The river turned to vapor as a maw filled with fire and magma crashed into its surface. A wall of steam slapped the zerok, almost knocking them both out of the air. The brutal turbulence shook Vincent, filling his eyes with stars. He felt something pop in one of his joints. Rock exploded from thermal shock, liacyte shattered. Shards from the explosions stung his legs. Dust and ash, funneled by the pass, chased after the zerok until it enveloped them. Grit flew into Vincent’s eyes and coated the inside of his mouth. The air itself shouted with cicadas and earthquakes.

  Everything was orange. The dust, the ashes, the air. The heat permeated it all. The zerok pulled upward, flailing toward the sky like swimmers drowning in the zeffyr’s chaff. But the heatwave must have pushed them forward because soon, Vincent felt cool wind break against his face. Down below, the zeffyr, hidden in the cloud of destruction it was creating, continued to carve a rut into the valley. Odd, it seemed to be ignoring them.

  The zerok climbed. And like before, the zeffyr eventually continued its pursuit. The zerok tried to lead it into the mountain face to slow it down, flying low until it seemed like they were in danger of grazing the rock. Vincent could only catch glimpses of the colossus. Where rocks touched the zeffyr’s maw, blinding flashes erupted. He saw a boulder fall into its opening and as soon as it passed into its threshold, it exploded. The shattered pieces glowed orange and liquefied. Rock should not melt that fast...not even if it fell into a volcano. It was as if the fragments had fallen into a powerful microwave.

  When they both gained some distance, Selefi slowed down and flew beside Madeen. Moments later, Selefi left her side and flew off.

  Where the hell is he going? he thought.

  Selefi kept his distance and fell behind while Madeen led the colossus on a wild chase. The air shook with the sheer scale of its destruction as she kited the beast into as many obstacles as she could. The zeffyr was an unstoppable force, carving angry red lines into the land. Lava and molten glass spattered its trail. Madeen did a u-turn and flew over it, riding the heat. Like before, the colossus appeared to ignore them for a bit before changing direction and pursuing them both. She repeated this maneuver several more times. She was testing it, Vincent realized.

  The chase was endless. Madeen was pushing herself, Vincent could feel it. But she kept ahead of the zeffyr. Like a shovel that had hit clay, the colossus plowed into the hard rock, which slowed it down. Using this tactic, they were finally able to make headway and leave it behind.

  He saw another zerok flying in the distance. It came closer, perhaps wondering what in the hell was going on. Selefi flew out to meet it and Vincent could tell they were communicating. After an apparent exchange, the new zerok departed and flew off. Then Madeen and Selefi descended to take another break. While they quenched their thirst near a river, The La’ark explained what was going on.

  “The Shaydos are being alerted to our plan,” she said.

  Vincent hardly heard her words. He was riding on adrenaline, and he was feeling its tax on his body. He was exhausted. He ached all over and he wanted nothing more than to lay down.

  “We cannot put too much distance between us and the zeffyr” she said, “Or else it comes upon us from the air itself.”

  There were wheels churning in her head, strategies forming. Though her voice reflected his own exhaustion, The La'ark remained sharp of both wit and mind. They took advantage of their short reprieve. But before long, the ground began to shake, meaning it was time to go. They flew into the evening and the evening turned into night. The chase was never-ending and the zeffyr was relentless. It tore into rock and soil, effacing the mountainsides with its inferno. Lakes exploded into steam and cliffs turned into magma. Vincent hung limply in Madeen’s embrace, swinging around like a rag doll. When they took their breaks, he almost had to crawl to the river to drink. He was shaking too badly.

  By mid-afternoon of the next day, they began to follow the course of a large river that weaved in and out of the mountains. The peaks grew shorter and lesser streams fed into the river from the sides. The wider it grew, the more torpid it became. Green algae and scum began to float on its surface in round patties. In some areas, the scum grew so dense, the river resembled somebody’s lawn. Only the occasional ripple broke the illusion. Slithering things flinched in the water and ducked under the surface as the zerok flew overhead.

