the fuck out of here, brother.”
Zane charged
through the door breaking its lock and forced Stacey inside after him. Just as
he was closing the door Stacey caught a glimpse of a very large gold dragon
landing in the middle of the roof next Conrad.
“Let’s go,”
Zane said grabbing her hand again.
They were in
the dusty warehouse space Stacey and the guards had entered on her first
arrival at the Island. Zane led her around the winding upper level until they
reached a set of stairs leading down. At the bottom of the floor, they stopped.
“What are we
doing?” Stacey asked.
“Be quiet,”
Zane hissed at her. “They might hear us.”
Stacey shut
her mouth and tried to remain patient.
Zane moved
round to the side of one of the work desks and leaned against it. Stacey stood
next to him. Then they listened to see if they could hear anything that was
going on above.
“Sound
proof,” Stacey murmured.
Zane didn’t
seem to hear her.
His eyes were
moving to their corners. She could feel his muscles tensing beside her.
BANG.
The door to
the roof swung open.
Zane grabbed
Stacey’s wrist and hurried them towards the main door leading outside opposite.
Just as they
reached it, that too opened.
Standing in
front of them was the Human Mage.
CHAPTER FIVE
Before Zane could react the Human
Mage’s hand was cast out, and he sent an invisible force that knocked both Zane
and Stacey away from the door and off their feet. Zane was quick to get up, but
the magnetic energy had left Stacey in shock. He looked to her first before
assessing the move in front of them. The Mage walked confidently towards them,
whilst two figures moved round the upper level towards the stairs.
“Don’t you
even dare raise your fist to me,” the Mage scolded. “You are in Master Narses’s
presence.”
Zane and
Stacey immediately looked up to the top of the stairs where the Master was
descending.
Master Narses
was a large, enormously muscular and tall, giant of a man. He was wearing gold
plated armor, with a red cape attached to the back of it. He was bald, had the
face of a serpent tattooed to his right cheek, and several long scars on his
left. His expression was one of distasteful hostility.
Conrad lingered
behind him.
Everyone was
silent until Narses reached the bottom of the stairs.
“I recognize
you,” Narses said to Zane gruffly. “You’re the one who murdered Horatio.” He
turned to the Mage. “You said he was dead.”
“That is what
Conrad informed me,” the Mage said dryly.
Conrad
stepped out from behind Narses and knelt before him.
“Zane wasn’t
given a fair trial into King Horatio’s murder,” he said. “He requested more
time to find the truth of what had happened. So I spared him indefinitely.”
“And have you
found that?” Narses asked Zane. “The truth?”
“It is my
belief that the man I murdered was not Horatio. He was an imposter sent to
stand in for him, by someone else. I suspect the real Horatio Hurux was removed
a short time before or after he became king.”
“And what
proof do you have of this?” Narses asked.
“I don’t have
any. My expulsion from the clan has impeded my investigation.”
Narses opened
and closed his eyes. “I don’t care.”
“What don’t
you care about?”
“I don’t care
if he was an imposter or not. If Horatio was foolish enough to be kidnapped,
then he deserves his fate. Likewise if he allowed you to kill him.”
“Ah – this is
not the decision of the court of –” the Mage interrupted.
“ENOUGH,
HUMAN!” Narses boomed. “I AM SPEAKING!”
The Mage fell
silent.
Narses turned
back to Zane. “You were the Commander of the Guard? Were you not?”
“That’s
correct.”
“So you were
the strongest man here. And you disposed of a weakling King. I guess that makes
you king of the Island now.”
“I would be
honored to have such privilege and responsibility,” Zane said.
“Yes, you
shall be.”
Narses turned
back to the
Zane charged
through the door breaking its lock and forced Stacey inside after him. Just as
he was closing the door Stacey caught a glimpse of a very large gold dragon
landing in the middle of the roof next Conrad.
“Let’s go,”
Zane said grabbing her hand again.
They were in
the dusty warehouse space Stacey and the guards had entered on her first
arrival at the Island. Zane led her around the winding upper level until they
reached a set of stairs leading down. At the bottom of the floor, they stopped.
“What are we
doing?” Stacey asked.
“Be quiet,”
Zane hissed at her. “They might hear us.”
Stacey shut
her mouth and tried to remain patient.
Zane moved
round to the side of one of the work desks and leaned against it. Stacey stood
next to him. Then they listened to see if they could hear anything that was
going on above.
“Sound
proof,” Stacey murmured.
Zane didn’t
seem to hear her.
His eyes were
moving to their corners. She could feel his muscles tensing beside her.
BANG.
The door to
the roof swung open.
Zane grabbed
Stacey’s wrist and hurried them towards the main door leading outside opposite.
Just as they
reached it, that too opened.
Standing in
front of them was the Human Mage.
CHAPTER FIVE
Before Zane could react the Human
Mage’s hand was cast out, and he sent an invisible force that knocked both Zane
and Stacey away from the door and off their feet. Zane was quick to get up, but
the magnetic energy had left Stacey in shock. He looked to her first before
assessing the move in front of them. The Mage walked confidently towards them,
whilst two figures moved round the upper level towards the stairs.
“Don’t you
even dare raise your fist to me,” the Mage scolded. “You are in Master Narses’s
presence.”
Zane and
Stacey immediately looked up to the top of the stairs where the Master was
descending.
Master Narses
was a large, enormously muscular and tall, giant of a man. He was wearing gold
plated armor, with a red cape attached to the back of it. He was bald, had the
face of a serpent tattooed to his right cheek, and several long scars on his
left. His expression was one of distasteful hostility.
Conrad lingered
behind him.
Everyone was
silent until Narses reached the bottom of the stairs.
“I recognize
you,” Narses said to Zane gruffly. “You’re the one who murdered Horatio.” He
turned to the Mage. “You said he was dead.”
“That is what
Conrad informed me,” the Mage said dryly.
Conrad
stepped out from behind Narses and knelt before him.
“Zane wasn’t
given a fair trial into King Horatio’s murder,” he said. “He requested more
time to find the truth of what had happened. So I spared him indefinitely.”
“And have you
found that?” Narses asked Zane. “The truth?”
“It is my
belief that the man I murdered was not Horatio. He was an imposter sent to
stand in for him, by someone else. I suspect the real Horatio Hurux was removed
a short time before or after he became king.”
“And what
proof do you have of this?” Narses asked.
“I don’t have
any. My expulsion from the clan has impeded my investigation.”
Narses opened
and closed his eyes. “I don’t care.”
“What don’t
you care about?”
“I don’t care
if he was an imposter or not. If Horatio was foolish enough to be kidnapped,
then he deserves his fate. Likewise if he allowed you to kill him.”
“Ah – this is
not the decision of the court of –” the Mage interrupted.
“ENOUGH,
HUMAN!” Narses boomed. “I AM SPEAKING!”
The Mage fell
silent.
Narses turned
back to Zane. “You were the Commander of the Guard? Were you not?”
“That’s
correct.”
“So you were
the strongest man here. And you disposed of a weakling King. I guess that makes
you king of the Island now.”
“I would be
honored to have such privilege and responsibility,” Zane said.
“Yes, you
shall be.”
Narses turned
back to the
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