Vrin: Ten Mortal Gods Read Free Page B

air on my face. The lights below grew larger and brighter. As the ground drew nearer, the girl turned and headed toward a strip of beach near the village. I followed.
    It wasn't the smoothest of landings. I hit the ground in a run which quickly transitioned into a series of sand flicking tumbles, ending up with me on my back, laughing.
    The girl swooped in, rose up for a moment, then landed gently on both feet. Her smiling face appeared above me. "Are you hurt?"
    "Just my pride." I laughed. "That was amazing!”
    She giggled. "You will be long discovering the wonders of this place."
    "Of that I have no doubt.” I rolled over with a grunt and got to my feet, brushing sand as I went. I brought the web to life once again and molded my shirt to its original shape.
    "You are making great progress,” she said, smiling. “Come. I would like to show you my palace.” Gently she took my hand into hers. We headed up the beach to a path leading to a brown needle road. Thousands of sparkling lights lined its edges.
    Trinador was like nothing I had ever dreamed or imagined. Enormous trees had been painstakingly carved out into separate living units all the way up the majestic tree trunks to the delicate canopy of leaves overhead. Slanted wooden walkways provided easy access all the way up to the lofty penthouses. And rope bridges criss-crossed over the brown needle road. Glittering lamps hung everywhere, filling the village with a soft glow.
    The workmanship surrounding us was extremely advanced. It would have taken hundreds of sculptors hundreds of years to create these wonderful works of art, yet the villagers appeared completely at ease moving among the fantastic architecture. I was awestruck.
    ”You made this?” I said, craning my neck.”
    Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the briefest look of concern crossed the girl’s features. Lightly she tugged on my arm. “Come. This way.”
    I gazed in wonder as she drew me along. There were no cars here, only sturdy horses and an occasional cart. As the villagers scurried about tending to their nightly routines, I noticed that the colors of their clothing matched the green and brown hues of their surroundings. Their expressions reflected a general look of contentment. They stopped and bowed slightly as we passed. I wondered if this was a standard greeting, or an acknowledgment of station . Either way, I decided to bow back. I did take note, however, that my companion did not.
    An old man looked down at us from his second story stoop. He rocked back and forth and smiling a toothless grin. An unsettling feeling washed over me. He was out of place in this fantasy setting. The scenery around us was without blemish, oddly unaffected by age or weather, but this man had a measure of decay. I looked about. Where were the rotting logs and dead branches? Aside from this one old man the village was perfect-- too perfect to be real. We continued on.
    We rounded a bend. Towering before us with majestic grace stood the palace in all its splendor. Carved out of a tree much larger than the rest, thick branches traveled off in all directions. Ornamental carvings wrapped around the trunk in fantastic designs. A set of polished stairs traveled deep into its heart.
    The young lady dropped my hand and flashed a brilliant smile. “So, what do you think?” she said with her arms spread wide.
    “It’s magnificent. You made all this?”
    “Yes.” She giggled.
    “It must have taken forever!”
    Her lovely eyes lit up. “It did take awhile, and I must admit my first few attempts were rather poor. But the villagers were very supportive.”
    “The villagers were here before you?”
    She nodded. “I stumbled upon their village quite by accident one night. They were familiar with who I was, so I was treated like a queen. That is why I decided to stay. That, and the fact that they needed my protection from Rath, the...” Her jaw tightened and she leaned in close, “ the nastiest, most vile, spoiled