  Eventually, the algae suddenly stopped. A dividing line of dark, silent water cut across it as if somebody had taken an eraser to the pond scum. Any algae that crossed this threshold was immediately sucked into the depths. When the zerok passed over this demarcation, Vincent felt his ears pop. He looked down at glassy, lifeless waters and saw a black, bottomless abyss. They had entered The Stillwater’s domain.

  The silent marsh was still flooded. Only a few eyots of land and rock peppered its glassy expanse. The surface was so quiet, one could be tricked into thinking they could walk on it as one could walk on a glass bridge. But that was a deception. Anything that broke that surface would never be released. It would be sucked down into the fathomless depths, never to be seen again. The La’ark pointed to a large rocky protrusion jutting from the Stillwater and the zerok flew toward it.

  It was not a massive island, but it was large enough to host the two fliers. They deposited Vincent and The La’ark onto the rocks. There, the four of them waited in anticipation. The Stillwater’s impenetrable silence rang in Vincent’s ears like tinnitus. The cloying hotness of its humidity clung to his skin like a disease that sought to snuff him out. His panting and trembling sounded like explosions. The air was so thick that he felt like he could choke on it. Their rock seemed to be floating above blackness, as if their safety here were an illusion, as if it too, were moments away from plunging into the deepness. A few ripples rang out from its base and The La’ark clamped a hand over Vincent’s maw to silence his panting.

  The zerok shifted on their perches, dislodging a few pebbles, which were sent tumbling into the water below. They were visible for a moment before the darkness claimed them. The four of them watched and waited. They could not hear the zeffyr’s rumbling, not from within The Stillwater’s silence. It was as if they were separated from the outside world. Even though they could see the zeffyr's destruction growing nearer, they heard nothing except their own breathing and their own heartbeats. Vincent's was becoming erratic and irregular.

  Finally, the zeffyr's fiery circle could be seen coursing down the river. Walls of steam shot up in front of it like a jet, obscuring its spinning funnel. It careened toward The Stillwater’s threshold without showing any signs of slowing down or hesitating. It blasted apart the algae infested waters, sent driftwood flying into the air. Still, nobody could hear any of this. It was like watching a silent film without music to accompany it. The Stillwater "twitched". Several simultaneous ripples spread out across its surface and the water lapped at the rocks below.

  The zeffyr crashed into The Stillwater’s threshold and sound erupted. A cacophony of cicadas and roiling filled the air. When the steam began to clear, it revealed the entity, aiming its churning inferno at Vincent. It was partially submerged into the marsh and locked in place by the marsh's grip. As its gravelly skin orbited its body, The Stillwater ensnared it, stripping the zeffyr of its rocks. The waters began to pull it down. The resulting conflict was immediate and explosive.

  Hundreds of ripples splashed all around the marsh as the Stillwater claimed its prey. The zeffyr fought, but like anything else that stepped into the marsh's ponds, it began to sink. It was like watching a small volcano descend into an ocean. Enormous gouts of water and steam shot into the air before raining back down around the conflict. It almost looked like the marsh was physically brawling with the fiery entity, sloshing and splashing around its body as it battled to swallow its food. It was winning. In minutes, the entire entity sunk below the surface and the marsh closed in over it. It continued to splash and froth for a bit before slowing down and resuming its glasslike tranquility.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Everybody was clenching, waiting for some sign that the zeffyr was going to continue its pursuit. But the silence remained. The surface was still, as if nothing has ever happened. The zeffyr's shape grew darker as it continued to plummet until, eventually, it disappeared from view entirely. It was over. Selefi relaxed and gently nudged The La’ark.

  "We wait," she whispered staring at the spot where the zeffyr went under. Then she stepped back and sighed, "Wait for the steam to clear. Rest." Vincent had no idea what the marsh's steam would do to a person. So that’s exactly what they did, they waited and took advantage of this reprieve.

