A Kingdom Rises by J. D. Rinehart

Author:J. D. Rinehart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

CHAPTER 16

Gulph clung to the thick feathers of the thorrod’s ruff, feeling the steady pulse of its great flight muscles thrumming through his legs. He’d heard tell of these giant birds, but hadn’t realized how powerful they were. Now, having traveled all the way from the Icy Wastes to the farmlands of Ritherlee in what felt like the blink of an eye, he understood that thorrods could fly very fast, and travel very far indeed.

“I can see Castle Vicerin.” Tarlan stabbed his finger toward a collection of towers and battlements thrusting out of the rolling landscape. “There—straight ahead.”

Gulph, seated behind his brother on Theeta’s broad back, watched intently as they drew near to the castle. Its red stonework was blackened by fire. Ribbons of smoke drifted lazily among its spires. There was no movement within its broken walls.

“There’s been a battle,” Gulph said.

“There’s more to come,” said Tarlan grimly.

Gulph turned his eyes to the hills north of the castle. Instead of green lettuce or yellow corn, the fields looked as if they’d been sown with crops of all colors . . . except they weren’t crops.

They were people.

“The Galadronians,” said Tarlan. “I thought the first invasion was big, but this . . .”

His voice faltered, leaving only the whisper of Theeta’s giant wings to fill the silence as they watched the enormous Galadronian army first surround the castle, then pour into it.

“We can’t possibly take them on,” said Gulph. “We’ve got to think about this.”

“What is there to think about?” Tarlan retorted. “Elodie’s down there—if they haven’t killed her already.”

“Gulph is right,” called Kalia. She was flying level with them, perched on Kitheen’s back. “It is too dangerous.”

Elodie dead? The thought of it turned Gulph’s spine to ice. “They might just have taken her prisoner.”

“All the more reason to get down there!” snapped Tarlan. “Down, Theeta, and fast!”

“Tarlan! No!”

But Theeta was already diving toward the castle. Gulph tightened his grip around Tarlan’s waist as the rushing air threatened to blast them both off the thorrod’s back.

“Make her stop!”

Ignoring him, Tarlan steered Theeta toward the flat roof of the castle’s central keep. As she prepared to land, a line of archers raced out onto the battlements. Colorful robes billowing in the wind, they raised their bows and fired a volley of arrows at the oncoming thorrod.

“Down!” cried Tarlan.

He flattened himself against Theeta’s feathery back; Gulph did the same. At the same moment, Theeta spread her wings wide. Gulph clung on, expecting the giant bird to begin climbing. Instead, Theeta started dropping even faster than she had before. Whipping his head round, Gulph saw why.

Those aren’t ordinary arrows!

The Galadronian arrows flew high—much higher than they had any right to. If Theeta had done the obvious thing and tried to climb to safety, she’d have flown straight into their path.

And there was something else.

The arrows were trailing something behind them. At first, Gulph thought it was smoke—he’d seen burning arrows before, but smoke was usually black or gray. What the arrows were leaving behind was .

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