The Shadowwing's shriek split the cavern like a knife.
Ryn barely had time to dive aside as talons the length of daggers raked the stone where he'd stood. The beast filled the cavern—a nightmare of matted black feathers and too many joints in its wings. Its beak gaped wide, revealing rows of needle-like teeth.
The Drowned Seer didn't flinch. She simply raised one pale hand, and the pool's water *surged* upward in a spiraling whip that struck the Shadowwing across its face.
The creature recoiled with a screech, its massive wings beating backward. For a heartbeat, Ryn thought it might retreat.
Then it lunged again—this time for the Seer.
Ryn moved without thinking.
He threw himself forward, shadow-forged dagger flashing. The blade bit deep into the Shadowwing's leg, drawing a spray of dark blood. The beast howled, its attention snapping to him with terrifying focus.
*"Run."*
The Seer's voice echoed strangely in his skull. Her hand closed around his wrist with surprising strength, yanking him toward the water.
Ryn's instincts screamed to pull away—but the Shadowwing was already coiling for another strike. With no better option, he let the Seer drag him under.
The water was colder than he expected. Darker too. It swallowed them whole, and for a terrifying moment, Ryn was certain he'd made a fatal mistake.
Then his head broke the surface—somewhere else.
They emerged in a smaller cavern, its walls glowing faintly with bioluminescent fungi. The air smelled of damp stone and something faintly herbal. Most importantly—no Shadowwing.
Ryn gasped, scrambling onto the rocky ledge. "What the hells was that?"
The Seer pulled herself from the water with eerie grace. "A guardian. And a test." Her black eyes studied him. "You passed."
Ryn's hands shook as he wiped his blade clean. "Where are we?"
"Safe. For now." The Seer moved to a low stone shelf, where a collection of strange objects lay—a rusted compass, a broken mirror, a lock of hair tied with red string. She selected a clay bowl and filled it from the pool. "Your teacher lives still. But the fever burns her."
Ryn stiffened. "How do you—"
"She is in the water's memory." The Seer swirled her fingers through the bowl. "Just as you were, before you came."
Ryn's skin prickled. "You knew we were coming."
"The water knows many things." She lifted her gaze. "Just as it knows why Malrik fears you."
A chill ran down Ryn's spine. "Tell me."
The Seer smiled—an expression that didn't reach those endless black eyes. "Knowledge has a price, Windchild."
Ryn glanced at the strange collection on the shelf. "What do you want?"
"Not what. *Who.*" She pointed to the pool. "Malrik took something from these waters long ago. A piece of the deep that does not belong in mortal hands."
Ryn's stomach twisted. "You want me to steal it back."
"Return what was stolen," the Seer corrected. "And in exchange..." She dipped her fingers into the bowl and flicked water at Ryn's face.
The droplets struck his forehead—
—and suddenly he was *elsewhere*.
_A stone fortress carved into a mountainside. A chamber where the air hummed with power. Malrik, his beast-helmet removed, revealing a face lined with scars and something worse—veins of black that pulsed beneath his skin. In his hands, a glass orb swirled with something dark and alive._
_The vision shifted. Lira, pale and sweating, her wound now black-veined like Malrik's face. The same corruption spreading._
_The Shadowwing's cry echoed again, pulling Ryn back to the present._
He gasped, staggering. The cavern spun around him.
"The poison is in her blood now," the Seer said calmly. "As it is in his. What Malrik stole... it is death walking."
Ryn's mouth went dry. "How long does Lira have?"
"Three dawns. Perhaps four." The Seer tilted her head. "The fortress is two days' journey. Will you pay the price, Windchild?"
Somewhere above them, the Shadowwing shrieked again. Closer now.
Ryn met the Seer's fathomless gaze. "Tell me where to go."
