The Chronicles of Lumineia: Book 02 - The Gathering by Ben Hale

Author:Ben Hale
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3, epub
Published: 2012-10-04T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19: Heroes and Villains

Braon nodded at Rokei to usher in the next visitor and tried not to rub his eyes. With people arriving from all over Lumineia, each day seemed longer than the last, and the constant stress was taking a toll on the young man. Even though most of the gathered people interacted with Newhawk or the other generals, there were still countless leaders that needed to meet Braon. He couldn’t delegate it without losing the faith of his men, even if his body yearned for sleep.

Turning from a pile of parchment, he saw Rokei lead in a foul-smelling man dressed in dark clothes. Countless rings and earrings festooned his body and clinked as he strode forward. In addition, he sported a seaman's cap and a long saber at his side. Striding up to Braon’s desk he opened his mouth to speak, but Thacker stepped forward with his hands clenched.

“Raize, you filthy scum! How did you get in here?”

The man smirked at Thacker’s response and tipped his hat to him, causing Thacker's face to cloud with anger. Rokei dodged out of the shadows and slid in between the two, a dagger in his hand towards the pirate. The sudden appearance of the elf seemed to amuse the rakishly dressed man even more.

“Oi Thacker! It’s right good to see you again mate.” He winked at Thacker, whose face reddened even further.

“This man killed my wife and imprisoned my children!” Thacker shouted, straining against Rokei's hold.

Braon rose to his feet and said, “Raize is it? Where do you hail from, and why are you here? Also, how many do you bring?” Even as he spoke he cast a warning glance at Thacker, who didn't appear to notice.

“The great western sea is where we berth, and me and my mates have nine ships with over a hundred per ship,” Raize said, ignoring Thacker and sitting down. Putting his feet up on Braon’s desk he added, “We heard about your little gathering and figured it would be smart to join up, even if it was lead by a pygmy.”

Braon saw Rokei step towards the pirate but he stopped him with a hard look. Cocking his head to the side, he considered what to do. From Thacker he’d heard enough about Raize to know that the man was charismatic for a pirate, and had somehow managed to unify hundreds of pirates under a single banner during the time of fear. Despite his choices of murder and plunder, they still might have a use for him and his men. Every person is important, Taryn’s words echoed in his mind again, and he added, even if they are not good people.

“Captain Raize,” Braon said, deciding on his course of action. “I am Commander Braon, appointed by the Oracle and the elven high council. As you have come willingly to the gathering of the races I must allow you to join—“He held up a hand to forestall the outburst from Thacker, but didn’t break eye contact with the pirate.

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