Read Online Crown of Dragonfire by Daniel Arenson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Daniel Arenson
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way into Shayeen.
When rushing into
Tofet, only a handful of chariots had flown above, and Meliora and Tash had
soon lost the guards' pursuit in the shadow path. Now it seemed that the entire
city garrison was out in the night—they marched down the streets, knocked on
doors, and flew above in their chariots of fire. Their cries rolled across the
city, and in the distance, Meliora could hear her brother shout in the night.
"Find them! Find the
prisoners."
Ishtafel did not
mention her by name. Good. Meliora smiled thinly in the shadows of her hood.
Perhaps he was too embarrassed to have lost his own sister.
I hope your wound
burns, brother, she thought. I hope it screams with the same agony as my
phantom wings.
"Quickly, this way!"
Tash said, directing the companions into an alleyway that ran between brick
silos and refineries, the way so narrow they had to walk single file. At the
end of the alley, they went down a flight of stairs, took a dark path between
two hills, and finally tiptoed along an aqueduct. The shadow path of the slaves
was a way of rooftops, tunnels, sometimes even sewers, a network connecting all
of the city, as hidden as the passageways of rats.
The port wasn't far,
less than a mile from the bridge, but the path seemed to wind on for endless
leagues. They hurried through a brick house where fishermen cleaned their
catches and fish entrails stank in buckets. They made their way across a barren
backyard where fishing nets hung from ropes. Always the chariots flew overhead,
and the sounds of guards breaking down doorways rose from the city streets.
Finally, standing
between a few palm trees, Meliora could see the port ahead. A boardwalk spread alongside
the Te'ephim River, and lanterns bobbed on the masts of sailing ships. There
lay her road to freedom.
"Find the prisoners!"
rose Ishtafel's cry above, and Meliora looked up to see a stream of fire. It
was him. His chariot. She grimaced and clenched her fist, but he shot overhead,
moving too fast to see her, and charged across the river into Tofet. A thousand
chariots flew behind him, and his voice boomed in the sky like thunder. "Make
the slaves pay! Break them until they bring out the prisoners."
Meliora hissed, and
Elory gasped at her side.
Elory shuddered. "He's
going to kill them. He'll decimate them again." She grabbed Meliora's arm. "We
have to go back. We have to get Father! To fight. To—"
Meliora lowered her
head. "We cannot."
Vale stepped closer,
and anger kindled in his eyes. "You did not see the decimation, Meliora. You
did not see the bodies on the pikes. If he's planning another attack, we—"
"We must bring hope,"
Meliora said, staring at him. She was tall for a Vir Requis, six feet from her toes
to her shaved head, but Vale stood just as tall; he stared back, eye level with
her. "More than ever, the people of Requiem need the Keeper's Key," she said. "We
cannot fight Ishtafel while wearing our collars. We must leave this city."
They all stared at her.
From across the river, screams already rose—the screams of slaves.
"They're dying," Elory
whispered.
Meliora nodded. "Then
we must hurry. We must fetch the key as quickly as we can. Come now. To the
port."
Reluctantly the others
followed. They made their way past the palm trees and stepped between a portico's
columns. A cobbled boardwalk spread ahead along the riverbank. Lanterns swung
from poles, casting orange light upon the river. Piers stretched into the
water, lined with the small reed boats of fishermen. Several larger boats—the
sailing ships of merchants—docked farther away.
"Tash, the jewels,"
Meliora whispered.
Tash nodded, stepped
forward, and furtively passed more jewels into Meliora's hands: three anklets
strewn with gemstones and a silver necklace.
"That's all I've got
left," Tash whispered. "It better be enough. I—"
"Watch it!" barked a
burly seraph, trundling between them. His girth knocked into Meliora and Tash,
shoving them back, and his breath stank
When rushing into
Tofet, only a handful of chariots had flown above, and Meliora and Tash had
soon lost the guards' pursuit in the shadow path. Now it seemed that the entire
city garrison was out in the night—they marched down the streets, knocked on
doors, and flew above in their chariots of fire. Their cries rolled across the
city, and in the distance, Meliora could hear her brother shout in the night.
"Find them! Find the
prisoners."
Ishtafel did not
mention her by name. Good. Meliora smiled thinly in the shadows of her hood.
Perhaps he was too embarrassed to have lost his own sister.
I hope your wound
burns, brother, she thought. I hope it screams with the same agony as my
phantom wings.
"Quickly, this way!"
Tash said, directing the companions into an alleyway that ran between brick
silos and refineries, the way so narrow they had to walk single file. At the
end of the alley, they went down a flight of stairs, took a dark path between
two hills, and finally tiptoed along an aqueduct. The shadow path of the slaves
was a way of rooftops, tunnels, sometimes even sewers, a network connecting all
of the city, as hidden as the passageways of rats.
The port wasn't far,
less than a mile from the bridge, but the path seemed to wind on for endless
leagues. They hurried through a brick house where fishermen cleaned their
catches and fish entrails stank in buckets. They made their way across a barren
backyard where fishing nets hung from ropes. Always the chariots flew overhead,
and the sounds of guards breaking down doorways rose from the city streets.
Finally, standing
between a few palm trees, Meliora could see the port ahead. A boardwalk spread alongside
the Te'ephim River, and lanterns bobbed on the masts of sailing ships. There
lay her road to freedom.
"Find the prisoners!"
rose Ishtafel's cry above, and Meliora looked up to see a stream of fire. It
was him. His chariot. She grimaced and clenched her fist, but he shot overhead,
moving too fast to see her, and charged across the river into Tofet. A thousand
chariots flew behind him, and his voice boomed in the sky like thunder. "Make
the slaves pay! Break them until they bring out the prisoners."
Meliora hissed, and
Elory gasped at her side.
Elory shuddered. "He's
going to kill them. He'll decimate them again." She grabbed Meliora's arm. "We
have to go back. We have to get Father! To fight. To—"
Meliora lowered her
head. "We cannot."
Vale stepped closer,
and anger kindled in his eyes. "You did not see the decimation, Meliora. You
did not see the bodies on the pikes. If he's planning another attack, we—"
"We must bring hope,"
Meliora said, staring at him. She was tall for a Vir Requis, six feet from her toes
to her shaved head, but Vale stood just as tall; he stared back, eye level with
her. "More than ever, the people of Requiem need the Keeper's Key," she said. "We
cannot fight Ishtafel while wearing our collars. We must leave this city."
They all stared at her.
From across the river, screams already rose—the screams of slaves.
"They're dying," Elory
whispered.
Meliora nodded. "Then
we must hurry. We must fetch the key as quickly as we can. Come now. To the
port."
Reluctantly the others
followed. They made their way past the palm trees and stepped between a portico's
columns. A cobbled boardwalk spread ahead along the riverbank. Lanterns swung
from poles, casting orange light upon the river. Piers stretched into the
water, lined with the small reed boats of fishermen. Several larger boats—the
sailing ships of merchants—docked farther away.
"Tash, the jewels,"
Meliora whispered.
Tash nodded, stepped
forward, and furtively passed more jewels into Meliora's hands: three anklets
strewn with gemstones and a silver necklace.
"That's all I've got
left," Tash whispered. "It better be enough. I—"
"Watch it!" barked a
burly seraph, trundling between them. His girth knocked into Meliora and Tash,
shoving them back, and his breath stank
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