In this sample, Lyra and the tiger owl, Kenzo, are traveling through
the misty forest of Silva Caliga. She must pass through to complete her quest.
Before she learns how to communicate with the trees, they attack, fiercely
protecting their forest against outsiders. When all hope seems lost, it only
gets worse. A strange man cloaked man appears—a cimafa dragon rider—the most evil man Lyra has encountered while in the world of Dragonspeir.
Trees on
the perimeter of the clearing moved their roots through the soil, closing in on
Kenzo. Two wound around his ankles and he hooted.
The
roots lifted him upside down as several branches took hold of him. They vied to
claim him by cementing him in place with extensions of their bark. The skin of
his talons lay shredded and bleeding.
“Liberatio! Liberatio! Liberatio!” Lyra
yelled, turning on her heel. Directing the incantation through an outstretched
fist, she waved violently at each attacker. As soon as one branch recoiled,
stung by her magic, another took its place. She spun in circles, screaming, “Cesso! Cesso! Cesso!” to force dozens
to withdraw. Soon, branches and roots outnumbered her.
She
needed to blast the trees with powerballs, her weakest skill. One last try—one
more incantation. She squared off against the largest tree at the forefront of
the attack. “Aboleo!” The three-foot
wide trunk sliced in half, and the gigantic mass fell forward toward the two of
them.
Kenzo,
now free, perched on Lyra’s shoulder. He dug talons into the layers of her
clothing, scratching her skin. With hard down strokes of his wings, he whisked
her clear of the falling tree.
Once
landed on the ground, she looked around. “The whole forest is closing in. What
do we do?” Her pulse raced. She kept a hand on the owl, now at her side.
“I might
be strong enough to fly us above the canopy, but no farther.”
“They’d
capture us before we got there.” She looked to the sky for Hamal to gain
strength and guidance. The leaves and mist blocked all but tiny spots of light,
and even those were quickly covered by trees lurking closer.
In
desperation, Lyra created a small protective ward around the two of them. Twigs
scratched its surface, and she reinforced the shield with more power.
Eventually,
one found a weak spot and sliced inside, grazing one of Kenzo’s feathers. His
whole body shook.
They
crouched lower and held each other.
Out of
the shadows, a man appeared in front of them. Without a word, he planted black
boots solidly outside their ward. The jagged hem of his dark cloak twisted in
front of them. A hood covered his head, keeping it from view. He carried a
heavy wooden staff carved with effigies and topped with a horned skull.
Lyra’s
heart thudded in her chest—the rider of the cimafa. Silva Caliga lured her in
order for him to collect her aura. But, Elisabeth’s message—she was destined to
know the happiness that escaped her ancestor. What was that happiness? Did it
include knowing this evil man? She stared at the darkness under his hood. At
least Elisabeth wished to stay alive. So maybe destiny would be in Lyra’s favor
to spare her.
The
mysterious man strode over to the nearest tree and placed a bare hand on its
bark. He leaned his body into the trunk, resting the side of his head against
it. The gnarly branches jerked and shrugged, succumbing to his control.
Without
incantation or powerbolt, the ancient tree relaxed its outstretched limbs and
eased backward in retreat.
Lyra
quivered.
Kenzo
remained low, huddled to her. Apparently, this man was a stranger to him also.
She
twisted her head to watch the cloaked figure. With wide strides, he approached
a dozen lead trees, touching each in the same personal manner.
When he
seemed satisfied, he held his hand in the air, facing the circle of trees, and
slowly stepped around their ward.
