Culmination: 7 and the Book of Daniel

3.3

It was just before day break when Gluttony woke EV with a nudge. "We can't find Dan," he said. "Pride wants us to spread out and look for him." EV runs the palm of his hand down his face as he nods. Gluttony then disappears again as if going to search.

EV hops down and looks back towards camp. Where in the world would he have gone, he wonders. He departs in a different direction from Gluttony. It was still dark out but he could see well enough to travel. The soil beneath his feet was lit. It was almost like the glistening in sand yet it was a constant light and not just a reflection. It was as if there might be tiny holes in the ground and some subsurface light was shining through. Sometimes it seemed like the light was just below the surface and could be uncovered. It wasn't bright enough to emit a glow but just enough to show where the soil stopped and the marsh began.

The trail winded through the marsh and would disappear after bending around groups of Jaaku. Gleams of light fell sporadically around the trail as Nemuru's bright light broke through parts of the tree top canopy. "So what's the story with Dan," EV asks.

Envious means to say Wrathful, says the raspy voice.

"Wrathful," EV asks, stopping to look back. "You call Pride, Prideful--so Wrath then? Why didn't you say something before? Why does everything have to be so complicated with you?"

And to what end would Envious have used it?

"We wouldn't have had to figure out a name for him if we knew his already."

So Envious have declared that he knew the name? How curious the others would have been.

"I guess that might have been odd," EV says, continuing down the path.

Yes. Envious shouldn't be worried about such things now. Envious should be more concerned with rifters that could be lurking out and about.

"Why do you always say stuff like that? Don't you know whether there are or not? So am I in danger out here?"

There is always danger Envious. It is better to be cautious than reckless.

EV crouches as he rounds a curve in the trail. The dark disperses from the open sky. EV creeps up to the edge of Nemuru's glow, looking out at the clear cut marsh. Something seemed to have cut down a great many Jaaku. The decreased number of Jaaku wasn't as much of a concern as it was the timing of their removal. This was the trail they had traveled the day before and these trees where still standing then. Something had cut them down in the night and not very far away from where EV was sleeping.

EV focuses as if trying to force his gaze to penetrate further across the expanse of fallen trees. He's leaned forward, his face inches away from the wall of light cast down by Nemuru. The horizon has become varying shades of orange as Sameru announces it is soon to arrive. There's a commotion across the way. Someone talking--no, someone yelling. EV then gets pulled back, his voice muffled by a large hand cupped over his mouth. His struggle is futile in the grasp that has him bound.

"Quiet," says a low voice.

After a moment, EV nods and the pressure is released from the grasp. EV collapses to his hands and knees and then rolls over to peer back at his captor. He was both shocked and relieved. "Wr--Dan," he asked. Dan turned a suspicious gaze over to him and EV retreated further inside himself. "Dan," he whispered. "What are you doing?"

Dan doesn't respond for what seems like an eternity. He just looks back out across the clearing. "Trying to figure out what we're up against. There's something following us."