Gold Dragon Codex

Gold Dragon Codex by R.D. Henham Read Free Book Online Page B

Book: Gold Dragon Codex by R.D. Henham Read Free Book Online
Authors: R.D. Henham
a by-your-leave. And what do we have? Nothing but aworthless spell. What good did it ever do us? The blue dragon’s still out there, our people are starving, Hartfall’s lands are blackened so much that what few harvests we have are thin and dry, and there’s nothing we can do about it. We can’t even send for help. Tell me something, Torentine. When was the last time you shipped village wares out on the merchant roads?” The baron snorted deprecatingly. “Your coffers are as empty as mine.
    “We’re trapped in a cage, spell or no spell. Unless someone outside stumbles upon us and tells others—we’re as good as dead.” Camiel sighed. “The best Hartfall can hope to do is stretch its resources and hope to outwait Lazuli. This gives us more time. That’s the best I can do.” Lowering his head in defeat, the baron turned back to the draconian. Torentine snarled, disgusted. The baron continued; “Is it a deal, Malaise?”
    “Very wise, Your Excsssellency. We are agreed. When would you like to make the exchange?” She leaned forward eagerly, rubbing her hands one over the other. Sandon was sickened at the sight of her obvious glee.
    Baron Camiel bowed his head with a single, sharp nod. “Tomorrow. At sunset. But if your master breaks our deal … if he harms anyone—”
    “Anyone other than you, you mean?” the flight marshal said sweetly, twisting the knife with herwords. When the baron didn’t bother to answer, Malaise continued, “Sssunset will be fine. I recommend that you have your people at a respectful distance, but present. It will appease my master’s temperament to see proper fear and respect among those who offer him tribute. If you wish for the village to survive his visit, it would be in your people’s best interessst to indulge his pride.”
    Sandon couldn’t believe it. His father was going to be the tribute? That couldn’t be true. What would the barony do without him? What would Sandon do?
    “Keep your eyes dry, boy, or you dishonor your father’s sacrifice,” Vilfrand murmured. Sandon hadn’t even realized that he was crying, but at his uncle’s words he wiped his cheeks with his sleeve and felt the material grow damp. “You shouldn’t have come.” Vilfrand wasn’t making this any easier, but Sandon couldn’t blame him. The gleam in his uncle’s eye was too bright, and Sandon guessed that his uncle was doing a better job holding back tears than he was.
    “Go, Malaise.” Baron Camiel turned on his heel, showing the draconian his back. “Do not return until sunset tomorrow, or I swear I’ll have your head—dragon or no dragon.”
    Malaise hissed, and whether it was mild anger ormocking laughter, Sandon couldn’t tell. She opened her silvery wings once more and beat them on the air, lifting herself from the ground in awkward, heavy strokes. Sandon’s hair fluttered around his head in violent swoops, beating against his cheeks and neck with every beat of the sivak’s ascent.
    Guildmaster Torentine bowed slightly to the baron, and then reached out to ruffle Sandon’s hair. “Good day, gentlemen.” His eyes were sad. After the baron started to walk back to the keep, Torentine stopped Sandon. “Listen to me,” he whispered. “Your father’s very upset right now, and he’s trying to do the right thing. You have to stick with him, you hear me? Talk him out of this. Whatever you do, don’t let him pay the blue dragon any more tribute.” He nodded, stepping aside so Sandon could pass. “This needs to stop here.”
    Sandon pondered Torentine’s words as he followed the guards back to the keep. His feet churned up little piles of dust, graying his once shiny black boots with the remnants of the barely used roadway. The baron was silent, his men and son marching on in somber procession. Sandon felt as if his heart were kicking along under his boots, turning just as gray as they were. He dragged himself onward through the mud of the road back through the courtyard, in

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