face shut down, no doubt hardening himself to the sight he had expected to see. Diana, however, felt like she had been punched in the gut as he hustled her through the hidden courtyard. She didn’t know with any certainty what he didn’t want her to see but had a strong suspicion when she heard Keena’s mournful cries rise before they were joined by far too few voices of the clan. Of what she did see, there was almost nothing familiar of the grandeur that was Arx, and the beautiful groves where the hamadryads had dwelled were nothing more than a blackened ruin. Even the gardens, when they finally came upon them, were withered and ground into the mud, a swarm of pixies forlornly attempting to prop up the crushed plants.
She didn’t cry, however, until she saw the bodies of the dead. Diana sobbed in silence as they picked their way by the remains. Everywhere she looked, she saw dozens of the dead, their souls torn from them, bodies discarded where they fell in agony. Raskyuil said nothing as they walked. They were like wraiths among fields of death. The shadows gradually became longer until they finally left them and the palace behind as they entered the forest.
They fell into a rhythm over the hours, Raskyuil leading the way and Diana following silently behind. A chill crawled over her skin when they passed a dirty jeep tipped on its side. She glanced at it in passing, drawing the troll’s curious gaze. Tightening her lips, she said nothing, and so they plodded on. It seemed like ages ago that Silvas had cornered her there. The reminder hurt even though the horror of the wreckage had faded over the weeks she had been in the Eternal Forest.
She didn’t even notice when they passed through the barrier, but she thought she heard the sad coo of a dove when they suddenly broke through the trees into a familiar clearing. A makeshift altar jutted up, with its offering vessels. Her eyebrows winged up at the sight and she drew in a sharp breath of surprise. Breaking into a run, Diana raced through the woods, Raskyuil’s startled shout following her. She didn’t stop running until she broke through the trees.
Slowing to a halt, she looked down the hillside at a sight she had been uncertain if she would ever see again. Her grandmother’s darkened cabin sat quietly beside the lake, a blush of growth surrounding it as late spring flowers bloomed throughout the garden. Tears filled her eyes and she spent a long moment just staring down it as Raskyuil pushed his way through the brush to her side.
Looking over her shoulder at him, Diana watched the large male wrinkle his nose in an uncertain distaste. His nostrils flared, scenting the air as he squinted and took in the landscape.
“So, this is the human world. It looks less… impressive than I thought it would be. Where are your human wonders?”
Diana laughed and shook her head. “I’m afraid you’re looking at the wrong area for any kind of wonders. This is all farmland and small towns. Even before the ravaging, it was pretty quiet. I doubt that even in the remnants of the city you will find much that is truly impressive, though once there was.”
He grunted and followed her down the hill, his eyes scanning the distance as they made their way toward her home. Within minutes they passed through the garden gates and Diana dug her spare key from a flowerpot beside the door. Raskyuil trailed her the entire way, peering curiously over her shoulder as she unlocked it and pushed it open. His steps sounded impossibly loud on the wooden floorboards as he followed her into the cabin.
Craning his neck, the troll looked with interest at her simple furnishings and decor, things that her grandmother had collected throughout her lifetime.
“This is your home?” he asked.
She nodded as she shut the door firmly behind her. “This was my grandparents’ home, but it has been mine for a while now. I guess I still kind of see it as belonging to them even after all this time.”
He grunted again without comment as he continued his exploration. Diana busied herself building up a fire. She considered flicking on the electricity to give him a surprise, but she hated to waste the power from the generator unnecessarily. The fire, however, seemed to relax him, and at her invitation he lowered himself into a chair to rest.