They carried on. Mountains gave way to plains and fields. The road widened, and on either side Eliphaz could see narrow canals which had been dug long ago. It was winter, so the fields were untilled, yet the canals had already begun collecting the rainwater which flowed from the mountains. The bottoms of these trenches were lined with stones that glistened in the sunlight, scraggly weeds emerging from beneath.
The conversation slowly faded away, as it often does between strangers as they realize they have nothing else left to say. What remained was an amicable silence between the travelers, each giving in to the hypnotic monotony of the journey: the rocking gait of the horses, the rhythm of their hooves and snorts, slowly but surely taking them forward.
Despite the calm, Eliphaz felt something eerie in the silence. He suspected Narina and Besset felt it too. They all shared it: a deep fear of what awaited them. At first they ignored it, choosing to not speak of the monster they had set out to find and kill, resigning their fear to silence. But as the day went on, that uncertain end crept closer and closer, until they could no longer hide it from themselves. As the fear grew, so did the silence.
And now, Eliphaz thought, they rode without saying a word. For as long as the fear remained only in their minds it was a flimsy, slight thing. But put the fear into words, let it loose into the world, and who knows what it might become?
Finally, the sun began to reach its horizon. They began to search for a place to make camp.
“We are nearing a small settlement,” Besset said. “If we do not make it by nightfall, the moon is nearly ripe and should give us ample light.”
“No. There is a place much closer.” Narina spoke lightly, yet her tone was assured. Like a ghost she slipped off the back of Eliphaz’s horse, her feet landing on the ground without a sound. “Follow me,” she said.
About five hundred paces off the road there was a small hill, spherical and covered by thorny evergreens. Narina led the way, her slight figure slipping in between the trees as Besset and Eliphaz unmounted.
Eliphaz led his horse through the trees, feeling a strange sense of unease. The grove was dense, dead trunks leaning against younger firs. Light barely filtered through the thorny branches, casting shadows on the layers of roots that led up the hill like a staircase.
His horse neighed in protest as he led it upwards.
“Hush,” Eliphaz murmured.
As he made it to the crest, the trees gave way and a dramatic scene unfolded. The top of the hill was perfectly flat, a grass clearing underneath the red sky. In its center was a gilgal, a sacred stone circle, made up of twelve rocks half-submerged in the earth. Eliphaz could see Narina standing just outside the gilgal, staring into the distance.
“How did you know of this place?” he asked.
“I could feel it,” she said. “We’ll be safe here. The gods are watching.”
She turned around as Eliphaz approached her, her black curls bouncing against her tunic. Her eyes sparkled with joy—and something else too, Eliphaz thought. A calm surety, a serene sense of knowing, of understanding.
Behind him, Besset emerged from the trees. For a moment he looked around, scanning the area.
“This will do,” he finally said. He began to tie his horse to a tree at the edge of the clearing. “We’ll water the beasts in the morning, once we return to the road.”
Eliphaz still felt uneasy. The clearing seemed possessed by some mysterious power, as if hiding some dark secret.
“This place, it wasn’t always like this,” he said, trying to choose his words carefully. “I mean, obviously someone placed the stones in a circle, but it is more than that. The clearing isn’t just a clearing, this hill isn’t just a hill.”
It clicked. “It’s a burial mound,” Eliphaz realized. “But built by whom? And for what purpose?”
“It’s ancient. Whoever made this is long gone, its original purpose lost to time.” It was Besset who spoke, having finished securing the horses. “Narina says it is safe. I trust her judgment in these matters.”
“How do we know we are not trespassing upon sacred ground?” Eliphaz asked. “We have no idea what lies beneath us, or the meaning of this circle of stones. How are you so sure we might not anger some slumbering god?”
Narina stepped toward him, looking into Eliphaz’s anxious eyes. Her voice was soft and reassuring, but also distant, as if the words she said were not meant for him at all. “People come and go. The words we speak, the things we make, the stories we tell; all this will eventually be lost. That is the simple nature of our existence. Gods are not like this; their names may be forgotten, their forms may change, but they will always exist, far into a future that you or I cannot imagine.”
She turned away from him, looking into the center of the gilgal. Each stone cast a long, hulking shadow, red silhouettes that bloomed wider as the sun fell. “I do not know the name of the god which resides here. But I know that it is watching this place. It spoke to me. Not through words or images, it is a god far too old to understand such worldly concepts. But it spoke to me, and it said that as long as we rest within this place, it will do all in its power to protect us.”
—
They settled within the sacred stones. Besset collected dry branches and kindling from the surrounding grove, and soon a fire began to crackle as the last bits of daylight waned. Passing out pieces of bread and cured meat, they ate in silence, no one daring to breach the topic that occupied them.
“We made good progress today,” Besset finally said, breaking through their stewing thoughts. “Tomorrow there will be plenty of time to reach our destination. Then the real search can begin.”
Eliphaz looked up from the flames. He thrummed with questions: “What does that mean? How can we possibly hope to locate...it? And within a reasonable amount of time?”
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“The last reported incident was many months ago, but it is our first thread. News rarely reaches Shechem, if at all. People are superstitious, they fear that to even speak of the creature spells misfortune. For now, that is where we are headed, and after that we will have to rely on Narina’s abilities.”
Eliphaz turned to Narina. “So you’ll be able to sense it, just as you sensed this place, hidden within the grove?”
“I’ve felt it before...I’ll recognize it when I find it.” Narina looked at him with steady eyes. “But there’s more than that. The night it took my parents, I was warned. A god spoke to me through a teraphim, the idol somehow connecting us. Wherever the creature goes, the gods recoil, they are as fearful as us, maybe even more.” She paused, staring into the fire as she thought. “I’ve grown into my powers. At first they were so scary and overwhelming, I couldn’t make sense of it. But as we’ve traveled today I’ve felt things I’ve never felt before. Faint whispers. Half-dead memories. The world is full of invisible knowledge, and finally I am starting to understand it. Once we are close, I should be able to follow its trail.”
