her. She lifted her head and looked up at the sky. Above her, Pai kept watch.
Nali lowered her head and tenderly stroked the young stallion before she whispered a simple incantation. Her magic surrounded the Sea Stag, engulfing the body of this once-beautiful creature in a vivid white light. When the light faded, a single brilliant gem was all that remained, and she was alone on the beach.
Nali picked up the precious stone and held it against her heart. She rose to her feet and stared out at the ocean. Pai swept down and landed near her.
“Did you learn anything?” he quietly inquired.
“There were two aliens. We have one. The second one escaped. The stallion—the stallion died before he could show me everything,” she replied in a soft voice.
“I noticed tracks leading into the forest. They belong to a troll,” Pai said.
Nali clenched her jaw. The two who found the first stag had thankfully kept their distance and sent an alert to the palace, but this troll may not have been so cautious.
“It will be night soon. We need to visit the troll village to find out who was here. We can stay there for the night and then resume our journey in the morning,” she said.
“There’s smoke rising from chimneys along the river a few miles inland,” Pai replied.
Nali nodded. She turned her hand over and looked at the red gem containing the essence of the Sea Stag stallion. Pai silently stood by as she stepped to the water’s edge and waited for an incoming wave to roll ashore. She knelt and released the gem into the receding water, watching as it carried the gem back out to sea. With a deep sigh of sorrow, she straightened and faced Pai.
“Let’s go. I have an alien to kill,” she declared. Her tone was as hard as her ebony skin.
Chapter 2
Asahi sat on an outcropping of rocks that loomed above the river and watched the first moon rise above the trees, followed shortly by the second. A sense of peace swept through him, and he focused on the emotion, the way his grandfather had taught him. The simple meditation helped keep the residual waves of dizziness under control.
He pulled his jacket out of the duffle bag, put it on, and zipped it up. His thoughts returned to Ruth Hallbrook. He genuinely hoped that she had survived her trip through the portal, if indeed she had gone through the portal at all. Throughout the day, he had searched for signs of her with no luck.
He studied the surrounding area. He had followed the flow of water that meandered southward, hoping that it would eventually lead to the coastline.
As afternoon became early evening, Asahi had started searching for a suitable place to make camp. He had finally settled on the rock platform where he now relaxed. He had needed to cross the river, but that hadn’t been an issue thanks to the natural bridge formed by the accumulation of rock and debris that had been washed downstream.
He looked across the river when he saw movement. A dozen small shaggy animals emerged out of the forest.
This spot turned out to be a good place to make camp for the night, he thought.
The yellow and brown striped animals were about the size and build of a wombat, but they had markings like a zebra. Several juveniles grunted with delight and broke for the water ahead of the adults. He chuckled when they began splashing each other.
He slid back and leaned against the rock. A poke in his side reminded him of the dagger at his waist. He adjusted the sheath to a more comfortable position and relaxed. The sound of snapping wood and the warning sounds coming from the family of yellow-striped animals drew his attention back across the river.
A bear-like creature, the size of an elephant, emerged from the forest a hundred yards from the wombat-like mammals. The bear’s low growl sent the juveniles dashing out of the water and back into the shelter of the forest, squealing in alarm. The adults took up a defensive stance, but the bear merely shook its head and ambled over to the river. The immense beast waded in and submerged itself in the gently flowing water, propping its head on a convenient rock with a contented sigh.
Asahi laughed softly. It took the striped adults a few minutes to relax. Once they did, the juveniles returned to the river with more caution tempering their enthusiasm.