The path was narrowing as they walked upon it, the shadows stretching out beneath the branches of twisted trees. The company was generally silent, their only sounds being the scrape of boots against dry earth and the snap of twigs now and again underfoot. Luther didn’t resent the silence. It gave him a chance to think—or at least to think upon just how poorly this whole trip had gone.
What he was opposed to were the glances. Again and again, Aithur and Liliana cast sly glances toward his naked ear where the crystal ought to be. Luther resisted the urge to snap. He could hear their unspoken questions more clearly than their footsteps.
"Yes," he muttered under his breath, "the ear is still naked, congratulations for noticing."
No one answered, though the brow of Liliana furrowed as if she’d overheard him. Aithur’s took the longest, skepticism and piercing, but Luther dodged it, whistling for naught as if innocence itself was a shield he could use.
They walked across a wide creek that glinted strangely in the poor light, its water ink-black but flowing smoothly, showing none of the rot that seeped through this ground. Finally, the trail ended at the summit of a steep cliff.
The three stopped. The view below took even Luther’s breath for a moment.
An endless forest lay before them, a blackened expanse of twisted trees. But in its heart, something different—a oasis. Towering above were green trees, their height so great that it could be said almost that they matched the cliff itself, golden with pale light. A ring of spring surrounded the grove, shining like liquid silver.
"There," Luther gestured, pointing toward the gleaming grove. "That’s Spring Eley, the center of Envelon."
He was done. Time to leave with honor before fate decided to munch him up again. He turned to leave, brushing his pants. "Well, this has been fun—by which I mean a nightmare—but I’ve got you exactly where you wanted. My bargain’s fulfilled. You’re welcome. I’ll show myself out."
He didn’t get far. A firm grip clamped around his waist, hoisting him up like a stray cat. "You’re not getting away that easily," Aithur said with a thin smile.
"Put me down!" Luther yelped, flailing. "This isn’t part of the deal!"
Ignoring him, Aithur carried him effortlessly as he and Liliana ran straight for the cliff’s edge.
Too late. They jumped.
The wind roared in Luther’s ears as his stomach constricted. His scream tore from him, the sound ringing loudly enough to send a flight of birds scattering into the air. He saw the wall of the cliff hurtling by, the ground rushing up far too quickly for safety.
But first, they could splat like fancy paint, Aithur muttered an incantation. They were wrapped in a warm, golden light—his float spell. They descended slowly, without weight, to sit softly on the shores of the silver spring. Aithur, as usual elegant, even set Liliana down like a princess.
Luther? He was dumped unceremoniously on the ground.
"Graceful, my foot," Luther growled, rolling over onto his back. "Next time just finish me off properly."
"Noted," Aithur said matter-of-factly, shaking out his cloak.
Luther glared at him. "Just to set the record straight, my job was to bring you here. Not to join up for your suicide campaign."
Liliana dismissed their fight, pushing her hair out of her eyes. She looked at the spring with a still wonder. The air vibrated with unbridled energy, and it smelled like flowers pushing through the ground after rain. Magic was on every drop, and even to breathe in here was a weight, as if the location required respect.
Luther noticed how both Aithur and Liliana stumbled a little, knees weakening under the sheer force of it.
"See? I told you," Luther said, crossing his arms. "This isn’t exactly a walk in the park."
They gazed at him hopefully, as if he were their magnetic north once more. Luther let out a sigh, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Alright. Straight through the trees." He gestured with a thumb toward the glinting grove. "That’s where your glittering loot is waiting for you. Grab it quick, then we’re gone. I don’t care what marvels are supposed to happen here—I’d much rather not end up fertilizer for the trees."
Aithur sneered. "What’s wrong? Afraid of a monster?"
"Oh, yes," Luther shot back at once. "Terrified, as a matter of fact. Maybe because the previous monster had nearly turned you two into roasting dinner, and I well remember that snake running away—not dying. Ring any bells?"
Aithur’s expression hardened to a hard mask. His sarcastic riposte never happened.
Liliana’s mouth twisted upwards in a fleeting smirk before she schooled her face into a straight line. She was silent, drawing out her sword, metal glinting faintly in the light of the spring. She crept low, poised to leap across the glittering waters to the grove.
"Return here," Aithur ordered Luther, and Luther nodded obediently.
Happily, Luther said. "I’ll just stay right here and try not to die while you two fight radioactive trees or whatever."
In reality, he had already planned escape routes. With them gone, he might actually get away. They’d make it out—he was positive of it. But him? The story had already set his role as dead weight and he was not particularly anxious to play that out.
Liliana leaped first, as gracefully as always. Aithur leaped a heartbeat behind her, casting a tiny hover spell in mid-leap to catch them. Luther gave them a mock-salute. "Break a leg!" he yelled after them.
Then the world erupted.
There was a blast that rattled the forest, so loud it shook Luther’s backbone. Twigs snapped like brittle sticks. Out of the air, a huge tree branch—wider than a house—came hurtling straight at them.
"Duck!" Liliana shrieked.
Aithur responded in a split second, creating a glittering shield above him. The branch struck against it with a thunderous boom, sending both him and Liliana stumbling backward onto the ground.
The spring churned furiously, its surface shattering with light. A growling roar succeeded it, more furious, nearer.
Luther facepalmed. "Why. Is it. Always monsters."
The creaking of trees falling in the distance grew louder, like giants trampling across the forest. The ground trembled beneath their feet. Then the shrieking whistle—keenly high, quick.
Luther’s eyes opened wide. He’d read this bit.
"Barrier! NOW!" he bellowed, dashing after them.
Aithur did not linger this time. The shield flared again, golden light bending around them. Content originally comes from NoveI★Fire.net
A shadow descended upon them.
The rock was improbably massive, half as broad as a mountain. It fell crashing out of the heavens with the fury of the heavens themselves.
Luther cursed under his breath loud enough to make any sailor blush.
The shock shook the entire grove.