Read Online The Dawn of a Desperate War (The Godlanders War) by Aaron Pogue - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Aaron Pogue
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reached it and leaped aside with all his might, slamming it shut in the face of the guardsmen.
He had no time to think. The halberds’ blades clanged against the doors, but the soldier’s heavy boots would be coming right behind. There was hardly time to hoist the rough-cut bar across the doors, especially with the hostile crowd still in the temple with him.
That thought came just soon enough. Corin fell to the side as a pair of crossbow bolts slammed into the door where he had been, fired from within the sanctuary. The princes’ guards.
Corin scrambled up and pressed his back against the door. The soldiers in the street hit it hard, and Corin’s boots scraped six inches across the marble floor. The men outside were gathering themselves to hit the door again, and in the temple’s heart, the princes’ bodyguards were shaking off the last effects of Corin’s dwarven powder. Two of them were frantically preparing their crossbows to fire again, and the other two were charging up the aisle with cudgels raised.
Cold sweat beaded Corin’s forehead as he tried to judge the timing. He braced himself, ears straining until he heard the pounding footsteps through the door. Then he gulped a heavy breath and dove aside.
The doors slammed open, sudden sunlight dazing the charging bodyguards. The halberdiers were not so slow. They swung their polearms at the charging threat and felled the princes’ men with practiced precision. Two crossbow bolts fired in answer and dropped as many of the invading soldiers where they stood.
Corin stared a moment, disbelieving. Cries of anguish and confusion rang out again within the temple, the princes’ men beginning to believe the city guard were complicit in their lords’ assassination.
Corin slipped into the deeper shadows, farther from the door. The crossbowmen had lost track of him during the excitement, and surely the men outside would hesitate after seeing the first two fall so quickly. He had a moment of confusion on his side.
But how best to use it? He had to get outside. He’d laid this whole plan in an attempt to draw Ephitel, but he had never guessed there might be such a swift reaction. How many men were waiting in the street? More than a dozen, surely. How could they have come so quickly?
Corin shook his head. It didn’t matter. He’d summoned Ephitel to face him, and here he was unarmed. He had to get outside. He had to get to Ben, and in this moment of confusion he had a chance. He closed his eyes and wove a glamour, making himself look like a priest of Ephitel again.
Then he dashed through the door. He went through in a flash and then skipped aside, wary of crossbows in the dark behind him. As he went, he held his empty hands high, palms out before him, and cried out in scarcely feigned terror. “Killers in the temple ! The princes’ bodyguards are killers! Don’t let them get away! The king’s sons are dead!”
As he went, he got his first close look at the forces in the street. Far too many to have come so soon! There were perhaps three dozen men in arms—crossbowmen with long, neat tabards and officers with rapiers on their hips arrayed among the halberdiers more accustomed to patrolling the city’s streets.
Three dozen men, and at Corin’s final words, the officers cried, “Charge!” and the whole force pounded up the marble stairs and into the temple’s dim interior.
Corin let them go. His eyes were searching still, trying to find the leader of this force. He’d spotted Ben already, but the dwarf could not have known him through his glamour, and Corin had no wish to draw attention to his friend until he had good cause.
But for all the army waiting in the street, Corin saw no sign of Ephitel. He drifted away from the charging column and toward a curious crowd gathered to one side. None of the soldiers moved to stop him, and he thanked his priestly robes for that. But halfway to the safety of the onlookers, a woman stepped in front of him, bringing
He had no time to think. The halberds’ blades clanged against the doors, but the soldier’s heavy boots would be coming right behind. There was hardly time to hoist the rough-cut bar across the doors, especially with the hostile crowd still in the temple with him.
That thought came just soon enough. Corin fell to the side as a pair of crossbow bolts slammed into the door where he had been, fired from within the sanctuary. The princes’ guards.
Corin scrambled up and pressed his back against the door. The soldiers in the street hit it hard, and Corin’s boots scraped six inches across the marble floor. The men outside were gathering themselves to hit the door again, and in the temple’s heart, the princes’ bodyguards were shaking off the last effects of Corin’s dwarven powder. Two of them were frantically preparing their crossbows to fire again, and the other two were charging up the aisle with cudgels raised.
Cold sweat beaded Corin’s forehead as he tried to judge the timing. He braced himself, ears straining until he heard the pounding footsteps through the door. Then he gulped a heavy breath and dove aside.
The doors slammed open, sudden sunlight dazing the charging bodyguards. The halberdiers were not so slow. They swung their polearms at the charging threat and felled the princes’ men with practiced precision. Two crossbow bolts fired in answer and dropped as many of the invading soldiers where they stood.
Corin stared a moment, disbelieving. Cries of anguish and confusion rang out again within the temple, the princes’ men beginning to believe the city guard were complicit in their lords’ assassination.
Corin slipped into the deeper shadows, farther from the door. The crossbowmen had lost track of him during the excitement, and surely the men outside would hesitate after seeing the first two fall so quickly. He had a moment of confusion on his side.
But how best to use it? He had to get outside. He’d laid this whole plan in an attempt to draw Ephitel, but he had never guessed there might be such a swift reaction. How many men were waiting in the street? More than a dozen, surely. How could they have come so quickly?
Corin shook his head. It didn’t matter. He’d summoned Ephitel to face him, and here he was unarmed. He had to get outside. He had to get to Ben, and in this moment of confusion he had a chance. He closed his eyes and wove a glamour, making himself look like a priest of Ephitel again.
Then he dashed through the door. He went through in a flash and then skipped aside, wary of crossbows in the dark behind him. As he went, he held his empty hands high, palms out before him, and cried out in scarcely feigned terror. “Killers in the temple ! The princes’ bodyguards are killers! Don’t let them get away! The king’s sons are dead!”
As he went, he got his first close look at the forces in the street. Far too many to have come so soon! There were perhaps three dozen men in arms—crossbowmen with long, neat tabards and officers with rapiers on their hips arrayed among the halberdiers more accustomed to patrolling the city’s streets.
Three dozen men, and at Corin’s final words, the officers cried, “Charge!” and the whole force pounded up the marble stairs and into the temple’s dim interior.
Corin let them go. His eyes were searching still, trying to find the leader of this force. He’d spotted Ben already, but the dwarf could not have known him through his glamour, and Corin had no wish to draw attention to his friend until he had good cause.
But for all the army waiting in the street, Corin saw no sign of Ephitel. He drifted away from the charging column and toward a curious crowd gathered to one side. None of the soldiers moved to stop him, and he thanked his priestly robes for that. But halfway to the safety of the onlookers, a woman stepped in front of him, bringing
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