Sinway sipped from his goblet. “Your brothers, Catten and Verbard, were every bit as confident as you. Kuurn, the best that I have left, could not even lift a finger to them.”
“I beg pardon,” Kuurn said.
Sinway ignored him. “Some things cannot be broken. Only time can take them away. This man, this troublesome slayer. He cannot live forever. No, this is a different battle. A battle of attrition. We are winning. We will remain patient.”
“As you wish, Master Sinway,” Kuurn said with a bow.
Elypsa shrugged. “So I’m to play like a human maiden in this castle? I prefer to join the ranks and fight.”
Sinway said, “You’re going back to the Underland.”
“What? Why?”
“You are going to wed Kuurn as promised. Certainly, you would rather do that in the homeland than here. Our people will be looking forward to the ceremony.”
She approached the throne. The cave dogs growled. “Master Sinway, am I truly to be promised to one that was considered to be no more than an apt pupil by my brothers? It is an insult. Catten and Verbard were your finest—”
Sinway’s voice rose. “They are dead. Kuurn lives.” The crystal on the chandeliers rattled. “Your brothers cannot fend off Kuurn’s advances toward you anymore. Is he not your liberator? He is as good a match as any. He named you decades ago, and you should have succumbed to him then. But now the time has come. You will wed. You will breed. Enjoy the experience.”
Grinding her teeth, Elypsa stepped away. Kuurn had done everything right. He’d discovered her name, which had been well hidden. He’d treated her with adulation. He was of a fine stock, and in the underling world, one could not do much better. Most underling women longed to marry into the house of the highest power. It was a competition. Elypsa couldn’t have cared less. She wanted to be the best soldier possible. As for Kuurn, she felt no affection for him at all. He might be powerful, but he was boring. “As you wish, Master Sinway.”
Kuurn brimmed with satisfaction.
“You say that as if you have a choice in the matter.” Sinway finished his goblet and set it down. An urchling appeared from the curtains, refilled the goblet, and slunk away. “Kuurn, be wise enough to keep your mate entertained. She’s far more valuable than the typical bauble.”
“Vastly,” Kuurn agreed. “I shall endeavor to please her as much as she pleases me.”
“It would please me just as much to wed here,” she said. “Why not have the first ceremony in a castle we have conquered? After all, we aren’t going anywhere, are we?”
Kuurn’s citrine eyes brightened. “I think that would be delightful.”
Ebenezer Kling stormed into the throne room. A pair of underling sentries barred his path. The formidable man pushed right through them. “Master Sinway, we have disorder!”
“How dare you, interloper?” Kuurn fired a yellow missile of energy at Ebenezer.
Cat quick, Ebenezer knocked it aside with his arm bracer. The deflected missile punched a hole through the window curtain. The urchling behind it dropped dead on the floor. Kuurn’s fingers charged up again.
“At ease, Kuurn,” Sinway said. “This is Lord Kling, the former ruler of this house. I trust him to speak openly. Ebenezer, I’ve warned you about that brazen tone of yours. You’ll die once I tire of it.”
“You promised to cut back on the death in the streets, yet the bodies continue to pile up. We can’t run this city if some sort of order is not maintained. It will fall into ruin.”
Parting his hands, Sinway said, “There is going to be an adjustment period. Besides, my kind really hates your kind. Tell your people to not upset them.”
“The royals have given you nothing but cooperation and allegiance. Yet you are still catapulting burning bodies over the walls. Innocent people are murdered in the streets.” Ebenezer’s cheeks reddened by his sideburns. “No one will work. Everyone hides. You might feel as if you conquered this city, but beware that this city will conquer you. It needs order and great care.”
Sinway nodded.
Ebenezer’s beard was neatly trimmed. His refined hair was going gray. He moved with the powerful grace of a natural athlete. His feet were set to strike. A broadsword of the finest craft hung on his hip. A matching dagger on the man’s sword belt was paired up with it.
Circling the tall royal, who eyed her with both wonder and suspicion, Elypsa said, “Kuurn, I would like to have my wedding present early.”
“Whatever is at my command you will have. What would you like?”
