Chapter 8-1

Chapter 8: Sea

“Can't blame people for being afraid. Know I look scary, 'nd there're plenty of things in th' world t' be scared 'f. 'nd the whole Amulet thing didn't help. Still...”

Almonihah looked back at Elifort, just a hint of a snarl on his face. Oh, he could understand why they'd been thrown out... he could understand. But he didn't respect it. Of course, they hadn't gotten out of the city as fast as some would have wanted, what with an unconscious Garkhen to pick up and the safety of the Amulet to ensure.

Not that they'd been able to do much about the Amulet... Maritha had hastily put it in a small metal box and cast a spell over it, complaining all the while that there was no way it would even blunt the powerful magic of the artifact. Almonihah could almost feel it sitting in his pack, its accursed power questing outwards, seeking to... he didn't know what, but he was sure it was bad.

As for their destination... Maritha's hurried suggestion had been the Royal Mage's Guild at Ferd, the capital city. And so Zakhin'Dakh was flying south again, winging over the increasingly flat and settled lands away from the mountains. Almonihah tried to direct his friend's flight over the least inhabited parts of the land, but he was sure they were still making some farmers very nervous. At least they'd come through the capital before, so he hoped they'd be able to talk before getting thrown out.

For now, though, he was looking for a place to camp. After their battle earlier in the day, Zakhin'Dakh wasn't really in good shape for long-distance flying, and of course Garkhen could probably use some actual rest without getting jounced around by wing-beats. The forest over there would suffice...

“Let's head over there, Zakhin'Dakh,” he said to his big friend.

The griffon nodded his head and turned, gliding in to a tired landing in a clearing.

*************************

Just a bit of connective tissue for the week.