Chapter One

Aberrations

Waist-high green grass spread out around me in every direction. It had been away from X’shmir for so long that I had almost forgotten what normal grass looked like. The massive stones dotting the plains of Falrrsald, however, were entirely new to me. We had nothing remotely similar in X’shmir.

Thus far, Nalithor and I had only passed one such cluster of monolithic stones. The surface of the stones were painted with fading designs reminiscent of Brands of Divinity. Beneath the stones we had passed, we had discovered the remnants of a tribal camp. It looked as though several days had passed since the camp was vacated. There were traces of a large fire and discarded animal bones were strewn everywhere. Human footprints were barely visible in the dirt, but the tracks of scavenging animals were still fresh.

We weren’t far enough from the Vorpmasian border to experience full sunlight yet, but the sky was growing progressively lighter while we traveled. The horizon glowed with a myriad of fiery oranges, pinks, and even purple toward the darker sections of the sky. I couldn’t decide whether to call it perpetual dawn, or perpetual twilight.

The occasional glimpse of dark energy shifting through the sky made it clear that Vorpmasia’s dark “corruption” was what darkened the sky here—it wasn’t simply a matter of our northern location.

“Watch your step.” Nalithor caught me by the arm, causing me to shift my gaze back to the terrestrial level.

“What— Oh.” I blinked a few times at the sight before me a few times and failed to process what I was seeing. “Is…that a footprint? When you mentioned there’s monsters in Falrrsald…”

The grass before me had been pushed into the earth by an impossibly large foot. What was once level ground now laid several yards below the surrounding surface. I assumed, from the angle, that we were standing off to the side of the print. Whatever had left it, it had to have been many times the size of the unidentified Chaos Beasts we had fought in the past.

Something of this size would likely have dwarfed even Nalithor’s draconic form.

“Even dragons find hunting here a hassle,” Nalithor spoke dryly before crouching by the edge of the deep indentation. “The one that left this print is particularly large… Hmmm.”

Nalithor rose to his feet and glanced around for a moment before instructing me to stay put. Satisfied that I would obey, Nalithor leapt into the air and summoned a platform of shadows high above me. I tapped my foot and pivoted in spot, attempting to figure out what the Adinvyr was searching for.

Alala seemed uninterested or unconcerned and remained perched on my shoulder.

“It was heading south; luckily I can’t spot it from up there.” Nalithor landed in a crouch beside me and then straightened himself. “If we’re lucky, it was returning to its den or nest. If we are unlucky…its nest is to the north and it is currently hunting.”

“You don’t want to fight it?” I tilted my head, glancing south. ‘It could be fun… Something like that must have really thick hide. Perhaps a combination of magic and piercing weaponry could take it down? Blunt weapons seem like they’d be out… Slashing would be risky—the blade would have to be so long to tear all the way through the creature’s skin. Hmmm…’

“We need to avoid those things as much as possible.” Nalithor grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. “Their sheer size is enough to make them more dangerous than beasts. Even the grazers are an issue. I, for one, do not wish to get stepped on.

“My primary concern is the omnivores and carnivores. Usually they hunt the grazers and smaller animals…but, to them, people like you and I fall into the ‘smaller animal’ category.”

“Well, where are we headed then?” I crossed my arms and frowned. “I don’t see any sources of water, so I’m assuming we shouldn’t run into monsters or natives for a while yet. However, everything is rather open. Making camp at one of the stone clusters or near a patch of trees doesn’t seem like a wise idea.”

“The grazers eat the trees, so no.” Nalithor beckoned for me to follow him. “If we pick up our pace we should be able to make it to the edge of the plains before nightfall. The width of the plains is lesser than their length, but we still need to avoid using magic to travel.”

“Because of the natives?” I questioned, watching as Alala leapt from my shoulder to Nalithor’s.

“They’re likely to fear us even if we aren’t utilizing magic when we find them.” Nalithor nodded, his tail swishing with agitation. “The people of Falrrsald usually fall into one of two categories; the ones who fear ‘wrathful deities’, and the ones who fear Devillians more than deities. Since the Elders took magic away from Humans…”

“They see themselves as defenseless unless they group up and outnumber Devillian ‘intruders’?” I offered, examining Nalithor. Something seemed to have caught his attention again. He was glancing around us and scenting the air, his muscles drawn taut.

