Page 37 of Sun Elves of Ardani

“It’s beautiful.”

She couldn’t disagree.

“Perhaps we can admire the sights later?” said Roshan. “The magic-eater is still somewhere nearby.” Roshan was the only one not transfixed by the obelisk. He was human, and a non-mage. He couldn’t sense the magic. He didn’t know.

Kadaki couldn’t take her eyes off the obelisk. The closer they got, the more it seemed to pull her toward it.

“This is familiar,” Neiryn murmured beside her. “Is it not?”

He was right. This place was much like the ruins in Kuda Varai. The pale, otherworldly stone, the overgrowth of flora, the magic that almost seemed to be breathing all around them.

It brought back vivid memories of the last time she’d been near this much magic, when she’d channeled an entire axis of magic through herself. She remembered the feeling of the magic entering her. She remembered the smell of it, like lightning and smoke and cold wind. Power had ripped through her, consuming her.

And even though it had nearly destroyed her, there was a part of her that wanted to feel that again.

“This one is stronger than the one in Kuda Varai,” she replied.

“Don’t do anything foolish.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, not understanding.

“You have a look on your face,” he said. “I know that look.”

“Don’t pretend to know me.”

“The last time you were in a place like this, you nearly killed yourself.”

“We don’t have time for caution.”

A sound in the distance made her stop short.

Clicking.

They all stopped as the magic-eater stepped into view at the opposite end of the clearing in the middle of the cavern. Slowly, it crept across the clearing toward the obelisk.

“What now?” Roshan whispered. Kadaki tensed, expecting the beast to hear, but it seemed not to notice them. It was busy winding itself around the obelisk, nuzzling it like a cat.

“We need someone to distract it,” she whispered, looking around at the other three. “So Eliyr and I can get to the obelisk. Someone needs to draw it away.”

They all looked at Neiryn. Roshan didn’t have a weapon, and even if he had, Kadaki doubted it would be much use against the magic-eater. Fire would at least slow it down.

Neiryn made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat. “I’ll do it,” he grumbled.

“I’ll go with you,” Roshan said, nodding.

“I did not ask for your help.”

“That’s all right. I got the feeling you’d have difficulty asking a human for help, so I thought I’d save you the stress.”

“What can you do, exactly?”

“I’m good at moral support.”

“Wonderful. Thanks.”

“Quiet,” Kadaki hissed. The magic-eater was still preoccupied with the obelisk, but it was only a matter of time before it noticed them. “You two go that way. We’ll go this way. When we reach that big tree, try to draw the magic-eater away so we can reach the obelisk.”

Roshan nodded. He and Neiryn ducked through the trees toward the opposite side of the clearing.

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