The Eating Woods, #2
Eldritch
by Keri Lake
Contents
Chapter 82
Overview
Separated by the Umbravale’s barrier, Maevyth watches Ravezio die and Zevander drive back Cadavros, only for a swarm to overrun Zev. During a rescue attempt, Zev slips and falls into Nethyria’s abyss, shattering Maevyth. General Loyce arrives with forces, subdues Maevyth and Kazhimyr, and orders their capture.
Summary
Twenty minutes earlier, Kazhimyr drags Maevyth through the Umbravale’s boundary as Ravezio and Zevander approach from the other side. Cadavros arrives, and while Kazhimyr and Dravien fumble for a scroll to reopen the ward, Cadavros flays Ravezio alive. Zevander engages Cadavros and gains the upper hand, knocking the high mage back toward the Umbravale.
Exhausted and wounded, Zevander holds the line as spiders, monstrosities, and wraith-like Pestilios swarm him. Dravien recovers the passage scroll and begins the chant, but as the barrier flickers, Zevander is dragged toward a bottomless chasm. Maevyth and Dravien grasp him, yet blood-slick hands slip free and Zevander falls into Nethyria.
Maevyth spirals into grief and denial, pounding the barrier for any sign of him. Dravien explains the Umbravale rejects threats to Aethyria, but the loss remains incomprehensible. A skittering spider is crushed by Maevyth in a spasm of rage.
General Loyce arrives with armed soldiers, accompanied by a disfigured Melisara. When Kazhimyr attacks, a small, silver-scarred man counters his ice and brands searing bands onto Kazhimyr’s wrists, then binds Maevyth the same way, even as she explodes a guard with her bone whip. Questioned about Rydainn, Dravien admits Zevander fell.
Loyce orders Maevyth and Kazhimyr seized and promises a special punishment for Maevyth. A soldier restrains Maevyth despite her blackened fingertips failing to dust him, and Loyce strikes Maevyth with golden knuckles, leaving her bloodied as capture closes in.
Who Appears
- MaevythPOV; trapped behind the Umbravale, fails to save Zev, grieves, fights back, then is bound and seized.
- Zevander RydainnBattles Cadavros, holds off a horde, then slips from Maevyth and Dravien’s grasp and falls into Nethyria.
- KazhimyrTries to reopen the ward; mourns Ravezio; attacks with ice; is overpowered, branded with binding bands, captured.
- DravienFinds the scroll, briefly holds Zev; freezes during Loyce’s assault; reveals Zev fell; does not aid Maevyth.
- General LoyceLeads soldiers; counters attacks via ally; orders Maevyth seized and personally strikes her with gold knuckles.
- MelisaraDisfigured woman accompanying Loyce; identified by Kazhimyr as Cadavros’s sister from a past heist.
- RavezioPetrified the giant spider earlier; is horrifically flayed by Cadavros and dies before the barrier.
- CadavrosTaunts Zev about Deimos and Morsana; is knocked back; his attack precipitates the chaos before Zev’s fall.
- Silver-scarred small manLoyce’s ally; melts Kazhimyr’s ice, seizes Maevyth’s bone whip, and brands restraining bands on their wrists.