Author: paperbackdragon

Link to the full-sized map

Link to Chapter 1 – Previous Chapter – Next Chapter

---

She worked through the first room of twenty in just a couple of hours, working on dryads and faerie folk, along with a few elves. It was just a trickle of energy per patient, but she eventually felt fatigue begin to steal over her. She knew, though, it was good for her to be exercising her yellow energy. It meant that in the future she could have a larger store of the energy. She pushed herself since she wasn’t exhausted yet, and offered to work …

Link to the full-sized map

Link to Chapter 1 – Previous Chapter – Next Chapter

---

Rain drifted in and out of consciousness. At times in the haziness of waking, she felt a bitter, warm liquid slide down her throat or a cool cloth on her forehead. Time slipped by unnoticed. It could have been a few minutes or a few days.

A warm hand on her brow awakened her. Her eyes fluttered open. She could finally see clearly, and her thinking was unclouded. It was as if the dark veil had been lifted. She opened her eyes and saw she …

Link to the full-sized map

Link to Chapter 1 – Previous Chapter – Next Chapter

---

When they reached the second level, the guard led them across platforms and walkways to a more central staircase to the third level. A few minutes later, they arrived at their familiar rooms in the trunk of a massive tree.

The guard opened the door and stuck his head inside. The hushed talking coming from inside stopped.

“Rain and Shea are back, sir,” he said, then nodded his head in respect.

There was a short silence, and then she heard Whiskey’s voice. “Well, send them …

Link to the full-sized map

Link to Chapter 1 – Previous Chapter – Next Chapter

---

Unanswered questions ran rampant through Rain’s mind. As the darkness of night pressed in around her, she feared that she would forget the Goddess’ prophecy. She closed her eyes and concentrated, thinking of the first line, which she remembered. She said it aloud, and as soon as she did so, she recalled the second line. As she ran through each line in her head, she remembered the next one. Somehow, the Goddess must have etched the words into her mind so she would never forget …

Link to the full-sized map

Link to Chapter 1 – Previous Chapter – Next Chapter

---

“You do? You know a cure?” Rain said quietly, feeling hope grow inside of her again. She looked over at Shea. “Can he hear us?”

“I can tell he fights the Soulblight. Something deep inside him is trying to hear us. That is the part of him I will try to communicate with. It will be difficult to cure, as he is so far along. And I will need something from you. Please, tell me why you have come to the Dark Wood.”

Rain hesitated. …

Link to the full-sized map

Link to Chapter 1 – Previous Chapter – Next Chapter

---

“It’s been three days since you decided to find the Dark Wood by yourself,” Shea complained as they set off from their night’s rest. “Aeraldor said it was a week’s journey, and now it has been a week since we left Belmaeron and we haven’t found the lake.”

“We lost the map! Don’t expect us to get there when we had planned.”

Rain had grown increasingly worried about Shea’s new personality. Aeraldor’s description of the Soublight’s symptoms kept running through her head. Shea was constantly …

Link to the full-sized map

Link to Chapter 1 – Previous Chapter – Next Chapter

---

Shea clicked his tongue and his horse surged ahead. Rain followed, watching him struggle to keep the black horse from cantering. She looked behind and saw Whiskey and Aeraldor disappear behind the thick tree trunks.

They continued silently at a brisk trot, Shea doing his best to keep Ahearn from cantering. The thin undergrowth allowed for easy traveling. The great trees of Ellwood stood around them like pillars holding up the heavens, and birds trilled in the treetops.

Shea’s horse continued to act strangely, and …