Valterra

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Night had fallen. The sun peaked its last goodbye over the horizon as Marcus stood overlooking Bolster from Lucinde's window; an old habit. He felt a cloak of darkness envelope him, like he had just been touched by the Great Dark. It sent a spike of adrenaline pulsating from his chest through his neck and shoulders.

     Taking a deep breath, he refocused his thoughts to Avos, and where it was he must lead him. He knew time was short and they had to get the scrolls back if Avos was ever going to be resurrected to stop the return of the Soulless. He was interrupted by the soft him of Elise's voice. She'd begun the locator spell.

     He noticed Avos studying her as she began chanting in a language the boy had probably never heard before. Yet Marcus knew the language well and could even recognise the locator enchantment that Elise had started.

She spoke in ancient Valtra, Valterra' s voice long forgotten except by those who practice magic. It was a rune song. As the song progressed her voice grew louder and she drew marks along the handle of Lucinde's hairbrush. Avos still looked confused. He did not recognize the symbol, but Marcus could identify the Water rune, Logr, and could even decipher what she was saying.

When Elise spoke:

Logr's es fella

or fjalli, foss;

Logr er vellanda

vatnok visor ketillok

glomming a grund

Marcus heard:

Water falls

forcefully from mountains

Water is a churning lake,

A wide kettle,

A land of fish.

Reddening the hair brush with the water rune evoked the primeval cosmic power of water welling up from the depths of Valterra itself. It was a way for Elise to borrow its essence and help with her intuitive powers. She sat for a moment in silence with her eyes closed.

Avos couldn't help but watch her. He was mesmerized by her ancient tongue. Marcus knew he was thinking about what it would be like to kiss her. The boy had confessed to him on their travels that he had never had the privilege. He must have let his thoughts wander to where those kisses would lead, because he suddenly became red in the cheeks and turned his gaze away.

Elise opened her eyes and reached inside her pocket. She removed a folded piece of worn leather and brought it to her lips. Its thin hide looked like it came from a doe, its edge frayed from age and use. Elise unfolded the pelt to reveal a map of Valterra in crimson ink on its inside. It was an older map but all of known Valterra was represented.

Avos pointed to a place marked The Scourge. It was the most northernly part of flat land, resting above the Northern Mountains.

"What is this place? All the maps of Valterra I've seen haven't included it. The name seems familiar but I can't place where I've heard it before."

"It used to be part of the mountains before the Shattering," Marcus answered. "During the last battle against the Dark it was obliterated when we freed Valterra from its grasp."

"Shhhh." Elise flattened the map out in front of her and placed Lucinde's brush on top of it, directly in the middle. She placed her hands on the brush and began to chant under her breath, too low to make out if it was the common tongue or not. This continued for what seemed like several minutes, until suddenly a bright light began to form underneath the brush.