“Do you see any magic near us?” Nalithor slowed to a stop and pivoted to look at me.

“No, nothing aside from the traces clinging to us.” I shook my head and stopped beside him.

Nalithor’s frown deepened and his eyes narrowed. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what he was looking for. He surveyed our surroundings again, his gaze flicking from one spot to the next at such a quick rate that I wasn’t sure if he even saw much of anything to begin with.

“You’re certain? No more corrupted magics, either?” Nalithor looked down at me once more, concerned.

“I’m sure. Did you smell something strange?” I asked, watching as Nalithor shook his head. “What is it then? I don’t like being kept in the dark!”

“You don’t smell it?” Nalithor questioned when I tugged on his sleeve. “Hmmm…”

I opened my mouth to prod him for more information, but all that came out was a startled squeak. Nalithor had hoisted me over his shoulder and taken off at a run without as much as a warning. He sped through the tall grass, vaulting over the occasional boulder or broken tree limb.

I still didn’t smell anything strange, but Nalithor seemed intent on finding…something.

‘I can run on my own!’

‘I can run faster.’

‘But—’

‘Shhh.’

The corner of my eye twitched but I chose to oblige him. Several minutes passed in relative silence before Nalithor skidded to a halt. His body grew tense and his grip on my legs tightened to a point that I thought he’d leave bruises. I nudged Nalithor’s back a few times, watching the erratic swaying of his tail. Something had to have been terribly off for him to be so distracted, and I wanted him to put me down so I could see for myself.

“You…still don’t smell it?” Nalithor’s odd tone made me stop prodding him.

“Smell what?” I huffed. “Are you going to put me down so I can see?”

Nalithor set me down carefully, shot me an odd look, and then motioned somewhere behind me. He kept an arm around my waist and his grip firm as if he expected me to try running off after something. If Nalithor had discovered a beast, I knew one of us would have run off after it already.

‘So what in the hells did he… Huh.’

I pursed my lips at the sight before me, unsure what to make of it. The winding path before us had to have been a river at some point, but it was filled to the brim with pure darkness instead of water. The shadows ebbed and flowed like what I would have expected from a river, lapping at the river’s banks and sloshing ever onward.

Tendrils of violet, cobalt, and obsidian power snaked outward from the body of dark power, probing at both the air and banks alike.

“Well, that obviously isn’t beast blood…” I muttered, taking a few steps toward the bank before crouching to prod at one of the tendrils of power.

“You really can’t smell it?” Nalithor picked me up by my waist and carried me several yards away from the river.

“Smells normal to me.” I tilted my head back to look at him. “Seems like pure darkness. Similar to what I’ve seen in Sihix, but denser. I also haven’t seen elements mimic the flow of water before—so that’s strange.

“This used to be a normal river by the look of things. Have you ever heard of something like this happening before?”

“Like Sihix?” Nalithor shifted his gaze to the river again. “Ah, I suppose your time in the Sihix Forest may have made you used to the scent of dark energies…

“We need to travel upriver and search for whatever caused this change. This is the eastern plains’ primary source of water, and I don’t like that someone has been meddling with it. Either the Elven tribes are up to something, or perhaps the Exiles… Perhaps a new-yet-natural phenomena? Hmmm…”

“If it’s their primary water source we’re likely to run into tribesmen on the way.” I crossed my arms in contemplation. “Elven tribes, you say? Not just Human ones?”

“That’s right. Anyone else we run across will be a wander, a slaver, or some other form of outcast.” Nalithor nodded, motioning loosely with one hand. “Some of the Humans and Elves loyal to Beshulthien or Vorpmasia venture into Falrrsald on occasion as well. We’ve been attempting to map it and establish connections with people here for decades.

“Thanks to the dragons, we have general information about the topography of the region. However, we’re still lacking the details that come with traveling the area on foot. It’s similar to our situation with the Nrae’lmar continent…except Falrrsald is easier to access. Though, Falrrsald is vast.”

