream. Some of the time it’s complete nonsense…Until it happens and then it makes perfect sense. His Oracles spend their entire lives trying to understand them.”
“Anything about us?” Anton asked softly. “How we’re going to ruin things for Nithroel and all her friends.”
Fliodher laughed. “No. He can only have a maximum of three at any one time. And none of those are regarding you. They’re all focused on the Wood Elves and their survival. What a surprise.”
“That’s a relief.” Anton bit into the succulent food. “You don’t have problems with us eating meat?” Fliodher raised a brow. “Since you’re the Demi-God of Beasts.”
“Absolutely not.” Fliodher threw the stick into the flame. “Beasts kill, die and mate every day. It is simply the way of nature and of the hunt. It’s only when unnecessary pain and cruelty are applied that I get angry.”
“Since you’re talking to us…”
“You haven’t been cruel, to the animals at least.” Fliodher shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me what you do to your fellow humans, beast-kin, Dark Elves or whatever.”
“Thanks for the food.” Verona smiled, wiping away the juices. “Is there any animal that we can hunt for this?”
“If you are able to travel to the Frindal Emirate you could. It’s a type of whale that lives near the shallows. Very difficult to hunt, even for them.”
“I’ve never tasted whale before.” Anton mused.
“In this world or the previous?” Fliodher smiled sweetly, nestling her head between her hands.
“Both. But I think that’s a good time to get to the point of this meeting.” Anton looked at the skewer. “If anything I get the feeling you just wanted to have someone to eat with.”
Fliodher sighed dramatically, throwing her feet towards the fire. “Most Gods are quite stuck up at times, do their own thing and don’t have much time for each other. I do see Jira from time to time.” Verona tensed. “She’s always up for a good hunt.”
Fliodher stared up into the blue void. A longing washed over her eyes, for something she had lost. They shared a glance before Fliodher returned.
“My mind does tend to wander. I suppose since I’m not on a hunt…” Fliodher shook her head. “You see what I mean? Nithroel…”
Fliodher removed her pelt hood. Deep gouges covered the left side of her skull. A fresh wound. Was that even possible for a god?
A leftover from the battle in the White Realm? Or, since she’s the Demi-God of Beasts, is that how she lost control over the Kobolds?
“Nithroel did this.” Fliodher winced as she touched the wound. Blood stained her fingers, causing a frown to crease her face. “I can’t heal it properly. Not that it weakens me but…”
“Revenge? That’s your reason?”
Fliodher covered her head. “Just one reason. But a damn important one. As the Demi-God of Beasts, I can aid you in ways your four cannot. My Glyph allows the bearers to more easily commune and tame animals. But since none of you three can, and there’s a fourth with you but she can’t bear a Glyph, it will be slightly difficult to help you directly. Not that that’s a problem, Nithroel will be coming for me again if I were to help Tethra’s disciple. Or if she felt her taint on me.”
Fliodher touched the wound again.
“Did she take the Kobolds from you?” Fliodher’s eyes snapped to him, filled with a primal rage. “They definitely seem more like a beast than something from the forest.”
“And they made their camps on the grasslands near Atros,” Verona added. She frowned lightly. “Doesn’t that mean they aren’t under your…”
“Dominion?” Anton asked.
“They were. They were.” Fliodher sneered. “But they did live in the forests too. That gave us joint ownership
. But, Nithroel being Nithroel, wanted more.”
“Just like the Fire Elves.”
Fliodher glumly nodded. “Indeed.” She shook her head. “See how easy it is for me to get distracted?”
Maybe I can get some information out of her, if her head’s a little muddled up.
“Did Nithroel kill them all?”
“All?” Fliodher scratched her chin. “Not all, no. But most. I know that Esperit wants to bring them back into the light but that’s taking a while…” Fliodher snapped her fingers. “That’s why she wanted you, I think. Stratos, what did he want again?”
“Is she okay?” Verona whispered.
Anton tapped her hand, he didn’t want her to stop just yet.
“Stratos, I forgot what he wanted, and Tethra…She wanted to finish what we started long ago when Nithroel stopped-” Fliodher clamped her mouth shut. “Oh no. Please don’t tell them that I said that! I’m not supposed to tell anyone, let alone mortals.”
I wonder if your erratic nature is affecting the beasts of the world.
“I can keep a secret.” Anton smiled. “But what can you do to help us against Nithroel?”
Fliodher rubbed her temple again. The small fountain shifted and changed, the running water turned flat and shimmered into a portal. A dark cave emerged, the sound and spray of the sea bursting through the lower side of the image. Out of the cave, a large wolf’s head emerged, a wolf’s head covered in black feathers trimmed with a shimmering aqua blue. It moved out of the shadows, sniffed at the air and gripped a paw on the stone. The creature pulled itself out of the cave; it was a giant feathered wolf but something black and leathery grew out of its back. Wings. Bat wings. Small claws along the wing gripped lightly on the stone and tried to help drag the wolf creature into the light. Another bat wolf landed at the cavern entrance, its wings stretched out many times wider than its body and growled at the other. The first collapsed and whimpered loudly, the second nuzzled its head and pushed it back into the cave. The second’s tail, also covered in black and blue trimmed feathers, dropped very low, almost between its legs, as it slunk into the cave.
“That,” Fliodher sighed, “Is a Chirok. I think you would call them a mix between a wolf and a bat.”
“And a bird thrown in for good measure too,” Anton noted.
