Sky and Storm (Warriors of Vis, Book One) by Alina Popescu

Author:Alina Popescu [Popescu, Alina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Alina Popescu
Published: 2017-11-23T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XI

The Shifting Waves

STORM KNEW HE WAS pushing his horse too hard, but he couldn’t help it. The castle was in sight. The red banners his elite warriors carried were a dirty replica of those fluttering against the tall walls keeping Sky safe. It had been a difficult campaign, exhausting and disgusting.

The rebels that had attacked Mitas had been vicious. Bodies of children torn apart and scattered throughout the stronghold; women raped and beaten for days, then left to die on the cold stones paving the roads of the reinforced town; houses burnt to the ground, provisions destroyed. It was all Storm hated in waging war. No honor, no humanity. He’d never slaughtered innocents. Never touched women or children.

They’d taken the stronghold easily. The Dragon and his men knew of the secret tunnels in and out of Mitas. All of Vis’s strongholds had them, just like all the castles and former city-states. Storm had insisted on building them in case of siege. Word had to get out and provisions needed to get in. It also made taking back occupied citadels child’s play.

Most of those who had taken the stronghold were mercenaries with little useful knowledge, and the true rebels had died while being tortured. No one talked. They spewed their ideas and made accusations, but no one mentioned any leader, any military mastermind pointing them toward their next prey. Whoever the leader was, he was charismatic enough that his men would die for him.

Something was brewing at the fringes of Storm’s empire, whispers and violent outbursts heralding it. He didn’t like it one bit. Through the years, Storm had conquered, and his father had led. The king wasn’t a loving ruler, but he was fair. Like Storm, his father didn’t believe in starving his people to gain more money. The Crown of Vis was involved in a lot of trading, everything from goods to military services. They made sure all territories they ruled prospered, so that their subjects were happy. They needed the occasional nudge now and then to pay their taxes, but there hadn’t been a commoners’ rebellion in ages.

Yet what Storm had heard along the way to Mitas… It was disturbing. Governors, noblemen, garrison commanders, they all abused their powers, and their king turned a blind eye. No wonder people rebelled. All Storm needed to discover was who was paying for this uprising. Mercenaries weren’t cheap, not even the sloppy, fat, and drunk ones that had made most of the cohorts holding Mitas captive. Someone had to foot the cost, provide food, weapons, healers. It also baffled Storm that only those ruling over the farthest provinces had succumbed to the desire of being tyrants. Was it because they thought they were too far to face any disciplinary action from the Crown? Or were they easier to influence because they were so far removed from Vis? Regardless of why and how, everything was changing. A wave of dishonesty, cruelty, and violence was making its way through Vis’s territories. If Storm didn’t stop it soon, they’d have to put out uprisings in every province.

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