“Do we have any idea of where we’re heading? Or are we just going to wander around and follow the trail of strange things?” I asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

Nalithor procured a map from his shrizar and handed it to me, then waited for me to unroll it before speaking, “This is approximately where our airship landed to let us off. Where we are now should be the Vulei River, here. As you can see, the map of Falrrsald only gives us a vague idea of where its borders are, where there may be landmarks, or where terrain changes.

“Most tribes here are nomadic and travel along the Vulei River or through the forests west of here. While there are many hiding places within the plains, I think it’s more likely that our prey will be hiding in the forests to the west or the mountains to our northwest.”

“But that takes precedence, right?” I pointed at the corrupted river. “I don’t smell even a trace of beasts or their blood—something else did this.”

“Or someone, yes,” Nalithor muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. “Following the river will lead us, eventually, to the forests and then to the mountains. We can conduct some investigation along the way, but our first priority will have to be determining the cause of this ‘corruption’.

“I wish to take a better look at the river. Be a deer and keep a lookout from up there, will you?”

I glanced up in the direction Nalithor had motioned and then pursed my lips. Sitting in a tree while Nalithor did all the work wasn’t quite what I had in mind, but someone had to keep watch. With a short nod of my head, I turned and leapt into the tree before leaning against its trunk.

Despite how long we had been traveling, I couldn’t spot the forests or mountains on the horizon.

‘The map’s size is misleading…’ I shifted to look in other directions. ‘What in the hells could have done that to the water? I’m not seeing anything strange up or downriver.’

I caught the irritable swish of Nalithor’s tail in my peripheral vision and shifted my gaze back to him. He had crouched on the riverbank to examine the liquid darkness but, strangely, the darkness shifted away from the Adinvyr instead of moving toward him. The riverbed looked normal despite its strange contents, furthering my confusion.

‘There are still fish swimming in it,’ Nalithor stated as I shifted my back to him. ‘They’ve been changed by the darkness, but it didn’t kill them. I think it’s safe to say that we’re dealing with actual elemental corruption and not something done by the beasts.’

‘Because beast blood would have killed or twisted them, correct?’ I squinted, looking north. ‘Smoke would be from a tribal camp or settlement, yes?’

‘You see smoke?’ Nalithor appeared by my side and followed my gaze. “Blue smoke… One of the friendlier tribes, then. We should go see if they have any information for us.”

“How does blue smoke mean they’re friendly?” I arched an eyebrow at him and watched as he leapt from the tree.

“Each of the tribes colors their smoke as a way of communication, and each tribe uses a specific color.” Nalithor paused and motioned for me to follow him. “The Elven tribes and the Human tribes don’t get along well, but they can’t afford to clash with each other in such a harsh environment. As such, they came to an agreement. Human tribes color their fires to give off smoke in blues and greens. Elven tribes use warmer tones such as red and orange.

“Wanderers and ‘visitors’ such as us need to color our fires violet. The tribes have certain protocols for approaching each other…but since I’m a god, they are too terrified to bind me to such traditions. As long as our Brands are visible, we can approach this tribe safely.

“Most of the other tribes are not as welcoming to deities or to outsiders.”

“You’re concerned that they’re going to try to drink from the river or eat its fish?” I fell into step with him and then glanced up at the fox on his shoulder. “I’m actually not sure if even Alala could safely eat fish from this river.”

Alala huffed her indignation and then turned her snout up at me before turning away. I still didn’t know how to feel about her favoring Nalithor, but I knew this wasn’t the time to question it. We had far more pressing matters to attend to. Even if we were perfectly fine with darkness, I doubted the tribes of Falrrsald felt the same way.

At the very least, exposing the tribes to magic that potent wasn’t in anyone’s best interests. Not without Sihix here to take them in.

“Let me do the talking,” Nalithor suggested. “While they will think you’re a goddess. They are like the X’shmirans—they don’t believe women are capable of much, and will not take you seriously. If you speak out of turn—”

“They’ll get offended and then I’ll kick their asses?” I interjected dryly.

