The Hunter's Song II: Lost Blood

Ch 26: Blessed Garden (Mourning Crow)

"Welcome home, Mourning Crow," a tall hooded figure holding an ornate purple claymore upright by the hilt stood in the center of the black swamp. The decomposing ruins of Thorngate loomed behind him.

The portal that carried me to the opposite side of the planet had vanished as quickly as it had opened and judging by the maelstrom manifested by the crackling ring of lightning spinning in the sky, Groon's Joyful Tyrant and his fleet of interceptors had no chance of approaching to offer aid or cover fire.

I was alone with dead comms in the exact location Bold Step wanted me, but I refused to let another member of Jahaa die today.

"Behold!" The lonesome shrouded sentinel speaking with Bold Step's voice sang out. "The Blessed Garden flourishes. All thanks to your thousand years of blessed contributions."

Well, Groon's science division will be pleased to confirm their theory about this planet. Now, if only I could get through to them on the comms.

A vast glowing red sigil stretched out across the swamp, running in long jagged grooves beneath the murky water and over the broken building chunks, half sunken in the black mud.

It was the same one that appeared after I killed the Graven in their final gathering at the end of the ritual.

"Yeah, yeah," I had a harsh landing through the portal but managed to find my footing on outcropping toadstools and made sure, first thing to confirm the necklace gifted by my mates was still in place and that my anti-Graven hand blaster was primed and locked on target. "It's just one big happy pathetic reunion."

The foggy swamp was identical to how it was on the day I defeated Red Spider, which wasn't how I left it. I had to rely on my senses. The figure and this place resonated differently than how my eyes perceived it.

I'll need to conserve my power cells... every shot must string.

"Dissent all you like, vessel," the figure intoned. "Glory does not hinge on your gratitude. You may have delayed your obligation, but the Graven have never released you. Today you will fulfill -"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," I flailed my hands in the air, unable to listen to this shithead anymore. "Yeah, I get it. You rehearsed a long-ass speech and set this whole shindig in motion."

"Spread the word, everyone!" I shouted. "This guy's a hot-shit extreme party planner! I'm sure the Graven are soo fucking proud!"

Then I charged and let my chain sickle fly.

The hood figure melted the second my hooked blade made contact and was replaced by a dozen giant black tentacles emerging from the water.

I pounced away, only to spot more thin tendrils snaking across the water's surface.

Bold Step wasn't as injured as he let on when he retreated down the mountain.

"Run all you like," Bold Step's voice bubbled from the fetid mud. "There's no avoiding destiny."

"I'm not going anywhere!" I landed on a mushy red vine and then zigzagged to stay beyond Bold Step's grasp.

"Ow!"

Something nipped my toes.

Tiny fanged mouths were snapping from the tops of the red toadstools.

Was there a Graven nearby?

If there was, I couldn't feel the telltale crawly sensation on my neck.

Bold Step's tentacles converged and tried to funnel me toward a large waterlogged sinkhole.

I circumvented the successive lashes only to land on a dead tree and discovered it was also composed of the Slayer's appendages.

Shit!