The Buckle's Curse by Guy Antibes

Author:Guy Antibes [Antibes, Guy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Wizards, Young Adult
ISBN: 9798613198832
Google: Vt0GzgEACAAJ
Amazon: B084LRFDQ5
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: 2020-02-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

~

T he day dawned dreary with light rain falling from low clouds. Harbula’s walls were barely visible between the rain and a mist that rose from the ground. Toruka left with Jack’s cup, the Battlebone, Penny’s bone seer, Jack’s Masukaian sword, and his bracers. He couldn’t give up Eldora’s box, but it never looked like much and would probably go unnoticed. The coercion charms were easy enough to duplicate, so they all kept theirs. Before they left to enter the city, Jack located the Daughters’ encampment on the other side of the city. Toruka would leave them between the Serpentine Guild camp and the eastern gate and navigate around the city. They would surrender when they were confronted.

Jack was as nervous as everyone else. He didn’t know if any would be hurt when they clashed with the North Serpentine Guild, but everyone but Karu, Jamie, and Simara were adept teleporters. They could escape from any cell.

The gates loomed in front of them. Wagons and riders were in a long line, with those seeking entrance trickling into the city. They waited for an hour inching along until they finally were permitted into the city after showing the guards that all but one of them weren’t from Bornan.

The road made a turn to the left and then to the right and straight to the city’s center. They were a few hundred yards from the square when they were surrounded by many green-caped wizards. Jack saw Ari raise his hands. Even without a plan, Jack figured they would have given up to their enemies—

if they were enemies. Jack realized that he still didn’t know.

“You will follow us,” a male Serpentine said. “Do not try to escape, or there will be consequences.”

No one objected to their capture, and that was proof that the North Serpentine Guild ran the city. Jack gave up his Lajian sword. The objects were keyed to him, but he didn’t want to give it up, regardless. He was ordered to dismount and ride in the wagon with the rest of them.

Jack noticed something as they were taken to the city center, under guard. His magic didn’t work well. It was like being in a god’s temple and trying to use Eldora’s magic. He clutched the box at his throat, and her energy trickled into him. Ariduno’s lingering presence was sapping him of his own!

“Did you notice the power loss?” Jack asked Ari.

“No.” Ari looked at Grigar. “Is there something wrong with your magic?”

Grigar nodded. “Now that Jack has mentioned it, yes. I think we are all diminished. If we had fought and the guild is at normal strength, we still might not have prevailed. There were too many of them.”

Jorey nodded. “Grigar is right. What is the cause?”

“The god might be lost, but Harbula is infused with some of Ariduno’s power. It interferes with our own. I wonder if the north guild is composed of members who aren’t affected.”

“An interesting theory, but one I am not interested in testing right now,” Ari said.

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