Chapter 39: Encounters
"Do you know for sure?"
"No."
The wolves howled again. "Opal, can you gauge the distance?" I asked.
"In this place, boss? It could be ten feet or ten miles away. It's all strange here. I'd feel more secure if I could smell something. This is unnerving."
"Would you like to fly around and scout?"
"No, I'd lose my way."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
"Alright."
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a swift movement to my right. As the adrenaline surged, I saw Drevolan had drawn his sword, and I had done the same. Grey shapes emerged from the haze, launching at us, and after a terrifying burst of activity, everything was still. I hadn't struck anything, and nothing had touched me.
"They couldn't reach us," Drevolan sighed, seeming relieved. "I was hoping that would be the case."
As I sheathed my sword and wiped my sweaty hands, I commented, "If that's the worst we face, I'll be okay." Opal emerged from my cloak.
"Don't worry," Drevolan reassured, "it isn't."
* * * *
Opal informed me that he was now over a year old, and I concurred. He expressed his desire to contribute more as he was nearly full-grown. I pondered his potential contributions. He proposed an idea, and I couldn't think of a valid counterargument, so I agreed.
The next morning, I returned to Fedya's place. This time, I entered and found a secluded corner. After a quick drink of honey-wine, I left. But this time, Opal didn't accompany me.
I navigated to the rear of the building and located the back door, which was locked. After tinkering with the lock, I managed to open it and stealthily entered. The room was a storage area, filled with casks, barrels, and boxes of bottlesenough to keep me inebriated for a year. Light filtered through a curtain, which I slipped past, leading me to a room stacked with glassware, plates, and dishwashing necessities. I deemed the layout inefficient, but that's beside the point.
There was no one in the room, although sounds from the main inn area filtered through the brown woolen curtain. I recalled seeing that curtain from the other side. I returned to the storage room, rearranged a couple of barrels and a box to create a hiding spot, and waited.
After five grueling, cramped hours, Opal and I concluded that Lynn wasn't going to show. If this continued, I would start growing resentful of him. I massaged my legs until I regained mobility, praying nobody would come through the door. I then snuck out the back, even managing to relock the door.
* * * *
Our journey was punctuated by two more encounters; first, a small airborne creature, and then a Ravdra. Neither could touch us, and both departed after one attempt. We also faced multiple branching paths, and Drevolan made confident decisions among them which I hoped were well-founded.
Arriving at another grey stone, Drevolan again opted for the right-hand path after contemplation. I asked, "Is it somewhat as you remembered?" He offered no response.
Then, an old knotted tree materialized to our right, with a branch sweeping across the path around ten feet high. Perched on it was a large brown bird, a Lurivox, eyeing us with curiosity.
"You are alive," it noted.
I asked, "How can you discern?"
"You do not belong here."
"Oh, I see. We must have taken a wrong turn at Invarys. We'll head back then."
"You may not depart."
"Decide, will you? You first say"
"Let's move on, Viktor," interrupted Drevolan.
Perhaps he was engaged in a parallel dialogue with the Lurivox. We ducked under the branch and proceeded. Glancing back, the tree and bird had vanished.
Eventually, Drevolan paused at yet another grey stone. With a sigh, he turned to me and guided us around the left this time, noting, "We must eventually, or we'll never reach where we're headed."
"That sounds a bit foreboding."
"Yes."
A little later, I asked, "Could you give me a clue about what awaits?"
"No."
"Fantastic."
Suddenly, I felt a sensation of plummeting. Before I could scream, I realized that I was still walking next to Drevolan. I turned to him, stumbling slightly, and noticed he stumbled too, his face paling. After closing his eyes briefly and shaking his head, he continued down the path.
I asked, "Did you feel like you were falling back there, even if just for a moment?"
"Falling? No."
"Then what just happened?"
"Nothing I wish to talk about."
I chose not to pursue the matter further.
Later, I felt as though I was stepping into quicksand. For a moment, I thought it would be another fleeting experience as I could sense myself still walking, but this sensation persisted. As Drevolan faltered next to me, he advised, "Keep moving."
Despite feeling as though each step drew me deeper, I continued. Opal's panic was palpable, amplifying my concern as I pondered what he was witnessing.
Considering Opal could likely sense my fear, I attempted to calm myself for his sake, convincing myself the quicksand was merely an illusion. It seemed to work as I felt Opal calming down, which in turn helped me. The illusion faded just as it seemed to engulf me completely.
Pausing briefly, Drevolan and I took deep breaths and exchanged glances. He shook his head once again.
I inquired, "Aren't there any straightforward paths to the Halls of Afterlife?"
Drevolan replied, "Certain books depict easier routes than others."
Half-jokingly, I proposed, "Upon our return, I'll snatch one of those superior ones and set up a business selling duplicates."
"They're impossible to replicate," Drevolan asserted. "Several have tried."
Puzzled, I questioned, "How can that be? Words are just words."
He replied, "I don't know. Let's proceed."
So, we did, and I felt a wave of relief when we approached another grey stone and Drevolan led us down the right-hand path. This time, we encountered an untouchable wild boar, followed by a Pardus later on.
Navigating through more pathways, we eventually came across another stone. Drevolan turned to me and asked, "Ready?"
I acquiesced, "If it's necessary."
He nodded in approval, and we sidestepped the stone to the left.
* * * *
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