[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Scout the area first. Make certainthere's no surprises ."
"For sure there."
"Amiri, I want wards and tell-tales set up around the parameters."
CHAPTER SIX: THEWOODLAND DIVINES
Anksha knew that something had happened when her body tingled fiercely and
the tent collapsed. She erupted shrieking and clawing through the folds to
stare at the garden where a single wondrous tree was a forest, its aerial
roots descending to the ground at the ends of branches to form the trunks of
new trees. Marble columned walks that traced the pattern of the bear rune of
Willodarus had become lost in the maze of the banyan tree's spreading growth
over the centuries and the runic pattern was no longer noticeable. An artesian
spring fed a pond of rainbow carp beneath a single baobab tree. Near that was
a curious tree that looked very like a sleeping man. It drew Anksha. She
cocked her head deeply to one side as she crept up to him.
Dynarien sliced through the top of the tent with a belt knife, emerging next
with pieces of canvas sliding down around him. He sheathed his blade as he
watched Anksha, and followed, sensing no harm in her, only curiosity. Anksha
squatted, peering up into the tree's face. The tree shook itself. Its trunk
separated into legs and arms. Willodarus lifted himself out of the earth,
slowly reforming into a man. Power sang through the garden. Anksha yelped and
retreated.
The ancient god looked gnarled and twisted like a tree from the side of a
wind-swept mountain. His skin was a deep, warm brown; his fingers long and
twiggy; his hair a long dark forest green hanging to his knees; his face was
gaunt and seamed while his eyes were a midnight blue alive with dancing silver
sparkles. He wore only a rough loincloth. His form smoothed still more, every
muscle becoming well defined until finally he could have been carved from
mahogany by a skilled artisan.
"What have we here? the god asked in a warm, melodious voice like a breeze
in the leaves on a summer's evening Where did you come from little one? I do
believe you are a demon-eater."
"Tree, tree, tree, tree,"Anksha gibbered, feeling the power rising from him
as a burning palpable force, and nodding frantically. She slid into an old
language in her nervous reaction. Willodarus quirked his head at that,
following her words easily though she spoke a language generally believed
extinct.
"Ishla has been looking all over for you and the rest of your kind. I won't
hurt you."
Anksha backed into Dynarien, spun around, and climbed up him. He grabbed her
waist and then her buttocks, and finally her legs in an attempt to slow her
down as her hind claws tore the fabric of his tunic and leggings, grazing the
skin beneath in her hasty progress. Anksha settled on his shoulders and he
sighed with relief.
Haig came next, followed by Dynanna and Nans, who were eyeing each other as
if ready to go at it again. Anksha immediately leaped onto Nans back, wrapped
her legs around her waist, and clung there, growling softly at Willodarus when
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
he came too close.
Willodarus eyes narrowed, going suddenly dangerous, angry. Vampire!"
"Daddy, don't! Dynanna threw herself in front of Haig just as the vampire
had the good sense to prostrate himself before the elder god.
"Most Holy Father of MyLiege -God,forgive my unworthy presence, Haig said
hastily.
Willodarus eyes narrowed still more and then snapped wide.
Yourwhat?Dynanna!"
"I'm his captain, Nans interposed. And I've got a sa'necari around here
somewhere."
Willodarus looked affronted and thoroughly shocked. I expect this kind of
behavior from Dynanna, but not from you, Nans."
Akira, the night-elf war-leader, appeared with a small host of his people.
His sapphire skin gleamed with a faint sheen of sweat and his white hair hung
to his knees in a braid.
"Vampire?"the warleader demanded in the night-elf tongue. Very few of them
spoke any language save their own, having limited experience with outlanders
on their isolated island continent.
Haig stared at them uncomfortably without rising, uncertain of what they
were.
"Let him be, Akira. He is a guest here so long as he does not kill or turn
anyone."Willodarus answered in the same language,then turned to Dynanna and
Nans in common, Well, daughters? Where is your sa'necari?"
Nans and Dynanna exchanged glances. Isranon and the lycans must still be
under the tent, Nans said. And my wounded? What have you done to them?"
"You havewounded, daughter? Willodarus asked her. How many?"
