letters.
As I watched, the letter began to glow, and a low note
wafted into the air.
I pulled my hand away.
Through the gate was the beginning of a road. It was narrow,
and covered with plants that grew between the cobblestones. Perhaps someone
walking by wouldn’t have noticed it, but it was a road all the same. A canopy
of trees covered it, and it looked like it had not been used for centuries.
Kara turned to me. “I need to talk to Kalle. This is
strange. I’ve seen this road in my dreams. It leads to an ancient city — a city
that was once our sister. The location of the city itself was lost in this
forest. Perhaps there is still something good there, something that has
resisted the dark lord... Perhaps the keiler will fear to enter there.”
She turned to Kalle, who had stopped just ahead of us, and
was kneeling, looking at the road.
Kalle looked more serious.
“I was sent here as a scout, to find just this city,” he
said. “I’ve searched for days, and now we stumble upon this road. I burn to see
where it leads, but I can’t endanger you, princess, nor the book that you
carry. Your safe return and the safe return of the book are too important.”
Kara looked frustrated for a moment. Then she sighed.
“Are you loyal to the memory of my father, Kalle?”
Kalle nodded.
“Of course. I swore allegiance to him. You saw me, princess.
You were but a little girl at the time, though, and perhaps you don’t
remember.”
“I remember it well. And you swore allegiance to his
bloodline, did you not?”
Kalle nodded. “Of course I did.”
“Then, as his daughter, I order you to take us to this city.
Perhaps it will offer us safe haven, even if not for long.”
Kalle’s face had turned red. “You give me no choice but to
do what I wanted to do anyway. I should be grateful...” He trailed off.
“But?” I asked.
“Kara, I fear this city,” he said finally.
“The unknown is always feared,” Kara replied.
“Not without reason.”
They stood there for a moment. Not far off in the distance,
I heard another high pitched squeal.
Ugh. I hated the noise, I hated the smell of those
creatures. And yet they seemed to honor me. The hair stood up on my neck again.
“Kalle, we can’t wait any longer,” I said. “Let’s follow
this path, and quickly, to wherever it will take us.”
Kalle nodded, and we ran.
If I figured it would be easier, running on the rock, I was
wrong. Perhaps it would have been, centuries ago, but now, though the rock was
unbroken, there were obstacles all along its path — strange plants that grew
over and onto it.
But I felt energy underneath them, good energy, and looking
at the plants, strange as they were, I think they meant us no harm.
Suddenly we stopped. Kara had fallen, and looked disgusted
with herself. Kalle pointed to the road, and smiled.
Look at the path with your third eye, and ignore all
else. Tremendous energy still flows here.
Kara looked doubtful. You think we can surf on it? After
all these centuries?
Kalle nodded. He turned to me.
“We’ll use the path as the ancients intended. They ran
chariots without horses above and through the energy field, but sometimes they
even rode it directly. It’s supposed to be simple. You just need to see the
field, and then you enter it. We should be like boats on a strong current.”
There was another squeal, nearby, just behind us.
I cringed. I’d do anything to get away from that noise and
what came with it.
Kara scowled. “Let’s find it quick then, or more blood will
be shed. And I’m afraid this time it will be ours.”
With my third eye I saw a platform, to the side of the road,
patchy in spots, but mostly a solid emerald green. And on top of this platform,
was a golden stream of energy. Flowing ahead of us at great speed.
“I think we climb up this platform,” I said, eager to get
out of there.
I took a step onto it, felt something, but my foot went down
and hit the road. There was another
As I watched, the letter began to glow, and a low note
wafted into the air.
I pulled my hand away.
Through the gate was the beginning of a road. It was narrow,
and covered with plants that grew between the cobblestones. Perhaps someone
walking by wouldn’t have noticed it, but it was a road all the same. A canopy
of trees covered it, and it looked like it had not been used for centuries.
Kara turned to me. “I need to talk to Kalle. This is
strange. I’ve seen this road in my dreams. It leads to an ancient city — a city
that was once our sister. The location of the city itself was lost in this
forest. Perhaps there is still something good there, something that has
resisted the dark lord... Perhaps the keiler will fear to enter there.”
She turned to Kalle, who had stopped just ahead of us, and
was kneeling, looking at the road.
Kalle looked more serious.
“I was sent here as a scout, to find just this city,” he
said. “I’ve searched for days, and now we stumble upon this road. I burn to see
where it leads, but I can’t endanger you, princess, nor the book that you
carry. Your safe return and the safe return of the book are too important.”
Kara looked frustrated for a moment. Then she sighed.
“Are you loyal to the memory of my father, Kalle?”
Kalle nodded.
“Of course. I swore allegiance to him. You saw me, princess.
You were but a little girl at the time, though, and perhaps you don’t
remember.”
“I remember it well. And you swore allegiance to his
bloodline, did you not?”
Kalle nodded. “Of course I did.”
“Then, as his daughter, I order you to take us to this city.
Perhaps it will offer us safe haven, even if not for long.”
Kalle’s face had turned red. “You give me no choice but to
do what I wanted to do anyway. I should be grateful...” He trailed off.
“But?” I asked.
“Kara, I fear this city,” he said finally.
“The unknown is always feared,” Kara replied.
“Not without reason.”
They stood there for a moment. Not far off in the distance,
I heard another high pitched squeal.
Ugh. I hated the noise, I hated the smell of those
creatures. And yet they seemed to honor me. The hair stood up on my neck again.
“Kalle, we can’t wait any longer,” I said. “Let’s follow
this path, and quickly, to wherever it will take us.”
Kalle nodded, and we ran.
If I figured it would be easier, running on the rock, I was
wrong. Perhaps it would have been, centuries ago, but now, though the rock was
unbroken, there were obstacles all along its path — strange plants that grew
over and onto it.
But I felt energy underneath them, good energy, and looking
at the plants, strange as they were, I think they meant us no harm.
Suddenly we stopped. Kara had fallen, and looked disgusted
with herself. Kalle pointed to the road, and smiled.
Look at the path with your third eye, and ignore all
else. Tremendous energy still flows here.
Kara looked doubtful. You think we can surf on it? After
all these centuries?
Kalle nodded. He turned to me.
“We’ll use the path as the ancients intended. They ran
chariots without horses above and through the energy field, but sometimes they
even rode it directly. It’s supposed to be simple. You just need to see the
field, and then you enter it. We should be like boats on a strong current.”
There was another squeal, nearby, just behind us.
I cringed. I’d do anything to get away from that noise and
what came with it.
Kara scowled. “Let’s find it quick then, or more blood will
be shed. And I’m afraid this time it will be ours.”
With my third eye I saw a platform, to the side of the road,
patchy in spots, but mostly a solid emerald green. And on top of this platform,
was a golden stream of energy. Flowing ahead of us at great speed.
“I think we climb up this platform,” I said, eager to get
out of there.
I took a step onto it, felt something, but my foot went down
and hit the road. There was another
Similar Books
