The Exiter

By Rei Rosenquist

Radaa entered the dark God's Cave to save her best friend's life.

Weylin was already dead, three days. But that didn't mean a thing.

The gods could help if they were convinced.

Radaa sat down to convince them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rei Rosenquist
• Release date: Oct 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223378006

Rei Rosenquist

Rei Rosenquist first remembers life as seen out the high window of a hotel balcony. Down below is a courtyard, swarms of brightly dressed tourists, the beach. The memory is nothing but a blue-green washed image. Warmth and sunlight. Here, they are three years old, and this is the beginning of a nomadic story-teller’s life. Over the years, they have traveled to many countries, engaged many peoples, picked up new habits, and learned new languages. But, some things never change. For them, these are stories, food service, and traveling. These three passions have bloomed from hobbies, studies, and jobs into a way of life. These days, Rei can be found in between Tokyo, Kailua, and Bellingham, Washington pouring beautiful latte art, baking off a batch of famous savory scones, and cozying up with a laptop to obsessively write mountains of dark speculative fiction. You can find Rei’s stories and blog at reirosenquist.com. You can also reach them via email at [e-mail] or connect via Facebook (Rei Rosenquist), Twitter (rylrosenquist) and Instagram (rylrosenquist).

Book preview

ONE

Radaa entered the dark God's Cave to save her best friend's life.

Weylin was already dead, three days. But that didn't mean a thing.

The gods could help if they were convinced.

Radaa sat down to convince them. She laid out a pure white cloth in the middle of a stone circle surrounded by red and black candles that never went out. The walls glowed with sigils in orange and blue, moving with spirits come to witness the occasion. Sweet smelling smoke streamed from incense lit at the four corners of a stone square. It was here that Radaa sat herself down and pulled out a honed blade. She was also supposed to draw out from a trappers bag her small precious living thing--a blue fennelrabbit or a white longfeather bird, maybe a firelight fox if she'd been able to catch one. Instead, she drew up her own sleeve and grit her teeth.

With a sharp breath in, Radaa sliced her palm open. She squeezed her fingers tight around the wound, letting blood drip on the stones. Slowly, she drew her hand across the shapes engraved in stone before her. Seven perfectly straight lines forming a triangle inside of a square. She let her blood flow, forcing herself not to cry out despite the pain. Once the last line connected with the first, the magic of the gods worked and her wound closed up. A bright line cut across her hand where the blood had been. With the cut went the pain, leaving a faint memory of an ache. Quietly, Radaa whispered the prayer of sacrifice to complete the welcoming ritual.

The glowing walls flashed, light and dark, as they'd never done before. Radaa drew up her hand to her chest, afraid. The gods were angry. She hadn't followed Teacher's instructions and killed an innocent animal.

But, she'd made her choice.

And this was her ritual rite, wasn't it?

Radaa squared herself, puffing up against the lights flashing to the walls of the cave. The gods be damned. She wasn't going to hurt another living thing. This was her pact. She would do it as she saw fit. To ask for a life, you didn't take another one. You gave of yourself.

The gods would understand.

I come to the Living Ones, Radaa began her incantation. To the Ones of Old, made yet of stone. I pray the Wild Ones bear witness to this act, and the Dead Ones give way.

The orange and blue sigils began to glow anew, the source of their light shimmering and slithering along the walls like snakes sliding past one another. This part always gave Radaa