The Vaetra Chronicles: Book 01 - Vaetra Unveiled Read Online Free Page A
Author: Daniel R. Marvello
Tags: Fiction, adventure, Fantasy, Magic, sorcery, swords and sorcery, mundia, vaetra
about him," she insisted. "Our host at the Sanctuary knew little, other than that he lost his place as Captain of the local Imperial Guard detachment last year." She looked over at him. "You don't need to come you know. I don't think I'm in any particular danger on the streets of Northshore."
Daven blushed a bit, but shook his head emphatically. "I'd be doing a poor job of my duties to let you walk off into the dark alone."
Sulana was a Sword Sorceress, and the only member of her team skilled in sorcery. Daven's primary job was to protect her while she conjured. He was, in effect, a bodyguard. She sometimes thought he took his responsibilities a little too literally.
Sulana rolled her eyes and held up her hands in surrender. "Fine. Then let me do my job. I'm responsible for this team, and I take my job seriously too."
Daven smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am," dipping his head toward her in a slight bow as they continued walking.
Sulana scoffed and turned her attention to the Governor's Complex ahead of them.
Every province in the Tanes Empire had a capital city, and every capital city, including Northshore, had a Governor's Complex. The complex was like a town within a town. It was gated and surrounded by its own wall. Within the wall were the Governor's home, a barracks for a troop of the Imperial Guard, a prison, a commissary, an infirmary, and a large stable.
The gates to the complex stood open, and two guards stood at ease just inside the opening. One guard covered a yawn, but both men straightened up when they saw Sulana and Daven approaching. The guards each wore a maroon tabard over their armor, the rampant eagle emblem on the front proclaiming them to be Imperial Guards. The guard on the right was a big, red-bearded man who quickly assessed the approaching strangers and addressed Daven.
"How can I help you this morning?" he asked.
Sulana, unimpressed with the guard's conclusion of who was in charge, stepped forward and answered. "We're here to see Captain Pollard."
The man looked her up and down and grinned. "Then I suggest you come back later. Like at noon."
Sulana shook her head. "I'm Agent Sulana Delano. The Captain knows I'm here in Northshore and has agreed to help. I need information from him, and it can't wait. We need to leave shortly."
The guard narrowed his eyes at her and thought for a moment. "Yeah, I heard about you. I'll let you pass, but you'll have to convince the Captain's secretary that it's urgent." He stepped back and swept his hand aside in invitation.
"Let me worry about that," Sulana said as she stepped quickly through the gate and headed toward the Captain's office.
***
Inside the captain's office, the secretary wrung his hands. The fussy little man looked like an insufficiently stuffed scarecrow with his belted tunic draping loosely over his thin frame. "Agent Delano, you don't understand. Captain Pollard is late to bed and late to rise. If I wake him now, we'll all be paying for it the rest of the day."
Sulana folded her arms. "He can go back to sleep after we leave. I just need a moment of his time, and it's very important. Please wake him now."
The secretary sighed deeply and hung his head. Then he took a deep breath, gathered himself, and exited the room through the door to the inner chamber.
A moment later, Sulana and Daven both jumped at a roar of rage from the other room. They couldn't hear exactly what was said, but the sentiment was clear.
The secretary scuttled out of the back room and closed the door carefully behind him. He glanced over at Sulana with an injured look and positioned himself in the back corner of the room away from the door he'd just exited. "The captain will be with you in a moment. I hope for your sake that it really is important," he said with a shaking voice.
They heard a few bumps and grumbling from the other room, and then the door opened. Captain Pollard straightened his shirt and ran a hand through his sleep-mussed hair as he stepped into the
Daven blushed a bit, but shook his head emphatically. "I'd be doing a poor job of my duties to let you walk off into the dark alone."
Sulana was a Sword Sorceress, and the only member of her team skilled in sorcery. Daven's primary job was to protect her while she conjured. He was, in effect, a bodyguard. She sometimes thought he took his responsibilities a little too literally.
Sulana rolled her eyes and held up her hands in surrender. "Fine. Then let me do my job. I'm responsible for this team, and I take my job seriously too."
Daven smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am," dipping his head toward her in a slight bow as they continued walking.
Sulana scoffed and turned her attention to the Governor's Complex ahead of them.
Every province in the Tanes Empire had a capital city, and every capital city, including Northshore, had a Governor's Complex. The complex was like a town within a town. It was gated and surrounded by its own wall. Within the wall were the Governor's home, a barracks for a troop of the Imperial Guard, a prison, a commissary, an infirmary, and a large stable.
The gates to the complex stood open, and two guards stood at ease just inside the opening. One guard covered a yawn, but both men straightened up when they saw Sulana and Daven approaching. The guards each wore a maroon tabard over their armor, the rampant eagle emblem on the front proclaiming them to be Imperial Guards. The guard on the right was a big, red-bearded man who quickly assessed the approaching strangers and addressed Daven.
"How can I help you this morning?" he asked.
Sulana, unimpressed with the guard's conclusion of who was in charge, stepped forward and answered. "We're here to see Captain Pollard."
The man looked her up and down and grinned. "Then I suggest you come back later. Like at noon."
Sulana shook her head. "I'm Agent Sulana Delano. The Captain knows I'm here in Northshore and has agreed to help. I need information from him, and it can't wait. We need to leave shortly."
The guard narrowed his eyes at her and thought for a moment. "Yeah, I heard about you. I'll let you pass, but you'll have to convince the Captain's secretary that it's urgent." He stepped back and swept his hand aside in invitation.
"Let me worry about that," Sulana said as she stepped quickly through the gate and headed toward the Captain's office.
***
Inside the captain's office, the secretary wrung his hands. The fussy little man looked like an insufficiently stuffed scarecrow with his belted tunic draping loosely over his thin frame. "Agent Delano, you don't understand. Captain Pollard is late to bed and late to rise. If I wake him now, we'll all be paying for it the rest of the day."
Sulana folded her arms. "He can go back to sleep after we leave. I just need a moment of his time, and it's very important. Please wake him now."
The secretary sighed deeply and hung his head. Then he took a deep breath, gathered himself, and exited the room through the door to the inner chamber.
A moment later, Sulana and Daven both jumped at a roar of rage from the other room. They couldn't hear exactly what was said, but the sentiment was clear.
The secretary scuttled out of the back room and closed the door carefully behind him. He glanced over at Sulana with an injured look and positioned himself in the back corner of the room away from the door he'd just exited. "The captain will be with you in a moment. I hope for your sake that it really is important," he said with a shaking voice.
They heard a few bumps and grumbling from the other room, and then the door opened. Captain Pollard straightened his shirt and ran a hand through his sleep-mussed hair as he stepped into the
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