The Raven and the Wraith Book 2 (Completed!)

The Raven and the Wraith 2 Chapter 6

The Raven and the Wraith 2 Chapter 6

"Ah...that's a generous offer, but it won't work. I have to...I have to keep moving." I said, catching myself before I explained too much on why we were here.

Dak narrowed his eyes until they were just slits of lavender fire.

"Understand this, child. You do not have a choice here."

I didn't like the sound of that. But instead of arguing, I just sighed and tossed my hands.

"Well crap, then."

Dak looked confused. "Crapthen?" He asked, saying it like one word.

"Yup. It's what you say when someone tells you good news." I said earnestly.

When Dak nodded I heard Kiera make a noise in the back of her throat and I knew she was choking back laughter. It made it hard not to grin.

Dak spoke briefly with the others, then motioned that it was time to go. Kiera had gathered up my knives, and when she handed them to me I could see she was brimming with questions. I shook my head and she sighed. Now was not the time for questions.

"Crapthen." She muttered, making me burst out laughing.

"The Queen will see you later. Now you should rest and prepare." Dak said.

I looked at the tree he was standing next to, seeing a small opening in it. He was waiting for us to enter it.

"Your Queen is in there?"

Dak looked quite taken aback at that. "Of course not! This is the entrance to our kingdom."

I shrugged and turned sideways so I could squeeze into the skinny crevice. The tree smelled like wildness and age and solidity. As I shuffled along sideways in the dark I started noticing shimmers of colors at the edges of my vision.

They were intriguing, a dance and weave that seemed to be full of meaning. Like a dream that held critical half-truths tied to my past, present, and future. I wanted to stop and watch them but I could hear Kiera shuffling right behind me, and behind her, the others.

Then, suddenly, the darkness fell away and I found myself in an open glen. I looked around in shock, wondering if those haunting colors had addled my brain.

The trees that surrounded us were so incomprehensibly massive that I kept seeing more and more details of them, kept getting more and more amazed as I looked around. The one nearest me would take at least a hundred full grown men to encircle if they all linked hands.

It was a dull gray, reminding me of stone more than of a living tree, and it was formed from thousands of twisting trunks tightly entwined. It rose up and just before it stretched out of sight I could see those individual trunks branching off in all directions, linking to the other trees. Like a web in the sky.

And I could see motion up there. I could see hundreds of the black-skinned creatures walking about.

"Not like a city from your realm, then?" Dak asked, seeing my stupefied expression.

I just shook my head. Kiera stepped out of the tree and looked around, her eyes popping wide.

"Great blazing buttered bat balls!" She blurted.

Dak looked at her, his brow furrowed.

"Blazing buttered bat balls?"

Kiera quickly composed her face and nodded sagely. "Of course." 

I quickly spun away so he wouldn't see my grin. Kiera was even better at this than me! Just then a younger creature came running up.

"Hi Dak. I'll take them to their rooms from here. The queen wants your report immediately."

Dak nodded and motioned for Kiera and I to follow this one, then he set off towards the center of the glen.

"Hi! My name is Dallin. What are you guys? How long have you been here?" He asked.

"My name is Rahvin and this is Kiera. We're humans. And we've been here for about 4 days now. How come you're able to speak our language?"

Dallin looked perplexed for a moment, then smiled brightly.

"You passed through the Outer Wards. Any who are permitted past those are wrapped in a piece of power that allows them to speak and understand our language. It makes it much easier for our visitors. Although we don't get many visitors..." Dallin trailed off regretfully.

I looked closer at him. He seemed like he was 16 years old, like me and Kiera. His skin wasn't as coal black as the others, but the brilliance of the purple of his eyes was far brighter than Dak or the other two with him. It was so bright it was disconcerting, making me alternately want to stare in curious wonder, or draw my blades in battle readiness.

"What's a human? We are called Cha'el. It means ancient hunter."

He was leading us over to one of the great trees as he chatted with us, and I was amazed at his easy nature. Dak was painfully formal, holding himself rigid and in complete control at all times. Dallin seemed more like a relaxed, confident human teen to me. It was a stark contrast.

"We're not from this realm." I told him.

"What!" Dallin said, spinning to face me so fast that I instinctively drew my blades.

He saw them, and I saw amused understanding flash across his eyes. He opened his mouth but at that moment two warriors came around the nearest trunk of the great tree we were standing by.

"You dare draw weapons on the prince! Drop them or die!" One snarled, as they both drew their swords.

Once again, just like with Dak, I didn't see them actually draw their swords, the blades instead just appearing in their hands. I was dumbfounded again at their speed.

"Hold!" Dallin's voice rang with command, and both warriors instantly stepped into a relaxed, but still ready stance.

So Dallin was the prince. I wondered why he was the one leading us around. It seemed like a job that would have been allocated to some low level servant back home.

"They're with me. He drew blades  because he's a true warrior, always ready, and I surprised him." Dallin explained patiently.

The two nodded respectfully to both me and Dallin, then continued on their way. Dallin grinned at me.

"Lots of fighters here for you to test your skills."

I thought about the nightmare of trying to fight Dak and shook my head. 

"Your race is faster than mine. I'm not even a challenge to your kind."

"Who challenged you to allow entrance?"

"Dak."

Dallin looked like he was trying to suppress a grin. "And how did it go?"

I scowled. "It didn't. I was thrashed."

Dallin burst out laughing. "Well, you should know that no one has beaten Dak in direct combat in over twenty years. He's so far above our best fighters that he's actually legendary. So you can't be upset for losing to him."

I opened my mouth, then closed it as what he'd said sunk in. Dak really was the Queens elite! Well no wonder I hadn't stood a chance.

"Dak said he was going to be my teacher. That's...that's not going to work. Can you help me, can you tell him to drop that idea?"

Dallin's eyes went wide.

"Dak said he would train you?"

I nodded, finding myself irritated at Dallin's breathless wonder at this. It wasn't like Dak was some mystical creature or something, he was simply a good fighter who hadn't yet run into anyone better than him.