Shadowed by Demons, Book 3 of the Death Wizard Chronicles by Jim Melvin

Author:Jim Melvin [Melvin, Jim]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Published: 2013-05-29T05:00:00+00:00

Warrior, Army, and Witch

22

ON THE SAME night that Kusala, the Asēkhas, and Yama-Utu did battle with the Kojin and her monsters, Asēkha-Rati sat cross-legged on a boulder and stared at the full moon, watching the slow development of the eclipse with single-minded attention. He had managed to travel more than one hundred leagues in an astonishing four and a half days, though large portions of that distance had been spent on the backs of several different horses.

With rumors of war reaching a fever pitch, most of the villages that lined both sides of the Ogha were deserted, the frightened fishermen and farmers fleeing west to Nissaya or east into the vastness of the Gray Plains. A few brave souls remained in their homes, most of those more than willing to aid an Asēkha, either out of respect, fright, or hope of protection.

Only once since leaving Kusala and his fellow Asēkhas had Rati been forced to fight. By accident, he had encountered a rogue band of Mogols—eleven in all—terrorizing the remaining inhabitants of a once-thriving fish camp.

When Rati came upon them, the men and boys had already been cruelly bound, and their wives and daughters stripped of their clothing. It seemed the Mogols were in the mood for entertainment, but they would not find it on this day. Eleven strokes, one apiece, killed them all.

Rati had always taken pride in his ability to use a minimum of movement to slay his enemies. Kusala often teased him about this, calling it “Rati’s Obsession,” but he had ignored the frequent chides. Besides, he was still humiliated that a Mogol had managed to hit him with a war club during the skirmish with Mala’s army. He actually bore a tiny welt on the back of his head. It was the first time in more than a century that an enemy had struck him solidly.

The villagers thanked him profusely, offering food, shelter, and even the use of some of their women if he would remain with them. Rati politely declined, but he did trade the horse he was on for their finest stallion, along with a sack of dried sardines and a round loaf of bread. As he was leaving, many cast themselves on the ground and wept.

From his perch on the boulder, Rati now was little more than a league north of Senasana. Without regard for the eclipse, the Ogha River roared beneath him, its frothy rapids more powerful than an avalanche. Rati, however, did not share the river’s disdain, staring with fascination as a shadow consumed the moon.

He had arrived in late afternoon, set the stallion free, and then scouted the riverbanks as far as the northern outskirts of the city before turning back and returning to this spot. He had seen nothing unusual, and he could not deny that he was annoyed. Rati, above all others save Tāseti, loved to fight, and yet it appeared he had been sent to a place where fighting was unlikely.

Podhana should have gone in his place; he was more of a loner and would have enjoyed wandering about in such peaceful darkness.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.