NOVEL WEB Chapter 1.27
Adanara was visibly in pain. Nila tried her best to clean her wound, but it was of a serious sort, it couldn't be treated with a simple wet cloth. Nene moved closer to observe. She almost screamed in disgust when she saw that a huge part of her ear was missing, and the little remaining was reduced to a lump of flesh.
«Ouch!»
«S-sorry… sorry, we're almost done. Hold on»
«Adanara… Thank you. You saved me down there»
«We covered each other's back. No big deal...», she replied.
«What were those things, anyway?», Oto asked.
No one answered. Nobody had any idea. What they had encountered were not simple animals, that was certain. Everybody was wondering if there were others, deep in that forest.
«We shouldn't have come here, it was a bad idea», Adanara said.
Nene was about to reply, to explain that they had already talked about it, that the Emissary had certainly put them on the right track, but Nila gave her a nefarious look. She understood that it was not the time to argue.
«We should find shelter. Maybe they are still looking for us»
«No, we have to go back», Nila protested. «At least u-up to the Knights camp. My sister needs real treatments»
«But we're almost there», Oto added.
The tree was practically above their heads. The sparse bush allowed them to see the immense roots emerging from the ground. The straight and branchless trunk extended vertically for hundreds of metres and then disappeared in the middle of the bank of clouds that constantly surrounded it. They were just a few minutes walk from its base.
«The Emissary said that we would find an acquaintance of hers, there. Perhaps she can help us», Nene suggested.
«What if they don’t? My sister is more important than this!»
As tension in the group began to arise, Adanara pushed her sister's hand away and slowly got back to her feet. She was dazed and covered in blood and other juices coming from the monster she had... "killed", but she stood on her own.
«Let's move on»
«Ada! You could get an infection!»
«It would take hours to get back! We don't even know which direction the camp is, there's a wall of thorns all around and people chasing us! Let's look for help at the tree. The angel better not be lying…»
«But… if Jiriel is w-wrong…»
«Nila, we almost died, down there!!! At this point, I want to get to the bottom of it. Let's move»
No one dared to contradict her, especially when she walked towards the tree, without waiting for anyone. They reached her and continued in silence. The mood was terrible, everyone was brooding over what had just happened, unable to give themselves an explanation. Nila tried to support her sister but was pushed back. Distraught, she fell to the back of the group, walking next to Nene. Nene caressed her shoulder hoping to comfort her a little. She was so fond of her sister… She shared her concerns, yet she was hopeful. Her trust in the Emissary wavered more and more often, of course, but given the situation, they had no choice but to move forward.
The path was easy from there onward. The vegetation was mostly composed of meadows and scattered trees. Some patches of land were barren and the chirps of birds were few and far between. It was as if the forest was slowly dying. Was that the effect of the poisons the General had spoken of? They forded a small stream. From there they were finally able to admire the base of the tree. They were almost there, a hundred metres from its base. The roots emerging from the ground formed complex tangled geometries. One in particular had taken on an arched shape, and a path delimited by some wooden posts led right there. Everything suggested that it was an entrance, but those signs of civilization were not a good omen. The Cloud Folk had already proven hostile once, even though they had decided to spare them.
The sound of streaming water behind them was disturbed by footsteps in it. Nene turned and brought a hand on the hilt of her sword, but didn't know how to react to what she saw.
There was a humanoid figure in the stream, its feet soaking as it was leaning on a spear adorned with coloured laces and feathers. Its height was average, similar to that of Nila or Adanara, but nothing else about its appearance was: it wore a cloak made of long, dried willow leaves, which fell from its shoulders to its knees, and nothing more. Its exposed arms and legs revealed an ocher complexion with occasional emerald green scales. Its proportions were clearly non-human, its limbs far too long compared to its torso. Its stocky build shouldn't have been able to balance on those long legs. Its head was almost perfectly spherical and topped by a headdress made of wicker and white flowers. The face, surrounded by a thick cascade of curls that faded from white to bright green towards the top, had a surprised expression: the large eyes had dilated pupils, each blue iris almost as large as the entire eye. It had a tiny, thin nose and a large and thick-lipped mouth, which was wide open in amazement. The stranger stood there staring at them, dismayed, without making a sound. Nene stared back at it, not knowing how to react. Who was that person? Was it even human? If it was a member of the Cloud Folk, they were in trouble. Yet it didn't seem hostile but rather intimidated.
