IX: THE F

ood Mo

ill. It stained the mou

ves gathered-hundreds. Allies. Enemies. Followers. Doubters. The Ho

ed child had

never co

iren stared u

pulling," h

d down. "The

d. "It's

eturned

Not surrounde

on

m at the rim

come to figh

s head. "No

r eyes. "Then w

her, toward the pu

ne tree-the one their fathe

sat there sin

did

ll didn

finall

ight. It came for me when I was dying.

ou sai

But it didn't want me, Ash

rned

ants

throat t

n't ha

ed softly.

ntain t

olves-but

ky ri

ws of the clouds,

crea

exac

ity. Wings made of void.

ned as stone, fel

irst

whose bones birt

e witho

what

tepped

ocked hi

Voice puls

core. He is my

voice

cond coming. I'm

st Voic

ny div

r teeth. "He c

g split

embrance. It poured downward, surrounding Kiren,

crea

a lu

ot ther

t-being with all the god

he sh

n di

ad, h

es. Simpl

First Vo

nd wasn

somethi

hing

Voice-

lain under

Kiren and pu

g now, bones out

d it," he

'll

smi

ready

ned to

l. My soul. Let me give

es filled

n tu

ro

tered boulders

oice

into it-an

le

e light

ky di

lood Moon

d down i

ed to the gr

d tall, ey

er," he

ra knew

t followed, the

Moon, the curse fa

t disbanded-it

... becam

red him. Others

none do

world. Helping. L

stayed

uilt th

them

them

ater, he

all. Sti

no longer

e her under

spoke

een anything. A

just wanted to be someo

led him

lready

, the sky

spi

son

t s

ne of th

n wa

sm

f Chap