Page 57 of Of Scale and Blood

That won’t stop the riders.Or indeed, the boats. They could just sail farther down the coast or even anchor offshore and use rowboats to access the shoreline.

The air mages are also working on a wind cell around the city, with the hope it’ll stop the riders.

We’d used wind cells in the past, with varying degrees of success. They were basically an envelope of fierce winds placed around a city—or fortress, in Esan’s case—that prevented anyone or anything from entering. If humans, beasts, or indeed weaponrydidenter the wind zone, they were swept up then around, until they reached the very top of the funnel storm and were spat out. Usually with enough force that they broke—or in the case of the Mareritt, died on impact.

The trouble was, the cells were also easily dismantled by magic. The Mareritt had certainly become successful in doing so over recent decades, which was why we rarely used them now.

You’re forgetting they’ve mages of their own,I said,and I don’t think something as simple as a windstorm is going to stop them.

We’re aware of that, but they’ll likely not be expecting the move, so that alone makes it worth the effort. Plus, it gives us a little additional time to find a means of combating their weapons and their riders.

I personally doubted that the little additional time we gained was going to be of much help, simply because I had a growing conviction that a shitstorm was coming straight at us. Which, considering what their riders used as a weapon, happened to be quite a factual statement.

We’re going to remain here overnight, just in case the riders hit the port before the council has time to raise the defenses.

Good idea. We’ve just messaged them, letting them know you’re on the ground. They’re sending in a team, and I asked for a medic to be included.

Who had no doubt been ordered to report back on my condition. He was my commander and would never hesitate to send me into a dangerous situation if he deemed it prudent, but he was still my father, and he would nevernotworry about my safety.Could you please update Damon on the situation?

Yes.The cursor blinked for several moments, then the message scrolled on.He has taken possession of the quill and tablet linked to Angola and has been sequestered in your room all day.

And is no doubt directing the search of the Angolan spell library with the help of their masters. He believes there might be one that would allow the drakkons to gain the ability to flame from us.

Yes, that is what he has said.

You don’t believe him?

I do. But there is much more going on than that. And I do not think it a coincidence that he protected our rooms from his aunt’s intrusions onlyafterhe’d discovered we had the Angolan scribe quill.

And his reasons for doing so might be nothing more than the fact that his father—and his aunt—disdain magic.

Yes, but I fear the secrets he keeps. Fear that they will end badly for us all.

Trepidation stepped through me.Does Mom share your fears?

No, but she has far more faith in the overall goodness of people than I do.The cursor blinked a second or so.Though it has to be said thatthatbelief does not extend to Aric.

It certainly didnot.Well, whatever else he might be up to, let’s hope he can get that damn spell. We were lucky today, but that luck can’t hold.

I agree, and we are working on contingency plans. Be careful out there, Bryn.

Always, I replied with a smile, and signed off.

I replaced the quill pen and tablet, then grabbed my sword sheath and strapped it on. I kept the sword free, however. Aside from the fact it was a handy brace, it was also better—given my calf did restrict my speed and movement—if I kept it to hand. The drakkons had assured us there were no more riders or even magic here, but that didn’t mean this place was empty. And given the untouched nature of Hopetown’s outer edges, there could be a whole battalion of them hiding out there for all we knew.

I doubted it, but still...

“We got one live one,” came Kele’s comment. “He’s not in a great state though.”

“Conscious or unconscious?”

“In between.”

“I’ll grab my kit and wander over.”

“Should you be moving around with that leg of yours?”

“Probably not,” I said cheerfully and, after retrieving the kit, hobbled over to her.

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