Read Online The Making of a Mage King: White Star by Anna L. Walls - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anna L. Walls
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was just turning away when another man came up with a prisoner who looked like he might faint if he got any closer. “ Ruihano , Dioruihano ,” he looked at Sean when he said the last honorific. “This man says that they had ten demons stabled here. He says that they were all sent into the city without handlers.”
Sean sighed. I guess I’m not done yet. “I’ll find them. What do you want me to do with the bodies?”
“What can you do with the bodies?” asked the new ruihano , surprised that he had asked that question. Sean looked at him while he tried to assemble a list of the possible things he could do, but he didn’t have to give it. “I don’t care what you do with them,” he added. “Just make them go away.
Sean went from street to street, searching until long after midnight, but finding only six of the eight remaining demons and their mad horses. The chaos and destruction they had left in their wake was heartbreaking. Too bad the commander who had ordered their release hadn’t survived the battle.
When he finally came upon the last two, he saw something that chilled his heart. Standing in the middle of the dark market square was a demon sitting quietly on his horse facing an indistinct form that could only be a person on foot.
The demon and his horse were quiet, so Sean approached him in kind. He left his men in the shadows of the street with orders to be silent. As he got closer, he could pick out that, what he had thought was a single form, was in fact a young couple, standing frozen in each other’s arms. Too terrified to move, they stood trembling only a few feet beyond the demon’s reach. As Sean entered the square, the demon turned his head to look at him. His horse tossed his head and snorted, but under the rider’s firm hand, he remained stationary.
As Sean wove through the deserted stalls and scattered produce, he saw that the last unaccounted-for demon and his horse were lying a few yards away, already dead. The broken and bloody condition of the bodies said that they had been killed by someone who was also mounted and that certainly wasn’t the young man standing in the middle of the square holding what might be his fiancé. As far as Sean knew, they were the only men riding through the city and he certainly hadn’t fought this or any of the other demons he had found; he hadn’t bothered to get close enough.
As Sean drew closer to the demon, he swiveled his helmeted head from Sean to the young couple and back again. His movements were slow, as if he moved under water. The fact that Sean moved should have been enough to trigger him to attack. Hell, the fact that the young couple breathed should have been enough.
Prince snorted and Sean whispered, “Be good.” He sidled Prince closer, and when the other horse reached for Prince’s flank with his jagged teeth, Sean muzzled him so that all he could do was butt his head at them. Still the demon sat still and just watched.
Sean sidled Prince even closer; now they were knee to knee and the destrier was hunching and blowing. Sean gripped the man’s arm and sent a healing through him. Like he had done for Manuel, he used all of his healing power on him, and he was stronger now than he had been then.
The demon doubled over his hand, and his harsh gasp quickly evolved into a strangled scream as his body tried to jerk. His horse started to pitch; his head was down between his knees and his tail thrashed.
Sean spared a little magic to hold the horse and a small amount of attention to wonder why the young couple still stood in front of him. It was a good thing they stood so still; with a running target to focus on, the horse might have been harder to hold.
When the man slumped forward in his saddle, Sean switched his attention to the horse. Using his previous experience, he removed the torture devices and healed the wounds. He would need a lot more work, but for now, he was quieter. Sean swung himself over behind the unconscious rider
Sean sighed. I guess I’m not done yet. “I’ll find them. What do you want me to do with the bodies?”
“What can you do with the bodies?” asked the new ruihano , surprised that he had asked that question. Sean looked at him while he tried to assemble a list of the possible things he could do, but he didn’t have to give it. “I don’t care what you do with them,” he added. “Just make them go away.
Sean went from street to street, searching until long after midnight, but finding only six of the eight remaining demons and their mad horses. The chaos and destruction they had left in their wake was heartbreaking. Too bad the commander who had ordered their release hadn’t survived the battle.
When he finally came upon the last two, he saw something that chilled his heart. Standing in the middle of the dark market square was a demon sitting quietly on his horse facing an indistinct form that could only be a person on foot.
The demon and his horse were quiet, so Sean approached him in kind. He left his men in the shadows of the street with orders to be silent. As he got closer, he could pick out that, what he had thought was a single form, was in fact a young couple, standing frozen in each other’s arms. Too terrified to move, they stood trembling only a few feet beyond the demon’s reach. As Sean entered the square, the demon turned his head to look at him. His horse tossed his head and snorted, but under the rider’s firm hand, he remained stationary.
As Sean wove through the deserted stalls and scattered produce, he saw that the last unaccounted-for demon and his horse were lying a few yards away, already dead. The broken and bloody condition of the bodies said that they had been killed by someone who was also mounted and that certainly wasn’t the young man standing in the middle of the square holding what might be his fiancé. As far as Sean knew, they were the only men riding through the city and he certainly hadn’t fought this or any of the other demons he had found; he hadn’t bothered to get close enough.
As Sean drew closer to the demon, he swiveled his helmeted head from Sean to the young couple and back again. His movements were slow, as if he moved under water. The fact that Sean moved should have been enough to trigger him to attack. Hell, the fact that the young couple breathed should have been enough.
Prince snorted and Sean whispered, “Be good.” He sidled Prince closer, and when the other horse reached for Prince’s flank with his jagged teeth, Sean muzzled him so that all he could do was butt his head at them. Still the demon sat still and just watched.
Sean sidled Prince even closer; now they were knee to knee and the destrier was hunching and blowing. Sean gripped the man’s arm and sent a healing through him. Like he had done for Manuel, he used all of his healing power on him, and he was stronger now than he had been then.
The demon doubled over his hand, and his harsh gasp quickly evolved into a strangled scream as his body tried to jerk. His horse started to pitch; his head was down between his knees and his tail thrashed.
Sean spared a little magic to hold the horse and a small amount of attention to wonder why the young couple still stood in front of him. It was a good thing they stood so still; with a running target to focus on, the horse might have been harder to hold.
When the man slumped forward in his saddle, Sean switched his attention to the horse. Using his previous experience, he removed the torture devices and healed the wounds. He would need a lot more work, but for now, he was quieter. Sean swung himself over behind the unconscious rider
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