Gates of Ruin (Magelands Eternal Siege, #6) by Christopher Mitchell (top 10 books of all time .TXT) 📗

‘They are immune to such things,’ snapped Edmond. ‘Burn them out.’

Bastion nodded. He turned to the south, where thick flames were rising over the grounds of an old palace. He and Leksandr lifted their hands again, and the fires twisted up from the blaze in two long channels. They intertwined in the skies above the ruined tower, then surged down. Belinda raised her left hand, using her fire powers to deflect the oncoming roar of flames. They hovered over their heads for a moment, just yards away, then Belinda sent them into the main wing of the residence. The flames smashed into the tall building, ripping through the fine tapestries and marble-lined hallways in a crescendo of fire that lit up the night sky.

Bastion’s face remained expressionless. He signalled to an officer of the Banner. ‘Advance.’

Belinda watched as the soldiers surrounding the mountain of rubble locked their shields together and began to close in. Corthie stood to her left, the rebuilt Clawhammer ready, while Sable was on her right, a Banner-issue sword in her right hand. Belinda could see more reinforcements arriving through the main gates. They looked worn out, their lines ragged, and Belinda realised that their appearance could only mean that the rebels in Old Alea were gaining ground. Bastion saw them, and ordered them into position, bolstering the ranks of those surrounding the tower.

A whistle blew, and the soldiers stopped the advance and readied their crossbows.

Belinda didn’t wait for them to loose. She raised her hand again, and sent out a dense wave of death powers into the tight lines, and the soldiers gasped, clawing their throats as she stopped their hearts and lungs from working. A great groaning cry arose as hundreds of soldiers collapsed around them, their crossbows clattering off the paving slabs, and their steel armour grinding together. Silence fell over the courtyard, and Belinda felt a pang of guilt at the deaths of so many by her hand.

Beyond the ring of corpses, only three figures still stood, reflecting the three on top of the heap of rubble – Edmond, Leksandr and Bastion.

Bastion laughed, shattering the silence. He raised his arms, and the bodies of the soldiers began to twitch then, slowly, they got back to their feet, their eyes lifeless and dull.

‘Swords,’ Bastion cried, and each soldier drew their weapon.

‘No flow powers, you said?’ muttered Sable. ‘You could have blown their heads off with flow powers. Now we’re going to have to fight the dead.’

Belinda aimed her death powers at the advancing soldiers, but they had no effect. She switched to fire, and tried to channel the flames down from the burning residence, but Leksandr and Bastion diverted them so that they fell harmlessly to the rear of the courtyard.

‘Yes,’ she said; ‘we’ll have to fight.’

‘About time,’ said Corthie.

‘Resist the urge to charge into them,’ said Belinda; ‘we fight back to back, to the end.’

Corthie hefted the Clawhammer. ‘Aye, to the end.’

Sable frowned. ‘Whose end, exactly?’

Belinda kept her eyes on the advancing soldiers. ‘To the end of the world.’

Chapter 30

The Last Dawn

A lea Tanton, Tordue, Western Khatanax – 4th Kolinch 5252

Aila and Kesley huddled together on Frostback’s shoulders. For hour after hour they had soared through the cold night air, and both women were shivering under their thin clothes. They had crossed the Torduan Mountains and then, with Deathfang leading the raiding party, they had flown over the long miles of the plains of Tordue. The moon had set, and the darkness had been almost complete.

‘We are nearly there,’ said Frostback, ‘I can see the city in the distance.’

Kelsey squinted ahead. ‘Can you?’

‘Yes. It is burning.’

Behind them, a faint patch of light was growing on the horizon, and the features of Tordue grew visible out of the shadows and gloom. Aila frowned as she peered down. Bands of people were roaming the fields, all heading away from the city, and every farmhouse and barn appeared to have been destroyed. Smoke was rising from some, while others had been flattened as if a giant hand had crushed them.

‘More earthquakes,’ muttered Kelsey.

‘Not just earthquakes,’ said Frostback. ‘Much of the city appears to be underwater, as if it has slid into the ocean.’

Aila stared ahead. Towering columns of smoke were rising above the horizon, and as the light in the sky behind them grew stronger, she began to pick out the flames tearing through the slums of Alea Tanton. To their left, the high promontory of Old Alea stood clear of the lower districts, but flames were also rising from there.

‘Every building has been destroyed,’ said Kelsey.

‘Not every building,’ said Frostback. ‘Several within the walls of Old Alea still stand.’

Deathfang banked, and the other dragons joined him in circling over the edge of the ruined city.

‘We have arrived,’ he cried out, ‘but it seems we shall find no vengeance here. The accursed city has already been destroyed. Their anti-dragon defences are in ruins, and the ragged survivors are at our mercy, but what damage could we do that has not already been done?’

‘Then, my lord,’ said Burntskull, ‘should we return to the ridge in the mountains?’

‘Wait,’ said Frostback; ‘Old Alea yet remains. Smoke is rising from its palaces, but they have not been touched by the earthquakes. That is where the gods shall be; that is where we can take our vengeance.’

‘You are right, my daughter,’ said Deathfang; ‘let us scour the cliff tops of Old Alea.’

‘Remember the hundred yards, my lord,’ said Burntskull. ‘We must stay within that distance from Frostback, or else the gods will strike us down.’

‘Indeed,’ said Deathfang. ‘I shall go, with Frostback and Halfclaw; the others shall retreat a few miles and rest.’

‘But, my lord…’

‘I have spoken, Burntskull; do as I bid.’

The huge grey dragon peeled off, and Frostback and Halfclaw moved into a tight formation behind him.

‘Stay close,’ said Deathfang, ‘and go where I go. I did not win back a daughter only to lose her.’

He