“With Narina’s help we should have no issue tracking the creature,” Besset added. “Hopefully that means we will have the element of surprise, or can at least prepare our attack. I’ve been meaning to give you this, by the way.” Besset took something from his belt and handed it to Narina.
It was a dagger, its blade wrapped in leather. “Eliphaz and I will do our best to keep you out of danger. But when dealing with an unknown enemy like this, we must prepare for the worst.”
She clutched the weapon, giving Besset a solemn nod. “I understand, Commander.”
“Let’s say we find this...thing.” Eliphaz shuddered inwardly. “That with Narina’s help we are able to sneak up on it. Then what? What is our plan of attack?”
“Good question,” Besset acknowledged. “Given our circumstances, we may need to alter course, but I propose a simple strategy: Eliphaz will stay back, using his vines to subdue the creature. Then I, with my greater strength and weapon perks, will approach to deal damage.”
“Sounds fair.” Eliphaz had to admit that Besset’s reasoning was calm and straight-forward. “Let’s hope that is all it will take.”
“Eliphaz?” Narina cut in.
“Yes?”
“You should really spend your stat points.”
“My what? Oh, of course!” He had completely forgotten about reaching level 12 after having fought through the Temple of Molek. After the heat of the battle, he preferred not looking at his System. It served as yet another reminder of his failure and the profane deal he had seemingly made. Nonetheless, he still had 4 stat points and 2 skill points to allot, as Narina had spied thanks to her seer ability.
“I suppose I should put it all in magic, er, I mean Spirit,” Eliphaz suggested.
Besset gave him a nod of approval.
“Then here it goes.” Eliphaz put the 4 points into Spirit, raising the stat to 41. His Mana Points, however, didn’t budge. “That’s strange, my max mana is still at 30 points.”
Besset shrugged. “It happens. Your mana pool will not grow at the same rate as your Spirit. Increasing your Spirit still has beneficial effects, it will give you more control and power over your magical abilities. And with more time and Experience, it will eventually increase.”
“Right. Onto the skill points.” With the first point nothing happened, but after the second, a blue screen flashed before Eliphaz’s eyes.
You invested 2 skill points into Vines of Vengeance!
Vines of Vengeance reached level 4!
Your vines will become stronger and move with greater dexterity.
New passive ability unlocked: Core Strength
Activate Core Strength to harden your vines, increasing their strength and defensive capabilities.
You invested 2 skill points into Vines of the Briarsworn!
Vines of the Briarsworn reached level 4!
Your vines will become stronger and move with greater dexterity.
New passive ability unlocked: Core Strength
Activate Core Strength to harden your vines, increasing their strength and defensive capabilities.
Eliphaz’s heart raced, imagining new possibilities. This would certainly be helpful, hopefully allowing him to restrain the monster, as Besset foresaw. Did Ishtar know this? Had she planned accordingly, preparing him for the challenge he faced? He glanced at Narina, who gave him a knowing smile.
“Well, what is it?” Besset said, impatient about being kept in the dark.
“It’s a new ability. I think it will be of use. Allow me to demonstrate.”
He turned his attention inward, focusing on the fragment within him that pulsed with mana. His perception of the world grew quiet, as he felt the churning energy of the earth beneath him. Testing his range, he expanded his senses through the earth, feeling the roots of each blade of grass, even the rocks of the gilgal that surrounded him. His range was far, much farther than he had realized, reaching well beyond the range of the gilgal, at least thirty paces from where he sat. Likely the result of his heightened Spirit, Eliphaz thought to himself.
At the very edge of his range, he cast his spell, releasing his hold on the inner fragment. Three slender vines burst from the ground, catching Narina and Besset by surprise. They coalesced at a single point, coiling like snakes as their stalks grew wide like tree trunks.
A bead of sweat trickled down Eliphaz’s forehead. He tried to invest the vines with as much strength as he could, imagining he had trapped some ungodly creature within. The vines still twisted upwards, sharp thorns now emerging from within.
Core Strength!
The twisted trunks became solid, groaning as they settled into place. The final result was three massive vines, reaching almost as high as the trees of the grove.
Besset approached first. Drawing his bronze sword, he tried striking at one of the vines, managing only to chip at its trunk.
“Impressive,” he murmured, before turning to Eliphaz. “Excellent work. This gives me a confidence I dare say I did not possess before.”
Eliphaz didn’t speak. His mind was exhausted from concentration, tired from a day of travel and worry. For all the versatility of his power, it no longer excited him. It was always a means to an end, whether that meant fighting off his would-be slavers in the desert or saving Narina from the hands of Molek. Now, his only thought was hoping it would be enough: that his ability would ensure their survival, and ensure the final end to the evil they pursued.
Why was he here? Eliphaz was well aware that he had no obligation to the people of Shechem. But he had found Narina, saved her from the fire of sacrifice, and in her he saw many things. Of course he saw a kindhearted young woman, full of curiosity and brimming with excitement for the world despite its darkness. But in her eyes he saw also the lives of every innocent life desperately held to Molek’s flames. He could leave now, having saved her life, but at the same time he would doom every life which followed in her footsteps.
He turned toward the stone circle, where Narina sat in front of the fire, her form flickering in the darkness. The sun was gone, a whole sea of stars emerging above them, great clouds of stardust painted across the black canvas of the sky. The air was still in the grove, the horses asleep, the only sound the faint rustle of fir trees.
“We should sleep,” he said. “Tomorrow’s journey holds great dangers, so let us waste no more time.”