Namathea: An ancient city under siege. A people thousands of years old threatened with extinction. A mysterious foreign warrior as their only hope. (The Acmen cycle Book 1) by Bainier Florent

Author:Bainier, Florent
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-07-03T00:00:00+00:00

41—

Arcan felt light, everything around him seemed at peace. The falling rain did not wet him. He was as if suspended in the air in broad silk drapes, which enveloped him, supported him and protected him, while granting him a state of absolute freedom. From where he stood, slightly above the treetops, he observed the scene before him. A river with tumultuous waters ran through a forest, sparse on one side of the bank and much denser on the other. It was dark, and even if distant lightning occasionally illuminated the setting, it made no difference, for he could clearly see everything that was happening. Below, several groups of men moved forward. One, a small group, consisted of Namathean soldiers led by Tarcyt. He could sense friend's great anxiety, even though he did not yet know the reason. Several Sarthian horsemen were to be found a little further away, led by the one-eyed general who had exposed him just before he killed Serchenesis. He was giving the order to arrange his men in a line, as if they were searching for something and wanted to make sure no ground was missed. Finally, a good distance behind them, at least a thousand Sarthian fighters hurried to come and lend a hand.

All these groups converged on a rock by the riverbank, where he recognised the white tiger. The animal's behaviour was strange, alternating between long growls at the Namatheans and licks at the inert man's face. When Tarcyt and his men arrived, the beast came to meet them, revealing to Arcan the face which it had been licking moments before. It was pale, cadaverous, and though pain distorted its features, there was no doubt. It was himself.

However, this revelation did not worry him. He felt so good where he was now that he did not wish to be anywhere else. He realised that he now existed outside his body, and that the body had only been a vessel from which his soul was now leaving. In the earthly world, life went on, but it no longer held any significance for him. He was in a state of absolute serenity, discovering that he was completely free to move in any direction in space, observing every detail with curiosity, enjoying the overarching view before him.

A silhouette appeared slightly away from the main events, hidden in the bushes. He had never met him before, but simply by looking, he knew this man was named Jainir, one of Serun Allaf's sons, Uttam's killer. Unaware of the Ughar's presence, the Namatheans now formed a circle around what had been the fleshy envelope of Arcan’s body. Tarcyt, looking grim, ordered four strong men to lift the body, its torso bloody from the three wounds it had received. Simias, the scout, gestured to hurry before the enemy arrived, and the general sent several archers to strategic points to cover their retreat.

Skopasis and his men were not far off, but as soon as they came into shooting range, a volley of arrows forced the horsemen to dismount and take cover.

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