The Last Heroes Before Judgement Read Online Free

headed for the Commandoes. I give the order and they’ll charge in on you. You want that, huh?”
    Grandmother threatened a guard just minutes after scolding me for such behavior. I was the only one laughing. One of the guards moved over to have a look at the noise- so I laughed harder and louder.
    “You giving the High-Priest a problem fool? Perhaps the gods will use me as their instrument to exact revenge.”
    I banged the loose cuff on the bed of the cart and called out with a force.
    “Do-you-want-trouble? Huh?”
    “Do you, Matthius?”
    I turned around slowly, past Senjay’s cringe and Omar’s frown, to see Sheriff Wellings on someone else’s pony. He had circled around the cart and snuck his way up to the back under the cover of darkness. His face was a pale white skull, withdrawn into the hood of his cloak. The usual bright adornments had been removed from his broad shoulder pads and his white stallion exchanged for a black pony- so no witness could identify him.
    “You see what you just done boy? Got no respect for authority.”
    He sniffed the air, looked around the cart bed, and then made a show of spitting on the ground.
    “You get released from the mine tonight?”
    “No sir. I lawfully escaped from an unjustified incarceration.”
    “Un-what? You been practicing that, huh? Well, according to Judge Tonney,-”
    “Damn you and the Tonneys!”
    “You had better tell your little black friend to bite his tongue- before I cut it out.”
    “We were north of the road.”
    “You assaulted a Priest!”
    I spun the cuff around and caught it whilst maintaining eye contact. From his eyes bled the red shadow of my own madness. I knew that I was the only one to see it. I welcomed the rage, as it consumed my fear, and it gave me strength.
    “That I did. Didn’t I?”
    “Matthius please, hush.”
    “The thing is, you handed Sloan the Niner. Now, I am so very afraid of you and your ‘authority.’ Here, take me back, if you dare.”
    I extended my hands to him and leaned over the cart as far as I could without losing balance. He licked his lips and backed his pony up just out of reach. He spat on my hands before continuing.
    “See now, I think you might be in the mood to do something stupid. I think, you might just up and swing that cuff at me and earn yourself the death penalty.”
    “No sir. I would never.”
    “You hear that boys? These moon worshippers don’t know the meaning of respect- never have, never will! Get out of my province and ne’er return. Get ‘em out of here!”
    Once the guards stepped out of the way, Grandfather kicked the steed into a full gallop. The Sheriff called out loud enough to spur more guards to him, and I saw enough steel glisten in the darkness to be glad that we left without a fight.
    No man had to tell me never to return to Ulfbar. The Slorrick sun worshippers were taught to hate Cairan’s from birth. So, it would not be long before Leiza was moved further north- sold into service for the Harlot’s Guild. For all the city had done to us, and all the times we had stolen reparations over the years, it was still a shameful hell to see it die. When the fires started, we were nearly out of sight, yet still close enough to hear the guard rush in on the contested areas. More than one man called for a retreat amongst the screams. His cry reminded me to be thankful for our safety. No matter what happened to us next, we had already survived the worst. And still, we had each other.
     
     
     
    Senjay fell asleep on my shoulder, making it hard to stare back east at the shrinking flames. Eventually, I slipped out of wakefulness without meaning to, and found myself in a nightmare. My first night away from the mine in three months and I dreamt of wandering forever through its endless tunnels. I had a brief moment of peace when Senjay complained about my moans and he moved to lay on Lazarus. The wind bit down on me with cold teeth and I was thrown back into the insane dream of having