Chapter Thirty: Dry Rains

Fleeing Histê pursuers through a rain-soaked forest, Rinold, Nehek, Edlmir, Jitô, and other Silone endure thorny vines and muddy terrain, exhausted by their armor. As a storm intensifies, Rinold convinces Nehek to seek shelter in Ontotutusku, a forbidden cave shunned for its demonic reputation. An arrow kills Rateyes during their descent, prompting Rinold to slide down a muddy slope to the cave’s stone arch, carved with defaced busts and a lion’s head. Inside, they tumble onto a pristine marble floor, shielded from rain by an invisible barrier, reminiscent of the Tomb of the Touched (Ch. 21). Nehek assures them the Histê won’t follow, believing no one survives Ontotutusku’s night. Rinold, calmed by the dry sanctuary, sleeps, but Edlmir wakes him to a transformed chamber with walls and windows. Spectral figures carrying lanterns patrol outside, invisible to Rinold and Edlmir but seen as demonic men by Nehek. When a ghost enters, Nehek’s glowing eyes and prayers draw its attention, nearly costing his life. Rinold intervenes, shielding Nehek and communicating with the ghost, who spares them after Jitô’s death by spectral blades. Negotiating peace, Rinold secures a night’s rest, vowing to leave at dawn, as the group mourns Jitô and grapples with Ontotutusku’s supernatural guardians, haunted by parallels to the Touched’s realm and Tokodin’s legacy (Ch. 20).

WoG Chapter 29 — Pointed Message
WoG Chapter 31 — Mother's Paradise
Whispers of Ghosts — Main Chapter Listing