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Chapter 25
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2022-04-06 07:07:47The old man, who introduced himself as Tamner, led John and me into the last hut on the edge of the village. It was bigger than the others, but still modest. Rough glass jars and vials filled shelves against the earthen walls. Woven rugs and furs lined every inch of the dirt floor not taken by the large fire pit in the center.
"Set him over there," Tamner said, pointing to a mound of furs built up into a bed. "Hasim, I will need you close. Please do not go far."
I followed his directions, setting Poe on a bundle of furs as the Tamner hurried to search the shelves. He selected a few vials and one of the jars, and a bunch of things I couldn't recognize. Keeping my promise to the old man would be simple. I wouldn't leave until I knew Poe would be alright.
"You, friend of Hasim," Tamner called over to John. "Come. Hold."
John stood inside the doorway looking awkward and out of place, before walking over to accept the handful of items the old man held out for
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I laid back and closed my eyes. I don't remember trying to sleep, but the next thing I knew, John was shaking me, roughly. "Ezra, wake up. Something's wrong."I shot up, instantly alert. Tamner knelt on the other side of Poe, trying to hold the bird down. Poe shrieked, the sound piercing."What's wrong?" I reached out, intending to help the old man hold him. As soon as I touched Poe, though, I could feel his power building."I don't know, Hasim," Tamner said, struggling."Let go," I said, stepping back. John stepped forward to help as well, but I grabbed his arm. "No, stay back." Poe continued to thrash about."Hasim, he'll hurt himself."I grabbed Tamner as well and pulled them both away, back towards the fire."Just wait. I think he's-" I didn't even get the words out of my mouth before feathers exploded across the room. Then there was a groan of pain.Poe's human form was very still against the furs he laid on, his clothes t
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John was asleep when I returned to the hut, which was probably a good thing since I didn't know what to say to him. I took an empty spot on the floor where the rugs and furs seemed thicker and lay down. As tired as I was, I still had trouble going to sleep. I was exhausted yet my mind kept running in circles. I kept trying to think of ways to get home, or ways to let Avery know I was still alive.Instinctively, I reached out, testing our new connection. Felt ghostly, like the impression furniture leaves on the carpet after you move it. I could sense where it should have been but that was all.Closing my eyes tightly, I took a deep breath and another, trying to keep my panicking emotions in check. What I was supposed to do now? There was so much going wrong, I needed to find something positive to focus on.I was still alive. Poe was still alive. Even if he was injured, he would recover eventually. And John was safe from his family.Those thoughts finally a
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John and I followed Suon back to the village. I stopped, briefly torn by wanting to check on Poe before we left. Suon notice and waved me off."Go, but we leave soon. Find us middle of huts."Suon continued on, but John lingered. "I'll make sure they wait for you."I nodded and ducked into Tamner's hut.Tamner himself was by the fire, mixing herbs and medicinal plants. He glanced up at me."You go with Suon, correct?" he asked, turning his eyes back to his work."Yeah," I said, stepping over to check on Poe. His color was looking better and his breathing was a little steadier."Do not worry about your teacher. I will keep a close eye on him until you return." Tamner said as he appeared at my side with two cloth bags. He raised the blue one, "Food," then the red one, "Medicine."I watched as he added them to my messenger bag. He handed it to me by the newly fixed strap."Thank you," I mumbled, his kindness continuing to s
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Struggling to catch my breath, I fought my way to my feet as the jungle fell silent. I turned to see not only John watching me, but most of the village warriors as well. I dismissed Kastem, not wanting to take any chances of losing control."So that just happened." John's eyes were wide. I couldn't tell if it was fear or awe.Cheers erupted from the men and women behind him as they rushed forward to surround me. Soun clapped me hard on the back, shaking my whole frame and bringing to my attention a whole set of bruises that I hadn't realized I'd gained."Well done," he exclaimed, his excitement almost overbearing. I managed a smile in response.John let the impromptu celebration engulf me, but I felt his eyes trailing us as the group began to pull me back into the covering of the woods. I managed to free myself from the singing and cheering group as they started towards their village. Waiting, I brought up the rear, not wanting to be the center of attention.
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I escaped from the festivities as soon as I could without drawing attention, which took a while since the head of the village kept introducing me to his daughters. Finally, after mentioning something to Tamner, the parade of eligible women stopped.I slipped past the front line of huts and walked around to Tamner's, my mind still full of what John had told me about the plants. I shivered despite the heat. To be able to feel my power, my talent, but not be able to use it. For most necromancers that would just be torture, but for me? To have it build and build -it would literally kill me.The fire was barely burning in Tamner's hut. Poe still lay on his pallet of furs. His skin didn't look as pale or sickly as when I last saw him in the early hours of the morning. His breathing was even and stronger as well.Poking the fire back to life, I added another log before pulling my bag closer to search through it. I was looking for the Reinhardt book I'd brought with me.
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I woke up the next morning with a blinding headache. Sitting, I found myself in the middle of the village. Others were scattered around as if they'd fallen asleep in the middle of the party..John was sprawled not ten feet away, his snores echoing in the quiet morning. I forced myself to my feet and walked down to the river. I sat on the river bank and splashed cool water on my face. It didn't ease the pain in my head completely, but it did help. The sun was glaringly bright off the water, so I closed my eyes against it. Sleep threatened to roll me under again, but I fought it. Instead, I sought comfort in meditation. My talent was restored from yesterday's fight, and it itched to be used.I calmed my thoughts, focusing on the exercises Poe taught me. Those days in the Vault felt like they were years ago-My eyes shot open.The Vault had brought me here the first time, not Poe. Could there be another place like it?I rushed back to Tamner's hut, ba
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I avoided Tamner's hut most of the day. Poe had made it clear that he wouldn't talk about trying John's way of getting home any further. Which made absolutely no sense to me at all. Wasn't getting home and warning the others of what the Witches were planning more important than some side effect that 'might' happen? What was he afraid of me seeing?The villagers were starting to clean up, some moving slower than others. I pitched in and helped, picking up abandoned rough-cut cups and lost items, before moving on to help pack supplies for the refugees that would be returning to their village over the next few days.Soun and I met with the other warriors in the training clearing late that afternoon, stretching and doing easy drills. John even joined us, surprising me when he easily tossed Suon into the dirt multiple times.By the time we'd eaten the evening meal with the rest of the village and made it back to Tamner's, the stars were well and bright above us. I fo
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"Close your eyes and clear your minds," John said softly.I fell into the meditation easily, breathing in the humid afternoon air and fighting to keep my emotions in check."Ezra, focus on your connection with Poe. Reach for him with your power and mind."Doing as John said, I focused on Poe's presence beside me. I remembered the first time I felt the weight of his power. The time I saw him standing in the Vault. I remembered playing games with him as a kid. Extending a metaphysical hand, I reached for Poe, inviting him into my mind. A drop of his power reached for me in a similar fashion, and when our powers met, the sensation was different from anything else I've ever felt before.Images flashed through my mind, like thinking about old memories except they weren't mine. I saw people I didn't recognize in places that looked vaguely familiar. I remembered the feeling of holding my children close, even though I didn't have any. I remembered fighting to my
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