Fliodher laughed, an honest laugh. “I know. But one of them is very sick, as you can probably see. If you were to help them I’m sure that they, and their cubs, would follow you.” Fliodher winked dramatically. “Chirok’s are ferocious in a fight and can fly almost silently. I don’t know how that’s going to help you but I’m sure that you’ll think of something.”
“Being able to fly would really help.” Anton mused. “We could drop off our portal stones just about anywhere.”
“Unfortunately this is all I can do for now.” Fliodher shrugged. “Nithroel will notice if I do too much. But if there’s any more that I can send I’ll let you know. I can speak with you three at any time…within reason.”
Fliodher clapped her hands. “That’s about all I can give-”
“Hang on.” Anton raised his hand. “Where are these Chirok’s?”
“What? Oh, they’re on The Shadow Isles, that’s why I was so happy to talk with you so soon.”
The image in the waterfall changed once again. It drew back, further and further, until it stopped to reveal The Shadow Isles from the sky. The thick mist had completely disappeared and showed the Isles in all of its glory. Unfortunately, Anton could see the devastation unleashed by the Goblins. The three most northern islands were almost completely dark. Anton felt some parallel to a waring peninsula on Earth. Along the Mainland a clear division had been carved, a tiny blip of light had pushed forward, where they had attacked the previous day and established a measure of control. If this was current Anton’s summons were doing their work.
“It’s right here.” Fliodher pointed to the island left of the Goblin infested lands. The image zoomed in to show a small port city nearby with a forked shaped jetty, three large Dark Elf ships docked. “How you get there is going to be up to you.”
“Can you let us use this?” Kal pointed to the waterfall.
“No. Not without dragging you into a dream every night. And that would be very taxing on you all. It’ll take you about ten days before you can meet me again. Or any god for that matter.”
“What about Perytons?” Anton asked. “Luna’s the only one we have. Or did Nithroel take them from you as well?”
Fliodher’s eye twitched. That was sufficient for an answer.
“We could take the Jaguar’s to this Island.” Verona began. “It’s still controlled by the Dark Elves so it should be fine. So long as they still want us helping.”
“Gerin’s not the happiest with us.” Kal mused.
“Better that than every Dark Elf dies.” Anton frowned at the image. “Fliodher, could you just take us out a bit more please?”
Fliodher looked confused but did as she was bid. Anton raised his hand when the northern half of The Shadow Isles was in full view.
«С присоединением к борьбе материковых кланов наша роль будет гораздо более ограниченной». Антон начал. «Но нам все равно придется разрушить мосты, соединяющие эти острова вместе. Не позволяйте им усиливать друг друга. А как только война закончится, их можно будет просто восстановить, только кажется, что они сделаны из этого камня-обсидиана. Я уверен, что они смогут найти больше».
«Или просто используйте обычный камень». — предложил Кэл.
— Верните «Чирока» на Атрос, я уверен, что они всем понравятся, захватите корабль и уничтожьте… Что это?
Антон указал на центр трех островов, кишащих гоблинами. Остров клана Зеленой Луны, казалось бы, был идентичен другим зараженным островам, за исключением одного небольшого источника света на самой северной оконечности острова. Хотя земли, кишащие гоблинами, были по большей части тусклыми, за исключением нескольких скудных огней, северная оконечность все еще горела ярко.
«Не могли бы вы подойти ближе к этой точке?»
«Конечно…»
Изображение начало увеличиваться, Флиодер подняла глаза вверх. «Вот дерьмо. Похоже, я снова зашел слишком далеко. Мне не следует использовать это, когда я нахожусь со смертными, за исключением нескольких секунд, чтобы показать общее местоположение. Они разозлятся, когда доберутся сюда.
«ВОЗ?»
Флиодер натянула лук. «Как ты думаешь, кто? Оказывается, есть один Бог, который ненавидит меня и тебя».
Антон встал, пытаясь найти в бесконечной синей пустоте то, на что смотрел Флиодер. — С тобой все будет в порядке?
«Все будет хорошо. Как только ты уйдешь, мечта все равно рухнет. Нитроэль не будет драться со мной на моей территории, после прошлого раза. Я приготовил для нее кое-что.
«Разве твои мечты не безопасны?» — спросила Верона. Она провела рукой по талии и щелкнула пальцами, поняв, что у нее нет магии. Как ни странно, Антон все еще мог чувствовать легкий заряд в хвосте, несмотря на это ощущение жесткости.
«Пока мы не вмешиваемся в мир в целом». Флиодер кивнул на водопад. «Нам не разрешено вмешиваться в мир смертных таким образом, в дела, находящиеся за пределами нашей сферы. Дерьмо. Я знал, что мне следовало просто нарисовать карту. Глупый я.»
Флиодер потянулся к ее талии и вытащил лист бумаги. «Я уже это сделал! Я ненавижу эту рану, она заставляет меня делать такие глупости. Глупый.»
Флиодер швырнул листок бумаги. Взмахом руки огонь исчез, она перешагнула это место и заключила их в объятия.
— Удачи вам троим. Она притянула Антона к себе для короткого поцелуя. Верона и Кэл были в ярости, но Флиодер прижала губы к его уху. «Если у тебя когда-нибудь появится шанс сразить Нитроэля, обязательно скажи мне. Ты вернешь то, что она украла у меня, и сможешь делать со мной все, что захочешь. Я буду больше, чем просто твой маленький раб».
Флиодер улыбнулся и оттолкнул их. Там, где когда-то были камень и земля, теперь ничего не было. Их охватила успокаивающая тьма, Антон крепко схватил Верону и Кэла, и они упали обратно в пустоту.
