Page 21 of Skalterra By Nightmare
“Of course. I spent the last several years in Cape Fireld. She and Tiernan were in charge of keeping Fana and her family safe there.” She nodded at Tiernan’s leather-armored back as he sank into the forest ahead. “The other two Divine Families are gone, along with the rest of Fana’s family. Since Fana’s the last living Divine Sovereign, Caitria was sort of the unofficial leader for all of us.”
“Even though Galahad’s the oldest?”
The silver glow of Galahad’s magick had nearly disappeared between the tree trunks ahead, but glimpses of it continued to flit in and out of sight.
“Galahad’s a Lyrian!” Orla snorted. She pulled her goggles down over her eyes and lit a green flame in her hand to stave off the growing dark. “He’s a talented Magician, but the last Tulyr died ages ago, so he hasn’t been officially employed in decades.”
“I thought you were all in charge of Fana.” The rapidly sinking sun set my nerves on edge, and I reminded myself that this place wasn’t real. The dark woods couldn’t hurt me. There was no danger lurking in the trees. Not anything that wasn’t just my imagination, anyway.
“Yes,” Orla said slowly, “but only by default. There were three Divine Families sworn to keep the Frozen God locked away, and each family had an Order of Riftkeepers to guard them and their children. Galahad was in the order assigned to the Tulyrs.”
“And you and Ferrin?” I asked. If I kept asking questions, maybe I would find the limit to my imagination and definitively prove that this was all in my head. Orla lit up again.
“We are the last two members of the order assigned to protect the Quills. My mother was a Riftkeeper before me, but she died protecting the last one before I joined the guard, so really, it’s only Fana that I’ve been protecting. Do you think the others are far enough ahead yet?”
She adjusted her goggles, and mimicked the motion Ferrin had made to create her own sword of blazing green out of the fire in her hand. She arced the blade through air with a test swing, and it hissed and sizzled. The gravel of the riverbank crunched under her shin-high boots as she strode forward.
Meanwhile, I took a step back.
“Just-Wren?” The green light of Orla’s sword glittered off the rim of her round goggles.
“I don’t have to follow you,” I said quietly. “If you’re not real—”
“But what if we are?” she asked. “I understand why you think we’re not, but have you considered what it means if you’re wrong?”
“If you’re real, then I’m screwed,” I laughed. “And so are you, because I can’t help you protect Fana.”
A strong breeze rolled in over the river, ruffling Orla’s cloak and making the trees behind her shift and bow.
“Is that why you’ve opted to believe us to be a dream? Because it’s less frightening?”
I didn’t have an answer, and I hugged myself around my leather armor as the breeze twisted through my blue hair.
Orla’s sly smile glowed green in the light of her sword, and she pivoted on her heel to continue towards the shadows of the trees.
“Quick question.” I chased after the safety of Orla’s green light, realizing I didn’t want to be left behind in the dark. “Where is it we’re going, and how long will we be in the woods?”
“Trawler’s Bay!” she chirped. “It’s a cute port city. I think. I’ve not actually been there before. But there’s a steamcart station that will take us north towards the Second Sentinel. It won’t go the whole way, though.”
“A steamcart?” I looked up as dark tree cover swallowed the star-spotted sky. I’d been okay with the trees in the daylight, but now it felt too much like graduation night.
It’s not real, I reminded myself.Linsey isn’t here.
I balled my fingers into fists.
“Right! I forgot! You probably don’t have steamcarts in Keldori.” Orla gnawed on her lip, thinking hard. “It’s like a bunch of carriages strung together, but instead of being pulled by horses like you’re used to, steamed Skal powers the cart at the front. That cart pulls the rest of the carts along a track from one destination to another. It’s very advanced technology. You’re going to love it.”
“Like a train?” I asked.
“I suppose you could describe it that way!” She brightened. “Because the carts all train behind each other! You’re catching on quick.”
Even if Orla wasn’t real, I didn’t have the heart to explain to her that trains were very old news to me. Nor did we still rely on horses as our main mode for transportation.
“I’m assuming it’s been a while since anyone from here has been to—what did you call it?” I asked.
“Keldori? Your home? Not since the Rift, no. And that was centuries ago.” She sighed wistfully. “I’d love to go someday. I bet it’s so quaint, with your useless cats.”
“Can’t Galahad make a Nightmare on the Keldori side of things and then stick your consciousness in it from here?” I asked. I chanced a glance back the way we’d come, but the night had already swallowed the trees there.
