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It couldn''t have been real. He thought, but a part of him rejected that notion; it had been too visceral to have not been real.
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If they let you. If you survive, the words sounded eerily similar to Mydrax. He suddenly had a vision of a skeletal hoof reaching out towards Vedu as Mydrax’s grinning skull split open in mocking laughter. You couldn’t protect your last child, what makes you think you will fare any better this time goat…
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I won''t let anyone take her from me, not now, not after everything else! He thought, fiercely refusing to let anyone else crush him down again.
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Hirc… Hirc! The voice cut through the haze. The goat slowly opened his eyes and glanced around. The fire had burned down to embers, and the cold had already seeped back into the cave. Quickly, he threw more wood on the fire.
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"Hirc!" This time, the voice was unmistakable.
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"Come to me, now!" the words spoken softly had all the force of a command. Hirc scrabbled at the cave''s entrance, partially blocked by the snow, resembling a frozen mouth, hesitant to let him go. He worked, shifting, and breaking the hard-packed ice until he could worm his way free. Once outside, he directed his gaze to the night sky. The stars sparkled like diamonds against the dark canvas. The storm had passed, leaving behind a serene stillness. Hirc stepped out, cautiously. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of pine. The snow beneath Hirc''s hooves crunched softly as he trudged forward, muffled by the vast expanse of white.
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"Come to me." The words vibrated in Hirc''s mind. "Hirc, look at me!" Hirc could not ignore that command; the power of those softly spoken words was too great. Hirc lifted his head and then, amidst the quiet, he saw her. A figure dressed in white, radiating a soft, ethereal glow. Goat, rabbit, wolf? He could not tell. Her features were fuzzy, muted by the glow. Her presence seemed to defy the laws of the Mother, captivating him with an otherworldly beauty. Hirc wanted to call out to her, but he was speechless. The apparition spoke with a gentle town that reminded him of Imala, but different.
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The fate of the Child and your own, bound as one," the spectral figure commanded. A voice that could be none other than the Mother. "Take the child to the House of Agatha. There you will unfurl the key to your future." Hirc listened, then reached to touch the ghostly figure. The figure remained unmoved by Hirc''s efforts to reach it.
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What chance? Hirc was confused. Yet before he could gather the strength to ask for an explanation, the figure began to fade. And when every trace of the apparition had passed from his sight, Hirc thought he saw for just an instant Imala standing there.
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Take a deep breath, Hirc quickly made his way back to the cave, the specter''s words reverberating through his mind. He had been to the Cathedral of Agatha several times, but the place held no special significance to him, plus what was his second chance? A second chance at what? Too many questions and no answers. Reaching the cave, he quickly retrieved Vedu, who was sleeping soundly. Retracing his steps, he returned to the King''s Road.
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You mean bribe, he thought disgustedly.
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There are no coins. There is no gold. And no meat and bones in this body.