Later in the night, while asleep, Brenna stood on a windy hillside, filled with many still shadows. All about the Neeri lay the dead of both sides, tangled together in cold fleshy heaps. The clouds above hung dark and heavy, save for a sliver of moonlight shining through. She stood on a windy hillside, alone. No—she was not alone.
Raising her head, the Neeri saw in the faint moonlight, a figure silently walking towards her. The darkness of the approaching mass was so absolute. Its details were not readily discernible. Whatever the creature was, it stood taller than Brenna, was massive, and possessed large wings. As the figure approached, the cold seemed to intensify. The stone on her staff shone with a brightness, which pierced the darkness about her.
“You stand here before me, yet you a
