Age of Asango: Book II by Matt Russell

Author:Matt Russell [Russell, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Dragon Tooth Press LLC
Published: 2018-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27:

Emperor Tacitus

The afternoon was bright and beautiful, the scents of freshly cooked bread and meats permeated the air, and the sound of music, laughter, and cheering echoed in every direction. Somar stood in the center of the bustling town square amidst a crowd of mostly peasants, watching as the great General Cassian Asango finally rode into Denigoth’s capital on his vaunted dragon.

This was a momentous day, and Somar had set out on the road more than a month before in anticipation of it. His pupil had surpassed all of his expectations upon the field of battle. Cassian's exploits were well known, though some were too difficult to believe, even for Somar. Allegedly, the boy had taken Kyromanth—a massive walled city that no Denigothian general, including Somar himself, had been able to capture—and he had taken it in a single day. No one seemed to know how he had done it, but there were dozens of theories. Whatever the case, Cassian's reputation was now second only to Tacitus himself—at least among the common folk. The boy had continued to anger and frighten the empire's nobility and, of course, the Nemesai. This was part of the reason why Somar had chosen to view his pupil's grand entry on the ground with the commoners who loved him rather than from some lofty balcony from in of the city's towering buildings as one of his status might demand.

Somar made out the dragon first. Titus had grown since last he had laid eyes on the creature. Cassian was only a dark shape atop its majestic gray form, but from their relative size to one another, Somar could tell that Titus was now significantly taller than a horse. The dragon moved just a little awkwardly over the street, though no one seemed to notice. The scraping ‘clacks’ of its claws over the paver stones were nearly imperceptible amidst the roar of the crowd. Cassian had become a legend. As Somar drew nearer, he saw the fierce grin on his former pupil’s face. The young general raised his fist and shouted toward one side of the street, and men, women, and children all screamed in response. This drew a chuckle from Somar.

There were twenty men on each side of Cassian. They were tall, armored figures, and as they drew nearer, Somar could see the vaunted markings on their faces that the boy had etched into their skin with the dragon’s tears they had gathered together years ago. The men were forming a wall around Cassian, which Somar thought to be a sensible enough precaution. He wondered how many assassination attempts there had been in the field, and how many were now to come. The Nemesai were likely growing desperate.

Suddenly Cassian's eyes locked onto Somar's, his matured features instantly shaping into a wide grin. The boy had sensed him of course, even amidst these tens of thousands of minds. <Hello, old man,> Cassian’s voice whispered in his mind. <Please come and meet me in the palace. I have so much to tell you.

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