  There was no wind in the marsh, none that Vincent could feel anyway. So, it took a long time for the steam to clear. It just kept expanding and drifting on a whim. But it appeared to be drifting away from them and so they were in no immediate danger. Desperate to escape the oppressive heat, he crawled into some shade cast by a boulder and rest his head. The La’ark snapped her fingers and got his attention.

  "Do not sleep," she mouthed into his ear, "We are still in danger. The marsh claims those who slumber in it."

  He looked out over the glassy expanse. It waited like a predator and the humidity, which seemed to chase him even into the shade, felt like its breath on his flesh. He listened to his heart, thrumming against his chest. The tinnitus seemed to be drilling into his brain through his ears, a perpetual whining that could drive one into the deepest fathoms of insanity. The deepness of the marsh called to him. Just looking upon it gave him a sense of vertigo, an illusion that just one misplaced step would send him tumbling into its plunge.

  Madeen perked up and stared out into the water. She clacked her beak to get The La’ark’s attention.

  “What?” The La’ark whispered.

  The zerok lifted a foot and pointed with a talon. The La'ark followed it and froze. Vincent tried to see what they were both looking at, but he was too afraid to approach the edge. He dreaded looking down into the abyss. But he had to see. So, he got up and stepped closer.

  At first, he did not see what caught their attention. But then he noticed something shimmering below the surface. When one shot a bullet through water and played it back in slow motion, the footage showed that the bullet left behind it a tube-shaped trail of cavitation bubbles.

  That was similar to what he saw: a massive channel of bubbles frozen in place. Nothing was allowed to rise in The Stillwater’s depths, not even trapped air. And yet, this tube of empty space was growing. Not only that, it was aimed right for them. The optics of water obscured the source of the growing channel, making the bubbles look like silvery mirrors. But there was a bright fiery flickering at the forefront of this tube.

  Oh God no…, Vincent thought.

  “Weaverflame! The zeffyr,” The La’ark muttered in disbelief, “It’s burning a path through The Stillwater to get to us. If the water cannot touch its body...it cannot trap it! ”

  All Vincent could do was stare down at the growing channel in horror. He heard his name, but he did not heed it. So Madeen simply grabbed him and took flight. Selefi was right behind her, carrying The La’ark. They flew as fast as their wings could carry them, evading the clouds of Stillwater mist. The air popped and cicadas sizzled as the zeffyr broke free. Heat as intense as the sun slapped them. Madeen nearly lost control and plummeted toward the surface. The zeffyr's entire body was glowing like an inferno, not just its maw, but the gravel too.

  It was then that he understood...it did not matter what they did, where they went. The zeffyr would summon as much energy as it needed to chase its prey, even if it meant burning a path through the Stillwater’s inescapable abyss. Not even an eldritch entity like the marsh could contain it. The zeffyr turned in the air and the chase continued.

  Selefi and Madeen headed back into the mountains, flying through smoky clouds that stung Vincent’s eyes and burned his throat. The zerok dived and stayed low so they could evade these storms. Later on, a group of zerok dotted the vista. Selefi veered off hard to intercept but Madeen stayed on course. A few minutes later, Selefi returned, joined by the fliers. There were nine of them in total.

  When she deemed it safe, The La’ark signaled toward a large flat plateau for them to land on. There appeared to be a small, spring-fed lake at its top. When they landed, Vincent stumbled and struggled to stay upright. But as soon as he found his footing, he headed straight for the spring. Dust caked his parched throat. He dipped his snout into the water and drank as much as he could. Madeen and Selefi joined him, extending their strange maws toward the surface like fleshy straws. The other zerok landed shortly thereafter.

  There was something different about these fliers. Was it the way they moved? The way they held themselves? They were leaner than most and they looked lighter than Madeen and Selefi. One of them had snow white feathers with thin black stripes running down its middle. Vincent was surprised to see that its eyes glowed with a vibrant blue. When it opened the eye on its gullet, it also glowed. He didn’t know zerok could be channelers too. In addition to the lambent iris, the pupil had a gray fog behind it. Was it blind in that eye? It did not seem to be looking anywhere in particular.

