Undying Sacrifice by M. Coulray

Author:M. Coulray
Language: eng
Format: epub

20

Our trio had turned into a troupe, and we traveled the rest of the way without encountering any further surprises. Sedra was quiet, unwilling to speak to the other lizard folk beyond Arc, and I asked her why that was during one of our breaks.

“Until I speak with the elders of your village, I am not one of you. You have made me comfortable and welcome, but it is their word that will decide the fate of me and my people.”

Well, that made sense once I thought about it a little. The lizard folk were big on community, and it was the elders that made the decisions that were best for the group. Whatever I thought of the matter, Sedra needed to hear it from Telix and Krees.

“Well, you’ll meet them tonight, I think. What do you figure, Arc?”

“Four hours, at most.” The lizard archer was rubbing some kind of goop into her bowstring and checking it for damage.

The walls of the village were looking a lot more sturdy than the first time I’d seen them. Gage had taken over a fair amount of manpower, or lizard power, and the results spoke for themselves.

Sedra gaped at the palisade, reinforced by heavy earthworks and dotted here and there with doors through which we could fire arrows or heavier projectiles. At the front of the gate, two wide wooden gabions provided cover for four guards, currently manned by two lizard folk and two humans. Behind the palisade, I knew that Gage had already built at least one ballista that could hurl a three foot spear a few hundred yards.

Area denial was accomplished via pit traps, covered by the barrier spells I had imbued specifically for Gage’s use. Any enemy that walked over the thin layer of soil and debris would cancel the spell and fall fifteen feet or so into a nice pile of sharpened bone spears. Those had been labour-intensive, and the work was still ongoing, but keeping any attackers where we wanted them was the most important thing, according to Gage.

“This is your village?” The shock in Sedra’s voice was obvious, as was her quivering tail.

“Yes,” said Votess. “Since Denel came and assisted in reviving the Goddess, we have prospered.”

“Hey, it was a team effort,” I said.

“Yeah, but you were definitely the captain,” said Mika.

The guards acknowledged my wave and stood, showing their weapons but not threatening us with them. One of the humans, Roland, called out.

“Vacation time over already, my lord?”

“Don’t call me that, man. And trust me, it was no vacation.” I shuddered at the smell of the pit we’d been housed in.

“I’m glad they found you alive and well, but it looks like you’ve come back with another prisoner.”

I shook my head. “Not a prisoner, Roland. She’s an envoy from the village of Dark Snake Waters. There’s a lot to tell, but I’m sure you’ll hear some version of it soon enough.”

“Aye, and I imagine you’ll have fought a thousand enemies on a dragon’s back by the time it reaches my ears,” said the former soldier with a laugh.

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