Out of Evenfall (BOOK 1)

Chapter 24

FENRER

Wind skittered across the leaves of the bough as he paced a small circle on their hillside which gave them a view of the town, the castle, and the expansive forest around them. Yuven had his back to him, arms folded with a scoff. Fenrer brushed by the trees, pulling on the magick within their roots to soothe the tempest of the choice Yuven had made. Fenrer stopped at the slope, then shook his head before going back on his circuit.

"Pacing will not change my mind," Yuven growled in his melodic accent.

"I—" Fenrer held out a hand to steady his breathing. "Maybe there's another way, Yuv. We still can't..." He grappled the air before tossing his fist against his side. "Ancients forfend..." He continued to pull at the magick within the trees, where creatures skittered within the heart of the trunk, and along the ground of his path. Birds whisked into the air from the highest branches, but it gave him no comfort to hear the life of the forest.

"Yes, because they'll change my mind if you pray to them enough," Yuven grunted.

Fenrer stopped with a sigh. "Is evacuation not an option?"

"Maybe if we had more Storm Wardens, Molvisaliz, and a safe place to take all those people — but that is the thing." Yuven dropped his arms to his sides as he stepped onto his circuit. "We do not. It's just us and an old Warden — which, by the way, we need to get over there. You are the one who knows where they live." He prodded Fenrer's chest. "We should head over there and get out."

Fenrer sucked in his lips as Yuven headed away from him. He faced the town and the castle again. Firelight rose from every window and corner of the town for the incoming night.

"I know you do not like this, Fenrer," Yuven said between the sounds of crickets among the grass stalks. "That is why it is my choice to bear. Not yours." Fenrer jumped when Yuven stomped back to his side. "So, don't go praying for the Ancient's forgiveness when you're not the one making that decision. You're not to blame for what they've done to themselves." His feathers shuddered with the wind as Yuven nudged him. "So, point me in the direction of the Storm Warden and Anima."

Firelight sent shadows across the grass. Pray for forgiveness? It is my responsibility as a Storm Warden to stop this... but fifty turns passed have made that difficult. Auras danced in the air as he allowed them to pour into his view. From bubbling yellows, and sinister red's which pulsed from the bowels of the castle hill. "Is a cleansing march the best option?"

"It's the only option, Fenrer. If nothing else, the crystal should have enough power left to stave off any corruption."

Fenrer closed his eyes and his auric sight from the myriad of colours doomed to fade. Seek the sea of twilight, where the northern winds meet the southern seas. Where evenfall spreads across the sky, an eternal shield to the void above on her fiery starlit wings. I must forgive myself, for the world is not light, and not dark. It is the grey of a storm, and we must push on. Fenrer tilted his head to the red clouds of dusk. Drops of rain slipped down his cheeks. "Okay." Fenrer headed for Yuven, then pointed in the other direction. "Do you see those craggy hills?"

"Bit of a jaunt, but yes."

Fenrer rested his hand on Yuven's shoulder, then pointed to the forest resting between them and the crags. "In that forest are ruins. The Storm Warden is taking shelter in a log cabin. I think he hoped to mask his presence using it." He took his hand off Yuven's shoulder, who considered his directions.

"I see. We head for them, and take them to the fortress of Lyzetiel," Yuven explained. "We'll start a reconnection with Azahama's gate from where we landed and set up some wards." He smacked his hand into his fist and took out his notebook. "We can also search through the archives there and retrieve the names we could not last time."