Heir of Dust and Wind

Chapter 48 - Second Chances

Hunger.

Never before had Ava experienced the gnawing feeling of hunger so massive that it seemed to rip at her insides, the pain of which felt as if they were torn apart. She nearly stumbled at the sheer might of the sentiment, but even though she was deep inside of Ferris's mind, she felt Trygve's hands steadying her, like a rock in the turmoil that was the former spymaster's thoughts.

Once they had safely arrived back home, she had tried looking into Ferris's mind instantly for two important reasons. Firstly, she had wanted to get a glimpse at the Dracaeni's memories while they were still fresh and vivid. Secondly - and more importantly, Gainor and Raban were still out on patrol.  

Ever since her decision to take Frode's former spymaster with them, she had gotten stabs of worry that had drifted away from Trygve. He seemed concerned beyond measure, that encountering one of his former tormentors might trigger another trauma for the other male.  Ava shared that fear and therefore wanted Ferris out of sight at least before the auburn-haired Dracaeni returned from their mission. 

So, after they had left Dathal's territory without any further goodbyes, she had portaled them all directly into her laboratory. Ava could only hope that the new surroundings would be enough of a consolation for the battered Dracaeni in front of her so that he would let her into his mind.

Despite her best efforts, it had taken her several tries to gain access. 

At first, all she had been able to see was the giant wave of pitch-black shadows, rising in front of her and the smothering terror that filled the Dracaeni's mind at the sight of it.

But it wasn't simply a wave of shadows. In the impenetrable blackness, there were heads and faces, mouths and fangs in various shapes and sizes, some humanoid, some Dracaeni and some like nothing she'd ever seen before. A many-faced monster, ready and eager to devour anything and anyone that crossed its path or dare stand in its way, with countless tendrils of black smoke reaching out, like clawed tentacles.

According to Kernan, who had indeed been very forthcoming once they had left Dathal's dungeons behind, Frode's protective dome had been no match for the dark forces that had risen last night. It had cracked in spiderwebs, the way a frozen lake would, at the weight of a passing army. When it had given way, the monstrous shadow had washed over the late Alderman's lands, washing away everything in its wake, casting a black veil over the land that it passed, making it a part of the Realm of Darkness.

The Colonel had only been able to survive because he, unlike Frode or any other of his vassals, was a dragon rider. Roarke had taken him on his back, and they had risen above the dark torrent, narrowly escaping with their lives. 

They hadn't been able to reach Frode's residence in time to prevent it from falling, since Kernan's own lands within the Alderman's territory had been close to the border, and when they had arrived, nothing had been left to fight for or defend. Circling what was their former home, the two had spied a single huddled figure atop one of the mountains at the border to Dathal's lands.

Kernan had been surprised to see Ferris still alive. As one of the Dracaeni closest to the Alderman, it would have been logical to assume he had died defending his master. Since Ferris hadn't been able to answer the Colonel's questions or those of Dathal's scouts, who had found and brought them here. It remained unclear, what had happened in Frode's headquarters or how Ferris had managed to escape.

Whatever Ferris had seen, his observation was undoubtedly crucial if they wanted to stand chance at whatever Dunstan would throw at them next, so much was clear. But Ava was still at an utter loss of how she was supposed to access it. 

All of her attempts to gather anything useful from the insides of the Dracaeni's head had been futile. Whenever she had entered his mind the trauma of seeing such darkness smothered anything and if she pushed harder, all she could see, were glimpses of Ferris's past.