Nans flashed a furious look at Dynanna and turned to her father. Travis and
a lycan named Olin, as well as Isranon."
Hearing the name a second time, the god wound his lips around it. Isranon?"
"Yes. Then Nans turned on Dynanna with a wordless snarl.
Dynanna knelt at the edge of the canvas, slowly rolling up the tent, and
tossing the pegs and posts aside. She exposed the first lycan, Daree, laying
out cold. Holy Gophers, I never tried to bring so many with me andI
stunned'em."
"You idiot! Nans got a fistful of her hair shaking her again. If you've
stunned the lycans, what have you done to Isranon? If you've killed him"
Dynanna continued to roll, having to do so with one hand holding her hair to
prevent Nans from pulling a chunk of it out. Haig and Dynarien joined in. Soon
the night elves were helping also. Nans released Dynanna to help them.
When they reached the middle, Isranon levered himself slowly, painfully to
his feet to stand before the god. Anksha immediately sprang from Nans
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
shoulders and rushed to his side where she crouched, a furious human cat ready
to defend her loved one.
Willodarus looked at him and then at the staff. Dawnhand! They said you were
dead, my son."
Isranon, who had been striving to remain standing, swayed and then crumpled
unconscious. Anksha hunkered over him, hissing at everyone, feeling the power
of this place like a roaring in her ears. It had finally become too much for
her. Her body hair stood on end and the long hair on her head flared and
danced in the energy like a dark halo. She unsheathed her claws, crouching
lower, until her stomach pressed against Isranon's back, her shoulders lifted,
and her knees pressing into his side. Anksha bared her fangs in a
demon-eater's instinctual display when faced with a possible enemy, her feline
body gathering itself to spring. Power crawled through her, itching and
burning, setting her nerves on end. She wanted to run away from it; but she
refused to leave him.
"You hurt him,"Anksha hissed. You hurt my Isranon."
"No! Dynarien cried, stepping between Anksha and his father. The Twice-Born
son turned to Willodarus. Isranon came to help Talons, but the Jump may have
killed him. Dynanna lost her temper andJumped the whole tent with everyone in
it." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
Page 51
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Scout the area first. Make certainthere's no surprises ."
"For sure there."
"Amiri, I want wards and tell-tales set up around the parameters."
CHAPTER SIX: THEWOODLAND DIVINES
Anksha knew that something had happened when her body tingled fiercely and
the tent collapsed. She erupted shrieking and clawing through the folds to
stare at the garden where a single wondrous tree was a forest, its aerial
roots descending to the ground at the ends of branches to form the trunks of
new trees. Marble columned walks that traced the pattern of the bear rune of
Willodarus had become lost in the maze of the banyan tree's spreading growth
over the centuries and the runic pattern was no longer noticeable. An artesian
spring fed a pond of rainbow carp beneath a single baobab tree. Near that was
a curious tree that looked very like a sleeping man. It drew Anksha. She
cocked her head deeply to one side as she crept up to him.
Dynarien sliced through the top of the tent with a belt knife, emerging next
with pieces of canvas sliding down around him. He sheathed his blade as he
watched Anksha, and followed, sensing no harm in her, only curiosity. Anksha
squatted, peering up into the tree's face. The tree shook itself. Its trunk
separated into legs and arms. Willodarus lifted himself out of the earth,
slowly reforming into a man. Power sang through the garden. Anksha yelped and
retreated.
The ancient god looked gnarled and twisted like a tree from the side of a
wind-swept mountain. His skin was a deep, warm brown; his fingers long and
twiggy; his hair a long dark forest green hanging to his knees; his face was
gaunt and seamed while his eyes were a midnight blue alive with dancing silver
sparkles. He wore only a rough loincloth. His form smoothed still more, every
muscle becoming well defined until finally he could have been carved from
mahogany by a skilled artisan.
"What have we here? the god asked in a warm, melodious voice like a breeze
in the leaves on a summer's evening Where did you come from little one? I do
believe you are a demon-eater."
"Tree, tree, tree, tree,"Anksha gibbered, feeling the power rising from him
as a burning palpable force, and nodding frantically. She slid into an old
language in her nervous reaction. Willodarus quirked his head at that,
following her words easily though she spoke a language generally believed
extinct.
