Heirs of the Fallen: Book 02 - Crown of the Setting Sun Read Online Free PDF Page A

of the Faceless One and the
Alon’mahk’lar
. After landing on the shores of Geldain, the slaves had been given over to new masters, chained together, and marched into the heart of a nameless desert. Most slaves perished long before reaching the first of many mines, but the
Alon’mahk’lar
always brought more.
    Adham had many stories about fighting the Faceless One’s dread armies, and how the
Alon’mahk’lar
victors made a point of separating captured men from the women, boys from the girls. They were stories of valor and hardship, but Leitos had only ever gleaned that those who resisted suffered and died, miserable and broken.
    In that light, the future Leitos faced seemed to grow more dangerous. The whole of his existence had been spent digging into the desert for a season or two, then moving a short distance away to dig again, always clawing into the earth, searching for something that the
Alon’mahk’lar
never disclosed. Most slaves believed they toiled only to toil. Adham had been convinced they were looking for something, though he knew not what. Hunger and thirst, dust and rock, blisters and blinding sunlight, were all that Leitos knew. Freedom had ever been his grandfather’s dream, but to Leitos the same had been an idea shunned at all costs. Freedom, even the attempt of it, meant death. Now, he must embrace his grandfather’s will as his own. Leitos was prepared to try, but worried he would fail.
    Grow strong and cruel, and avenge the blood of our forefathers,
he heard Adham say again. Leitos knew he must survive in order to avenge his grandfather and his people.
    Setting aside all other considerations, save putting distance between himself and the
Alon’mahk’lar
, he searched the stars until he found the
Turtle
, then looked farther south until making out the setting
Archer
. Keeping the
Archer
on his left side, he headed on a westerly course, careful to remain quiet and low to the ground. He still held doubts that his efforts would yield anything of worth for his people, but for Adham’s sake, he would at least fight to escape his masters.
    Masters
, he thought, a frown pinching his brow. For the first time, that word held not fearful reverence for the
Alon’mahk’lar
, but derision. And for the first time, he dared to hate them.
    He had no sooner thought that than the resonant wail of a horn shattered the night’s stillness. Leitos did not have to look around to know they had found his trail. From the east another horn sounded, telling him that there was not one hunting party, but two!
    Leitos abandoned skulking and ran.

Chapter 5
    A fter the wails of
Alon’mahk’lar
horns, Leitos heard only his feet hammering against the desert and the soft rush of wind in his ears. Fright made him blessedly unaware of the pain in his torn feet, or the stiffness of his water-starved muscles. Despite the blessed lack of feeling, he was well aware that his limbs were not working properly, nor were his lungs. At best, his pace was half what it had been when he fled the slaughter at the mines.
    Like the baying of demonic hounds, the horns split the night, closer than before. Leitos found the two bands of
Alon’mahk’lar
converging into one hunting party behind him, their shadowed forms and silvery eyes bobbing in time with their great strides. While they could not see or smell any better than men, they were fair trackers, and tireless besides, able to run twice the speed of a man, and ten times as far. They would catch him in no time.
    Leitos winced every time his toes kicked loose a rock, or his legs thrashed through night-shrouded bush. Commonsense told him these things did not matter, because his feet were doubtless leaving telltale marks in the sand at every step. His only friend this night was the darkness, but his flagging strength all but destroyed that advantage.
    The call of a third horn, this one farther off to the north than the two bands at his back, told him there were three hunting groups. With