A Ride of Peril(32)

I felt nothing other than a tickle, as if I'd just put my hand in burbling water.

I pulled it out and gasped at the sight of my perfectly intact hand.

The spell had worked.

"How long is it supposed to last?" I asked.

"The notes say for about an hour," Draven replied. "There's enough for us to use on the way back as well, including Sverik."

"All three of you must climb on my back," the gentle stone giant said as he descended to one knee, leaning forward to make it easier for us.

One by one, we climbed onto Inon's back. I took the left shoulder, Draven took the right, and Hansa pulled herself between us, grasping the back of the Deargh's neck. Inon then stood.

"Close your eyes and hold your breath. It will be a very short trip as I jump into the liquid fire and emerge on the other side at Mount Zur, but you shouldn't witness any of it, as you have never done it before and might experience panic," he said.

None of us said anything, and Inon took it as a silent agreement. He jumped into the lava, and I followed his instructions, closing my eyes and grabbing a lungful of air right before he submerged us. I felt the liquid fire the same way I felt water, moving against my skin as the Deargh made his way through it.

It was over in less than a minute, as Inon breached the surface on the other side. Traveling through lava had nothing to do with distance, I realized. The volcanic cores were magical, like portals across space-a rudimentary form of teleportation, taking us from point A to point B in seconds, with no regard for the miles between them.

I opened my eyes and noticed the inside of the volcano, different from Mount Inon, as it proudly displayed deep reflections of indigo, obsidian, and yellow striations streaking from the top. Several Dearghs waited for us on the edge. They wore the same stone colors as the mountain.


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Draven and Hansa still held on tightly, gradually opening their eyes. Inon swam toward the Dearghs and pulled himself out of the lava. We jumped off his back, and I felt relief at finding the ground beneath my feet again.

"Welcome, Brother Inon," the Deargh in the middle said. "Welcome, fellow travelers. I am Zur, guardian of this mountain."

Draven and Hansa bowed politely, and I followed suit. Customs seemed to be precious among these creatures.

"Thank you for having us, Zur. I am Draven. This is Hansa, and this is Serena. We are honored to be in your company."

Zur looked at us, measuring me from head to toe before he tilted his giant stone head to one side.

"You are different," he murmured.

I wasn't sure what to respond with, so I just smiled awkwardly.

"I see a Druid, and I must admit, I am pleased to see one still standing while the rest of the species has been swallowed by darkness and poison," Zur continued, nodding at Draven. "I see a succubus, as tall and proud as I remember her mother to be."

Hansa's eyes grew large.

"You knew my mother?" she asked.

"All the people north of the River Pyros knew Dorna of the Red Tribe. Her beauty was passed on to you, and, I hope, so was her bravery and determination."

Hansa smiled and bowed once more with reverence.

"But you, young lady," Zur turned to look at me again. "You are not of this world, are you?"

I shook my head.

"No, I am not. But my brother and my friends are inexplicably tied to it. And so, I am too," I replied, hoping to leave the inquiry there.

"I understand. Then your brother and friends must be the Oracles that everyone has been talking about," Zur replied.

"You know about the Oracles?" Draven asked, his voice low and cold.

"We've all heard of the Oracles," Inon said. "Word travels fast around the mountains from here. Azazel is desperately looking for them, burning and torturing his way through the land to get to them."

"Our mountain is the closest to his castle. We hear more than others," Zur added.

The thought made me nervous, but I took comfort in the fact that the Daughters' protective shield made my brother and friends impossible to find.

"You should get ready to leave soon," Zur said. "There is about a mile to Azazel's castle, and nightfall will keep you safer than daylight. If you leave within the hour, you will reach your destination before dawn, when the monsters sleep."

We followed Zur through the mountain corridors. He led us to the western edge, where the ridge opened up to a grassy plateau, where a small camp fire burned, with water and pieces of seed bread waiting for us.