“I want to fight this man.”
CHAPTER 9
“He’s going to snap, Jarla. Quit goading him,” Jubilee said.
“Brak, you goat-fed bastard, you’ll never eat again if you keep sitting there.” Jarla fought against her bonds. “Get your big arse up and eat something!”
“No, Brak, don’t listen to her. Just stay calm.” Jubilee shot Jarla a look. In a hushed voice, she said, “You are insane. He will kill us all.”
“Or he will kill all of them.”
Brak mumbled and groaned. His wriggling became fiercer. Slim tried to scoot away from him. The ogre’s eyes were still wide.
“Brak, stay calm. Food is coming,” Jubilee whispered. “You have to trust me.”
Jarla rolled her eyes. “Pfft!”
Jubilee didn’t care. She would have thought the woman had enough sense to realize what Brak was capable of. He’d almost killed Jubilee more than once, not to mention many others. The last thing she wanted to do was take another chance once the man’s eyes glazed over.
“Well, on the bright side, at least Fogle won’t be eaten,” Slim said.
“He’s probably dead,” Jarla replied. “We’ll all probably be better off for it.”
“I swear I’m going to kill you one day,” Jubilee said to her.
Jarla let out a delighted chuckle. “I’ve heard that so many times before. I even heard those very same words from Venir. Yet here I am.”
“I hope Brak eats you first.”
“I doubt that will happen, seeing as how you and Slim are the closest. No, I’m betting that he’ll eat you first. Once his belly is full of you and he figures out what he has done, I bet he’ll cry and cry and cry.”
“You’re sick.” Jubilee looked away. She hated Jarla more than she hated anything. The woman disgusted her. Deep inside the cave, something scuttled over the dirt. “Uh, what is that?”
Insects with many legs and hard shells came forward like a train of ants, each the size of a finger.
“Insects,” Slim said. “I summoned them.”
“They’ll free us?” Jarla said.
“No. As I stated, my powers are severely limited at the moment.” He wriggled his insect fingers. “But they will sustain us.”
“Sustain us how?” Jubilee said, watching the train of bugs started to crawl up Brak’s legs, onto his chest, and toward his mouth.
“Simple. All we have to do is eat them.” One climbed into his mouth. He started to chew. “They taste much better than they look. Crunchy like a nut and good for you.”
“Get those things away from me,” Jubilee said.
Brak started chomping them down one bug at a time.
“Disgusting,” Jarla said. “I’d rather die.”
“Ew! He’ll eat anything,” Jubilee said, turning her nose away. “Better the bugs than me.”
“So what’s going on in here?”
Every head turned toward the voice.
“Fogle!” Jubilee said.
The wizard appeared to be unharmed. Several of the forest magi were with him. Their hands were filled with fruit and vegetable-like roots. The food looked as though it had been cleaned and prepared.
“What’s going on?” Jubilee asked.
“I’ve made an arrangement.” Fogle’s eyes found Brak, who was eating the bugs. He pointed. “Feed that one. Please.”
The mages scurried over to Brak and began stuffing the food into his mouth. They trie
d to feed the ogres too. The huge men sniffed the food and turned their faces away.
“Ogres are very contrary when it comes to fruit and vegetables,” Slim said, “but I have no complaint.” He opened his mouth wide.
“So are we being stuffed so that we can be cooked, wizard?” Jarla said. “What kind of deal did you make?”
“I bartered for your freedom,” Fogle said.
“At what price?”
“By relinquishing my own,” he said.
Jarla lifted her brows. “Hmph.”
“Fogle, no,” Jubilee whined. “Let them take Jarla. She’s as big a witch as they are.”
“I’m sorry, but Jarla doesn’t have anything to offer unless there is some sort of deep magic in her scowl.” He made his way to Jubilee and pointed to the vines that bound her hands. “Do this one first.”
A mage came over. His fingers brushed over the vines. They fell away.
Jubilee rubbed her wrists. “Thanks. So what’s going to happen now?”
“Assuming that everyone behaves themselves, the forest magi are going to lead all of you out of the forest.”