**End Chapter 6**
**Word Count: 1,802**
**Next: Ryn strikes a dangerous bargain—venture into Malrik's stronghold to retrieve the stolen artifact, or watch Lira succumb to the same corruption eating their enemy alive.****Chapter 6: The Drowned Seer's Price**
The Shadowwing's shriek split the cavern like a knife.
Ryn barely had time to dive aside as talons the length of daggers raked the stone where he'd stood. The beast filled the cavern—a nightmare of matted black feathers and too many joints in its wings. Its beak gaped wide, revealing rows of needle-like teeth.
The Drowned Seer didn't flinch. She simply raised one pale hand, and the pool's water *surged* upward in a spiraling whip that struck the Shadowwing across its face.
The creature recoiled with a screech, its massive wings beating backward. For a heartbeat, Ryn thought it might retreat.
Then it lunged again—this time for the Seer.
Ryn moved without thinking.
He threw himself forward, shadow-forged dagger flashing. The blade bit deep into the Shadowwing's leg, drawing a spray of dark blood. The beast howled, its attention snapping to him with terrifying focus.
*"Run."*
The Seer's voice echoed strangely in his skull. Her hand closed around his wrist with surprising strength, yanking him toward the water.
Ryn's instincts screamed to pull away—but the Shadowwing was already coiling for another strike. With no better option, he let the Seer drag him under.
The water was colder than he expected. Darker too. It swallowed them whole, and for a terrifying moment, Ryn was certain he'd made a fatal mistake.
Then his head broke the surface—somewhere else.
They emerged in a smaller cavern, its walls glowing faintly with bioluminescent fungi. The air smelled of damp stone and something faintly herbal. Most importantly—no Shadowwing.
Ryn gasped, scrambling onto the rocky ledge. "What the hells was that?"
The Seer pulled herself from the water with eerie grace. "A guardian. And a test." Her black eyes studied him. "You passed."
Ryn's hands shook as he wiped his blade clean. "Where are we?"
"Safe. For now." The Seer moved to a low stone shelf, where a collection of strange objects lay—a rusted compass, a broken mirror, a lock of hair tied with red string. She selected a clay bowl and filled it from the pool. "Your teacher lives still. But the fever burns her."
Ryn stiffened. "How do you—"
"She is in the water's memory." The Seer swirled her fingers through the bowl. "Just as you were, before you came."
Ryn's skin prickled. "You knew we were coming."
"The water knows many things." She lifted her gaze. "Just as it knows why Malrik fears you."
A chill ran down Ryn's spine. "Tell me."
The Seer smiled—an expression that didn't reach those endless black eyes. "Knowledge has a price, Windchild."
Ryn glanced at the strange collection on the shelf. "What do you want?"
"Not what. *Who.*" She pointed to the pool. "Malrik took something from these waters long ago. A piece of the deep that does not belong in mortal hands."
Ryn's stomach twisted. "You want me to steal it back."
"Return what was stolen," the Seer corrected. "And in exchange..." She dipped her fingers into the bowl and flicked water at Ryn's face.
The droplets struck his forehead—
—and suddenly he was *elsewhere*.
_A stone fortress carved into a mountainside. A chamber where the air hummed with power. Malrik, his beast-helmet removed, revealing a face lined with scars and something worse—veins of black that pulsed beneath his skin. In his hands, a glass orb swirled with something dark and alive._
_The vision shifted. Lira, pale and sweating, her wound now black-veined like Malrik's face. The same corruption spreading._
_The Shadowwing's cry echoed again, pulling Ryn back to the present._
He gasped, staggering. The cavern spun around him.
"The poison is in her blood now," the Seer said calmly. "As it is in his. What Malrik stole... it is death walking."
Ryn's mouth went dry. "How long does Lira have?"
"Three dawns. Perhaps four." The Seer tilted her head. "The fortress is two days' journey. Will you pay the price, Windchild?"
Somewhere above them, the Shadowwing shrieked again. Closer now.
Ryn met the Seer's fathomless gaze. "Tell me where to go."