Loading...
The Tower Master tore open space and stepped through with Ketal at his side. They emerged at the embattled front, where weary soldiers had paused to snatch a fleeting moment of rest. As the two appeared, heads turned and eyes widened in shock.
“O-oh!”
“The Tower Master!”
“And Ketal is with him as well!”
A wave of awe rippled outward. Men and women drew closer in hesitant steps, reverence warring with caution. Ketal glanced around with a look of mild surprise.
“Most of them know me,” he murmured.
“In times like these, only a fool would not,” the Tower Master replied in Ketal’s mind.
Ketal’s name had traveled the breadth of the continent. He had fought to blunt Necrobix’s attacks, and the story had marched with the refugees and the supply trains until even backwater villages spoke of him.
“Still,” Ketal said quietly, “this is not only wonder or respect. There is another color in their eyes.”
He could taste fear, not directed at him but triggered by the sight of him, as if his presence stirred a memory of something else. The Tower Master reached the same conclusion and clicked his tongue.
“It may be a learned fear of barbarians,” he said.
“It feels like more than that,” Ketal answered, tilting his head.
They cut through the murmuring crowd, asked for the Swordmaster’s location, and followed directions to the largest hut. Inside, Arcane lay stretched on a cot with bandages across his chest, his face pale with pain. He looked up, saw who had come, and jolted upright.
“T-Tower Master…”
“You may remain lying down,” the Tower Master said.
“Ah. Yes.” Arcane sank back and, in...
Unlock free chapters every day
Bookmark your novel and never lose track of your progress
Share your thoughts with your favorite translator in the comments.
