Lament (Scars of the Sundering Book 2) by Hans Cummings Read Free Book Online Page A

intersection of the
market square and the street proclaimed itself to be Hag’s End. From the sounds
emanating from within, it was a tavern or inn.
    “Looks like the right kind of
place.” Edric pushed the door open. “I don’t reckon the minotaur’ll fit,
though.”
    Delilah followed Edric and her
brother into the tavern. “Maybe they have a back door.” The air within was
filled with the aroma of roasting meat. The din of a dozen conversations paused
for a brief moment as the patrons took stock of the newcomers, but it resumed
as Delilah shut the door. When her eyes adjusted to the lower levels of light
in the tavern, she noted there was no bar, but there were plenty of empty
tables.
    A dwarf waddled up to them, his
wiry, black beard braided and parted to make way for his prodigious gut. He
offered a smile and a raised hand to Edric. “Welcome to Hag’s End, my friends.
I can tell you’re not Firescales. Just arrived?”
    Edric clapped the dwarf on the
shoulder. “I need ale. Good ale.”
    Delilah ignored Edric. “Do you
have rooms? We’re four, plus a minotaur.”
    The dwarf showed Edric and the
drak twins to a table. “If the minotaur doesn’t mind sleeping in what those human
slavers were using, we can accommodate you. There’s a door for the longshanks
around the side. You draks want anything?”
    “Mead!” Kale scooted his chair in
as he scanned the room. The tavern was packed with draks, most of whose scales
were a similar burnt orange color as Kali’s.
    Delilah waved a hand in her
brother’s direction. “What he’s having. Got any food? Whatever you’re roasting
smells good.”
    “Coming right up!” The rotund
dwarf waddled toward the back of the dining room.
    “Oh hey, shouldn’t we wait for
Pancras?” Kale reached over and grabbed his sister’s arm.
    Edric patted his stomach. “He can
catch up. That meat they’re cookin’ is callin’ me name!”
    Delilah tapped the butt of her
staff on the floor. Azure tendrils swirled around the skull atop her staff as
she summoned arcane energy. “ Ageliofedros .” A glowing, fuzzy blue boggin
appeared on the table, formed from the strands of aether around her.
    “Find Pancras and tell him we’re
at Hag’s End, at the far end of the city market. We got rooms, and we’re eating.”
    The boggin yipped and hopped off
the table, darted under tables, and ran straight through the door, leaving a
tenuous, fading azure trail in its wake. Delilah realized the entire room had
fallen silent, and the assembled draks gawked at her. She heard their hushed
whispers.
    “They have stripes!”
    “Did you see that? Magic!”
    “Paz said striped draks were with
Kali. The ones that freed the slaves!”
    Delilah’s eyes flicked and met
her brother’s. “Uh-oh.”
     
    * * *
     
    With Kali’s assistance, trading
the wagon and horses for more suitable mounts proved to be a quick and easy
transaction. The owner of the livery, Chana, was more than happy to acquire a
wagon and two draft horses.
    For himself, Pancras chose a
horse more suited to carrying a rider. Because of his stature, he ended up with
a muscular blue roan steed that once belonged to the slavers. It was a
magnificent creature, standing nearly as tall as he at the withers, and was
called Stormheart according to Chana. The drak threw in a riding saddle, as
well. For Kale, Delilah, and Kali, Chana had three nailtooth lizards from the
Western Wastes. Green-scaled bipeds, the nailtooths had long, muscular tails
and strong, clawed feet suited to running. Finally, for Edric, Pancras found a
dun-colored pony. Inclusive of tack and saddle bags for all, Pancras paid only
twenty silver talons out of pocket.
    “We did well.” Kali rubbed the
neck of her lizard. It hissed and snapped at the air. “We should be able to
move overland much quicker with these than in that wagon.”
    “Do you know this place they’re
at? Hag’s End?” Pancras grabbed his pack from the wagon and double checked to
make sure