“Yes, something like that.” Nalithor smiled at me. “The less trouble we stir, the better. If we cause problems or unrest, news will spread through Falrrsald like wildfire.”

“I’ll behave.” I waved a hand dismissively. “Unless someone gets grabby—then I’ll knock them from here to X’shmir.”

“Not before I eviscerate them.” Nalithor growled.

I suppressed an amused smile and then followed Nalithor through the plains again, picking up my pace several times when he quickened his. The Adinvyr’s brow was furrowed while we raced through the thick grasses. He seemed so tense, but I couldn’t think of anything appropriate to say to alleviate that tension.

The situation we found ourselves in wasn’t something I wanted to downplay, intentionally or otherwise.

‘Tch, I don’t like seeing him stressed… But, what can I say?’ I sighed, glancing at the Adinvyr again. ‘No matter who, or what, is behind this…Nalithor will have to punish them.’

“We’ll walk the rest of the way.” Nalithor caught me by my wrist, bringing me to a stop. “We don’t want them getting skittish because we’re running at them.”

“You make them sound like deer.” I grinned crookedly.

“I would argue that they’re more fragile,” Nalithor responded, tilting his head as he examined me for a moment. “We still have a ways to go before we reach suitable shelter for the night. Let’s try to keep this brief.”

“Suits me just fine.” I nodded to him. “I already dislike the sound of these tribes. It’s best we don’t stick around and learn more reasons not to like them.”

Nalithor chuckled, squeezed me, and then released me so that we could walk at a relaxed pace. I had never seen the Adinvyr so alert or on-edge before. Magic hummed around him while he surveyed our surroundings. His tail ticked in a nervous manner. It seemed as though Nalithor’s agitation grew with every step.

Unsure of what to do or say, I settled on hooking my arm around his and nuzzling his bicep briefly. Although Nalithor didn’t say anything, I felt him relax a bit. After a moment, he pulled his arm out of my group and settled it behind my back so that he could grip my waist.

It wasn’t the most comfortable or efficient way to walk, but I didn’t care. Nalithor seemed to be calming down, and I enjoyed the attention.

‘Did you notice anything strange from your perch?’ Nalithor steered me closer to the rivers’ edge and then motioned at it with his free hand. ‘Or about this?’

‘No, nothing strange,’ I replied, nuzzling up against his side. ‘The darkness reminds me a little of the energy in Sihix, but aside from that nothing strikes me as unusual about it.

‘Well, aside from the fact that it should be water, obviously.’

“Let’s stop here for a moment,” Nalithor stated a little louder than necessary. He turned me to face the river and then took several steps away from me to crouch by the shore. ‘Hang your overrobe on a rock. Too much of your Brands are obscured—they probably won’t approach us until they are certain about “what” you are.’

‘They’re that skittish?’ I mused while tugging off my robe and striding over to a nearby boulder.

‘If you don’t want to—’ Nalithor turned, only to find that I had already discarded my overrobe.

‘It’s much too warm for an overrobe anyway,’ I informed him, hopping up to perch on the boulder. ‘Shouldn’t pure dark energy like this be corrupting the riverbed and the surrounding ground? I don’t see any traces of the stone or plants taking on dark properties.’

‘Even with your vision?’ Nalithor questioned.

‘Mmhmm, it all looks normal, for lack of a better term.’ I nodded. ‘Although the energy itself resembles what I’ve seen before, it isn’t interacting with the environment in the way I would expect. Rather, it isn’t interacting at all.’

I glanced to my left when I caught the sound of rustling grass. A group of men wearing a mixture of hides and furs were approaching us. Their steps were clumsy as their gaze darted between Nalithor and me. They were all Human and wore their hair just past their shoulders, and many had scraggly beards. Each of them had a varying number of braids in their hair, adorned with ornaments of bone and stone.

Behind the men were several younger women, all of whom had their gaze fixed on Nalithor. As far as I was concerned, they were all far too young to be looking at anyone the way they looked at my nylziis. The only thing that pissed me off more than their eagerness was the way they began shifting their scrappy attire in an attempt to look more appealing.