The others gathered behind her, whispering. Should they have tried to talk to it? The creatures took a step forward. Its feet emerged from the current. They were not human feet, for they had a very broad sole and, although each had five toes, they were all of the same length. It approached them using its spear like a walking stick. Its expression became impassive. It looked at them one by one and finally took a breath.
«You have already been warned once, yet you ignored us»
Her feminine voice was deep and calm. She spoke very slowly, enunciating her words in a way that sounded unnatural as if she was speaking to a foreigner or a child. Nene took her hand off the hilt, hoping to solve things peacefully.
«Who are you?», she asked.
«A Warden. Our warriors are looking for you. We know you are not enemies, but you are not welcome here»
«Did you know? Is this why... you let us go?»
«Correct. We have brought you back to your kin. Why do you insist? Why did you come back?»
«My sister is hurt!», Nila explained. «She needs help, please»
The Warden observed Adanara for a long time. Her movements were slow and majestic, everything about her looked regal. She raised an arm to the sky as if to give a signal. At that gesture, half a dozen of her peers emerged from the surrounding bush. Unlike the Warden, they wore fabric trousers and leather breastplates and were armed with bows and clubs. They had helmets carved from wood and adorned with deer antlers, and one of them held a censer hanging from a rope, similar to those used by the priests of the Church during the most important ceremonies.
«The witch will be healed», the Warden announced. «After that, you will have to leave. We won't forgive you once again»
«How do you know...»
«Let's do what she says», Nene suggested. «There's something strange about her...»
That creature aroused something in her, something similar to a servant of the Evil One, but not exactly the same nor as intense. In any case, they were not in a position to antagonise those people, being completely surrounded as they were.
«Let's take them upstairs»
«Warden, we can't!», one of the warriors protested.
«We can. They have my permission»
The other fighters didn't dare protest. Their Warden’s tone was far from threatening or solemn but seemed to demand immense respect and authority from the others. The Warden approached the humans, huddled together and still afraid. She observed their faces closely with a curious expression, squinted her abnormal eyes without eyelashes or eyebrows and then smiled.
«My name is Kora. Come, this way»
Nene exchanged a look with everyone: they had found her! Or rather, she had found them. It was the name the Emissary had given to them. Their situation was very precarious, with all those armed warriors around, so they agreed to follow the Warden without arguing. There was plenty of time to mention their mission once they had arrived, wherever they were taking them.
«We did it?», Oto whispered.
«So it seems... But be on your guard. They look nervous...»
They followed behind the Warden, who had her back to them and walked sinuously towards the arch made by the roots of the tree. On the contrary, her fellows kept their distance and a constant eye on them. Also, they did not put away their weapons at all. They got under the arch beneath the tree. There, a cave, formed by the crossing of some gigantic roots with a rock formation, was full of piled baskets, empty bags and some work tools. In the centre of that dark and damp place was a wooden platform about five metres wide, resting on the bare earth, with handles nailed across its entire surface. Above it was a dark, seemingly endless chasm. The Warden sat cross-legged in the centre of the platform, holding the spear in her arms, grabbed a handle and nodded at them.
«Come here»
They obeyed. They sat around her and grabbed a handle each. Finally, the warriors, perhaps because they were forced to, put their bows on their shoulders, or held their clubs in their laps. They all found themselves sitting on that strange platform, holding onto a handle, staring into each other's eyes.
«What... what is it?», Adanara asked.
«We use it for travelling and for carrying food», the Warden explained. «The first few times it makes people dizzy, some even throw up. Don't worry»
«Go as fast as you can, Warden!» a fighter said. «Let's see how they handle it»
A couple of his buddies laughed. Not everyone was as tense as they had seemed at first, but it wasn't very reassuring to be on an unfamiliar vehicle, together with some not-exactly friendly individuals. Nene's eyes widened as the platform shook. She grabbed Nila's arm with her free hand, realising she was just as scared as she was. A grin appeared on Kora's face. A second jolt made Nene jump. The warriors laughed again, one of them performed a balancing act, released the handle and stood on one foot. Yet another jolt made him tumble and elicited more laughter.
«Now enough playing», the Warden said. «Hold on»
The platform moved, gently. There was no rope holding it up, no type of support. The ground began to recede very slowly, and Oto couldn't contain his excitement.
«Are we flying?! Hey, are we flying?!»
