Read Online Twilight of the Wolves by Edward J. Rathke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Edward J. Rathke
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he saw his breath twisting, his own atoms becoming unclean, and he ran, screaming, bumping and thrashing against the dying until he found the exit and dashed through the market, screaming for them to be clean, to never go near the temple again, to come to the shrine if they want to live.
Gasping, sweating, he stood in the Angel’s Sanctuary, Return to me! I need you now! Now more than ever before!
The apprentice knelt and watched his master destroy his voice against the echoes of the dome.
The other Arcanes watched, shaking their heads.
The coughing rang in the air as Malik approached the steps. Theboys, spasmodic from their bronchial infections, the look on their faces, the blood on their lips, on their hands became visible. Stopping, Malik coughed and walked away, coughing, spitting a brown globule into the dirt.
The Deathwalker was there when Rej and Raj returned.
Get off ov im, crow! Not dead like, only—he broke off in a fit of coughing.
The Deathwalker turned to them and smelt the air.
Rej grabbed Raj’s hand, See wha he done? See wha the bastard done to me? He coughed, the fear pulsing from deep beneath his skin. A tear fell, Bastard smelling me, Raj. Raj, Raj, Z. Wha’s to happen like?
Raj held him while he coughed and wiped the blood from his lip, You’ll be okay.
The coughing swelled beneath the bridge and Raj looked past Rej to the many who would not make it through that night.
The crumbling temple festered, crawling with Deathwalkers and the boys with nowhere to go, still selling themselves while they emptied their hearts through their mouths into the pool.
Azura shouted at Malik, Get the midwife, you bastard!
Malik ran through the empty streets, his feet carrying him through the night, past the coughs echoing, as his head swam but he found himself at the steps of the temple, coughing with the boys.
Hey daddy, the voice reached him, glistening, shaking him loose, and he straightened and ran for the midwife.
Within his home he accepted the rebukes and shouts of Azura. She squeezed his hand through her labor, his bones crumbling within her strong grip, her screams no longer for him but for every god or human or demon walking the planet, ripping the night from the sky and shoving it through her womb.
The midwife kept her breathing steady and her thoughts focused.
When morning came, so did the child: a girl. The midwife washed her and gave her to Malik who smiled through his tears and handed the girl to her mother, Azura, who clung to her for days.
I hear the soldiers are here.
Whose soldiers?
Vulpen.
Vulpen don’t have soldiers.
I heard they was Gasaru.
Did you see them?
No. You?
Aye, no, no soldiers have I seen.
They’re at war, you know.
Who?
Vulpe and Glass?
Aye, Vulpe and Glass, and us stuck between.
Time to leave, I suspect.
Go where?
Soare?
If you believe such places exist you deserve to go there.
Then into the forest.
The world is a forest. You’ll die in there with the wolves. I hear the southerners are killing the wolves. All the villages been working together to eradicate the beasts.
We’ve lost respect for the gods. No wonder the war’s coming.
Wars come, gods or no.
Vulpe’s been peaceful for centuries. Why would they fight a war?
Might be someone else started it, maybe Drache.
That I’ll believe.
Aye, everyone knows the blackhearts carry dragonblood.Fiery and furious.
Gullible, your man here. Believe in Ariel, too, aye?
Now, don’t tease him so much. He’s old, a walking relic his own self.
I’ve seen the wolves and the demons. I’ve seen Angels and Arcanes. Real Arcanes, not like the ones who come here. Charlatans who wouldn’t know a word of Soarean if they were choking on it. I once even hunted a dragon with a team and we met an old dragonlord deep in the mountains. He was sitting there talking with a great dragon, must have been as long as ten horses, but it was cold. And we all know Ariel are real.
You touched it, did you? Look at your man
Gasping, sweating, he stood in the Angel’s Sanctuary, Return to me! I need you now! Now more than ever before!
The apprentice knelt and watched his master destroy his voice against the echoes of the dome.
The other Arcanes watched, shaking their heads.
The coughing rang in the air as Malik approached the steps. Theboys, spasmodic from their bronchial infections, the look on their faces, the blood on their lips, on their hands became visible. Stopping, Malik coughed and walked away, coughing, spitting a brown globule into the dirt.
The Deathwalker was there when Rej and Raj returned.
Get off ov im, crow! Not dead like, only—he broke off in a fit of coughing.
The Deathwalker turned to them and smelt the air.
Rej grabbed Raj’s hand, See wha he done? See wha the bastard done to me? He coughed, the fear pulsing from deep beneath his skin. A tear fell, Bastard smelling me, Raj. Raj, Raj, Z. Wha’s to happen like?
Raj held him while he coughed and wiped the blood from his lip, You’ll be okay.
The coughing swelled beneath the bridge and Raj looked past Rej to the many who would not make it through that night.
The crumbling temple festered, crawling with Deathwalkers and the boys with nowhere to go, still selling themselves while they emptied their hearts through their mouths into the pool.
Azura shouted at Malik, Get the midwife, you bastard!
Malik ran through the empty streets, his feet carrying him through the night, past the coughs echoing, as his head swam but he found himself at the steps of the temple, coughing with the boys.
Hey daddy, the voice reached him, glistening, shaking him loose, and he straightened and ran for the midwife.
Within his home he accepted the rebukes and shouts of Azura. She squeezed his hand through her labor, his bones crumbling within her strong grip, her screams no longer for him but for every god or human or demon walking the planet, ripping the night from the sky and shoving it through her womb.
The midwife kept her breathing steady and her thoughts focused.
When morning came, so did the child: a girl. The midwife washed her and gave her to Malik who smiled through his tears and handed the girl to her mother, Azura, who clung to her for days.
I hear the soldiers are here.
Whose soldiers?
Vulpen.
Vulpen don’t have soldiers.
I heard they was Gasaru.
Did you see them?
No. You?
Aye, no, no soldiers have I seen.
They’re at war, you know.
Who?
Vulpe and Glass?
Aye, Vulpe and Glass, and us stuck between.
Time to leave, I suspect.
Go where?
Soare?
If you believe such places exist you deserve to go there.
Then into the forest.
The world is a forest. You’ll die in there with the wolves. I hear the southerners are killing the wolves. All the villages been working together to eradicate the beasts.
We’ve lost respect for the gods. No wonder the war’s coming.
Wars come, gods or no.
Vulpe’s been peaceful for centuries. Why would they fight a war?
Might be someone else started it, maybe Drache.
That I’ll believe.
Aye, everyone knows the blackhearts carry dragonblood.Fiery and furious.
Gullible, your man here. Believe in Ariel, too, aye?
Now, don’t tease him so much. He’s old, a walking relic his own self.
I’ve seen the wolves and the demons. I’ve seen Angels and Arcanes. Real Arcanes, not like the ones who come here. Charlatans who wouldn’t know a word of Soarean if they were choking on it. I once even hunted a dragon with a team and we met an old dragonlord deep in the mountains. He was sitting there talking with a great dragon, must have been as long as ten horses, but it was cold. And we all know Ariel are real.
You touched it, did you? Look at your man
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