Cities of the Gods by Leah R Cutter

Author:Leah R Cutter
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781644703618
Publisher: Knotted Road Press

Chapter

Eighteen

According to Mironor, Vallethlar had flown over the desert more than once during his lifetime. However, they tended to only go during the rainy season, when it was possible to hide the city in the clouds that had already gathered.

He was not expecting the great heat that the desert emitted, how barren the desert looked when standing on the edge of it, how little shade there was during the day, how strongly the rocks and sage smelled.

For the first time, he seemed impressed with Vyncis, when the Meerimec led them directly to a hidden pond, where they could fill their water flagons.

Had Mironor believed that Tanelith should have been able to make it here on her own? Without a guide? He had no idea how things worked down here on the land.

They reached the familiar rock outcropping where Tanelith and Vyncis had stayed hidden, above the town of Cursed, after Vyncis had been bitten by a snake.

He didn’t have any bad feelings about returning there, to rest for the day before traveling on to the mine. They’d talked about it, and they were both certain that the mine had to be less than a day’s travel from the town.

But in which direction? Tanelith volunteered to scout that next evening, just as the sun set, to go and find it. Amindur the apothecary hadn’t known where it was when she’d asked him. Plus, she wanted to go and find the old healer, see if he’d had any luck curing the blood of those who lived in the town.

Mironor agreed to stay behind with Vyncis. They’d both told him about the incident with the snake, which had made Mironor hesitant to take off his armor.

“Do you find it more difficult to perform magic down here?” Mironor asked Tanelith as she got ready to sleep for the day in what little shade they could find.

“Yes,” Tanelith said. “I’m assuming because Vallethlar has so much magic oozing out of the very walls, it’s much easier to just grab some and use it. Down here, you have to power your magic yourself.”

“Huh,” was all the reply she got from Mironor. But he did dismiss his armor that day, not trying to maintain it while they rested in the scant shade, trying to avoid the bright sunlight.

They spent the day dozing, waiting for the heat to pass and the coolness of the desert to take hold.

The town of Cursed hadn’t changed, as far as Tanelith could see. Vyncis produced his spying tube again. Mironor appeared very familiar with the device and used it as well, looking down on the town.

He remarked at how strange it was that the people there went out in the bright sunlight. Though Tanelith had explained about their blood being cursed, Mironor had to see it for himself before he would believe her.

Would he ever believe her the first time she told him something? Or had the indoctrination from Vallethlar been so complete that he’d never believe anything she said about Ithlond,

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