Tanza by Amanda Greenslade

Author:Amanda Greenslade [Greenslade, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
ISBN: 9781925427493
Publisher: Australian eBook Publisher
Published: 2016-08-30T04:00:00+00:00

By the time Tyba rejoined us, both Jett and I had bathed. The smell of smoke and food wafting through the room and the distant cacophony of the rest of the household reminded me of home. To distract myself from that thought I helped Samos and Jett arrange a meal of cheese, chutney, olives, lowryfish, eggs, oatcakes and green vegetables on the table. Samos had already eaten from each dish—after what had happened to the strike force, he wasn’t going to let Tyba take any chances.

‘And I thought he was doing it for you,’ Tiaro said.

I sent her the impression of a smile and gobbled some food. Jett ate with an appetite. Tyba, on the other hand, ate dispiritedly.

‘Has there been more bad news?’ I asked cautiously.

Tyba chewed his lip and looked up at me from beneath his perfectly symmetrical brow. His striking sky-blue eyes glistened with tears. I was touched that he could be so open towards me with his emotions. For a few minutes he could not speak.

Eventually he said, ‘You remember the situation with The Sunbark Cities?’

I nodded. ‘Yes, but I must admit I can’t imagine a legion of 24,000 Zeikas.’

Tyba shrugged. ‘We can’t fight spread out like they’re trying to get us to. They might have the numbers for it, but we don’t. All over Tanza our people are forced to flee their homes. Never has a war become this serious so quickly.’

‘How many civilians are on their way here from The Sunbark Cities, sire?’ Jett asked.

‘Nine thousand,’ he replied. ‘With a Defender force of only two and a half. If the Zeikas catch them on the trip…’

‘Can a flight squadron be sent to help them?’ Tiaro asked me, and I passed her question on.

‘A third of the Condii Air Combat Group and half of our Flying Archers were dispatched the minute we heard,’ Tyba replied. ‘But the numbers are irreconcilable; 24,000 against less than 4,500. And we cannot spare any more Anzaii, especially now that there are so few of you left. If the worst happens, Condii shall be our last stand. My father considers evacuating Centan even now. With civilians safe in Condii and our Defender forces bolstered by his, he believes we might be able to hold off defeat. Divided we will fall.’

My mind reeled at this information. Never before had I been required to think about warfare on such a large scale. Tyba’s comment about there being so few Anzaii had made my face heat with anger.

‘Corypha,’ I hissed. ‘How could he do this to his own people?’

‘That reminds me,’ Tyba replied, ‘Commander Varal asks that you tell me everything he said to you before we departed the base camp.’

I recounted what I could remember and my stomach clenched in anger as I did so.

‘Jaalta is retiring from battle soon,’ Tyba said when I was finished. ‘Before she goes to her designated house to rest, she will report to Captain Dathan and try to locate Corypha. We can’t be sure he is involved until we find him.

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