Chapter 41
Fenrir was glad to finally see the hut. It stood by itself in the middle of a vast grassy plain, devoid of civilization for miles in any direction. She gestured for the boy to stay behind her as she approached the door. She pulled out her sickle and held it at the ready as she reached for the handle.
"Come in!" called a crinkled old voice from inside.
Fenrir felt a chill run down her spine, but she steeled herself and pushed the door open.
A single candle that sat on a circular table in the center of the room, dimly illuminating the interior of the hut. Moonlight faintly filtered in through small windows along three walls. The rest of the hut was completely empty except for a withered old woman sitting in a large chair behind the table. She was dressed in a plain brown dress with a black bonnet that hid most of her white hair. The candle cast odd shadows across her face, making her silver eyes seem to glow.
"Hello there dearie," said the old woman in a kindly voice.
Fenrir kept the sickle at the ready as she stepped inside.
"Hello grandmother," said Fenrir curtseying awkwardly.
"What is your name dearie?" asked the old woman politely.
"Fenrir," she replied, "The boy is Stray."
Fenrir brought him from under her cape. "Say hi to the nice lady."
Stray waved shyly.
The old woman waved back with a faint smile.
He went back to hiding behind Fenrir again.
"My name is Terrato," said the old woman, raising her hands, one of which was decorated with a jadestone ring in the shape of a serpent.
Chairs rose out of the floor under Fenrir and Stray and they found themselves suddenly seated.
"Hey!" said Fenrir.
Terrato closed her eyes. She began to glow with a faint blue aura. Fenrir and Stray began to glow with the same color.
"So you children are truly Espers," she said opening her eyes again.
The glow faded. Fenrir just gaped dumbly. Stray stood on the chair and looked around in confusion.
"You can't be too careful," she said evenly, "Many humans have tried to take my powers."
"I've been looking for more of my kind," said Fenrir passionately, "But most are in hiding."
"With good reason, " said Terrato, "I know of another Esper."
"Tell us grandmother," said Fenrir.
"Tritoch lives in the caverns to the northwest," said Terrato.
Fenrir nodded and stood up.
"Wait my child!" said Terrato, "I will accompany you."
Fenrir smiled. "Thank you grandmother."
She rose and walked over to Fenrir and Stray. She ruffled Stray's hair. He swiped at her hand playfully.
"We must warn him of the danger," said Terrato.
"Which danger?" asked Fenrir, hoping the old woman would narrow the list down.
"The great armies of the Eboshi Confederation are on the march. Soon, no city on the continent will be safe. We must get to Tritoch before they do."
She led them out of the hut, which promptly sunk into the grass and was gone. Stray pawed at the grass.
"How are we going to get there?" asked Fenrir.
"I'll carry you," replied the old woman.
Fenrir blinked. "Are you sure?"
Terrato was engulfed in a great cloud of dust and reappeared as a fearsome giant earth-colored snake. Her silver eyes looked down at Fenrir with amusement.
"Sorry grandmother," said Fenrir sheepishly.
Fenrir and Stray climbed on to Terrato's back. She began to glow blue again and levitated off the ground.
"Hold on to my scales children!" said Terrato.
She streaked across the night sky at what seemed an impossibly fast speed. Fenrir saw the ground below as a blur. Stray clutched to her cape with all his might.
Fenrir was glad to finally see the hut. It stood by itself in the middle of a vast grassy plain, devoid of civilization for miles in any direction. She gestured for the boy to stay behind her as she approached the door. She pulled out her sickle and held it at the ready as she reached for the handle.
"Come in!" called a crinkled old voice from inside.
Fenrir felt a chill run down her spine, but she steeled herself and pushed the door open.
A single candle that sat on a circular table in the center of the room, dimly illuminating the interior of the hut. Moonlight faintly filtered in through small windows along three walls. The rest of the hut was completely empty except for a withered old woman sitting in a large chair behind the table. She was dressed in a plain brown dress with a black bonnet that hid most of her white hair. The candle cast odd shadows across her face, making her silver eyes seem to glow.
"Hello there dearie," said the old woman in a kindly voice.
Fenrir kept the sickle at the ready as she stepped inside.
"Hello grandmother," said Fenrir curtseying awkwardly.
"What is your name dearie?" asked the old woman politely.
"Fenrir," she replied, "The boy is Stray."
Fenrir brought him from under her cape. "Say hi to the nice lady."
Stray waved shyly.
The old woman waved back with a faint smile.
He went back to hiding behind Fenrir again.
"My name is Terrato," said the old woman, raising her hands, one of which was decorated with a jadestone ring in the shape of a serpent.
Chairs rose out of the floor under Fenrir and Stray and they found themselves suddenly seated.
"Hey!" said Fenrir.
Terrato closed her eyes. She began to glow with a faint blue aura. Fenrir and Stray began to glow with the same color.
"So you children are truly Espers," she said opening her eyes again.
The glow faded. Fenrir just gaped dumbly. Stray stood on the chair and looked around in confusion.
"You can't be too careful," she said evenly, "Many humans have tried to take my powers."
"I've been looking for more of my kind," said Fenrir passionately, "But most are in hiding."
"With good reason, " said Terrato, "I know of another Esper."
"Tell us grandmother," said Fenrir.
"Tritoch lives in the caverns to the northwest," said Terrato.
Fenrir nodded and stood up.
"Wait my child!" said Terrato, "I will accompany you."
Fenrir smiled. "Thank you grandmother."
She rose and walked over to Fenrir and Stray. She ruffled Stray's hair. He swiped at her hand playfully.
"We must warn him of the danger," said Terrato.
"Which danger?" asked Fenrir, hoping the old woman would narrow the list down.
"The great armies of the Eboshi Confederation are on the march. Soon, no city on the continent will be safe. We must get to Tritoch before they do."
She led them out of the hut, which promptly sunk into the grass and was gone. Stray pawed at the grass.
"How are we going to get there?" asked Fenrir.
"I'll carry you," replied the old woman.
Fenrir blinked. "Are you sure?"
Terrato was engulfed in a great cloud of dust and reappeared as a fearsome giant earth-colored snake. Her silver eyes looked down at Fenrir with amusement.
"Sorry grandmother," said Fenrir sheepishly.
Fenrir and Stray climbed on to Terrato's back. She began to glow blue again and levitated off the ground.
"Hold on to my scales children!" said Terrato.
She streaked across the night sky at what seemed an impossibly fast speed. Fenrir saw the ground below as a blur. Stray clutched to her cape with all his might.