Surrender (Book 1 of The Baneseeker Project)

Chapter 4 - The Master

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Argon crossed his arms and settled his back against the side of the house where he stayed with his companions. On his left, above the hills appeared the lone turquoise spike announcing how close Sij was. On his right, a long and narrow muddy path lead to the main road of Tanazu. It circled around a lake of which the water was a dark as the breath of night. Occasionally, people passed by. Just across, the two-story inn looked asleep. As stark as Tanazu was and as heavy as the shadow of Sij was, Argon had needed to step outside and take a pause.

The disagreements and the delays were becoming tiresome.

They were so close. Tanazu was their last resting place before adventuring into the world of the dead. Once they took to the road, there would be no turning back and no respite until they reached the legendary city of kings.

Argon stretched his neck and his right shoulder. The pain was sharp, as if the battle against Faaru on the bridge of Telstar had happened yesterday, not a month ago. Even with the blessings of Tyr and Mitra, it had not yet healed completely. The demon had been a challenging foe, certainly, but what worried Argon was not his injury. It was the entity that he had seen behind the demon's eyes. As Faaru lay inert on the bridge, his life seeping away, a presence had pulsed through the demon's body before abandoning it. A few days later, the same entity reappeared in the tower in Telstar, where it bound an ancient dragon to itself with unbelievable ease.

The thing had called itself Xyrius.

Argon closed his eyes. From inside the house, he felt Onthar's presence through the connection they shared as Vanguards of the Phoenix. It wasn't as vivid as it used to be, but travelling together these past few weeks had strengthened the bond. Beyond his friend, Argon felt the Phoenix, felt its fiery wings enveloping the world, its heart beating to the same rhythm as Arvelas. And there, he also felt the unease, the restlessness. Something was troubling the flaming bird.

After escaping Telstar, they had all agreed that they needed to learn more about Xyrius and that they would brave the Heart of Istagon in the hope of reaching the legendary library of King's Town. What they did not agree on was how to get there and who to bring and when to leave.

If Argon had had it his way, they would already be in King's town, possibly in the library itself. His need for haste was twofold.

First, he missed Reza and his children greatly. Two months had gone by since he received Onthar's summon and left Mount Kolt. Two months for him, but none for his family. It was such a powerful enchantment and although Argon had placed it on Kolt himself, he admitted that he knew little about it. As a minimum, he knew that the magical dome kept his family safe and allowed him to fulfill some of his Vanguard's duties without missing key moments in the development of his children. Still, he hoped to learn more about its nature in the manuscripts of the library.

Second, Theo was getting weaker every day. The Writer's mind was addled and his body weak; the price he had to pay for betraying the god of knowledge. But as much as Theo's condition endangered their quest, he was the only one of them able to find the library's entrance. They needed to get there before Theo lost his mind completely.

"And we will," had reassured Onthar. "Let's wait a few more days."

Wait for Rann, or Aria, or Andon. But none had come. How much longer could they afford to delay?

Argon pushed himself away from the wall, grimacing at the pain. As he turned toward the house, a familiar face exited the inn across the road.

He stared as the woman turned south, walking briskly, with grace and ease, as he had trained her to do. The lightness in her steps, as much as the scyme blade on her back, confirmed that his first assumption had been accurate.