bundle of letters. He felt suddenly cold. “Kara.”
“Kara,” Dutraad repeated. He looked up at the scout and lowered his voice. “How’s she doing?”
Joseph tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. “Not good,” he said at last.
Dutraad nodded somberly. “See her all the same. Take a few days in Vorten, whatever you need. I’ll manage the war just fine without you, I promise.”
Joseph took a deep breath, then tucked the letters under his arm. “Yes, sir.” He turned for the tent flap.
“Joseph,” Dutraad asked suddenly, “I’ve been meaning to ask. Whatever happened to that friend of yours, the Ghostwalker?”
Joseph stopped and slowly turned. “I couldn’t tell you, sir.”
He exited out of the tent into the chilly night air.
Outside, the rain had started up once again.
Chapter 3
The first thing that hit Kendril was the pain.
The second was the stench. Overpowering, like rotting meat and putrid bile mixed with garbage.
He coughed, then opened his eyes.
It was dark. The hard floor underneath him was swaying slightly.
The ship. He was still on it, then. Or another ship.
Kendril tried to move. His arms were pinned tightly behind him with rope.
Surprise, surprise.
He licked his cracked lips. The side of his face ached with pain. His good side, too. Between the scars and the inevitable bruise he would undoubtedly be a looker when this was done.
And a whip , for Eru’s sake. Who used a whip anymore?
Something moved in front of him.
There was a low hiss, deep and primordial.
Kendril froze. There was something there, in a massive iron cage just a few yards in front of him. Something big .
A person? No.
Some kind of creature ….
Great. This day was just getting better and better.
There was a whimpering moan just to Kendril’s left.
“We’re going to die,” Marley whispered through the darkness. “Oh, Eru, we’re going to die …”
Kendril closed his eyes, pulling at his ropes. “Shut up,” he hissed.
“Beautiful, isn’t she?” A voice sounded suddenly to Kendril’s right. A figure stepped out of the shadows. It was the same robed man who had been topside during Kendril’s fight on the ship. He gestured towards the stinking darkness just in front of Kendril. “She is the incarnation of Reianu, the winged serpent. We went through much trouble to obtain her, to bring her here to Rothland from her native jungles far to the south. But now that she is here she will wreck vengeance and destruction on the cities of Rothland. From this ship we will sow terror and fire across the coastlands of Rothland, and make them know the wrath of the goddess they have so long denied and—”
“Right, I get it,” Kendril interrupted. “You’re crazy and you got some big flying snake in your ship. Now where’s Bronwyn?”
The robed man hesitated for a moment, taken aback.
Just behind him Abid moved up, his beefy hand on the hilt of his scimitar.
The robed cultist composed himself and raised a hand. “Easy, Abid. This Ghostwalker will be taught to curb his tongue soon enough.” He looked down at Kendril with a thin smile. “You were a fool to come to the ship alone. Now how many of your friends are here in New Marlin?”
Kendril cocked his head, thinking for a moment. “Hmm. A thousand. Maybe more like twelve hundred? It’s easy to lose count.”
The robed man shook his head. “You really are quite stupid, aren’t you? I could have Abid cut your tongue out for your insolence, but I have a much, much better fate in store for you. One I think you will find most…unappealing. You will—”
“Wait!” said Kendril suddenly. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. You’re going to feed me and Marley to your big scary creature there? Did I get it? Please say yes.”
Marley moaned.
Abid whipped out his scimitar.
The robed man clenched his hands. “Do you have any idea who I am?” he asked through clenched teeth. “Any idea who I represent?”
“You’re nobody
“Kara,” Dutraad repeated. He looked up at the scout and lowered his voice. “How’s she doing?”
Joseph tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. “Not good,” he said at last.
Dutraad nodded somberly. “See her all the same. Take a few days in Vorten, whatever you need. I’ll manage the war just fine without you, I promise.”
Joseph took a deep breath, then tucked the letters under his arm. “Yes, sir.” He turned for the tent flap.
“Joseph,” Dutraad asked suddenly, “I’ve been meaning to ask. Whatever happened to that friend of yours, the Ghostwalker?”
Joseph stopped and slowly turned. “I couldn’t tell you, sir.”
He exited out of the tent into the chilly night air.
Outside, the rain had started up once again.
Chapter 3
The first thing that hit Kendril was the pain.
The second was the stench. Overpowering, like rotting meat and putrid bile mixed with garbage.
He coughed, then opened his eyes.
It was dark. The hard floor underneath him was swaying slightly.
The ship. He was still on it, then. Or another ship.
Kendril tried to move. His arms were pinned tightly behind him with rope.
Surprise, surprise.
He licked his cracked lips. The side of his face ached with pain. His good side, too. Between the scars and the inevitable bruise he would undoubtedly be a looker when this was done.
And a whip , for Eru’s sake. Who used a whip anymore?
Something moved in front of him.
There was a low hiss, deep and primordial.
Kendril froze. There was something there, in a massive iron cage just a few yards in front of him. Something big .
A person? No.
Some kind of creature ….
Great. This day was just getting better and better.
There was a whimpering moan just to Kendril’s left.
“We’re going to die,” Marley whispered through the darkness. “Oh, Eru, we’re going to die …”
Kendril closed his eyes, pulling at his ropes. “Shut up,” he hissed.
“Beautiful, isn’t she?” A voice sounded suddenly to Kendril’s right. A figure stepped out of the shadows. It was the same robed man who had been topside during Kendril’s fight on the ship. He gestured towards the stinking darkness just in front of Kendril. “She is the incarnation of Reianu, the winged serpent. We went through much trouble to obtain her, to bring her here to Rothland from her native jungles far to the south. But now that she is here she will wreck vengeance and destruction on the cities of Rothland. From this ship we will sow terror and fire across the coastlands of Rothland, and make them know the wrath of the goddess they have so long denied and—”
“Right, I get it,” Kendril interrupted. “You’re crazy and you got some big flying snake in your ship. Now where’s Bronwyn?”
The robed man hesitated for a moment, taken aback.
Just behind him Abid moved up, his beefy hand on the hilt of his scimitar.
The robed cultist composed himself and raised a hand. “Easy, Abid. This Ghostwalker will be taught to curb his tongue soon enough.” He looked down at Kendril with a thin smile. “You were a fool to come to the ship alone. Now how many of your friends are here in New Marlin?”
Kendril cocked his head, thinking for a moment. “Hmm. A thousand. Maybe more like twelve hundred? It’s easy to lose count.”
The robed man shook his head. “You really are quite stupid, aren’t you? I could have Abid cut your tongue out for your insolence, but I have a much, much better fate in store for you. One I think you will find most…unappealing. You will—”
“Wait!” said Kendril suddenly. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. You’re going to feed me and Marley to your big scary creature there? Did I get it? Please say yes.”
Marley moaned.
Abid whipped out his scimitar.
The robed man clenched his hands. “Do you have any idea who I am?” he asked through clenched teeth. “Any idea who I represent?”
“You’re nobody
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