Stones Unbound (The Magestone Chronicles Book 1) by Richard Innes Page B
Authors: Richard Innes
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embassy.
Tripping over another slick cobble in the road, she drew on
the power of her quafa'shilaar, her magestone, once again, and created a
floating ball of light just behind her right shoulder. Now she could see, but
fortunately or unfortunately, it would announce to any that saw her that she
was Dar'Shilaar. Hopefully, that would protect her enough to get her safely
home. Assuming she could find home.
Chapter 7
Hoyle awoke slowly, being jostled awake by the motion of the
wagon on the cobblestones. His jaw ached badly where the soldier had struck
him. He opened his eyes to a squint, determined not to give away the fact that
he was awake. He was lying amid several other unconscious bodies in a caged
wagon, hands tied together with coarse rope. His muscles were stiff due to the
after-effects of the dark magic, bad positioning, and the cold breeze that
still continued unabated. He checked quickly, moving as little as possible,
but he was not surprised that he was unarmed. It appeared several others were
awake, sitting up against the bars near the front of the wagon.
It was still dark, and they were just pulling up to a tall,
fortified wall, lit with just a few torches. Apparently there was another
wagon in front, because he could hear it creak to a stop just ahead. He heard
a call from down near the front of the first wagon, and a reply from above on
the wall that were both carried away by the breeze. Hoyle then heard loud
clanging noises, and his wagon lurched forward. They passed through a gate
tunnel maybe six spans thick, the portcullis still being lifted above them. Hoyle
could see murder holes, for shooting invaders from above, lining the ceiling.
As the wagon he was prisoner in passed out from under the gate, he heard the
portcullis drop back into the ground with a thundering boom. Based on the black
stone of the walls, this must be Parr’ador, the large fortress at the east end
of Tala’ahar.
The Imperial City was laid out about equally on either side
of the River Aerilynn as it flowed into the bay. The wall around the city was
anchored on the west side of the bay with the small citadel, Dar’agen; its
large catapults and ballistae capable of hitting ships hundreds of spans into
the bay. The citadel rested on a high cliff that projected out into the bay,
giving it a strategic advantage that was yet to be tested in war.
The protective wall wrapped around the city proper, running
all the way around to the fortress Parr’ador on the east. Parr’ador housed the
Imperial Army, the Imperial Shipyards, and the dungeon known as The Depths.
Parr’ador was a massive collection of high walls, towers, barracks, smithies,
and the main fortress; almost a city unto itself.
The main courtyard of Parr’ador was ablaze with light from
torches spaced at regular intervals set in portable metal stands. There were
dozens of Imperial Soldiers surrounding the wagons as they stopped. The soldiers
wore banded mail, and wore swords at their hips on one side. Some carried crossbows.
The wagons came to a full stop and the guardsmen unlocked the cage on the first
wagon and began to start sorting prisoners.
“Take him up, he seemed to be one of the leaders,” ordered
what Hoyle assumed must be an officer; referring to someone he couldn’t see
from his position. “The rest go to The Depths.” You could hear the capital
letters in his voice. At this pronouncement there were several shouts, and he
could hear the thrum of several crossbows firing, followed by two screams.
“Does anyone else want to argue for mercy?” the officer demanded. It seemed like
a mercy, for rumors implied that no one got free from The Depths.
Finally, the soldiers arrived at Hoyle’s wagon. By this
time he had determined that there was no benefit to pretending to be asleep. He
would just get roughed up by the soldiers more than if he moved on his own two
feet. So, when
Tripping over another slick cobble in the road, she drew on
the power of her quafa'shilaar, her magestone, once again, and created a
floating ball of light just behind her right shoulder. Now she could see, but
fortunately or unfortunately, it would announce to any that saw her that she
was Dar'Shilaar. Hopefully, that would protect her enough to get her safely
home. Assuming she could find home.
Chapter 7
Hoyle awoke slowly, being jostled awake by the motion of the
wagon on the cobblestones. His jaw ached badly where the soldier had struck
him. He opened his eyes to a squint, determined not to give away the fact that
he was awake. He was lying amid several other unconscious bodies in a caged
wagon, hands tied together with coarse rope. His muscles were stiff due to the
after-effects of the dark magic, bad positioning, and the cold breeze that
still continued unabated. He checked quickly, moving as little as possible,
but he was not surprised that he was unarmed. It appeared several others were
awake, sitting up against the bars near the front of the wagon.
It was still dark, and they were just pulling up to a tall,
fortified wall, lit with just a few torches. Apparently there was another
wagon in front, because he could hear it creak to a stop just ahead. He heard
a call from down near the front of the first wagon, and a reply from above on
the wall that were both carried away by the breeze. Hoyle then heard loud
clanging noises, and his wagon lurched forward. They passed through a gate
tunnel maybe six spans thick, the portcullis still being lifted above them. Hoyle
could see murder holes, for shooting invaders from above, lining the ceiling.
As the wagon he was prisoner in passed out from under the gate, he heard the
portcullis drop back into the ground with a thundering boom. Based on the black
stone of the walls, this must be Parr’ador, the large fortress at the east end
of Tala’ahar.
The Imperial City was laid out about equally on either side
of the River Aerilynn as it flowed into the bay. The wall around the city was
anchored on the west side of the bay with the small citadel, Dar’agen; its
large catapults and ballistae capable of hitting ships hundreds of spans into
the bay. The citadel rested on a high cliff that projected out into the bay,
giving it a strategic advantage that was yet to be tested in war.
The protective wall wrapped around the city proper, running
all the way around to the fortress Parr’ador on the east. Parr’ador housed the
Imperial Army, the Imperial Shipyards, and the dungeon known as The Depths.
Parr’ador was a massive collection of high walls, towers, barracks, smithies,
and the main fortress; almost a city unto itself.
The main courtyard of Parr’ador was ablaze with light from
torches spaced at regular intervals set in portable metal stands. There were
dozens of Imperial Soldiers surrounding the wagons as they stopped. The soldiers
wore banded mail, and wore swords at their hips on one side. Some carried crossbows.
The wagons came to a full stop and the guardsmen unlocked the cage on the first
wagon and began to start sorting prisoners.
“Take him up, he seemed to be one of the leaders,” ordered
what Hoyle assumed must be an officer; referring to someone he couldn’t see
from his position. “The rest go to The Depths.” You could hear the capital
letters in his voice. At this pronouncement there were several shouts, and he
could hear the thrum of several crossbows firing, followed by two screams.
“Does anyone else want to argue for mercy?” the officer demanded. It seemed like
a mercy, for rumors implied that no one got free from The Depths.
Finally, the soldiers arrived at Hoyle’s wagon. By this
time he had determined that there was no benefit to pretending to be asleep. He
would just get roughed up by the soldiers more than if he moved on his own two
feet. So, when
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