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While summer was ending, the constant heat hadn’t shown signs of letting up, and I was tired of the grimy feel of being covered in sweat for days on end. My horse was exhausted. The chestnut mare was old and slow, contributing to the longevity of the trip. That, in addition to the fact that she was stubborn and refused to go any faster than a trot. But we were nearing the end of our travels and needing to pass through one more village before the final stretch. I sensed she knew it as well, as she bobbed her head with a snicker as the end of the forested path came into view.
“You and me both, mare,” I chuckled under my breath, rubbing her long mane.
Coming out of the forest, we came to an open grass plain. The mare’s head jerked up as she came to an abrupt halt. Ears pinnedback, she stomped her hoof, refusing to move further even after giving her a kick. I looked to where her eyes were staring and saw the reason for her concern.
“Shit…” My stomach fell, and I felt the blood drain from my face.
The patch of land before me was scarred, black as night, as if scorched with fire. But it was not the work of flames. Fire would kill vegetation and destroy homes, but the plague that had infected this land consumed even life and magic, leaving nothing behind. Not even my terbis would have been able to pick up anything through the ravaged terra.
The Glaev.
Once the corruption had touched the land, nothing survived. Anything it came into contact with withered and turned to ash within minutes, if not seconds. No trees or grass, not even the buildings existed there anymore, and no matter how many years passed, it would never grow back and could never be touched. Not even magic could penetrate it. The Glaev completely consumed the land, wiping it from existence and leaving a dark, empty scar.
My breathing increased as I dismounted and slowly approached what was once the small village, my muscles tightening with each step. The magic under my skin felt agitated, like it wanted to pull me away from the proximity. I knew better than to get too close. But I wanted to examine it for a moment. It had been a while since I had seen the corruption and the first time I had seen it this close to Ilrek. My palms began to sweat with the realization. It had never appeared within the perimeters of the Riyah Nation, and this was damn near on the edge.
No one knew precisely what infected the land—or why Riyah had never had to suffer its intrusion—only that it was first noticed around one hundred years ago by some very unfortunate travelers when they reached their intended village. Some believedit was related to the War of the Gods and the division of the Nations—a theory of lingering rivalry. But the Gods couldn’t interfere with our realm anymore. After the war, after the God Odes fell and died, the land was divided among the Gods, with Riyah being the neutral Nation belonging to none. That was why people assumed that Riyah was never a victim of the Glaev.
There weren’t any indications of where it would have occurred or how large the infected area would be until after it had filled its voracious appetite. It was unclear if it indeed was a plague, and many of the Scholars of Morah had perished attempting to study it to determine its origin. Morah held the most extraordinary collection of knowledge in the entire world. Scholars from all over were constantly coming and going, adding to the vast array of information being poured into the great library.
Standing before the decimation, it was like my terbis met a wall. Or not a wall but a cliff? One that drops off the world and into an endless void. Even if I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would describe it exactly the same by feel. Absence.
Spirits lived in everything. They were life. And the scent of so much spiritual death put me in an uneasy state, and my head started to feel dizzy.
After a moment, I decided that there was nothing new to learn about this patch of plague, nothing I could have done, and I walked back to my horse. I pulled out a piece of parchment and a stick of lead and recorded the information. Where it was located, size and shape. I maintained as much detail as possible, including a rough sketch. I replaced the materials in my pack, mounted the mare, and continued on, praying to the Gods for anyone who was left to perish in that village.
Dark memories instantly flooded my mind, but before I let them do more damage than they already had, I pushed them back into the hole where they belonged.
Itching to get away from this place, I urged my horse into a trot, which she was more than happy to grant, most likely just as eager as I was to leave this corrupted land. Several hours later, with the sun highest in the sky, we crested over a grassy hill with a stone arch at the top. Marking the passage between the nations of Gaol into Riyah, the arch displayed symbols of both Nations, one on each side of their border. The City of Ilrek finally came into sight.
Colorful stone buildings lined the city’s perimeter, consisting of three sets of rings separating the city in sections. The outer ring was for shops, markets, and inns. Being the closest to the edge, this made it easier for trade as well as travelers who needed to gather supplies and continue on their journey quickly. The secondary ring was for healers, apothecaries, and a few other trades and businesses. The inner ring contained the citizens’ homes, spaced far enough apart that it didn’t feel clustered, with small parks and gardens scattered throughout. The center of the city held Morah. It was also located directly in the middle of the continent, making it the most frequented library.
Morah was a beacon in the distance as I went through the city after leaving my horse at a stable on the outskirts. With its four towering spires, the obsidian building seemed to absorb light with its smooth, glassy texture. Each spire branched off more than halfway up the structure and reached into the sky with over thirty levels.
My heart swelled at the sight of the magnificent building as I reached the city’s inner circle. I had finally reached the great library, where I lived, and it was time for my mission to be completed and deliver the news of another Glaev outbreak.
Chapter Three
Kya
“Udon’s balls, Kya. You look like shit,” Malina greeted me as I entered the upper dormitory levels of Morah. She was sitting on a chair, picking at her long nails. She jumped up and approached me with a smirk on her olive-skinned face. Her black hair swayed behind her as she walked, stopping directly before me with her bare arms crossed over the low-cut top of her expansive chest.
“Nice to see you too, Mal,” I replied dryly, unable to stop the corners of my mouth from lifting into an amused smile. I crossed my arms to match her stance. Being the same height, our eyes were level, and I raised a brow. “You know, one of these days, the God of Mischief is going to come down here and smack you in the face with those balls of his if you keep cursing them as much as you do.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Like I’d oppose a God’s sack in my face.”
I snorted and couldn’t help my widening smile. I missed her snarky personality.
She smiled with a grimace. “I’d hug you after not seeing you for nearly a month, but you smell like horse shit and look like you’ve been lying in the dirt. And why is there blood on yourleathers?” My sister—of a sort—never missed an opportunity to give me a hard time. While we had no familial relation, we were sisters of the heart. Just like Nikan was our brother. Where we came from, family was much more than blood.
“I have been lying in the dirt. And I’ll explain the blood later. First, I need a hot bath.” I realized I must have been quite the sight, with dried mud and blood on my clothes and my hair fraying out from my braid. Annoyed with the state of my hair, I reached up and attempted to pull a stick out of the tangles—a pointless effort until I could properly bathe.
Her smile fell, and she dropped her arms to her sides. “That’ll have to wait. Eamon said he needs to see you once you arrive.”
Disappointed, though not surprised, I nodded my head. My mission was only complete once I’d delivered his package, but usually, I had time to at least clean up.
“Alright. I’ll at least change first. I’m not walking into a High Scholar’s office with blood on my clothes.”
“Probably a good idea.” Malina laughed—a lighthearted sound like music to my ears. I began walking toward my room, and she stepped beside me.
