Recent content by Keernan

"I am glad it did too," he replied. Keernan reached down and gently pressed his palm to the wound in his leg. It was still sore, but there was no trace of the heat of infection. Being in his water spirit form, the damage done by an arrow passing through him had been reduced. All of his forms...

"Well...I always knew that I was strange," he said. It was an odd way to start the explanation, though it did bring to mind their first meeting. "I said I died. It turns out that I only half died. That half got filled with the spark, the primal spirit. It's not a separate thing. It is me now...

Keernan smiled at her and nodded slowly. He took her hand in his own and opened his mouth to reply. A sudden movement cut him off and made him jump in his seat. "Chrrp!" Mango, having jumped up onto the bed and startled Keernan, walked up towards Syuri's face. Keernan didn't have any...

Keernan sat in silence, his gaze falling to his own feet. He idly scratched at the side of his chin, running a thumb through his beard. It needed a trim. He knew where her sentiment came from and that it wasn't meant as a complaint about his choices. It still made him feel a wash of guilt for...

"I have rested it as much as I could," he replied. He always healed fairly quickly and someone had given him some stitches once Syuri was safe. He had watched them push the arrow through. Watches Syuri toss and turn in pain even though she had passed out. It had been far more painful than a...

"It has been better," he replied simply. He managed a half-hearted smile. It was the kind of injury that would remain an echo of the event for a long time. "Hurts to put much weight on it still, but I can walk around a little." Keernan was perched on the edge of a plush fabric chair beside...

"We're nearly there," he said firmly. They had found a road and along the way Keernan had started to recognise some landmarks. "We just need to..." He felt Syuri go slack and he was forced to bend to catch her under the armpits. His fresh arrow wound protested at this, but he held his...

"No. We don't," he said firmly. Keernan tested his weight on his wounded leg. It hurt and walking away was only going to make it worse. There could have been a river of lava ahead and he still would have walked away from this place. Rushel's troupe might not have given up on them. The...

"I don't know," Keernan said. "If we're not far from where we lost her hounds then we might be able to find the road again and carry on." "If not...if not then I might need to do it and burn the wound to seal it. I'll need a bit of time to recover." Staying awake through the night hadn't...

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to try and remove yours until we could reach someone with needle and thread," he replied. He grimaced at the thought of pushing the arrow through Syuri's side. "But I'm barely going to walk, let alone carry you, until this is out." Keernan looked down at the...

"Good morning. Or...afternoon," Keernan said softly as he brushed her cheek to wake her. They were in a small clearing, surrounded by thick ferns and trees on old sides. Keernan had trimmed some ferns to make a comfortable bed for her. Her side was tightly bound around the arrow shaft. He had...

The subtle shift of air passed over them. The scents, the nature of the light, shifted just enough to make it obvious that they had left Rushel's vale behind. The two sparks still trailed in his wake. His golden eye was now set back into its usual hue. It took more concentration to stop and...

"Yes," he replied plainly. "I thought they would stick to the agreement." He flexed his fingers when the restraints were cut. Some of the fae were still alive. Keernan had no interest in fighting them again and those still graining in pain were in no rush to come for him. Walking was agony...

If Rushel had been alive, Keernan reflected, he would have understood the danger. Rushel had been experimenting with these sparks and understanding their power. The fae expected him to transform, giving them time to strike. He was an honest man and a terrible liar. That didn't prevent him from...

The ground continued to tremble around Keernan. His right eye slowly sifted colour, matching each of the three sparks in turn. His gaze softened as he looked down at Syuri. His eyes went from the bloody patch at her side, to the fae's grip on her hair. He could not abandon her. The feelings...