“Just like that?” Jarla said.
“Free her last,” Fogle said to the magi who’d started to loosen her bonds. “She a bit unstable at times.”
The magi freed everyone but Brak and Jarla. Brak continued to eat as fast as the magi could fill him. The strange men mumbled back and forth in astonishment.
Fogle said to Jarla, “No sudden moves. Just be on your way, but give me your word that there won’t be any more treachery between you and them.”
“I’m not giving you anything,” Jarla said. “How is Nightmare?”
“Fine.”
“She better be.”
Fogle gave a nod.
A mage freed Jarla.
Moments later, Brak was up on his feet. His eyes were clear again. He let out a loud belch that echoed inside the cave. “What happened?”
“Come on.” Fogle led them out of the cavern. Amid the greenery were dozens of forest magi. Their fingers were clenched at their sides. Half of them carried the staffs of gnarled wood. Nearby, Nightmare nickered.
Jarla looked at Fogle. “So we can go?”
“They will take you to whatever edge of the forest you wish.” Fogle stepped closer to Jarla. “After this day, I’ll probably never see you again.”
In her cold voice, she said, “Are you expecting teardrops to fall from my eyes? Would a good-bye kiss make you happy?”
“That would do well for a thank-you.”
“Well then, perhaps those ogres can kiss you.” Jarla mounted her horse. “Whatever deal you made, I didn’t ask for.” She spied Rane standing out among the strange men. “Is that the one you made an arrangement with?”
“Yes.”
“Your inexperience in deal-making shows.” Jarla made eyes at the others. “Come on, then. You all wanted out of this odd place, so I suggest you make haste. One never knows when the door of opportunity will close.”
Dejected, Jubilee said to Fogle, “You can’t stay here. We need you.”
Kneeling down and holding her shoulders, he said, “This is where our road together ends.”
CHAPTER 10
In the radiance of the day, huge, scaly paws with black talons dug into the ground, slinging the dirt aside. With its armored belly one with the ground, the black dragon dug up the shallow grave. It gave a snort that stirred the dust. Bearing rows of sharp teeth, it let out a deep cackling from inside its throat.
“Is this what you brought me out here for?” Cass’s voice was as sweet as honey but filled with disappointment. The stiff winds of the outlands tore at the layers of gossamer that covered her nubile body from head to toe. The druid leaned over the grave. “Old bones. Old dogs dig up old bones, not dragons.”
A dead body lay in the trench. She brushed the dirt from its robes, revealing fine blue cloth underneath.
The dragon, Blackie, tipped his chin. He let out a moan.
Using her hands like small spades, Cass cleared more of the dirt away. A cloth covered the man’s face. She pulled it back and let out a gasping laugh. “I expected to see worms eating a man’s face, and instead, I get a glimpse of the man’s skin still attached to his bones.” She brushed more dirt from his face. “Boon.”
Blackie clawed at the ground, nodding his thick neck.
“Yes, he is another one of those who was not supposed to leave the Under-Bish. Your giant friends are still in a tizzy about him. I wonder why that is? He’s but a man.” She ran a finger over his moustache. “An old one at that. It must have been his time.” With hands on her knees, she let her mind wander to an image of Fogle. She thought of him from time to time. A wry smile formed on her face.
Blackie snorted in her hair.
“Stop that, will you?” She pushed his nose aside. Blackie nudged her, almost knocking her over. “You are the one that led me here. I’m not the one that led you here. Whatever is on your mind, do it quickly. I have no desire to bake out here.”
The dragon lowered his head over the pit where Boon rested. Cass stepped aside. The dragon opened up his great mouth, which was more than capable of swallowing the man whole. A fine mist sprayed from Blackie’s mouth. It coated Boon from head to toe like morning dew. The dragon eased back.
Arms crossed, peering over the rim, Cass said, “And what was that? I’ve never seen you spray anything before. It seems you’ve been keeping secrets from me… again.”
Blackie shook his scaly black neck. The dragon was built low to the ground like a fortress. Great wings were folded behind his back. Armored ridges covered his back and every bend in his body. Everything on the grand lizard was hard, but his face was smooth. He let out a loud chort.
