Out of the Ice: Book 2 of the Isiir Chronicles by C. J. LaPolla

Author:C. J. LaPolla [LaPolla, C. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-10-19T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter XIV

The smoke rising in the distance could be seen for miles. The black cloud billowed to the north of the small group. Both Devyn and Berosus knew that there was a town to their north and were hoping that they would have been able to resupply within the shops. This was apparently not to be as they watched the black clouds grow thicker the closer they came. Now it was only a matter of knowing if this was the work of man or the undead.

As they arrived to the edge of the forest that surrounded the town, it was apparent immediately that this was not the work of men. The walls were demolished in places and there was no one wandering through the rubble. War parties would rarely raze an entire town as they offered resupply points, inns, and whores. They would not destroy any of the few oasis in this frozen tundra.

Ulanu and Sylari knelt to look at the multitude of tracks that marred the soft, frosty dirt. They were master trackers, but Devyn knew enough about tracking to know that these were not the steps of a normal human being. They staggered to and fro. There wasn’t any order in which they stepped, they seemed to aimlessly wander towards the town. Amongst the staggering, meandering steps were another type of foot print. A track that was heavier than it should have been. The Maeliz and their minions made no effort to hide their approach, they made no effort to hide their numbers. Unmistakable to even the most untrained eye, the tracks of the Maeliz covered the ground as well.

“One, two, three…” Sylari stopped counting out loud and paused mid-sentence. “I count, twelve of the abominations.”

Berosus whistled through his teeth. “We should avoid that horde, twelve may cause me some issues. Especially after devouring a town, who knows what they will birth into.”

Eyes fell on Berosus from the two that could understand him. Berosus held up his hands in a defensive gesture. The entire affair seemed to amuse him slightly. Devyn assumed that being an ancient Aelaar that he’d seen so much in the world that nothing could truly scare or surprise him anymore. Devyn did not believe him to be a heartless man for making light of the wholesale slaughter that took place within the walls. But he knew that Berosus could not let the death of every one of these people in this town rest upon his shoulders, it would probably have driven him mad many centuries ago.

Devyn finally asked. “You keep mentioning hatching, and birthing. What in the name of the gods do these things turn into?”

“Things that are terrible.” Berosus paused to stare Devyn in the eyes for the magnitude of it to sink in. “Your stories of monsters in the dark, terrors of the night, all stem from two things in this world. Maeliz who wrought havoc only to be hatched into something more terrible to wreck more havoc upon the world. The

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