When Ravens Call: The Fourth Book in the Small Gods Epic Fantasy Series (The Books of the Small Gods by Bruce Blake (ebook reader with highlight function TXT) 📕

on the Whalebone from the perfect line where the sand ended and the grass began. Stepping off one onto the other shouldn't have been any different from any other step he'd taken in his life, yet his heartbeat sped, his breath shallowed. A thin band of sweat formed on his brow; if asked, he'd have blamed it on the sun but knew trepidation to be its cause.

He inhaled through his nose, filling his lungs with air smelling of sand and seaweed and wood bleached white by sunshine, not of grass and wildflowers and pollen. The breath shuddered out of his chest; he licked his lips, raised his foot, and stepped off.

"Tery—"

Rilum's word cut off the instant Teryk crossed the border between beach and meadow. The silence disappeared, its dominance usurped by the calls of birds and the buzz of insects he'd expected. Amongst them lurked an odd, unidentifiable hiss. His reticence waned, allowing space for the peace brought by a glorious day such as the one he now enjoyed. The air held the perfume of flowers and meadow; they tickled his nose, threatening to bring on a sneeze, but he fought it off and pivoted back toward his companion. The source of the out-of-place sound became clear: the sandy patch where he'd been sitting was vanishing, sifting into the earth and leaving grass behind as it shrunk around Rilum Seaman.

His companion's lips moved, but Teryk heard nothing other than the sounds of the heath. Rilum scrambled to his feet, and the sand shrank closer until the disk became just big enough for him to stand upon.

"Step off. It's okay."

The sailor shook his head, pointed at his ear.

"Step off," he repeated, this time waving his hands, gesturing for his companion to come toward him.

Rilum's eyes widened, and he shook his head again. Teryk gritted his teeth in frustration. What did he plan to do? Live the rest of his life on a sliver of beach hardly big enough to stand on? A little more of the sand fell away, the edge of the disk creeping closer to his feet. The prince wondered if it might disappear if he waited too long. A second thought occurred: if he delayed, would Rilum vanish along with it?

He gestured again, with more urgency this time, but his companion remained resolute in his refusal.

Another sound joined the meadow's melodic dissonance. Quiet and far away to start, so muted by distance he might have confused it with the buzzing of flies and bees, but it contained a different quality. The noise grew with each passing heartbeat. He pivoted, surveying the meadow, searching for the source.

At first, he saw nothing but grass and flowers and trees stretching to the tree line. None of these appeared to make the sound growing in his ears; he continued scanning. The forest at the far end of the field swayed as though touched by wind, which Teryk found odd; he sensed no hint of a breeze where he stood, and the meadow between himself and the woods did not ripple.

After a short time staring at the unusual movement of the trees, the prince realized only one patch of saplings moved. On either side, the thin trunks remained straight and true, unmoving. He squinted, attempting to figure out what caused such behavior, but it helped him see nothing more.

The first creature broke through the edge of the woods a few heartbeats later.

It must have been huge for Teryk to discern it from such a distance, but it remained too far away to recognize what type of animal it might be. It explained the shaking of the trees.

"Rilum..."

The prince stepped back as another beast emerged, then another. The space separating them made their rate of movement impossible to estimate, but a haze rose above them—dust from trampled ground—as more and more appeared. He spun toward his companion, found the sailor standing atop the small disk of sand staring past him, mouth agape. He didn't move.

Teryk rushed by, reaching for the sailor's arm as he went, unsure if he'd be able to touch him through whatever kept out the sounds of the meadow. His fingers grasped the still-damp sleeve of Rilum's tunic, and his momentum pulled the sailor from his tiny, beach-like haven. Rilum stumbled after him, feet catching and throwing him to the ground with a grunt as the wind left his chest.

Teryk stopped, boots skidding in the grass, and returned to the other man. He put his hand under the sailor's armpit and yanked him up, helping him find his footing. The sailor rose grudgingly, gaze fixed on the far end of the meadow. The prince halted and glanced back, too.

The haze of dust and pollen kicked up by the creatures grew wider and taller, obscuring the line of trees. At the bottom of the cloud, many shapes moved, and he made out several colors of... fur? Flesh? Impossible to be sure but, as he watched, his heart beat faster and a sheen of sweat dampened his palms. Though he couldn't identify what kinds of beasts these might be, one thing became clear: they headed straight for them.

The prince snatched his companion's arm and pulled hard.

"Run," he said, feet slipping in the grass as Rilum resisted. He turned and grabbed on with the other hand, wrenching the man toward him until he gave in and followed. "Run!”

XVI  Trenan - Departure

Trenan stood with his legs at shoulder-width, his one hand resting on his hip. Of the many times he longed for his missing arm, no instance proved as frustrating or unnecessary as the wish to cross his arms or stand with both hands on his hips. With a limb gone, half of a man's body language went along with it.

Practice weapons impacted wooden shields with muted thunks, the two dozen women paired up around the yard perspiring in the