They floated very slowly towards the chasm. The feeling of knowing there was nothing underneath was terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Nene wanted to pepper the Warden with questions, but she held back, fearful of the answer. Although she was by then aware that not everything she did not understand was the work of the Evil One, the doubt still remained. The Church would not have approved of that flying boat.
«Where are we going?», Adanara asked, her voice trembling. «It's dark up there...»
One of the warriors rummaged through a bag on his belt and recovered a transparent vial. Apparently, it was empty, but as they climbed higher and deeper into the darkness, the vial began to glow with a reddish light. They were at the mouth of that tunnel in the wood when the light became more intense.
«Is that a will-o'-the-wisp?», Oto asked.
«Yes», the man replied. «They are useful and my kids love them»
Another fighter tapped him on the shoulder and glared at him.
«Do not talk to humans»
«Relax, the Warden said they are not enemies»
«You don't believe me, Mori?», Kora asked.
«H-how do you do it?», Nila interjected. «How do you make... this thing fly?»
«With the gift of the spirits», she replied.
The Warden did not elaborate further, as if her answer was enough to justify the unnatural phenomenon they were witnessing. The tunnel was extremely dark, its wooden walls could only be distinguished thanks to the will-o'-the-wisp. They started speeding. The upward momentum became significantly stronger. Nene focused on her hand, clutching Nila's, hoping to avoid getting motion sick.
«Tell me we're not headed to the top…», Adanara sighed.
«Don't worry, it's not dangerous»
«The opposite happens to some of our children», the wisp bearer explained. «When they go down their first time, they feel sick»
After a few minutes, they were still in the dark, hanging from a wooden handle, on a flying platform that flickered in the darkness. The tunnel was getting narrower and narrower, the walls were becoming frighteningly close. The vehicle gradually slowed, adjusting direction to avoid contact.
«We're almost there», a warrior announced. «You good?»
«Yes», Kora replied. «Goro, give me some light»
The man leaned towards the precipice and pointed the light vial towards the wall. The Warden adjusted the position of the vehicle once more. From above their heads came sunlight, an exit from that dark tunnel into the wide sky.
Nene breathed heavily. She felt like she was running out of air. Despite the darkness, she was sure that her companions were pale and dazed. That journey aboard a flying vessel would have shocked anyone, but there was more: she felt as if breathing was getting harder. With every moment, she felt the cold air in her chest, but it never seemed to be enough. She began to pant.
«Breathe slowly, or it gets even worse», one of the warriors suggested. «It takes a while to get used to it. It's difficult to breathe up here»
«Maybe I went up too fast for you», Kora said. «I'm sorry»
The light coming from above became more and more intense, while that of the will-o'-the-wisp waned. A strong wind from the exit crashed upon them, but the platform didn't flinch. Nila clawed Nene's hand and she did the same. Oto curled up on the handle. One of the warriors got a closer look at him and laughed. There was little left and that out-of-the-world experience would have been over… They emerged from the tunnel inside a dome-shaped hut, a couple of metres high, made of intertwined branches. The wind whistled through the cracks, the air was very cold, but the locals didn't seem to notice, despite their inappropriate clothing. Kora looked around and frowned.
«Why is there never anyone here?»
«I'll take care of it», one of her men said. «A little help?»
The platform was floating in the centre of the chasm, slightly wider than the vehicle itself. Four of the warriors leapt to the ground. It was quite a long jump over the gap, but they were very athletic and made it look easy. The hut was filled with shelves loaded with baskets and bags similar to those they had seen at the base of the tunnel. Unlike the latter, however, they were filled with objects from the forest: stones, branches, bones and animal horns. Two large wooden planks were resting on the ground. The warriors grabbed them by the ends and slid them underneath the platform. After kicking one of them to make sure it held, a hunter waved to the Warden. The platform rested gently on the planks, without making a sound.
«Come, it's safe»
One of the fighters held out a hand towards Adanara, who was closest to the edge. The woman looked down and turned pale. The darkness was pitch black, yet she knew very well that if she took one false step she would have fallen for who knows how long. She accepted the help and walked onto the catwalk.
«Shall we go?», Kora urged the rest of them.
One by one they got off that nightmarish floating boat, but the Cloud Folk didn't seem to give it any thought. A warrior picked up from a shelf some very large hats made of woven branches covered in leaves, not too dissimilar to those used by human farmers, and handed them to them.
«Up here the sun can easily burn your skin. Better cover up»
Oto fell to his knees and almost puked. Nene crouched next to him. She caressed his back and supported him as he squirmed in pain.