  “Shaydos...” The La’ark rasped, “I regret I lack the time for a proper introduction. So, forgive my haste. All of you...deserve better. I am humbled by your aid.”

  The white one, who appeared to be the leader, closed his eyes in acknowledgment.

  “This is Vincent Cordell. He is the one you must escort. The rest of his cabras got left behind. A zeffyr appeared at our encampment and we have been pursued by it ever since.”

  At this, all of them stepped back in shock and let out an angry hiss.

  “Yes! That is the cause of the destruction you see in the distance,” The La’ark said.

  Dark clouds and towers of smoke rose in the direction of the zeffyr. “I will tell you what I have observed,” she continued, “if there are no obstacles in the way, it is faster than your wings can carry you. It cannot be outrun. However, its ‘sight’ is imperfect. Madeen will evade its pursuit, and for a while, it will show no sign of having noticed her maneuver. But it will always change course and continue its hunt. I can only surmise that it has some method of locating Vincent, but it cannot see him all the time.”

  “Second, while it can be slowed down by the mountains, we cannot get too far from it. Otherwise, it will vanish, and it will reappear near us. I do not know how. But we must remain close enough to it to lead it. I do not know how far from it we can get. But it nearly killed us.” She turned to Selefi. “Nothing appears to stop it. I have even led it into The Stillwater, but still, it could not be contained. We are weary…and so I thank you for your aid.”

  Then she turned to Selefi, “The Stillwater failed us. But...there is one other option, one last gambit. My brother...he is the only one who can solve this problem. He should have departed Meldohv Syredel days ago on his journey to Gullreach for the festival. His caravan should be within flying distance. I need you to find a Telen...or a chain that leads to my brother, whichever comes first.”

  Telen, Vincent recognized the word. A telen was somebody who could use lore to communicate across vast distances using something called the reticulum. Shortly after he arrived in Falius, one tried to contact him...and he ended up killing her with powers he still does not understand. His stomach went cold just thinking about it. Everything he did, his very existence, brought destruction. And now there was a colossus carving up literal mountainsides in pursuit of him.

  No, this isn’t my fault. I didn’t want any of this. This is Girashnal’s doing. There are things out of my control.

  “I need to establish contact with him,” The La’ark continued, forcefully, “I do not care if he is with a diplomat, sleeping, or emptying his bowels. You get him! Link us! He is the only one that can confront this thing!”

  When Selefi took off, The La’ark turned back to the Shaydos.

  “We need to keep the zeffyr in the Aindo Ring. You know these mountains. We must keep its destruction away from villages and the main roads for as long as possible. We must keep it in the wilds, where nobody lives. We do not want to lead it straight through an entire mountain, I dread the devastation that will cause. Do as we have been doing: put cliffs in our way. Slow it down. We can use the zeffyr’s blindness to our advantage. When you see it turn, change course. It’s...it’s the only way. We need to last until I connect with my blood."

  There was gravity to The La’ark’s words and Vincent felt a heavy weight settle on his shoulders. As she addressed them, the white zerok with glowing eyes approached him. Its footsteps were deliberate, but gentle. It lowered its head to his level, and they met eye to eye. Its gaze was as fierce as an eagle’s and yet there was a soft sapience behind its glare.

  “He has chosen a name for you to address him by,” The La’ark said, “It is written on his beak.”

  Vincent had not noticed the scribblings on the zerok’s beak, hastily scratched on keratin with some sort of ink.

  “I can’t read the language,” he rasped.

  “I thought you could understand any language?” She was referring to Vincent’s uncanny ability to hear any language in English. It was a universal translation that appeared shortly after he arrived in Falius.

  “Not text. It only works on speech."

  “Glimmer. You may call him Glimmer.”

  “Glimmer...” Vincent repeated. He didn’t know what else to say.

  Glimmer closed his eyes in acknowledgment. Then he raised his head and looked in at the approaching destruction. The zeffyr was getting closer.

  “It is time to move,” The La’ark said.