Page 96 of Of Blood & Stone

Soil shifted underneath Elnok’s knees. Distrathrus staggered back, yelling at the Kreenas and Dynameis. It shook again, this time so hard Elnok collapsed, the vines wrapping around his body falling limp. Fighting the tremors and untangling himself from the vines, he managed to stand.

All color drained from his face.

“Elnok, the compass is in his pocket!” Sylzenya shouted, her hair and robes floating as if she was suspended in water, one arm planted on the ground, the other secured to the tree.

Thick vines shot up from the earth, one of them close to spearing Elnok’s foot. He stepped aside, heart pounding against his chest, streams of light swirling around the rising vines—guiding them. They struck like snakes, light flashing through the air as they grabbed the Kreenas, Dynameis, and then Distrathrus, twisting around their bodies and securing them in place.

“Sylzenya, Icommandyou to stop this at once!” Distrathrus shouted.

“Now, Elnok.”

Purpose surged through his body as he rushed for Distrathrus and rummaged through his white robes.

“You insolent little thief,” Distrathrus spat, wrestling against the vines, “Go into Lhaal Forest, and you die. My monsters will make sure of it.”

Elnok’s hand slipped over the familiar cold metal of the compass. He pulled it out, the object glowing with the piece of bark at its center.

“With her by my side? I’ll take my chances,” he replied, “but before I go…”

Elnok picked up the glowing sword from the ground and swung it high above his head.

“No!” Sylzenya screamed.

But Elnok didn’t care what Sylzenya said or felt when it came to this god. Distrathrus had manipulated her and the Esteans, using the Kreenas and acolyte’s magic to kill Elnok’s homeland. Distrathrusdeservedto die.

Elnok speared Distrathrus in that soft spot just below his rib cage, angling it up as he pushed with all his strength. He choked, spit raining down as his yellow eyes widened, but no scream came from his mouth.

“You think a god can be killed so easily?” Distrathrus sneered, a large cruel smile forming on his mouth.

No blood poured from his chest or his mouth, just wheezing breaths as his smile grew. Gulping, Elnok backed away.

“Elnok, we have to go, now!” Sylzenya shouted from the tree, “I don’t know how long my power will last!”

Distrathrus grinned. “She may be saving you now, little thief, but her power has killed countless people from your land. No matter how badly she wants to be a hero, she’ll always be your ruin.”

Elnok shouted a curse as he ripped Kharis’ sword from the god’s human body and ran for Sylzenya, the cold compass in his hand no longer pointing south, but east. Sylzenya released herself from the tree, the vines still holding everyone as she grabbed his hand and led them out of the grove.

They ran through forest, sprinted across meadows, and dashed past a lake until they made it to the large white wall. They sneaked their way around the wall guard, his patrol taking him far enough away for them to pass through unnoticed.

As they ran into the shadows of Lhaal Forest, Sylzenya stumbled to her knees, the magical glow emanating from her body blowing out like a candle at its wick’s end.

Elnok caught her as she lost consciousness, heaving her up into his arms.

The chitters and scraping sounds of the forest sent shivers up Elnok's spine as he stumbled forward. Exhaustion swept in, his body aching from being beaten and burned; he couldn't go much further. At last, he spotted a cave, carefully and quietly, he approached before laying Sylzenya down on the cracked dirt. He sat next to her, hand steady on the sword’s hilt, the other holding the compass.

The longer he sat in the darkness, the more everything that’d just transpired became real, becameheavy, like boulders stacking on his shoulders. Sylzenya’s chest rose and fell, her breaths harsh and quick. Her magic had been beyond anything he’d witnessed in his few days in Estea, so much so that Distrathrus seemed surprised as well.

Elnok’s stomach dropped.

Her cut.

Quickly, he rolled her to her side, set on tending to her back, only to find it had scabbed over. Dried blood clung to her skin—far too much of it. Yet she still breathed.

Sweat built along his neck, a new sense of disgust rising in his throat.

What if she’d depleted more resources from Druenia?

He shouldn’t be feeling this way. She didn’t know what she’d been doing all these years. She didn’t know she and her people had been making his and everyone else’s lives a fight for survival. She didn’t know Distrathrus had been using her magic to kill. Hell, she’d been consuming a poisoned wine keeping her under a god’s suggestive will.

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