Read Online The Echidna's Scale (Alchemy's Apprentice) by Jeffrey Quyle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeffrey Quyle
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burning?” Porenn asked suddenly.
They all raised their eyebrows as they studied the steadily burning flame.
“I haven’t added any wood to it all day,” Kreewhite said thoughtfully.
“What exactly did you do when you lit the fire?” Glaze asked.
“I don’t know,” Marco protested. “I,” he paused, “I was thinking about Porenn. I felt sorry for her being so wet and cold, and I wanted to start a fire to make her feel better.”
“Marco, that’s so sweet!” Porenn gushed.
“Can we sleep here by the fire tonight?” Glaze asked Kreewhite, and the humans did just that.
In the morning, Cassius arrived early and awoke Marco. “I look forward to traveling with you,” he said as they waited for Pesino. After a half an hour, Cassius went and awoke her as well, drawing her out of her home under protest at the early start.
Marco hugged each of the companions he was leaving behind when Cassius and Pesino were finally back at the fire platform, and they all bid farewell, as Marco stepped down into the water. “I’ll take care of them Marco,” Kreewhite promised. And then Marco placed his hands on Pesino’s shoulders because she insisted she carry him first to make amends for arriving late, and the trio of adventurers began to swim through the waters of the cove. They negotiated their way through the twisting inlet, arrived out in the open water, and began their journey north.
Marco switched to riding on Cassius’s back at the first opportunity; Pesino’s questions about why human women wore blouses upon their chests left his face blushing.
They swam for two days; after one day they found land, and Marco went ashore to determine where they were, and how far it was to the Lion City. He spoke to the residents in a small village, where his golden hand was a topic of conversation for days afterwards.
They arrived in the vicini ty of the Lion City late the next evening, and carefully swam into the harbor by the light of a full moon.
“You will stay on land during the upcoming day, and then come back to see us at sunset tomorrow, correct?” Cassius repeated the plans they had made. During Marco’s time in the city, the two merpeople planned to swim out of the harbor, whose waters were filled with unpleasant refuse and waste from the city, and then return to rendezvous with him.
Marco agreed, and climbed off of Cassius’s back, and on to one of the piers that were half-filled with merchant ships. He watched his two companions disappear into the dark waters, and then he considered what he should do next.
He climbed up the posts of the pier and walked to the harbor front, then evaded the watchman and started walking towards Algornia’s shop. It was very late at night, and Marco had no expectations of seeing his former master, or any acquaintances. He felt full of excited energy; he simply wanted to see the city again, to confirm that the landmarks of his life in the Lion City still existed and were real. The Corsairs might have done some damage to some of his haunts, he knew, but he especially feared that they might have raided Algornia’s shop.
He recognized every corner and storefront and curb he passed on his way to the Chemists Square, and when he arrived there, it was a relief to find that the exterior of the shop was whole and unmarked. Marco gave a sigh of relief, then turned around and trotted back to the docks, and climbed down to his little hidden room beneath the pier, so that he could get some much-needed sleep – sleeping during the night while riding on a merman did little to refresh him.
As soon as he pushed the curtain doorway aside, Marco knew something was different. The room smelled different; its odor was feminine and flowery, causing him to pause in the doorway, and strain his eyes to peer into the black space he faced, trying to penetrate the darkness to see if someone was there.
“Hello?” he called softly. There was no answer, and he reached
They all raised their eyebrows as they studied the steadily burning flame.
“I haven’t added any wood to it all day,” Kreewhite said thoughtfully.
“What exactly did you do when you lit the fire?” Glaze asked.
“I don’t know,” Marco protested. “I,” he paused, “I was thinking about Porenn. I felt sorry for her being so wet and cold, and I wanted to start a fire to make her feel better.”
“Marco, that’s so sweet!” Porenn gushed.
“Can we sleep here by the fire tonight?” Glaze asked Kreewhite, and the humans did just that.
In the morning, Cassius arrived early and awoke Marco. “I look forward to traveling with you,” he said as they waited for Pesino. After a half an hour, Cassius went and awoke her as well, drawing her out of her home under protest at the early start.
Marco hugged each of the companions he was leaving behind when Cassius and Pesino were finally back at the fire platform, and they all bid farewell, as Marco stepped down into the water. “I’ll take care of them Marco,” Kreewhite promised. And then Marco placed his hands on Pesino’s shoulders because she insisted she carry him first to make amends for arriving late, and the trio of adventurers began to swim through the waters of the cove. They negotiated their way through the twisting inlet, arrived out in the open water, and began their journey north.
Marco switched to riding on Cassius’s back at the first opportunity; Pesino’s questions about why human women wore blouses upon their chests left his face blushing.
They swam for two days; after one day they found land, and Marco went ashore to determine where they were, and how far it was to the Lion City. He spoke to the residents in a small village, where his golden hand was a topic of conversation for days afterwards.
They arrived in the vicini ty of the Lion City late the next evening, and carefully swam into the harbor by the light of a full moon.
“You will stay on land during the upcoming day, and then come back to see us at sunset tomorrow, correct?” Cassius repeated the plans they had made. During Marco’s time in the city, the two merpeople planned to swim out of the harbor, whose waters were filled with unpleasant refuse and waste from the city, and then return to rendezvous with him.
Marco agreed, and climbed off of Cassius’s back, and on to one of the piers that were half-filled with merchant ships. He watched his two companions disappear into the dark waters, and then he considered what he should do next.
He climbed up the posts of the pier and walked to the harbor front, then evaded the watchman and started walking towards Algornia’s shop. It was very late at night, and Marco had no expectations of seeing his former master, or any acquaintances. He felt full of excited energy; he simply wanted to see the city again, to confirm that the landmarks of his life in the Lion City still existed and were real. The Corsairs might have done some damage to some of his haunts, he knew, but he especially feared that they might have raided Algornia’s shop.
He recognized every corner and storefront and curb he passed on his way to the Chemists Square, and when he arrived there, it was a relief to find that the exterior of the shop was whole and unmarked. Marco gave a sigh of relief, then turned around and trotted back to the docks, and climbed down to his little hidden room beneath the pier, so that he could get some much-needed sleep – sleeping during the night while riding on a merman did little to refresh him.
As soon as he pushed the curtain doorway aside, Marco knew something was different. The room smelled different; its odor was feminine and flowery, causing him to pause in the doorway, and strain his eyes to peer into the black space he faced, trying to penetrate the darkness to see if someone was there.
“Hello?” he called softly. There was no answer, and he reached
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