Chapter 39

The Gypsy almost stumbled into the water under the Mother Tree in the near darkness. Feeling the hard steps with her feet, she waded further and further into the pool until she was in the center and up to her neck. She lifted her staff high and slammed it down as hard as she could, completely submerging it, and wedged the thin end into a notch she knew was there. Amber light poured from the head and covered the water, giving an almost orange glow to the rest of the room. She could see now that she had beaten the fog to the water as she sighed in relief, but only by about three steps. At first, the fog hissed and pulled back from the sudden light, but as more came crawling down the stairs, it swirled into itself, condensing and growing. An arm formed out of the mass, then another, then the legs and head, and a torso as it stood. It looked and flowed like a liquid. Thick, black drops fell from its fingertips and were absorbed by its feet.