(eng) Michael R. Miller - Dragon's Blade 1-3 by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Eighteen

Shadows in Dalridia

The Islanders could be wealthy. Being in the middle of the world, they could have controlled all trade. Instead, they’ve sought isolation, even sometimes from each other.

From Tiviar’s Histories

Dukoona – The Splintering Isles – City of Dalridia

Dukoona withdrew his blade from the islander’s stomach and blood gushed. It fell from the man like the rain around him. The constant rain. With the humans nearby dealt with, he turned to help his spectres cleave an opening in the palisade wall. Once a hole was roughly hewn, demons began to scramble through this latest breach – too few demons in truth. Dukoona saw many slip down high embankments leading up to the walls.

Forward, he commanded to the demons around him. Do not stop.

He watched them tear off. They really are such frail creatures, he thought. Small and wispy, the shadows of their flesh were more akin to smoke. And even at a distance, he could see their ribs as the dark mist swirled within them. They lacked sense as well, running in every direction within the maze of walls.

The islanders had built their defences to confuse their enemies. Sure enough, a group appeared from a one-way opening in the wall to fall upon the demons in a storm of axes. At least Dukoona knew about that trap now. Dalridia would not fall without a fight.

“Come with me,” Dukoona called to the spectres nearby. “We must create more breaches along the wall.” They ran off, unable to find any shadows under the heavy clouds. Dukoona took them right, away from the islanders’ ambush, searching for a gap in the inner layers of palisade wall.

A group of islanders ahead were blocking a breach with a stout shield wall. Dukoona swung his dark sword at their backs when he reached them, cutting through leather and mail with ease. The spectres ravaged their flank and the humans broke, running back into the labyrinth. Thrilled, the demons chased merrily after them. Dukoona cautiously followed, thinking the islanders might have broken a little too easily. Around a bend, he saw that the humans seemed to have run impossibly far. They stood bashing their shields tauntingly.

Howling, the demons bounded on.

“Wait,” Dukoona snarled to his spectres. He let the demons carry on as bait and, midway, the ground dropped, dumping the demons into a pit of spikes.

It was clever of the humans, but only the rain was saving them. Once enough points along the outer walls were breached, they would be overwhelmed. Still, it was a harder fight than he had anticipated. That was all for the better. It granted a chance to relieve his Master of thousands of demons. Dukoona just hoped his Trusted were not throwing their lives away.

Stay safe, Kidrian. I need you at my side. I can’t do this alone.

Trap after trap, dead end after dead end, and at the cost of many of demons, Dukoona pushed his way to the final set of Dalridia’s walls. A host of humans gathered to meet him, bloodied, windburnt and covered in mud: the islands’ best.

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