Read Online Resurgent Shadows (Successive Harmony Book 1) by Kevin L. Nielsen - Free Book Online
Authors: Kevin L. Nielsen
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the meandering passageway they had been following. Sigvid turned to Caleb and gave him an appraising look.
Caleb returned the scrutiny.
“You should know, boy, that none within this room are your friends, though only a few are your enemies.” Sigvid finished with a humorless grin and turned back to the doors. He wrenched them open with a momentous tug that slammed both doors into the tunnel walls and caused an echo reverberating so loud that Caleb winced.
“No sense hiding the fact that you’re coming, boy,” Sigvid called over the echoes and marched into the room.
Caleb stared incredulously after him, but followed.
The room they entered was well lit, sunlight streaming into the room from narrow slits recessed in the ceiling. An intricate array of mirrors were placed around the room, refracting the light into the remotest corners. A roaring fire crackled within a stonework pit along one wall, over which roasted a large slab of meat being turned on a spit by a sweaty-faced, apron-clad dverger.
Roughly a score of dvergers sat among the dozen long, oak tables in the midst of a meal, though none of them were currently eating. All of them stared at Caleb, stony faced and silent, plates and mugs forgotten on the tables in front of them. Caleb returned the looks, staring each of the dvergers in the eyes in turn. He recognized Bothvar seated at a far table, surrounded by a small knot of companions. He was not surprised to see hatred burning in the dverger’s eyes.
Caleb held the stare for a long moment, unafraid.
Bothvar blinked. He growled something to the dvergers around him and got to his feet. The dvergers with him got up as well and marched from the room through several smaller doors on the other side of the fire. The doors banged shut and, as if this were some sort of prearranged signal, the remaining dvergers in the room resumed eating. A low rumble of voices and the sounds of utensils hitting plates soon joined the crackle of the roaring fire.
“Either daft or reckless,” Sigvid said, echoing his prior sentiment. He pushed a platter piled high with meat, cheese, and bread into Caleb’s hands. “Let’s find a seat and get the messy bits out of the way.”
Caleb didn’t know what Sigvid meant by “the messy bits,” but he didn’t honestly care. The smell of the hot meat had his mouth watering with the sudden realization of just how famished he really was.
He took a seat at an empty table next to Sigvid and shoved some of the meat into his mouth with a handful of bread and cheese. He ate so quickly that he didn’t really taste anything until after his fourth mouthful. The bread was hearty and the cheese sharp and tangy. The meat had a spicy, gamey taste, and Caleb wasn’t sure what it was, nor was he sure he wanted to know.
Sigvid chuckled from across the table and pushed a tankard of mead toward him. A few other dvergers wandered over while Caleb was eating and spoke softly with Sigvid. They joined the two of them at the table, but did not speak.
“Well, at least you eat like a dverger.”
Caleb picked up the tankard and looked into it, sniffing it tentatively. He had never had alcohol before. It had been against his religion to consume any form of spirits, but what did it matter now? His God no longer cared what happened to him. His God had abandoned this world, if He had ever cared for it to begin with. It was an old argument that Caleb had played over and over again in his mind. He felt his eyes welling up with unshed tears and gritted his teeth in frustration and anger.
He picked up the tankard and downed half of it in two large gulps. It burned going down, but tasted remarkably like root beer with a hint of a nutty aftertaste. He coughed, cleared his throat, and placed the mead back down on the table.
“So what’s the Breaking?”
Sigvid looked at him over the top of his tankard and then looked down into it, as if the amber liquid held the secret answers he was looking for. For the first
Caleb returned the scrutiny.
“You should know, boy, that none within this room are your friends, though only a few are your enemies.” Sigvid finished with a humorless grin and turned back to the doors. He wrenched them open with a momentous tug that slammed both doors into the tunnel walls and caused an echo reverberating so loud that Caleb winced.
“No sense hiding the fact that you’re coming, boy,” Sigvid called over the echoes and marched into the room.
Caleb stared incredulously after him, but followed.
The room they entered was well lit, sunlight streaming into the room from narrow slits recessed in the ceiling. An intricate array of mirrors were placed around the room, refracting the light into the remotest corners. A roaring fire crackled within a stonework pit along one wall, over which roasted a large slab of meat being turned on a spit by a sweaty-faced, apron-clad dverger.
Roughly a score of dvergers sat among the dozen long, oak tables in the midst of a meal, though none of them were currently eating. All of them stared at Caleb, stony faced and silent, plates and mugs forgotten on the tables in front of them. Caleb returned the looks, staring each of the dvergers in the eyes in turn. He recognized Bothvar seated at a far table, surrounded by a small knot of companions. He was not surprised to see hatred burning in the dverger’s eyes.
Caleb held the stare for a long moment, unafraid.
Bothvar blinked. He growled something to the dvergers around him and got to his feet. The dvergers with him got up as well and marched from the room through several smaller doors on the other side of the fire. The doors banged shut and, as if this were some sort of prearranged signal, the remaining dvergers in the room resumed eating. A low rumble of voices and the sounds of utensils hitting plates soon joined the crackle of the roaring fire.
“Either daft or reckless,” Sigvid said, echoing his prior sentiment. He pushed a platter piled high with meat, cheese, and bread into Caleb’s hands. “Let’s find a seat and get the messy bits out of the way.”
Caleb didn’t know what Sigvid meant by “the messy bits,” but he didn’t honestly care. The smell of the hot meat had his mouth watering with the sudden realization of just how famished he really was.
He took a seat at an empty table next to Sigvid and shoved some of the meat into his mouth with a handful of bread and cheese. He ate so quickly that he didn’t really taste anything until after his fourth mouthful. The bread was hearty and the cheese sharp and tangy. The meat had a spicy, gamey taste, and Caleb wasn’t sure what it was, nor was he sure he wanted to know.
Sigvid chuckled from across the table and pushed a tankard of mead toward him. A few other dvergers wandered over while Caleb was eating and spoke softly with Sigvid. They joined the two of them at the table, but did not speak.
“Well, at least you eat like a dverger.”
Caleb picked up the tankard and looked into it, sniffing it tentatively. He had never had alcohol before. It had been against his religion to consume any form of spirits, but what did it matter now? His God no longer cared what happened to him. His God had abandoned this world, if He had ever cared for it to begin with. It was an old argument that Caleb had played over and over again in his mind. He felt his eyes welling up with unshed tears and gritted his teeth in frustration and anger.
He picked up the tankard and downed half of it in two large gulps. It burned going down, but tasted remarkably like root beer with a hint of a nutty aftertaste. He coughed, cleared his throat, and placed the mead back down on the table.
“So what’s the Breaking?”
Sigvid looked at him over the top of his tankard and then looked down into it, as if the amber liquid held the secret answers he was looking for. For the first
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