Chapter 15: Hollow born
They didn't make it far from the silent field, and though the fog had begun to clear, something in the air still felt unusual.
The silence had pressure to it, as if the ground was fondling them.
"I don't feel good about this place, Veyla," Riven said, glancing around as if something were following them.
She stopped just ahead of him, her back stiff. "Something seems to be following us," she whispered, her voice sounding alarming.
He glanced over his shoulder to check, but only saw gray trees, the surrounding grass, and patches of mud-covered stones.
"I feel it as well, but I don't seem to understand where it's coming from," he whispered, his hands hovering over the pouch.
Then they heard something—sloppy footsteps, but not behind them—beside them.
He turned slowly, and what he saw made him freeze at that point.
A figure stood only a few feet away from him, not approaching—just standing there, watching them silently.
Its shape was almost exactly his height, same body build, same stance, and a look alike blade. The figure also wore a cloak, though it was torn and burned on the sides. A twisted metal helmet, warped into a grin, hid its face—but the mask wasn't the worst part.
It was the way the thing moved—because it moved just like him.