Dylap by A.C. Salter

Author:A.C. Salter [Salter, A.C.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2017-11-07T16:00:00+00:00

15

Storm-Kissed

The fall took longer than he thought. His body tumbling end-over-end, his vision filled with sky, then the tall red and the grinning face of Spoffle shrinking before revealing the canopy below – endlessly spinning as the elements tore at his limbs and clothes. He was a slave to death, a toy to be smashed and crushed. Dylap couldn’t remember if he prayed to any gods in his life before the Twine, or if he, like the majority of Thea, prayed to the Blessed Mother. In any sense, praying would be a waste of time, there was no escaping his fate. At the very least, he had gotten to see Elaya a final time.

Wet leaves snapped beneath him as he plummeted through the upper layer of the canopy, his arms held protectively over his head broke twigs as his fall carried him through to the upper reaches of Farro. The rough bark of an oak raced by a span from his face, windows disappearing before he could focus on them, the tree limbs making whoomping sounds as he passed, rain bouncing up, lightning bleaching the world white before the darkness consumed the city once again.

Did he want to see the approaching branch that would kill him, or the twig that would impale him? Maybe he would miss everything to be smashed against the ground. If only he had a length of spider silk, yet he doubted that could save him, such was the speed of his descent.

Out of the darkness a bridge rushed up to meet him. Glistening with rain the ropes would break his spine, if not cut him in two. A gruesome way to go, but at least mercifully quick. Then he saw the waterwheel beneath and the dark snake that was a stream. If he could just clear the bridge, maybe he would crash into the water.

Grasping the ends of his cloak, Dylap attempted to angle the material to catch the wind and alter the trajectory of his fall. The force almost ripped the cloth from his hands before he gained control and caught what air he could. He hoped it was enough.

His legs straight behind him, Dylap tucked his arms close to his body and held his breath.

The ropes of the bridge whooshed by but his foot caught on the planking and sent him reeling out, spinning so fast he didn’t know which way was up or down. Losing sight of the wheel, Dylap tried to find the ends of his cloak again, but was overwhelmed with dizziness.

His focus returned long enough to see that he had missed the stream altogether and was heading directly for its bank and the large slab of rock beside it.

Fear gripped him to the core. Hope was lost – he was going to die.

Closing his eyes, he filled his head with the thoughts of Elaya and his friend Ebbin and all those who were nice to him. If he was going to die he wanted his last thoughts to be happy ones.

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