«It's okay, we made it», she reassured him.
«I can't breathe...», he complained.
«Take slow, shallow breaths», the Warden advised. «Here, wet his forehead»
She handed Nene a water bottle made from a large, hard-shelled green fruit. She poured some water on her hand and cooled Oto by moistening his forehead and neck. The boy stared into space for a few moments, pale, breathing as he had been told. After a while he blinked, grabbed the bottle and took a sip. Then he gave it back to Kora.
«Thank you»
He got to his feet, wavering a little. None of them were looking good. Kora, however, didn't seem to want to wait any longer. She dispersed the group of warriors who, after some protests, disappeared, exiting the hut through an arch-shaped opening.
«Good, we're alone now», she sighed. «Come. Let's take care of your wound immediately»
She looked out of the hut and motioned for them to follow her. Nene took Oto by the hand, who was still very upset. They put on the big hats and followed the Warden.
«They really live among clouds…»
Nila was the first to break the silence. The discomfort caused by the climb disappeared in front of the wonder of what loomed before their eyes: an entire village leaning against the immense branches of the tree, sheltered among its foliage. Large platforms of beams and trunks were secured to the larger branches, at different heights, and connected by walkways or rope bridges. There were several dozen of them and each was densely occupied by wicker huts of different shapes and sizes. The foliage enveloped everything and cast its shadow on every corner, pierced by sporadic and intense rays of sunlight.
Nene walked to the edge of the platform they were on, delimited by a rope fence, and looked down. Below were much larger structures resting on the base of the branches, hundreds of square metres wide. She couldn't believe her eyes when she realised that most of those buildings were covered with cultivated fields, of vegetables and fruit trees. She also recognized a small herd of sheep and some shepherds equipped with sticks who were leading it towards a stable, dug inside the massive branch on which the artificial pasture built by the Cloud Folk rested.
There were people everywhere moving along the walkways and rope bridges. Children were running ignoring the danger of a potential fall and their joyful screams echoed among the branches. Pulley systems allowed people to move from one storey of the village to another and were used to transport goods and materials from the lower levels to the up-above huts. All eyes were on them as they walked through the village. A great variety of people were staring from the platforms and walkways, observing them curiously, most of them completely naked. Kora took a look around and sighed.
«The majority of us have never seen humans», she explained. «Now that we are at war, everyone has at least heard about your kind»
The air was freezing in contrast with the intense heat of the sun's rays. How those people could survive in such conditions, barely wearing anything, was a mystery. Kora led them along a walkway. Oto held onto Nene, still shaken since the height was taking a toll on him. They followed the Warden to a structure that rested on an enormous wooden pylon, propped up against a large branch of the tree, similar to a spherical cage made of intertwined sticks. Three different walkways converged to that point, making it the most crowded area in the village. They crossed some inhabitants, who stopped to observe them while keeping their distance. In the centre of the sphere, in its upper part, there was a cavity through which one of the pulley systems used for vertical movements was descending. It resembled a massive wicker basket, large enough to contain a dozen people, and was being lifted by only one individual, despite its considerable size. The elevator settled in the centre of that intersection and a group of noisy children got out. The only adult in the group ordered them to be quiet as she led them away from the humans with a worried expression. The Warden smiled at her, but it wasn't enough to reassure her.
She invited them to climb into the basket. Once they did, Kora began pulling on a rope, lifting them effortlessly. Above them was yet another large platform, and the elevator was taking them straight up there, higher than all the other buildings.
«No one would ever believe this...», Nene said.
«How is this possible?», Nila asked. «H-how did you manage to... build a village up here?»
«Until recently this was just a place for meditation», Kora explained. «Warden Moka built the shrine a long time ago. When the invaders came, however, many took refuge up here. Without Moka and his gift, things would have been rough»
«His gift?»
«Yes, his gift. I carry one as well. So do you»
Kora pointed a finger at Adanara. Then she looked at Nene, frowning.
«Your gift... I've never seen such a thing. Who is from?»
«Er… Are you referring to… the Archangel?»
«Is it the gift of the Mountains?»
«I don't… know what you're talking about», she admitted.
They reached the top. The pulley mechanism clicked. Kora secured a rope to a large metal hook. Once she was sure it was safe, she told them to get out. They found themselves inside a large hut, similar to those seen below, but much larger and with a square base. The walls were not only made of dry branches but also of climbing plants and bushes of colourful flowers that grew between the weavings. Mats and cushions were scattered around the floor. The environment smelled of vegetation and incense.
