Page 4 of Daman

“You healed me.” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, a little embarrassed by how fast I’d scarfed down the stew.

“No. I did not.” He took my empty bowl. “You did. I merely gave you a safe space to do so.” At my confusion, he cocked his head. “Your cuts have always healed quickly, haven’t they? Bruises fade even quicker.”

“Because of Morys. He gives me tonics and salves.”

“The physician is skilled, yet we both know the truth. You fell from a height that would’ve killed a grown man, yet here you sit with only dull aches to show for it. You’ve always felt different than those around you. It’s why you keep to yourself.” The man scratched at the stubble on his chin. “Same as me. It’s the burden of true power, I fear. Loneliness.”

“Who are you?”

“Who I am is of no importance. Apologies for that long fall, but I needed to speak with you.”

My scalp prickled. “The wind made me fall.”

“And who do you think sent the wind? No matter. You’re here now. So listen well, boy. Dacia has stood strong for many years, yet an eagle flies for the land beyond the forest. Soon, its shadow will block out the sun. Both wolf and dragon will fight for your home, but the true battle will come years from now, long after the dust has settled and the world changed. A great serpent will arise, and with him, an army of darkness.”

“What will he want?”

“You. Me. The entire world at his feet.”

“How do you know this?” I asked, having trouble absorbing his words. “Are you a seer?”

I’d heard of such people. They could see into the future.

“Of sorts,” he answered. A flash of silver around his neck caught my eye. The necklace resembled ones I’d seen wealthy men wear, though more elaborate: a white stone that glinted inside a bed of silver and tendrils of gold. It seemed alive somehow, a low hum coming from the glowing gem. The man tucked it beneath his tunic and offered me a thin smile. “The future has many paths. Imagine it like a tree with branches stretching toward different possibilities. Every decision you make cuts off those branches until you’re left with only one.”

“Do you see my future?”

“A journey will take you far from home,” he said, nodding. “The world will pass you by, and you’ll see civilizations rise and fall. You’ll know pain and heartache. You’ll know suffering. But you’ll also know love.”

I curled my nose. “Love?”

He smiled. “This love will save you.”

“Save me from what?”

“Yourself, mostly. That’s where your path veers off. One branch leads to a dark future. Seven warriors… brothers… will fall by the serpent’s hand, and darkness will reign with their final breath. A dark night will swallow the world. It begins on a winter’s night many years from now, when snow freezes in the air. A power is awakened. That’s when you must remember this moment. And return to the land beyond the forest.”

“What do you mean? Where will I go? Why will—”

“Remember what I’ve told you, boy,” he interjected. “The serpent seeks a key. Don’t let him have it.”

“What kind of key—”

The man pressed his fingers against my temple.

And the world faded away.

***

“Daman?”

Something patted my cheek, and I opened my eyes to sunlight and a clear blue sky. Lycus hovered over me, his brow scrunched with concern. A memory tried to surface—a cave and someone inside it—but it died away just as quickly.

“W-Where am I?”

“Home,” he said. “I came out for fresh air and found you lying like this in the grass. I feared you were dead.” He poked my cheek and grinned when I gently swatted his hand away. “Not dead, then. Good.”

“There was a man.” I bolted upright. The sudden movement made me dizzy. Groggy, as if I’d been sleeping hard.