Thief in the Myst (The Master Thief Book 2) by Ben Hale

Author:Ben Hale [Hale, Ben]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Snowlight Publishing
Published: 2016-09-25T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23: Elsurund

They crossed a bridge that led to a massive stalactite. Weaving their way through a crowd of dark elves, they passed under a portcullis to enter a large circular courtyard. Battlements ringed the space with two companies of dark elf soldiers. Although most of the soldiers were male, the majority of officers were female.

“What’s that?” Ursana asked.

Jack followed her gaze to a figure of pure, liquid silver. It resembled a female dark elf but moved like water. As Jack watched, its head melted and flowed into a cart ahead of them, obviously searching the interior. The jelraw shifted its feet and its mouth snapped over the liquid hand. Unperturbed, the hand flowed between the teeth and reformed at the same time the head returned. A nearby soldier shouted for them to continue.

“That’s one of the Silver Guard,” Riskellion said. “Entities of magic that obey the queen and those under her command. To cross one is to invite a swift death.”

“And if you surrender?” Beauty asked.

“You get sent to the Pit,” Riskellion replied. “It’s the prison on the lowest point of the city.”

“Have you ever been there?” Ursana asked. She turned pink when he winked down at her.

“Once or twice.”

The cart ahead of them pressed on and the Silver Guard glided to them. A longsword flowed from the liquid in its hand and it used the blade to lift one of the fish to look beneath it. It had taken three dark elves with enchanted nets to lift the gorthon corpse but the Silver Guard did so with ease.

Satisfied, the enchanted soldier withdrew and Riskellion barked an order to the jelraw. The lizard scrabbled forward, pulling the cart through another gate and onto a bridge. Jack’s eyes were drawn upward to a quartet of Silver Guard standing on the battlements above.

The enchanted defenders stared down at the thieves as they passed below them, their heads turning as if they were alive. Their features were bland and expressionless, but the spears growing from their liquid flesh made them appear sinister. Riskellion noticed Jack’s attention and grinned.

“The Silver Guard are as lethal as they are stunning,” he said, his eyes on Lorelia.

The possessive glint to his gaze caused Jack to laugh. “Of that I have no doubt.”

Mistaking Jack’s meaning, he smiled and stepped to Lorelia’s side, engaging her in conversation. She took advantage of the opportunity and asked him about the city. Jack settled in behind him and Beauty took a place at his side. With the cart ambling behind them Jack gazed on the wonders of Elsurund.

“The city sections are called spines,” Riskellion said, gesturing to the massive stalactite they were approaching. “Each is controlled by a collection of houses that elect a reign at their head.”

They passed through another portcullis and entered the hollowed out interior of the spine. Spiral staircases ascended into the ceiling, many supported by underground trees. Instead of leaves, threads of orange hung from the branches like glowing hair. The trees provided both illumination and beauty to the market, and were interspersed with stands of giant mushrooms.

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