He kept walking, listening to the sound of running water somewhere nearby. Xandrix mentioned a river earlier in their journey. That was what they followed instead of taking roads or anything normal. Roth was too much of a liability to go near anything populated. He’d already set fire to several things
and summoned something that probably still had no classification. Demon? Devil? Something else? Jaysen was not sure, but the creature smelled awful and attacked everything. Xandrix killed it before it could kill Jaysen. The sound of the water was soothing even as it picked up speed. He continued his steps, even when Tanis fell behind and whined at him. He clamored over a few rocks and fallen logs, listening to the rush of the river beneath him. They were above it, on a cliff, perhaps. It was not terribly high up as he felt the spray of the rapids beneath him on his face. He shut his eyes and listened, gasping when he felt something grab his arm and tug.
“Careful, Moppet,” Roth whispered, holding Jaysen close to his chest. “You’ll take a nasty tumble if you go any further. Then where would I be? You’re all I have. And Phier. You and Phier. And Evie. You and Phier and Evie.”
Jaysen stopped himself from wilting, his heart slamming against his chest. Roth was the only being in all of creation that Jaysen could not hear. It was as if he were a spectre roaming the land. It was not generally a problem as the blasted man never shut up. However, when he was silent…
Jaysen made a vexed noise just as something crunched from above him. Roth was very tall from what Jaysen could gather which was saying something. He was tall himself, for a tywyll, equal in height to Xandrix yet he only stood at chest height to Roth. The Corrupted Speaker still held him lightly, arm draped over Jaysen’s shoulder almost protectively. If Jaysen didn’t know better, he might actually believe Roth cared what happened to him.
“Would you like some?” Roth asked in tones that lilted with insanity once more, shoving something that smelled of blood and dirt into Jaysen’s face.
“Ugh, what is that?” Jaysen replied, pushing Roth’s hand away.
“I’m not sure, but it has a delightful crunch and zing when I bite into it. You’re not sleeping.”
“Neither are you,” Jaysen grumbled, slipping away from Roth’s grasp toward Tanis once more. Roth followed.
“I don’t generally,” Roth answered, making one last crunch before tossing the rest of whatever he’d found to eat into the verdure around them. Jaysen heard it land, then felt Roth appear at his shoulder and flinched. “The things I see when I close my eyes bother me. I can’t tell if they’re real. Are they real, Moppet?”
“No,” Jaysen answered flatly.
“Oh good, I would hate it if they were. So terrifying. Tiny flying little beasties that torment me so with their colorful little wings and tickling ways.”
Jaysen paused, aware that Roth continued to move forward only because he growled at something ahead of them. The description of these terrifying things made Jaysen frown in thought. “Butterflies?”
“WHERE?” Roth shouted, running back to Jaysen’s side to hold the young olve close. “I’ll protect you! Where are they?!”
“Get off!” Jaysen growled, shoving at Roth.
“How should I know? I can’t see.”
“Of course you can, your eyes are right there,” Roth said. Jaysen said nothing, fighting the need to send a bolt of lightning in Roth’s general direction. Instead, he continued on back toward the direction of the camp. “I think we’re safe now!”
Jaysen ignored him, tripping once before reaching his bed roll. He plopped down onto the soft blankets and sat with arms folded, even ignoring a curious push from Tanis.
“Well,” Xandrix said directly across from Jaysen. “If we’re all going to be up, might as well continue moving.”
“On the road again!” Roth hollered. He’d made up the little tune and sang it horribly the second they left the manse in Joricho City. Jaysen only groaned, pulling his pillow over his head and wishing someone would be merciful enough to send him to meet his maker.
***
Kaleo stared up at the sky along the shore of Nopales. Mama tried to give him more coin, but Kaleo refused it. He would not take handouts. He still found two new coin purses in his bag when he purchased travel from Grolly to Nopales. It was the cheapest destination in Mahala and still took a large chunk of the money he had. The shore was comforting, reminding him of Paladia. He found a small cove where Fionn could join him. The giant beast fished. Kaleo’s leg hurt, burning and throbbing in time with his heartbeat. He winced, flexing his toes inside his boot with little effect. Despite the pain in his leg, his thoughts were on Jaysen or Aeron. Knowing where the other boy was and the danger he was in or worrying over Jaysen’s rather ominous warnings did not set well with the young amatti. He winced again, however, bringing his knee up to his chest.
You are not well, little one.
“I’m fine, Fionn,” he lied. “Who hunts in the dream world?”
Many things hunt Yira’s Realm. Why?
“Something Jaysen said. He warned me to stay away from the Fields and the Sea of Stars. Said ‘they’ were hunting but he wouldn’t say what or who ‘they’ were.”
Difficult to say. There are dangers in the dream world that are unmatched in any other Realm.
“Fun,” Kaleo sighed. He groaned, rolling on his side hoping the new position might ease some of the pain he felt in his leg. It only made the pain worse. So much for a healed wound.
Kaleo…
“I’m fine,” he insisted. “Just tired. Worried. Hungry.”
You can help fish instead of lying there. I’m not a cat.
Kaleo laughed, sitting up and scooting over
to the cool water. The salt made the wound on his leg burn more but he hid it by splashing
