The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) by Garrett Robinson (elon musk reading list TXT) 📕

“They had a back door,” I said, pointing to it. “I wonder why they did not try to escape.”

“It must have attacked too quickly,” said Mag.

We left the place. It was clear that there was nothing inside to help us in our hunt, and I had no desire to remain there a moment longer than I had to. In the clearing outside, we spent a moment gathering ourselves. Mag’s expression had soured still further, and I worried that she might do something rash. Not that I knew what that might be—we had no idea where the vampire had gone, nor, indeed, where to start looking.

“Let us explore the wilderness,” I told her. “If I had to guess, I would say it came from the west. That is where the land rises again, and where there are most likely to be caves.”

“As you say,” said Mag.

She swung into her saddle at once, and I followed her a moment after. We guided our horses towards the wilderness out in back of the house. But as we drew within ten paces of the trees, I heard a sharp rustling in the underbrush.

“Hist!” I whispered.

We leaped down from our saddles again. Quick as blinking, I had my bow up and an arrow nocked, and Mag held her spear ready to strike. We approached the woods one step at a time. Behind us, the horses nickered nervously.

“Remember, they said it was fast,” whispered Mag.

“It is not the vampire,” I said. “The sun is up.”

Mag frowned. “What, then?”

I said nothing, for I had no answer.

And then, from the shadows between the trees, a creature leaped forwards. I almost loosed my arrow but stopped myself just in time. My mind had seen a wolf, but in the space of a heartbeat I saw that it was only a dog. Granted, it was a large beast—a wolfhound of a kind common in Dorsea. Its fur was mottled brown with black spots. The hound growled at us, hackles rising.

“Mayhap it belonged to the family,” said Mag.

“That was my thought,” I said.

I could not help a small measure of disapproval as I looked at the beast. It must have run off into the woods when the vampire came. I knew it was only a dog, but in my homeland, we trained hounds to be loyal to their masters.

And then I caught another movement in the woods.

“Wait …”

A small, pallid figure peeked out from behind a trunk. As soon as it saw me looking, it vanished again.

My eyes widened.

“The child,” I breathed.

I loosened my draw and stowed my arrow. Mag quickly put up her spear and knelt, extending a hand. The hound calmed down at once, its growls ceasing. But it did not relax its stance, nor move from its position between us and the boy.

“Hello,” called out Mag. “We are here to help. We came from Lan Shui.”

The boy poked his head out from behind the tree again. My heart ached to see the stark terror in his wide eyes. His hair was disheveled and matted with days’ worth of dirt and grime from the woods, and his clothes, though sturdy-looking, were almost black with filth.

“Hello,” Mag said again. “Will you come out? We will not hurt you. I swear it.”

Slowly, achingly slowly, the boy took a step out from behind the tree. The hound at last relaxed its stance, straightening and turning to trot by the boy’s side. He seemed to draw strength from its presence, for he walked forwards a bit more confidently, though he still kept a good distance away from us.

“You are from town?” he said. His words cracked, the sound of a voice that had not been used for days. “I do not know you.”

“We are travelers,” said Mag. “When we passed through Lan Shui, they told us what had happened here.”

His pale face whitened further. The dog whined.

“But we do not have to speak of it,” said Mag quickly. “We only want to help you. Can we take you back to town?”

“I do not know you,” the boy repeated.

“As she said, we are not from Lan Shui,” I told him. “But Mag speaks the truth. We mean you no harm.”

The boy said nothing, but only tightened his grip on the hound’s fur. Mag went from kneeling to sitting, and drew back her hand.

“What is your name?” she said.

The boy’s nose twitched. “I am Liu,” he said softly.

“Liu,” said Mag. “Some others came before us. Did you not see them?”

“When?” said Liu.

Mag looked up at me, and I answered. “Mayhap three days ago.”

“I was in the woods,” said Liu. “Oku and I hid there. We hid as far away as we could. I was afraid to come back until yesterday.”

“His name is Oku?” said Mag, pointing to the hound. Its tail wagged once and then stopped. The hound tossed its head, as if it had realized what it had done and was slightly embarrassed.

“Yes,” said Liu. “He went with me when I … when I ran.”

Tears welled up in his eyes, and his lip trembled. I felt my chest grow tight.

“That was very smart and brave of you,” said Mag, her voice thick.

“Mama told me to,” whispered Liu.

“And you were very wise to listen to her,” said Mag.

“She died,” said Liu, his tears beginning to leak down his cheeks. “And Papa, and Qinsha. Did they not?”

Qinsha must have been his older brother. I looked at Mag helplessly, but she never took her eyes off Liu.

“Oku went with you,” she said. “He seems like a very good dog.”

Liu did not notice that she had avoided his question. Oku’s tail wagged again, twice this time, and he padded slowly towards Mag. He sniffed tentatively at her feet before submitting to a gentle pat between the ears.

“He likes you,” said Liu.

“I am glad,” said Mag.

Liu took his first step forwards since emerging from the forest. Another long pause. Another small step.

“Are those your horses?” he said