A Voice That Thunders by Cully Mack

Author:Cully Mack [Mack, Cully]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-06T04:00:00+00:00

❊　18　❊

Shemyaza insisted that the four gods who’d descended on the mountain with him, were to attend Bishnor’s promotion to Chieftain. One god who Nate called Buzur resided beyond the Salmu Sea.

According to Nate, hot plains and lapis lazuli mines filled his empire. The wealth of which adorned the lapis boundary wall of Mount Hermonial. A recent attack on the Buzur’s mines had delayed Shemyaza’s plans for the ceremony.

In the days ahead of the tournament, Mirah saw no sign of the gods. The single testament to anything unusual were the cartloads of Sikaru, a favoured blend of beer. After delivery, workers wheeled heavy loaded wagons across the courtyard and they disappeared into the bowels of the mountain.

The ceremony was supposed to go ahead the next day and every time she’d asked Nate when the gods would be arriving, he’d chuckled and said, wait and see.

The thought of performing in a tournament intimidated her but competing under the watchful gaze of five gods, she found terrifying. Her one consolation, she’d had over a month to prepare. A month of taunting Nate in their sparring and spending most evenings with Galia, Arella and Neviah in the Taphas Cavern. Nate presumed she’d be paired against a Fire Wielder and had insisted Neviah and her train together. To her credit, Neviah never grumbled. She saw it as an opportunity to rise above Shayla.

In wielding fire against water they were equal. Neviah melted the onslaught of ice shards and spears hurled through the air and in turn, she quenched fiery bombs Neviah fired back.

She never dared to use her other abilities. Not that she didn’t trust Neviah with her secrets but Neviah accusing her of being different still lingered in the back of her mind along with Nate’s insistence that no one else should know.

They’d been in the Taphas cavern wielding for some time when Nate arrived.

‘Do you mind if I steal her away? Seeing as tonight might be the last night of our lives?’

Galia chortled. ‘Not if you intend to terrorise the poor girl with your pathetic attempt at humour.’

‘I need to go anyway,’ Neviah said. ‘There’s something I need to do.’ She collected a cloak which Mirah assumed was Zeev’s and left.

‘So you’re both leaving us here stranded?’ Arella pouted.

His mouth twitched, giving away his straight face as he replied, ‘There’s plenty of tasks in preparation for tomorrow if you want me to give you orders?’

‘Now that’s funny.’ Galia laughed, backing across the cavern beckoning Arella with her hand. ‘We’re going to the harbour, maybe we’ll see you there.’

The evening warmth and desert sand clung in the northeast breeze creating a foggy sienna colouring in the sky. It made everything feel compact.

‘I thought we could walk by the river,’ Nate said, as they crossed under the lapis lazuli archway leading back into the city.

They strolled by the rubble of a derelict temple which even the labourers had abandoned for the evening. In the distance, Nate’s ship resembled nothing more than a murky grey mass. The once glorious river now dimmed to a dull, milky beige.

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