Gray Man Rising: Tales of Gythe by P. E. Padilla

Author:P. E. Padilla [Padilla, P. E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781943531011
Amazon: B0BTK7C3VT
Goodreads: 109359151
Publisher: Crimson Cat Publishing
Published: 2015-10-29T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

Ylleria stood next to her daughter in the Rusha’s office listening to the sister who had ridden her rakkeban hard to the Zouyim temple and then back to Marybador She had made the trip in less than six days, an amazing feat.

“Bodies are everywhere. The scavengers abound, even though not many live at that height on the mountain,” the tired-looking Sapsyr said. “There are no living persons there.”

Mother looked to daughter, fear blossoming in the pit of her stomach, working its way up into her chest. “Did you…could you recognize any of them?”

“No, Mrymit Zose. I was only able to identify clothing, and often not even that. It was a disturbing sight. There were far more of the Gray Man’s soldiers than the Zouyim, as could be expected. I could not recognize individuals, except perhaps one I found near the gate that could have been the Grandmaster. I am not sure, though. The bodies had been set upon by multitudes of scavengers.”

“I see,” Ylleria said. The feeling changed into a strange, tingling sensation throughout her body.

“Rusha,” the sister added, “the walls and the buildings themselves…they had been destroyed, but not by fire. They looked as if struck by a rock the size of the mountain itself. I have never seen anything like it.”

“Thank you. Please go now, eat and rest. We appreciate your effort in traveling so quickly.”

The woman saluted and left the room.

The Rusha turned her attention to Ylleria. “Are preparations complete?”

“They are,” Nalia’s mother said firmly. “One hundred sisters have been selected and are awaiting orders to start marching.”

“One hundred,” the Dreya Kloos said, a thoughtful look on her face. “That is almost all of our strength.”

“Yes.”

“After what we have just heard, do you think that number sufficient?”

“The power he must have wielded to defeat the Zouyim is immense, but he has lost many of his soldiers and he himself must have been weakened. He will further weaken himself and his remaining forces as he travels back to his fortress. He is powerful, but he is still a man. He can be killed. Perhaps we can catch him while traveling.”

“That is true. But why not take all of the sisters? There are currently one hundred twenty one in the compound, with only another five elsewhere. Why not bring everyone?”

Ylleria glanced at Nalia, not wanting to say it in front of her. With a sigh, she spoke, “There must be some who remain to safeguard our home. Many of the others are not fit for this battle. Some are too young, you yourself are forced to remain to direct the order should other of the leaders fall, and some are not…suitable for the task. I believe they would be a liability.”

“Suitable?”

“Yes, some are not disciplined and cannot be relied upon to obey commands at crucial times.”

“I understand. Very well, then. You are the battle commander. I leave it in your hands. When will you depart?”

Ylleria looked to Nalia again before answering her leader, “Immediately. We will be gone within the hour.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.