"I will not let you out, you lost your guardian charm again!" Solifan the wizard crouched beside Píp the cat and tried to stroke her, which made her flee under the wardrobe. She would be cleaning cobwebs and dust from her coat for days. Solifan sighed and sat on the floor. The worst part was when she gave up, sad and defeated.
Then the yowling started.
The worst part was when the yowling started.
"Spirits guide me." he whispered, giving the words a tiny bit of power. He let his head fall back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. Strong, wooden planks made up the bulk of it. The building had been masterfully crafted, using the wood-grain like art to draw strong lines across the surface.
"Too bad that they are all dead." Solifan's eyes traced the lines, while Píp cried.
Memories of other dead wood crept to the surface. Whole forests, splintered and broken, drained of life, just to feed a war machine. Echoes of anger made his hands clench. He remembered the pride of standing up for something meaningful for the first time.
And he remembered a name.
Ból