City of Wonders by Moore James A

Author:Moore, James A. [Moore, James A.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fantasy, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780857665058
Publisher: Angry Robot
Published: 2015-11-03T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

Delil was waiting for Andover in the valley past Wheklam. The land there was rocky and the waters that trickled through the area ran hot and steamed up the air. By the time they ran across each other both had stripped down to the bare essentials and were sweating profusely.

There was no food to be had, so they went hungry.

“You look different, Andover.” Delil sipped at a flask of water and moved carefully over the ground. The earth here was dark, broken and tended to slip out from under unwary feet. He began to understand why so many of the Sa’ba Taalor walked softly instead of merely stomping their way across the landscape.

“How do I look different?” He touched the third of his Great Scars, momentarily selfconscious. If Delil saw the gesture, she did not say anything.

“Your skin is more like ours. And your eyes have the proper shine to them.”

He frowned as he contemplated that. “Do you suppose I am becoming one of your people?”

“Would that bother you?” She looked at him carefully, her feet seeming to know exactly where they should move.

“I don’t think so.” He shook his head. “No. I am already no longer who I was. I have hands, and I have…” He shook his head at a loss for words.

“You have what?”

“I’m not sure. I have never been good with words, Delil.”

She laughed. “Liar. You are very good with words. You’ve used them to make a hundred excuses in the time I’ve known you.” She did not understand the nature of the gesture he offered. That was just as well. She’d have likely broken his skull if she had.

“I have hands. I have spoken to gods. I’m supposed to speak to more. I never expected any of this.”

“The gods have chosen you, Andover Lashk.”

“Yes, but what have they chosen me for?”

She rolled her head, working to stretch the tension from her body. “Who can say the will of the gods before they let their will be known? Only fools, that is who. Gods do not always explain themselves until they are ready.”

Andover nodded his head and looked toward the next mountain. It was, as they all were, a vast thing. “Which mountain do I look upon, Delil?”

“You stand before great Ordna, the Bronze Mountain.”

He considered that and nodded. “What does Ordna do?”

Delil looked his way and snickered. “Whatever Ordna wants. Ordna is a god.”

“You’re not as funny as you think.” The words were spoken without malice.

“Ordna teaches the way of great weapons. Ordna teaches us to break walls and crush armies with ease.”

As she spoke she started up the rough edge of the mountain. There were easy handholds, but it was going to be a very long climb. The side of the mountain rose like a column, towering and straight, unlike the last mountain which had been rounder and had fewer decent places to place a foot. Still, Wheklam and Ordna had one thing in common: they were meant to be challenges that had to be faced.

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