important tasks before you.'
'What do you know?' Tauran asked. 'What can you tell us?'
'As to the first question,' the elder deva replied, 'I know much. I have been here long enough to have heard most of your conversation. So there's no need to worry about formal introductions.' She winked at the other three.
Tauran grimaced. 'Forgive me,' he said. 'I have lost my manners.'
'That's all right,' Eirwyn said. 'As I observed, you have more important tasks before you.'
'Can you help us?' Kael asked. 'We need to find someone. A priest of Cy-'
Eirwyn chuckled and took Kael by the shoulders. 'Calm yourself, young one. I already told you I heard the entire conversation. I will do my best. And don't worry,' she added, dropping her voice to a whisper, 'your loyalty and devotion will do you proud. So stop berating yourself for your perceived shortcomings.'
Kael blinked and stared at the angel, obviously surprised. He said nothing, though, just nodded once.
'Now then,' Eirwyn said, growing serious and officious. 'This clever priest of yours has snuck off with our beloved Tekthyrios's body, has he? Let's just see where he has ventured off to, then, shall we? I will need a few moments. And some room to work.'
She sat down cross-legged and closed her eyes. Very softly, such that Aliisza could hardly hear her, Eirwyn began to chant. As she did so, she began to rock back and forth in a slow, steady rhythm.
The alu watched the elder deva for a moment, but then Kael tapped her on the shoulder and drew her attention to Tauran, who had walked some distance away. Kaanyr stood next to him. The angel motioned for mother and son to join them.
'Eirwyn is one of my oldest and dearest friends,' Tauran explained in a soft voice once Aliisza and Kael had joined the gathering. 'She is a mentor of sorts. She's also one of the most powerful diviners in the Court. If anyone can track down Zasian, she can.'
'Yes, but can you trust her?' Kaanyr asked. 'She is part of the Court, after all. For all you know, Micus sent her here to convince us to let down our guard. All that chanting and head-bobbing over there could just be a stalling tactic.'
'Vhok, that's the most intelligent, thoughtful idea you've contributed to this journey yet,' Tauran said. 'But in this case, there is no doubt I can trust her.' His face become somber. 'She lost everything today,' he said, his voice weary. 'She has more cause to want to see us succeed than just about anyone.'
'What do you mean?' Aliisza asked. 'Lost what?'
'She does not serve Tyr,' Tauran replied. 'She has devoted her life and her service to Helm.'
Aliisza turned to gaze at the woman, who still sat serenely chanting. 'How can she be so calm? Her god is dead!' The alu felt sorrow wash over her, but she quelled it. I can't ache for everyone who's ever suffered, she thought.
'How can she be praying?' Kael asked. 'To whom?'
'I don't think she is,' Tauran answered. 'I think she somehow sensed before this even happened that she would need certain divine magic. She's always been intuitive that way. She will sacrifice what little spiritual energy she has left to aid us, if she can.'
Aliisza looked over Kaanyr. 'Good enough for you?' she asked.
The cambion shrugged. 'If she's actually doing what she claims and provides us with what we need. Besides,' he added, grimacing, 'what choice do I really have?'
Tauran nodded. 'She will provide us with what we need,' he said.
Eirwyn emerged from her meditative chanting. She looked thoughtful. 'If this priest still travels within the flesh of Tekthyrios the storm dragon,' she said, 'then you will find him within Deepbark Hollow.'
Tauran looked at the older angel quizzically. 'The World Tree?' he asked. 'Truly?'
Eirwyn nodded. 'Yes,' she said. 'It appears your quarry is planning to depart the House of the Triad.'
CHAPTER EIGHT
Though he longed to leap into the air and strike-he imagined that impulse was a bit of the dragon's instinct bleeding into his own mind-Zasian forced himself to wait. No, his role would come soon enough.
The first sounds of combat grew louder, and soon, a horn rang through the forest. The tone was somber, urgent, and muffled. The clash of steel on steel accompanied it, and the screams of the wounded. Zasian thought he could detect the feral snarls of beasts, too, but he wasn't certain.
Only when he began to feel the first subtle thumps did the priest of Cyric know his time was at hand. He launched himself up into the sky and raced forward, scanning the land below for a sign of what he sought. Between the thick fog and the heavy canopy of trees, it was difficult to see much, but he knew he wouldn't need to pierce that veil in too fine a fashion. His quarry would be more than visible.
He spotted a small group of humans racing through the odd, twisted trees, leaping over the gnarled, angled trunks or ducking and scrambling beneath them. At first he thought they were chasing their foes, but then several dark streaks shot into view, sprinting after them. The streaks were all shadow, and lithe, like some sort of hunting cat. They made no sounds, and they closed the distance with their prey in a few bounds.
As Zasian glided past the point where the two groups became entangled he heard the screams of the humans, but he was already past the gap in the canopy and could not see the results of the conflict. Angling himself slightly to the right, he continued to search for something more suitable.
When the priest at last found what he sought, he banked around for a better look. At first, he didn't see the creature at all, but rather the route the beast was taking. The trees near where it passed shimmied and shook from its bulk. Zasian angled into a shallow dive and zipped just above the treetops where it seemed to be moving, seeking a better glimpse of it. The first time, he did not spot much, but upon circling past again, he got a much better view.
The thing stood nearly as high as the treetops themselves, and it shuffled along in huge strides on all fours. Even looking directly at it, Zasian had a hard time picking it out from the surrounding foliage, for it was made of living greenery and blended in well.
On his third pass, the beast must have sensed him, for it rose up on its hind legs and roared. The sound it made reverberated through the entire forest and shook Zasian where he flew. It lunged at him and snapped its jaws, trying to latch onto his tail, but Zasian rolled completely over to evade the thing and swung back around behind it.
The creature, still on its hind legs, looked every bit like Zasian had imagined. Its thick body supported an ovoid head with small, round ears and a stubby snout. Its forelegs ended in wide, flat paws, which themselves sported long, curved claws. For all intents and purposes, it would have been one of the most massive dire bears Zasian had ever seen, except that it was all brambles and vines and greenery.
Zasian swooped in from the rear and raked his claws at the mammoth beast, slicing through numerous strands of the plant growth along the thing's neck and back. The creature roared in fury and whirled around, but Zasian was already out of reach.
A cluster of long, javelin-like shards sliced through one of the priest's wings. They gouged a series of holes in the thin skin and passed straight through, stinging his snout. One of the barbed projectiles nearly caught him in the eye.
Zasian issued a rumble from deep within his chest at the pain, but he did not otherwise react. The injury was superficial and did not affect his flying at all. He circled around for another go at the creature. The wood elemental dire bear had dropped to all fours again and began charging through the woods after other prey.
As he closed in, Zasian lined his flight path up with the path the bear-thing was taking. He let loose with a powerful blast of lightning from his mouth. The jagged bolt of energy ploughed through the thick, gnarled plant growth all along his opponent's back. Bits of vine and earth flew in every direction, and the massive thing reared up in agony. As Zasian swooped past, another clump of spikes smacked against his flank, but they did little more than sting. The dragon's thick hide protected him from harm.
Zasian circled around for one more attack. He could see that his assault was taking its toll. The creature thrashed on the ground where he had hit it during the previous pass. It bellowed in anguish as it rolled back and
