Hadjar’s train of thought was interrupted when Dora approached the edge of the pond. The water began to boil, and a muddy shadow began to rise slowly from the bottom. It grew larger with every second that passed, until, almost noiselessly, the head of a creature appeared above the surface. It looked like a wooden oval stump topped with a crown that had six wooden prongs or roots. A humanoid body followed the head. It was made up of twigs, sticks, and stumps with broad, massive shoulders, and a powerful back which sprouted through twisted roots. The spirit’s fingers looked like the trunks of young trees. Its forearms were like broken oak bark. Its huge belly looked like a swamp, and its short legs looked like chunky bushes.
“Descendant of the Enemy,” the spirit said in a raspy voice, sound
