The Rite: The Year of Rogue Dragons by Richard Lee Byers

Author:Richard Lee Byers
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Epic, Fantasy, General, Fiction
ISBN: 9780786956968
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Publishing
Published: 2010-04-21T11:11:42+00:00

9 10 Kythorn, the Year of Rogue

Dragons

The crashing echoed along the tunnels, down the stairwells, through the archives, storerooms, and tombs. Dorn knew what the disturbance was, because Raryn had skulked up to the surface to scout it out. In undisputed possession of the mountaintop, the dragons were employing their strength, breath weapons, and wizardry to demolish portions of the stronghold.

Like Dorn, Cantonle was standing watch behind the makeshift ramparts where they planned to oppose the wyrms the next time the reptiles attacked. Looking as dirty and exhausted as everyone else, the skinny, sun-bronzed Grand Master of Flowers flinched at a particularly loud bang that might have been a whole tower collapsing.

"Why?" Cantoule asked. "Why are the dragons doing this?"

"Maybe," said Dorn, "they're just venting their anger that it's taking so long to kill us. Or, they mean the noise to keep us from sleeping. Or, they hope the destruction of the castle will demoralize us."

"It's demoralizing me," Cantoule said. "They're defiling sacred ground I swore to protect."

Dorn grunted. "We've talked through this already."

"I know. It's just that I keep thinking that if Kane were Grand Master of Flowers, it never would have come to this."

"Kane?"

"King Dragonsbane's comrade, who helped destroy the Witch-King. The wisest monk of our order, and the most accomplished fighter. By rights, he should have presided here. But he loved wandering too much to stay in one place, and so chose me for the position. Now evil is destroying everything he gave into my keeping."

"That's self-pity talking," said Dorn, "and it isn't helping you or anybody else."

Cantoule blinked as if the half-golem had slapped him, then smiled wryly and said, "Perhaps you're right. Ilmater teaches that virtue lies in fidelity, not in success. Still-"

Something roared. It was more or less what Dorn had been waiting for, but as he started to string his longbow, he realized with a stab of dread that the noise had reverberated from behind him.

"Come on!" he shouted to the monks manning the barricade. "All of you! No, wait." He pointed. "You four stay here, just in case. But the rest of you, run!"

He wheeled and plunged through the arched doorway behind the fortification and down a length of hallway. His companions sprinted after him.

As Dorn ran, his iron foot clashing against the polished stone floor, he despised himself for the idiot he was. In retrospect, it was obvious why some of the dragons had spent the last couple days knocking down sections of the citadel overhead: to disguise the noise and vibration of their comrades digging into the mountain, thus bypassing whatever fortifications, traps, and guards waited to hinder them. Dorn had observed burrowing dragons among the attacking force, yet still hadn't anticipated that particular tactic.

As he and his companions dashed down a staircase, a fierce yet lovely battle anthem, a defiant answer to the invading dragons' bellowing, rose to meet them. Kara had evidently reached the site of the breach. Dorn was glad someone so formidable had showed up to

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.