«This is our sanctuary», Kora explained. «Here my people come to seek advice from the Wardens»
«A church, a huge one...», Adanara grumbled.
«C-can you really heal my sister?» Nila asked. «Ada, come, let her see you»
The witch approached Kora. Her bizarre, round, eyebrowless face peered at her. She slowly moved her hair away, revealing what remained of her ear. The Warden didn't bat an eyelid in the face of that disgusting havoc, as if it were not a big deal.
«I can heal the wound. Unfortunately, I cannot give you back what you have lost»
«Please! B-before it gets infected!»
«Who did this to you?»
«I’d like to know myself»
The Warden frowned, perplexed. Nila insisted that she took care of the wound immediately, promising to explain everything later. Kora guided them to a rope ladder at one end of the sanctuary, which led to an even higher storey. They climbed once more, higher and higher among the clouds.
Most of the huts they had seen looked lightweight, but not that one. It was a building of solid logs, arranged vertically along the sides of the structure about a couple of metres from each other. They were interspersed with thick sheets of perfectly transparent resin, similar to the one they had seen in the cave where they were attacked. The wind whistled through the crevices of the ceiling of intertwined twigs.
Through the huge transparent windows, the view was breathtaking. They were at the top of the tree's branches. Surrounded by foliage, that building was a panoramic observation point of the world below. From up there one could admire the complexity of the tree's branch system, and how the Cloud Folk had ingeniously built upon it. The village seemed to rest on the bank of clouds surrounding the tree's canopy. In the distance, the afternoon sun was resting in front of them, and the forest all around stretched endlessly to the horizon. Nene recognized the sharp mountains south of Kumhar. She strained to locate the city, but it was hidden behind the forest border. However, she could find the hill where Jiriel's house stood. She was overcome with enthusiasm and walked around the entire perimeter of the building. She saw the forest end to the east, where it gave way to huge prairies and a massive river. To the north, trees covered everything up to the mountains, less impressive than those to the south, but totally different in appearance, made of dark rock and covered in glaciers. To the west, the landscape was hilly and looked more familiar. The sun dazzled her as she tried to recognise some traces of the faraway Principality.
«Have a sit», Kora said.
Adanara sat on the floor on a large purple cushion, as instructed. Nene got closer, together with Nila. Oto stood aside admiring the view with a dreamy expression. They were inside a house, as the presence of daily-use objects suggested. There was a legless table resting on the floor and surrounded by three cushions, on which bowls and wooden spoons were left. A large circular basket hanging from the ceiling contained a flute and another musical instrument, similar to a lute but without a body. Along one wall there were three mats and as many blankets made from woven leaves.
Kora walked to a wooden cabinet near the mats. Inside there were several bowls and vials. She took off her wicker and flower headdress, revealing a pair of long ears, which had remained hidden until then. They relaxed and stretched out horizontally. They looked similar to a deer’s in shape, were at least twenty centimetres long and moved independently of each other as the Warden rummaged through her supplies. In addition, she had two small bony protuberances coming from her forehead, small antlers, similar to those of a young male deer. Nene recognized that bizarre profile, somewhat different from those of the other members of the Cloud Folk, who instead had round ears and no horns at all: the decorations on the facade of the church of Dena, painted by master Ezio. One of those figures that had worried her in the past, leading her to wonder if the entire village was subject to the Evil One, was in front of her.
Kora picked up a bowl containing a thick, white concoction and returned to Adanara. She knelt beside her and dipped her fingers in the mush.
«This will heal you quickly»
The witch hesitated. She looked several times at her sister, who was watching anxiously.
«Will it hurt?», she asked.
«Obviously»
Adanara snorted. She pushed her hair back and craned her neck towards her. Kora applied it to her ear. At the first contact, the witch stiffened. She gritted her teeth and frowned. Her face screamed in pain while her mouth kept shut, perhaps out of pride. It took a few moments, but finally, Kora withdrew.
«It’s over. Don't touch it. You will be fine by tonight»
«W-what?!», Nila was surprised. «That’s it?»
«The wound was clean and the greennut pulp heals very quickly», the Warden explained. «Plus it's sweet and fragrant. I also use it to get rid of my odours»
Noticing Nila's visible interest, she handed her the bowl. The herbalist looked at it in disbelief, smelled it, lost in admiration for that miraculous medicine.
