Read Online Rise of the Mare (Fall of Man Book 2) by Jacqueline Druga - Free Book Online

the ones from the road, the ones we planned to take out
the next day.
    The Day Stalkers sank into the stand.
Getting a footing was tough for them, and while I was positive we
had enough strong power for Savages, we didn’t have enough to
conquer both.
    Thankfully, the moment the Day
Stalkers jumped ahead of the attack, the Savages descended upon
them.
    It was vicious and brutal and also
beautiful.
    The Savages were faster but the Day
Stalkers were stronger.
    I watched a Savage land on a Day
Stalker. There was no attempt to lift him. It was a simple kill
situation. Since the Day Stalkers were already dead, they didn’t go
down without a fight. Ripping their necks did nothing but anger the
Day Stalkers, and they engaged in an all-out blood brawl. A Savage
ripped legs from a Day Stalker and the Stalker kept fighting until
he was nothing but a head on the beach. The Savage finished it with
a hard claw to the skull.
    Outnumbering the Savages, instead of
their focus being on humans, the Day Stalkers turned on the
Savages. Three or four Day Stalkers took on a Savage, tearing it
apart until it was no more.
    The people on the beach awoke and
instead of retreating to the water, they were able to get to the
buses without even being noticed. The Day Stalkers and Savages were
too consumed with each other.
    The guards stayed to finish off the
battle, inadvertently practicing Davis’ original plan.
    To begin with, there were close to
twenty Savages and triple that of Day Stalkers. When it was
finished, only four Day Stalkers remained, the rest had diligently
battled to the death, eliminating not only each other, but their
threat to us as well.
    It was brilliant, exhilarating, and
we killed the final four, already battle weary, with relative
ease.
    It was a light at the end of the
tunnel. A tweak in Davis’ plan. Let the Savages and Day Stalkers
take each other out and the Sybaris would be a breeze for us.
    By the time the sun had risen fully,
I wasn’t in need of rest, I was raring to go on our initiative to
cut the Day Stalkers off at the pass. As I thought about that,
another idea hit me.

NINETEEN – VALA
     
    His face was blackened with old
blood that rested beneath the layers of leather-like skin. It was
barely a human face, more elongated and drawn. The black blood
pumped through thick veins of his face causing a continuous
pulsating ripple. He was one of four Elders.
    While they were gatekeepers, they
were also hierarchy of the Sybaris community. As in any
civilization there are levels of importance and authority. The
Elders, be they gatekeepers or city watchers, were the highest of
the high.
    Then came the Royalty, lawmakers,
healers, soldiers, and finally, the educators. That was the chain
of command.
    For a Sybaris to approach an Elder in
regard to another Sybaris, it was serious.
    When the lawmakers came and took the
survivors from Esperanza to the next town, Iry took me to the
gatekeepers.
    The lair was dark and damp, foul
smelling, heavy with the stench of rotten blood. Trophies of human
infant skeletal remains hung on the walls. I wanted to vomit, I
didn’t want to be there, yet, it was the only choice for my safety
that Iry could think of. Also for my sister.
    The Elder’s lips did not move, yet
his voice resonated from within him. I was able to hear him. His
eyes were glazed with gray with a single speck of black for a
pupil.
    I wanted to stand farther away from
him. He had a stench so bad, even Iry smelled it.
    “You know what it is you are accusing
Her Highness of committing?” he asked.
    I wanted to huff at him,
sarcastically reply that I did. However, I simply stepped back and
looked at Iry. “Why are we here? He doesn’t believe me.”
    “Elder,” Iry said, moving in front of
me, “Nito has organized strikes against the rebels in the outer
lands and—”
    “That is not my concern. They are not
under our protection.”
    “Those in Esperanza are,” Iry said.
“We are supposed to protect them.”
    “And