The Fury Yet to Come by Steven McKinnon

Author:Steven McKinnon [McKinnon, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy
ISBN: 9781980914891
Amazon: 1980914893
Goodreads: 40616789
Publisher: Independently published
Published: 2018-06-24T00:00:00+00:00

21st Day of Musa

‘How’s my hair look?’ Gallows’ fingers brushed the jagged bristles on the back of his head. It was like petting a porcupine.

‘Stupid,’ Milo answered. The kid was around nine but looked too small for his age. His tattered clothes were too big for him, and he wore two odd shoes. At once, he carried a tray of baked cakes and wedged a sheaf of second-hand newspapers between his arm. ‘Want a kringla swirl? Go down well with a cup o’ tea.’

‘Nah, nah,’ said Gallows. His heart raced, and Gods, he could not get used to his new haircut.

‘What’s got you so worried?’

Gallows fussed with the tie on his navy-blue uniform. ‘Nothing,’ he muttered, pacing around the kid.

‘You been lookin’ at that pocket watch every two seconds!’

‘Have I?’

‘Can’t be that interested in the time.’

‘No, it’s…’ Gallows checked behind him before saying, ‘Can you keep a secret?’

Milo beamed. His thin arms tremored with the tray of baked kringlar—Ryndaran cakes popular in Dalthea. They smelled of cinnamon.

Gallows felt a suffocating pressure on his throat, but nevertheless, he managed to say, ‘I’m going to ask my girlfriend to marry me.’

‘Oh, I get it.’ Milo nodded. ‘You’re going off to war tomorrow, and before you die, you reckon you might as well propose.’

Gallows froze. ‘Uh, no. Gods, is that what she’s gonna think?’

‘O’ course not!’ said Milo. ‘But probably.’

‘Cheers.’

‘Don’t worry ’bout it, she’ll say no anyway.’

Milo talked a lot but Gallows liked him. Hell, Gallows was him, not so long ago. ‘If the Idari have half the mouth on ’em that you got,’ he told the kid, ‘I’m gonna enjoy kicking their ass.’

‘Aye, maybe she’d marry you if you wasn’t so ugly. Want a paper?’

‘Not any more. Alright, scram. I'll bring you back a souvenir. Like a decent kringla recipe.’

‘Can I get a sword?’

‘No.’

‘A gun?’

‘No.’

‘Alright,’ Milo huffed. ‘See ya.’

‘Say hi to your mum for me.’

‘Will do!’

Milo scampered off, his calls for kringla swirls disappearing amidst the gushing fountains of the Old Town Square’s Royal Garden. It was the most beautiful spot in all of Dalthea.

Gallows paced in a circle. Wooden bridges arched over the myriad waterways. Tall, thin lilac trees lined the snaking paths, and airships glided above like butterflies. Couples sat huddled together and threw aerons into the ponds, ripples of hazy fire blooming beneath the tall, curving ignium lamps. Were they making the same wishes as Gallows? How many of them were setting off to war in the morning?

He tapped at the ring in his pocket. ‘Corporal Tyson Gallows,’ he said. Of all the paths his life could have taken, this seemed the strangest. He’d been to so many corners of the world, he’d forgotten what home was—and it wasn’t until he met Sera that he’d remembered.

The silver pocket watch appeared in his hands again—just after nine. She does like to be fashionably late.

Sera had accepted his decision to volunteer—the Enlighten had been destroyed and with it, Horizon Bridge. War was coming, and Gallows owed Major Fallon too many favours to back out.

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