"Ishla has been looking all over for you and the rest of your kind. I won't
hurt you."
Anksha backed into Dynarien, spun around, and climbed up him. He grabbed her
waist and then her buttocks, and finally her legs in an attempt to slow her
down as her hind claws tore the fabric of his tunic and leggings, grazing the
skin beneath in her hasty progress. Anksha settled on his shoulders and he
sighed with relief.
Haig came next, followed by Dynanna and Nans, who were eyeing each other as
if ready to go at it again. Anksha immediately leaped onto Nans back, wrapped
her legs around her waist, and clung there, growling softly at Willodarus when
Page 52
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
he came too close.
Willodarus eyes narrowed, going suddenly dangerous, angry. Vampire!"
"Daddy, don't! Dynanna threw herself in front of Haig just as the vampire
had the good sense to prostrate himself before the elder god.
"Most Holy Father of MyLiege -God,forgive my unworthy presence, Haig said
hastily.
Willodarus eyes narrowed still more and then snapped wide.
Yourwhat?Dynanna!"
"I'm his captain, Nans interposed. And I've got a sa'necari around here
somewhere."
Willodarus looked affronted and thoroughly shocked. I expect this kind of
behavior from Dynanna, but not from you, Nans."
Akira, the night-elf war-leader, appeared with a small host of his people.
His sapphire skin gleamed with a faint sheen of sweat and his white hair hung
to his knees in a braid.
"Vampire?"the warleader demanded in the night-elf tongue. Very few of them
spoke any language save their own, having limited experience with outlanders
on their isolated island continent.
Haig stared at them uncomfortably without rising, uncertain of what they
were.
"Let him be, Akira. He is a guest here so long as he does not kill or turn
anyone."Willodarus answered in the same language,then turned to Dynanna and
Nans in common, Well, daughters? Where is your sa'necari?"
Nans and Dynanna exchanged glances. Isranon and the lycans must still be
under the tent, Nans said. And my wounded? What have you done to them?"
"You havewounded, daughter? Willodarus asked her. How many?"
Nans flashed a furious look at Dynanna and turned to her father. Travis and
a lycan named Olin, as well as Isranon."
Hearing the name a second time, the god wound his lips around it. Isranon?"
"Yes. Then Nans turned on Dynanna with a wordless snarl.
Dynanna knelt at the edge of the canvas, slowly rolling up the tent, and
tossing the pegs and posts aside. She exposed the first lycan, Daree, laying
out cold. Holy Gophers, I never tried to bring so many with me andI
stunned'em."
"You idiot! Nans got a fistful of her hair shaking her again. If you've
stunned the lycans, what have you done to Isranon? If you've killed him"
Dynanna continued to roll, having to do so with one hand holding her hair to
prevent Nans from pulling a chunk of it out. Haig and Dynarien joined in. Soon
the night elves were helping also. Nans released Dynanna to help them.
When they reached the middle, Isranon levered himself slowly, painfully to
his feet to stand before the god. Anksha immediately sprang from Nans
Page 53
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
shoulders and rushed to his side where she crouched, a furious human cat ready
to defend her loved one.
Willodarus looked at him and then at the staff. Dawnhand! They said you were
dead, my son."
Isranon, who had been striving to remain standing, swayed and then crumpled
unconscious. Anksha hunkered over him, hissing at everyone, feeling the power
of this place like a roaring in her ears. It had finally become too much for
her. Her body hair stood on end and the long hair on her head flared and
danced in the energy like a dark halo. She unsheathed her claws, crouching
lower, until her stomach pressed against Isranon's back, her shoulders lifted,
and her knees pressing into his side. Anksha bared her fangs in a
demon-eater's instinctual display when faced with a possible enemy, her feline
body gathering itself to spring. Power crawled through her, itching and
burning, setting her nerves on end. She wanted to run away from it; but she
refused to leave him.
"You hurt him,"Anksha hissed. You hurt my Isranon."
"No! Dynarien cried, stepping between Anksha and his father. The Twice-Born
son turned to Willodarus. Isranon came to help Talons, but the Jump may have
killed him. Dynanna lost her temper andJumped the whole tent with everyone in
it." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]