“Lord Balance… It is unusual to see you in the company of a female.” One of the men casted a frown at me and then looked back to Nalithor. “Will the woman be safe away from your home?”

“Quite. She can handle herself.” Nalithor rose to his feet and pivoted to look at the Humans. “Arianna has skills I require to investigate…this.” He paused to motion at the river. “How long has the Vulei River been like this, Chieftain?”

“Handle herself?” One of the younger males scoffed and strode toward me. “What sort of woman could—”

“Mind your tongue, boy!” The chieftain snapped, smacking the younger man upside the head. “She bears the Mark of Divinity. If Lord Balance requires her assistance, then she can use magics as well. You would do well not to anger either of them!”

“Do you see anything unusual, Arianna?” Nalithor turned his attention to me. ‘I get the feeling you want to put the women in their place before the men.’

“Humph.” I shot the women a dangerous look before returning my gaze to Nalithor. “As I already said, the magic isn’t interfering with the environment. It should be.”

“This is not of your doing, Lord Balance?” The chieftain frowned, his gaze shifting down to the river. “Vulei has been such as this for a fortnight. The tribes are migrating deeper into Falrrsald in search of clean water, while we remain here to watch for change.”

“If you are hungry, milord, we would gladly— Eek!” The girls screamed in terror and scrambled over each other to get away from the array of weapons I had summoned.

“Encroach on what is mine again and I’ll skin every last one of you.” I snarled. Darkness manifested around my body and weapons alike. “If you want to live long enough to breed, then—”

“You must not be his wife with a mouth like that.” One of the girls sneered. “So, he’s free to bed whoever he chooses until he weds! Back off—”

“That’s not how it works!” I snapped, turning several blades toward that girl in particular. “My nylziis doesn’t need useless strumpets like you anyway! Die like the cow you—”

“Now, now. We’re not here to kill anyone, remember?” Nalithor purred, appearing beside me and pulling me back toward his chest. ‘Well, you were successful in scaring the women back to their camp at least.’

‘If they come back I will kill them.’ I crossed my arms with a huff and then pouted when Nalithor leaned down to nuzzle me. ‘We aren’t going to stay around these people for long, are we? I want to rip them into tiny little—’

“Please forgive my daughters, they have yet to learn proper respect for deities.” The chieftain knelt and pressed his forehead against the dirt, causing his fellow men to follow suit. “If it is information you seek, we will be glad to provide it, Lord Balance.”

“Arianna, you and Alala continue your investigation of the riverbank while I speak with the chieftain.” Nalithor squeezed me around the waist and then smiled when I pouted. ‘They are more likely to divulge information without a beautiful, angry woman present. I will be back soon. If you spot anything dangerous—’

‘Contact you. Right?’ I pouted again when Nalithor kissed my cheek and then moved off to follow the tribesmen. ‘Do you really have to go to their camp?’

‘I’ve built a reputation as a healer amongst the friendly tribes. That’s why they tolerate my presence,’ Nalithor responded dryly. ‘They often fall ill. With the Vulei River in this state… I want to make certain that none of them are showing signs of corruption. There’s no way to get them to Sihix fast enough if they’ve drunk Vulei’s waters or eaten the corrupted fish.

‘A swift death is all that’s left for anyone who has.’

‘I’m sure that will go over well.’ I snorted.

Alala geckered at Nalithor’s back before running over to me. I sighed, picked up the fox, and then let her run up to perch on my shoulder. Once Alala was situated, I strolled toward the riverbank and nudged at the darkness with my own power. Vulei’s watery shadows recoiled and flowed to the opposite bank, creating a semicircle section of mud and stone.

‘Darkness that’s afraid of darkness? That’s new.’ I pursed my lips and took a single step backward from the bank, watching as the shadows crept toward me in response.

No matter where I moved, the substance in the Vulei River shifted to keep an even distance away from me. Once I moved far enough away, the “waters” began flowing normally once more. Its reactions were so sentient and yet I couldn’t find any other sign of life within the shadows.

