Ruins Metropolis by Eric T. Reynolds (ed)

Author:Eric T. Reynolds (ed) [Reynolds, Eric T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hadley Rille Books
Published: 2011-12-03T03:00:00+00:00

The Deserted City

by Victoria Kennedy

The wind gusted suddenly and Dagan heard an unfamiliar sound. He moved forward cautiously, sword in hand. Rounding the corner of a crumbling building he spied a dark figure walking slowly through the ruins. The woman was clad in a black-hooded, sleeveless garment that dipped low in front. None of the women in his tribe would dare to dress in such a way. Who was she?

He crept closer. “Who’s there?” Her quiet words startled him. She stared at him as her hands clutched the large talisman she wore around her neck.

“What the . . . . ”

Dagan hit the ground just in time as a bolt of white-hot power shot over him. If he hadn’t sensed her magic, he’d be dead now. He wasn’t sure what his next move should be, his only thought was to get out of the ruined city before this vixen killed him.

“Show yourself or I promise I won’t miss next time,” she said.

“How do I know you won’t kill me anyway?”

“I won’t harm you if you tell me what happened here. When I left Kyra a year ago this was a thriving city, now it lies in ruins. I see no bodies. Where are my people?”

The lanky swordsman slowly climbed to his feet. “I’m coming out, don’t use your magic and I’ll try to answer your questions.”

“All right then, I’m waiting . . . . ”

He watched her fidget as he made his way towards her. Any moment he expected her to blast him.

He stopped a few meters from her.

“Are you going to keep your promise?” she demanded.

She was beautiful and much younger than he’d guessed. “Who are you?”

“Never mind who I am. Perhaps I’ll tell you later. It all depends . . . . ”

“On?”

“On whether you had anything to do with this—all agreements are off if you did.”

Not wishing to be dinner for the crows, Dagan sucked in a breath and told her what he knew. “I don’t know the whole story, but I’ll share with you what I know.”

She nodded and motioned him to continue.

“Our people were busy celebrating the harvest festival when word came of a Loki raiding party in the north. At first people laughed and thought it a rumor, but the tale spread and worried the king so much that he sent out a troop of warriors. I was among them when we rode north in search of the Loki. We rode for many days and nights, but found no trace of them. We grew tired of hunting for them and headed back to Kyra. The first signs of smoke turned our hearts to ash and we realized our foolishness in leaving the city unprotected. The Loki must have spread the rumors and waited for us to ride out.

“We rode hard, but it was too late. Kyra lay in ruins, a few fires still burned, but we found no one alive or dead. The city was just as you see it now.

“A few of our warriors followed the trail of the Loki, but those that did never returned.

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