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Back The Hidden Relic Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Map
  2. Prologue
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. Epilogue

Evrin surprised and then cut down one of the more sadistic guards before the others leaped away from the blinding light of the blade.

This old man still had some strength left.

Once outside he'd discarded the sword and then hidden among the poor of Salvation — just another dirty pilgrim — before hobbling out of town, the wounds from the explosion at the Pinnacle still causing him to wince with each step.

Evrin's thoughts returned to the present. Here he was, leaning against a tree, when he needed to get up, and take action.

"Scratch you, old man," he cursed himself yet again.

Rather than destroying what he'd gone to Stonewater's summit to destroy, he'd helped the book to fall into the worst possible hands. Perhaps the Primate had already figured it out.

There was no other course of action. Evrin needed to enhance the protection around the pool of essence. The book was gone, and only by going to the relic itself could he keep it safe.

Evrin finally stood up, ignoring the pain in his bruised body. He walked back to the road and looked along it, away from Salvation, before beginning the long walk to Seranthia.

~

ONLY much later did Evrin think of visiting the Temple of the Sky in Salvation, and by then it was too late to turn back. He could have used Killian's help, but he didn't know if the lad had waited for him, or if Killian had even made it out of Stonewater alive.

As he walked along the road towards the great city that men once called the capital of the world, Evrin realised that while it was too risky for him to go back to Salvation, he may be able to send a message.

It took a few tries, and a near-beating from a protective farmer, but Evrin finally found a pious woman who felt sympathy for the old pilgrim and promised to get his message to the Temple of the Sky in Salvation.

"Come to Seranthia," Evrin wrote. "Meet me at the dock, at a tavern called The Floating Cork."

Evrin was going to need a scrill and essence. He needed to visit one of his caches; yet another reason to get to Seranthia.

Perhaps Killian would find him, and Evrin would get some help.

Either way, with help or alone, Evrin was determined to see this thing through.

17

17

THE squat trader ship rolled on the waves like an old drunk, showing too many years yet too little sense to head for home. The mast tilted one way, then another, as howling winds buffeted the sails and the huge waves threatened to tip the ship over again and again.

Ella balanced precariously on the poop deck, at the ship's stern above the cabin the captain called his own. She held onto a stout rail with either hand, shifting her weight from one hip to another, gazing out at the stormy sky and thinking dark thoughts.