Journey onto the Storm (BOOK 2)

Chapter 7

FENRER

Violet, lavender scented smoke danced across the tiny glass aqueducts in the floor of Evyriaz's shrine. Fingers interlocked against his chest, he knelt in the shadow of the Echoniic traveller. His wings stretched from wall to wall, where feathers bloomed off the edges. He placed the plate of essence gently into the small pool at his claws, where it floated to rest in his protective grip. Aspen sticks between his thumb and forefinger, he focused on the balance within each one, sparking to life in his palm to return to it. Jade mist rose from the stalks as he pressed it in the small divot around the pool, and brought his hands up to his brow to shield his eyes.

As we walk this path which you have tread many a time before — grant us the strength to press ever onward into the unknown. You, who have travelled to realms unheeded. Who have travelled; from the lands of Velteraiia and supped with the great heroes of old Haneka, to the wonders of the stars. He twitched when the twilight chimes hushed with a whisper of ice, and he pressed his hands further against his brow. Let not anything bar our path. Let us see the world, to bask in its truth. He sighed when the frost tickled the breeze. "... for I shall tread your path, and walk it for those who come after me and know no fear."

"I'll be dead by the time you're finished," a familiar complaint beat into his ears. "Only way we're going to keep the roads safe is if we... walk them." Yuven stepped beside him, hand against his hip with a scowl. "We need to talk."

Fenrer rested his forearm on his knee. "What about? Is there a complication?"

"I want a straight path with no pit stops unless necessary," Yuven said. "Come. I have a map ready and we are going to discuss our routes."

He left the room without another word, and Fenrer gazed into the grey gemstones of Evyriaz for a voiceless answer and a guiding wing for Yuven's impatience. On his feet, he left the Traveller behind to follow Yuven through the Warden Hall. "When do we leave?"

"If the weather is good, in a couple days." Yuven's lips pursed and his feathers shivered. "If I had my way, we'd leave on the morrow — but..." He clenched his fingers in the air. "Best we leave prepared after what we faced with the Summit attack. There are ripples still going throughout the lands of Dyrin. Any snoozing Derelict will not be dormant now. I'm expecting frequent crimson ribbon jobs and more reports of bodies on the side of the road drained of magick, but that's not our responsibility. Our new responsibility is to take an untrained Anima all the way to Euros and hope we don't get hounded."

"I'm assuming you say that because you're having little luck with training?" Fenrer questioned as Yuven slammed open the meeting dome, where a large map of the continent took up the entire table. Yuven tugged a wooden piece of the map to the border of Haneka and Dyrin with a scoff when he let go and glared at him from the other side of mountains, mesas, scattered plains and forests abound.

"I don't want to waste time on the road," Yuven repeated with a nod at the map and pointed at the southern side of Azahama. "We leave through there, stopping by the lodge for supplies and will give me a chance to send a letter." His finger drew a line of routes, straight through the aspen forests. "There is no guarantee we'll run into shrines if we take less used paths—"

Fenrer raised a hand. "Why wouldn't we use the main roads?"

"I was getting to that," Yuven hissed and tapped the aspen forests. "One reason, Fenrer: I don't want to be followed more than I want to take this journey with speed. We head through the Forest of a Thousand Eyes and limit ourselves to the cover of the trees for protection. We reach the Hanekan Steppe and talk there." Another prod at the map while he shifted the wooden panel, carved with the cliffs and rocks of emptiness. "Thoughts?"