‘Hmmm, what about ice?’ I summoned a few marble-sized orbs of ice and dropped them into the river. ‘Huh, scared of that as well? Perhaps it’s scared of magic in general? Or perhaps certain types of magic? Hmmm…’

I glanced to the side at Alala when she sneezed. After several more sneezes, she shifted her attention to the river and geckered at it, bristling. She sounded like she was either chastising it or arguing with it. In response, the substance receded again and quivered by the far bank.

“I think you scared it, ‘lala.” I scratched her chin and then turned to walk toward a nearby tree. “Let’s see if we can spot anything interesting from up here.”

Alala just huffed and turned her head away from my hand. Sighing, I climbed high into the tree and then perched on a branch. Readjusting my vision for twilight took a little longer than I would have liked, so I switched my vision to magic once more.

What I saw gave me pause.

Wisps of silver and crimson magic intertwined with each other and spread away from the Vulei River like veins. They were dissipating, but less so to our west. The magic flowed from that direction, across the river, and onward east toward Vorpmasia.

‘Why didn’t I see that before?’ I frowned and leaned forward to peer at the diminishing magic. ‘It’s—’

I yelped when I tipped a little too far and tumbled out of the tree. Alala fled my shoulder, leaving me to frantically collect shadows beneath me as I plummeted toward the ground. Nalithor’s scent drowned my senses entirely for a moment when my body collided with the cloud of darkness I had conjured.

Several tendrils of Nalithor’s power looped around my waist and hoisted me up, dangling me in the air right at the grinning Adinvyr’s height.

“Are you alright, my dear?” Nalithor chuckled. “Rather unlike you to be so clumsy.”

“Saw something weird, forgot I was in a tree,” I grumbled, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“One discovery after another, hmmm?” Nalithor smiled and tapped my nose. “Show me?”

“I’ll show you while we walk.” I tugged at his darkness when a few tendrils slipped around my throat. “The sooner we get away from those foul-smelling Humans, the better.”

“It’s not like they can bathe in the Vulei River,” Nalithor stated.

“That doesn’t change the fact that they smell!” I huffed, landing in a crouch once the Adinvyr released me. “It should be night soon, right?”

“Yes. We need to hurry.” Nalithor nodded. “If you’ll let me carry you—”

“Fine.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Let me pin all of this up first. Way too hot.”

“Hot?” Nalithor frowned at me.

“Summers in X’shmir are cooler than this.” I motioned at his coat after pinning my hair up. “How are you not roasting wearing that? I would be well-done by now!”

“It really isn’t that warm.” Nalithor lifted the back of his hand to my forehead, his frown deepening. “Are you feeling alright? You don’t seem to have a fever…but it isn’t much warmer here than it is in Draemir.”

“I would be better if it wasn’t so damned—” I trailed off with an aggravated sigh and then smacked his ass, hard. “I didn’t say you could pick me up yet! And, Alala, must you sit on my ass?! It isn’t a seat!”

“She says it’s more comfortable.” Nalithor laughed, breaking into a sprint. “I’ll regale you with what I learned from the tribesmen once we’ve set up camp for the night. Hopefully we can find somewhere suitable to hide.”

“Couldn’t we just fly?” I asked before nudging his back. “Can you at least carry me normally? I’m getting dizzy like this.”

“Flying would be too great a strain on my power right now,” Nalithor answered. He slowed to a stop and then pulled me over his shoulder so that he could cradle me in his arms instead. “The amount of power it would take to fly the three of us that distance isn’t worth the trade-off. We would be stuck in one spot for several days, perhaps a week, while you recovered from—”

Nalithor flinched and turned his head in the direction an earth-shattering roar echoed from. A second roar followed, and then a third. The sound of irregular, dull collisions caught my ears. It didn’t sound like footsteps, but I couldn’t be certain.

‘Let’s go, before their brawl comes to us.’ Nalithor gave me a few seconds to situate myself and Alala before beginning his sprint anew. ‘Save what you saw for when we make camp. I don’t want to slow down to absorb the information right now.’

‘Even though we’re moving toward the source?’

‘If it is in this direction…we would have to move toward it anyway.’

‘Fine.’ I sighed, resting my head against his chest. ‘We can get to relative safety first then, as you suggest.

‘You’re going to want to see this.’

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