alive right now.”
The sight of the man still boiled Kaanyr’s blood, but he saw the wisdom in his consort’s words.
“So save your vengeance for when the rest of us are safely somewhere else,” Aliisza said.
Kaanyr sighed. “So be it,” he said, making up his mind to see the whole thing through. “If what you say is true, then all we need to do is get Tauran awake and on his feet. Once he is recovered, we resolve this.” He glared at Zasian. “I don’t trust you. Whatever games you play, I will be watching you.” He turned and strode away, slamming his blade back in its sheath.
Garin surveyed the woods from his perch upon a branch high above the forest floor. He listened for the sound of upheaval, but for the moment, all was quiet.
He grew tense with expectation.
Smoke wafted through the trees below him, thick black stuff that stung the angel’s eyes and made it difficult to see more than a few paces. Much of it came from the remains of the trees that had already burned, guttering embers that lay strewn all along the coarse, loamy ground. Some, however, spewed from the odd chasms and fumaroles that kept splitting the earth.
Below Garin, several hound archons waited, watching. They sniffed and coughed occasionally, but they were dedicated to their duties and would not leave their posts. One turned in his direction and gave an all-clear signal. The angel
acknowledged the gesture then swung his gaze out across the treetops in search of other devas. He spied a few, watching as he did from the crowns of their own trees. Their expressions were every bit as wary and dire as his.
This cannot go on much longer, Garin thought. Tyr must regain some control over the region soon.
A howl came from nearby, a haunting sound nothing like the call of one of his faithful archon servants. Garin whipped his head and stared through the smoke, trying to spot the source. Below him, the hound archons stirred, raising their weapons.
Something came crashing through the trees, stampeding along the forest floor. Garin could feel it vibrating all the way up to where he sat.
“Get ready,” he called down. “Hold the line.”
The archons directly below him shifted, setting themselves.
The trees on the periphery of Garin’s vision shook and thrashed in a course directly toward him. As the thing drew nearer, he got a better look at it.
What he spied made him catch his breath.
A huge beat made of plants and vines burst through the foliage and charged the hound archons. It was not the largest specimen Garin had ever seennot nearly as massive as the one he and Micus had found slain near that spot when they had been pursuing Tauran and the half-fiendsbut the grotesque way the backlash of magic had warped the creature made the angel cringe.
Madness, Garin thought. Magic has fallen into madness, and it’s taking the whole plane with it.
The angel spied several eladrin caught up in the growth
that formed the creature’s body. They appeared as a jumbled mess, with arms, legs, and heads poking out at random directions. They weren’t merely entangled with the creature. They had somehow been fused with it. Garin could see vines piercing the chests, thighs, and even mouths of the hapless eladrin. When he did spy a face, the expression of horror and misery made his heart weep for them.
The nearest hound archons exchanged nervous glances as the warped beast rushed closer. One or two took a step backward.
“Steady,” Garin commanded. “It’s almost caught.”
When the creature got within ten paces of the closest of the hound warriors, the trap sprang.
Concealed netting ripped up off the floor of the forest. It engulfed the creature, wrapping it and confining it. The net closed tight, hoisting the beast up off the forest floor and sending it swinging lazily back and forth between the stout trees.
Garin sighed as the beast howled and thrashed. Thank Tyr it’s just a small one, the angel thought.
He leaped from his perch
The sight of the man still boiled Kaanyr’s blood, but he saw the wisdom in his consort’s words.
“So save your vengeance for when the rest of us are safely somewhere else,” Aliisza said.
Kaanyr sighed. “So be it,” he said, making up his mind to see the whole thing through. “If what you say is true, then all we need to do is get Tauran awake and on his feet. Once he is recovered, we resolve this.” He glared at Zasian. “I don’t trust you. Whatever games you play, I will be watching you.” He turned and strode away, slamming his blade back in its sheath.
Garin surveyed the woods from his perch upon a branch high above the forest floor. He listened for the sound of upheaval, but for the moment, all was quiet.
He grew tense with expectation.
Smoke wafted through the trees below him, thick black stuff that stung the angel’s eyes and made it difficult to see more than a few paces. Much of it came from the remains of the trees that had already burned, guttering embers that lay strewn all along the coarse, loamy ground. Some, however, spewed from the odd chasms and fumaroles that kept splitting the earth.
Below Garin, several hound archons waited, watching. They sniffed and coughed occasionally, but they were dedicated to their duties and would not leave their posts. One turned in his direction and gave an all-clear signal. The angel
acknowledged the gesture then swung his gaze out across the treetops in search of other devas. He spied a few, watching as he did from the crowns of their own trees. Their expressions were every bit as wary and dire as his.
This cannot go on much longer, Garin thought. Tyr must regain some control over the region soon.
A howl came from nearby, a haunting sound nothing like the call of one of his faithful archon servants. Garin whipped his head and stared through the smoke, trying to spot the source. Below him, the hound archons stirred, raising their weapons.
Something came crashing through the trees, stampeding along the forest floor. Garin could feel it vibrating all the way up to where he sat.
“Get ready,” he called down. “Hold the line.”
The archons directly below him shifted, setting themselves.
The trees on the periphery of Garin’s vision shook and thrashed in a course directly toward him. As the thing drew nearer, he got a better look at it.
What he spied made him catch his breath.
A huge beat made of plants and vines burst through the foliage and charged the hound archons. It was not the largest specimen Garin had ever seennot nearly as massive as the one he and Micus had found slain near that spot when they had been pursuing Tauran and the half-fiendsbut the grotesque way the backlash of magic had warped the creature made the angel cringe.
Madness, Garin thought. Magic has fallen into madness, and it’s taking the whole plane with it.
The angel spied several eladrin caught up in the growth
that formed the creature’s body. They appeared as a jumbled mess, with arms, legs, and heads poking out at random directions. They weren’t merely entangled with the creature. They had somehow been fused with it. Garin could see vines piercing the chests, thighs, and even mouths of the hapless eladrin. When he did spy a face, the expression of horror and misery made his heart weep for them.
The nearest hound archons exchanged nervous glances as the warped beast rushed closer. One or two took a step backward.
“Steady,” Garin commanded. “It’s almost caught.”
When the creature got within ten paces of the closest of the hound warriors, the trap sprang.
Concealed netting ripped up off the floor of the forest. It engulfed the creature, wrapping it and confining it. The net closed tight, hoisting the beast up off the forest floor and sending it swinging lazily back and forth between the stout trees.
Garin sighed as the beast howled and thrashed. Thank Tyr it’s just a small one, the angel thought.
He leaped from his perch
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