Felix Let Loose (The Slayer Book 2)

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Shore of the Rocky Lake

The strange band of five traversed the rocky canyon, with its jagged slightly-scary looking grey stone walls, looming imposingly either side.

'A rather fitting environment don't you think?' Waltz commented at one point.

When they broke free from the canyons, they saw before them a great lake, unlike any they had seen before.

'Tell me' Sumaey voiced, 'is that normal?'

'It sure isn't' Waltz answered.

They exchanged a glance, before Waltz turned away, Sumaey looking back towards the lake.

Waltz reached into one of the bags that Graham carried, rummaging for a few moments before pulling out a small glass bottle. It was empty.

He knelt at the shore of the lake, filling the bottle with the water from the lake, before rising, hold the bottle before them and examining it.

'The water...' he said with a frown, 'it's black. The water itself is black, not just the bed of the lake, the actually water....is black...'

'There's a first for everything' Sumaey muttered.

'Spirit' Waltz said, turning to the elemental. 'Do you think you could check it out?'

'I'll see what I can do' Spirit replied, stepping forwards into the water.

The jet-black water of the lake did not faze him in the slightest, and he walked onwards, until the water reached his shoulders. Then he drew a slow breath, blinking slowly, and slipping beneath the surface, doing so very gently, and barely causing a ripple. A few moments later, the surface of the lake returned to its glass-like state.

Waltz shifted uncomfortably, scratching at his head as he quickly became restless.

Sumaey cast him a glance.

'Be calm' she told him. 'He'll be alright.'

Waltz let out a groan, frowning then. But he didn't say anything.

Silence ensued. Graham lowered his head cautiously to the water, sniffing at it, while on his other side, Loxus reached out one of his spindly mechanical legs, touching the water itself.

Sumaey and Waltz looked on silently.

'I wonder where she is...' Waltz spoke, his quiet voice seemingly to echo in the silent mountains, '...the wraith.......'

*

*

They waited in silence for the longest time, and as Waltz glanced up past the mountains, he saw the sky begin to lighten.

There was a ripple in the water, and Waltz's attention snapped back. Beside him, Sumaey unfolded her arms, her body relaxed.

A body emerged from the water, it was Spirit. He walked carefully forwards, barely disturbing the water. He stepped out of the lake, coming to stand between Waltz and Sumaey, his head bowed and staring ahead of him, eyes out of focus.

'There is nothing in there' he mumbled. 'The lake is empty.'

Loxus who had been touching the water drew a spindly leg back then, and Graham looked around, glancing towards Spirit.

'If the wraith is not in the lake...' Sumaey voiced, 'then where is she?'

*

*