«Are you hungry?»
«Yeah!», Oto replied. «I wanna try fairies’ cuisine!»
«Fairies?»
«Thank you for your hospitality», Nene interjected. «I guess you expect an explanation»
«You promised to give me one»
Nila, feeling called out, returned the bowl. Kora left it on the ground as if it were of little importance. She sat on a cushion, legs crossed. She picked up some aromatic twigs from the table, wrapped one end in her hand, then reopened it: the branches had caught fire. She blew on the small flames, obtaining a pungent incense, which soon filled the air with a spicy aroma.
«Take what you want. I have some willow bark and maybe some apples»
The Warden lifted the table, overturning half the dishes that were on it, and recovered some fruits and the bark she had mentioned. Avoiding discussion about the edibility of wood, they gathered around her table. Nila picked up the objects that had fallen to the floor and put them back in their place, attracting a perplexed look from their hostess.
«Oh, we have those back home too…», Oto complained.
«Did you encounter the invaders in the valley?», Kora asked.
Nene feared that she would demand information about her enemy, so she decided to speak for everyone, being the one who had met General Gallio in person. Theirs was a precarious position: they were guests of the Cloud Folk but at the same time prisoners. They couldn't leave that suspended city of their own volition, so there was no point in antagonising what seemed to be an important figure in their society.
«Are you talking about the Lightbringer Knights?»
«That’s how they call themselves. Our warriors left you near their village. Have you met them?»
«We did»
«So tell me, why did you return to the forest? Was our message not clear?»
Not knowing if it was a threat or a simple question, Nene chose to answer honestly. They were one step away from their goal and the Warden was not hostile, or she wouldn’t have welcomed them into her home while alone.
«We were looking for you. Jiriel sent us»
«Jiriel?»
«Yes. She told us about you and your...»
«Who’s Jiriel?»
Kora's ears perked up as if trying to pick up inaudible sounds. Her question shocked everyone. Oto, who had been nibbling on an apple, stood up.
«Jiriel is an angel, she's more or less this tall», he explained, stretching out as much as possible. «Also she has feathered wings on her back, like those of a bird, and she shines like a candle»
«She said you're friends», Adanara added.
«I remember seeing a spirit like that, once. Warden Moka invited her to participate in star meditation at his home village in the forest»
«You know her, then. We call her “angel”, or “Emissary”, and she told us that…»
«The spirit shone very brightly all night and we could not observe the stars for meditation. I was very upset. We are not friends»
Silence fell. Nene wished to punch her Lady in the face. Her idiocy and unawareness were costing them dearly. She had sent them to a remote and dangerous region to meet a priestess of the Cloud Folk after having ruined a religious function of theirs. Oto's enthusiasm disappeared and he sat down again. Adanara didn't say a word, but she was visibly furious.
«We were told that y-you can help my sister», Nila continued. «She is... sometimes she becomes... Ada, please explain»
«She's a witch», Kora anticipated her. «She has accepted the gift of the whispering spirit»
«How did you notice?» Adanara asked. «You understood it immediately, as soon as we saw each other»
«Anyone with a gift can distinguish their kin. You bear the gift of the one who whispers, but you... I'm still not sure. Could it really be the Mountain’s?»
«I received the blessing of the Archangel. It protects me from the Evil One. From… the one who whispers, I guess»
«I don't know the Archangel spirit. What is its domain?»
«Um… What would a domain be?»
Kora looked at her puzzled. She came close to her. Nene saw her face reflected in those immense deep blue eyes and began to feel uncomfortable.
«I possess the gift of Rune and Shilfi, spirits of the lake and the breeze, and Salisander, spirit of the flame. She possesses the gift of the nameless, spirit of mind. And you the one of Archangel, spirit of…»
«Oh… um… I don't know for sure. I mean... He graced me with His protection so that I could serve Him better»
The Warden continued to look at her curiously. She sat back down on her pillow. She picked up a piece of bark and opened her mouth. Her teeth were made up of only molars. She shredded the wood as if it were a simple crunchy carrot.
«Yours is a strange spirit»
Adanara was about to say something but Kora, contrary to the calm, almost detached attitude she had had from the moment they met her, put a hand in front of her face to shut her up. Her gaze turned cold. She chewed for a few moments, before running a finger over Adanara's clothes. She then sniffed her own hand, then came within an inch of her nose, and said in a voice full of tension:
«You have met Shilfi and Rune, haven't you?»