The Dragon Eater by J. Scott Coatsworth

Author:J. Scott Coatsworth [Coatsworth, J. Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Tharassas Cycle
Publisher: Water Dragon Publishing
Published: 2023-03-16T07:00:00+00:00

12

Verent

“Sister tela, what do we know?” Silya was growing impatient with the old archivist. The Temple library was a stuffy collection of sneeze-inducing, dust-covered books and scrolls placed on scores of shelves, books stacked on books and on the floors too, and even more papers stuffed into old wooden chests. It was a minor miracle the archivist could find anything in this inthym’s nest of knowledge.

Silya had never enjoyed passing time there as an initiate. She’d spent most of it recopying old writings or transcribing the words of one of the sisters for official missives to the City Council or one of the local merchants.

Sister Tela cracked a smile. “This is where it gets interesting.”

Raven shot her a why didn’t we get to the interesting part half an hour ago? look, and she had to suppress a grin. He was looking over the nearest shelf of books, apparently fascinated, muttering to himself and clutching his vest. Silya raised an eyebrow. She’d have to keep an eye on the thief to make sure he didn’t pocket anything.

“Please, tell us.” I’m begging you. She was on edge, and she knew it, so she tried to make allowances for the poor archivist. The hencha hadn’t spoken to her all day — she’d tried to summon the flames to scare off Ser Kek and had bullied her way through when it failed. She wasn’t sure if she should ask anyone about it — what if the hencha had rescinded their blessing? And what would she do if that stubborn man showed up on the Temple steps to drag Raven off to the Guardhouse?

Aik had stuffed his huge frame into an average-sized human chair in one corner of the room. He was picking dirt from under his fingernails with a short knife. Silya’s eyes narrowed. And what’s wrong with you? He didn’t seem his normal, affable self.

Sister Tela dropped a heavy book on the table in front of her, startling her and sending up a cloud of dust from the old pages. She flipped it open and gestured to Raven and Aik. “Does this look familiar?”

Raven sauntered over to see it, and stiffened.

It was a watercolor, drawn in black ink with a fine hand and colored in a delicate white. The creature was sleek, beautiful, full of tightly wound energy. Silya traced the lines of the image — the neatly drawn scales, the golden eyes.

Aik leaned over her shoulder. “Yes. That’s what it looked like, only smaller.” Aik glanced across the table at Raven, his brow knotted in concern. “What is it?”

“It’s quite exquisite, isn’t it? Queen Jas’s wife Sera painted it — she was a very talented artist. We have entire books of her work, some of it apparently drawn from the visions of Queen Jas, and some of it simple landscapes that shed light on what Gullton was like then. Did you know they called it Gully Town —”

Silya rolled her eyes. “What is it?” The words came out harsher than Silya had intended.

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