Throne of Ruins (The Powers of Amur Book 5) by J.S. Bangs

Author:J.S. Bangs [Bangs, J.S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2016-12-22T07:00:00+00:00

Vapathi

The Red Men blew long blasts on their horns as they approached the Dhigvaditya. There was no gate to throw open for them, for the Bronze Gate was ruined, and the bridge across the moat was barely cleared of rubble. They blasted away anyway, in raucous disharmony that echoed through the ruined majesty of Majasravi.

“Why are they doing that?” Vapathi asked irritably. She stood with her arms folded across her chest, watching the returning army from the balcony of the Emperor’s Tower. At the head of the army was a well-ordered column of Red Men, shabby scarlet uniforms advancing in a square block, with a long, disorderly tail of Devoured behind them.

“For fun,” Apurta said. He sounded impatient. He was pleased to have the Empress of the Devoured returning to Majasravi.

“They could have stayed in Davrakhanda.” Runners from Davrakhanda had reached them several weeks ago with the news of Basadi’s victory.

“Could have,” Apurta said. “But why would they want to? It’s better here.”

Vapathi doubted that.

The train of the Red Men reached the bridge over the moat and picked its way through the cleared rubble from the collapsed towers. Up close, Vapathi saw that they had a large number of prisoners with them: thin, hungry people dressed in rags, their eyes looking up at the Dhigvaditya with expressions of wonder and horror. The Red Men herded them into the center of the Dhigvaditya. Doomed to be Devoured, Vapathi assumed.

Near the end of the column of the Red Men was a palanquin with curtains of green cotton, carried by a quartet of Devoured. Apurta smiled at it.

“Time to go meet the returning Empress,” he said. He ran down the stairs which led to the courtyard of the Dhigvaditya.

Vapathi followed with less enthusiasm. For two months she had been free of Basadi. Not that things with Apurta had warmed any, but at least she didn’t have to see the girl’s smug, haughty face in the halls of the Ushpanditya. She had half-hoped that Basadi would stay in Davrakhanda to govern the city, but Basadi’s correspondence stated that half of the Red Men and Devoured remained in Davrakhanda, and she was returning with the others.

On the floor of the Dhigvaditya, the Red Men and the Devoured hailed her with cries of Queen of Slaves! She ignored them. The courtyard clattered with the ruckus of their unpacking, shouting, supply and goods moving through the halls. The palanquin reached the center of the courtyard and the Devoured set it on the ground.

A moment later the Empress emerged. She wore a choli of dark blue silk, wrapped in a flowing green cotton sari, with her eyes daubed immaculately in kohl and a touch of rouge on her lips. She appeared to be the only person in the army who had bothered after her appearance. Her delicate, slippered feet touched the ground, and she looked around with haughty perfection.

“Empress!” shouted Apurta.

“Ah,” Basadi said. “Hello. Where is the Mouth of the Devourer?”

“Up in the Green Hall,” Vapathi said. “Waiting for you.

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