“I know you lie. All males lie, whether they are man or beast.” She sighed. “Now what?”
Chort! Blackie blinked. He started into the hole. Chort!
Cass glanced down.
Boon’s energetic eyes had opened.
CHAPTER 11
Venir led the way. He rode on Chongo. Melegal rode Quickster. Billip and Nikkel were also on horseback. It was night. The moons, pale red and blue, had begun to lower in the black sky. Chongo’s ears were perked up as he traversed the rugged landscape. The mounted beast was quiet compared to the hooved animals behind him.
“Forgive my naïveté, Venir,” Melegal said, “but how much longer until we see the illuminating spires of Bone?”
“We should be there an hour before the dawn breaks. I told you not to come.”
“No, I need to see that shambling city of the dust. It will give me something to yearn for. I tire of the dirt and sand that coats my every move.” He dusted off his sleeve. “I’m unable to escape a single grain.”
“You’ve never been that impeccable,” Billip said. The archer’s head hung low.
Nikkel’s did too. He rubbed his blurry eyes. “And to think I could be sleeping right now.”
“None of you needed to come and get a glimpse,” Venir said.
“Oh no? Well, tell that to Kam. She insisted. And I know better than to tell her no,” Billip said. “Hungover or not, when it comes to her, I do as I’m told.”
“Perhaps that’s why you are so fit to be a nanny,” Melegal said to Billip.
Nikkel chuckled.
Billip replied, “Says the man who can’t handle a little dirt on his sleeve.”
The party of men went back and forth like that until the moons fell and the suns started to rise. Miles ahead, the City of Bone waited on a flat plain. Venir’s keen eyes could make out the castle spires above the western wall. The faintest wink of light glowed within the castles behind the wall’s towers. Everyone dismounted.
Melegal extended a long brass spyglass. His skinny hand twisted the spyglass frame. “Those campfires seem strange to me.” He lifted his head. “What is that odor?”
Billip and Nikkel covered their noses. Nikkel coughed.
Venir’s nostrils flared. He
knew exactly what the smell was. “You aren’t looking close enough, Melegal.”
Melegal returned the glass to his eye and shifted his view. People were huddled up by the thousands along the massive stone city’s outer wall. They were stretched out in all directions. A pair of men carried a corpse by the arms and legs and tossed the carcass into the flames. “They’re burning them. What sort of madness is this?”
“The worst kind,” Venir said.
Melegal passed the spyglass around. Everyone took a look. A flaming mass catapulted over the southern wall. Legs and arms flailed, on fire, before smacking hard into the ground. Melegal took the spyglass back. He studied the wall. Underlings manned it. There were royal soldiers too. “Bone is completely sold out, just like Three!”
“Are you still wanting to return?”
Melegal rubbed underneath his lip. “Well, my cat is in there, so yes.”
“We need to get a closer look,” Venir said with a smile. “Feel the people out.”
“You aren’t going down there. They’ll spot your big white head from a mile away,” Billip said. “Me and Melegal will go. We know how to fit in better.”
“I’d like to go,” Nikkel said.
“You need to keep an eye on him,” Billip said. “And don’t let him talk you into any trouble, either. Too much time with Venir, and you’ll wind up storming the western gates. Just stay put, the both of you. We’ll only be down there a few hours.”
Venir didn’t reply.
“Agreed?” Billip said to him.
Venir gave a shrug.
CHAPTER 12
Melegal and Nikkel slid into the encampments crammed all along Bone’s outer wall. They’d abandoned any visible weapons and hobbled within the crowds like one of the city’s own. The people were dirty and decrepit. Flies buzzed all around the filth. People by the thousands clamored to get inside the sanctuary of Bone’s walls. It had been just over an hour when another corpse went sailing over the ramparts with a loud flick sound. Some of the people flinched.
The body sailed upward, reached the pinnacle of the arc, and came down.
The Darkslayer: Bish and Bone Series Collector's Edition (Books 1-10): Sword and Sorcery Masterpieces Page 86
