Empire of the Saviours (Chronicles of/Cosmic Warlord 1) Read Free Page B

this!’ Hella breathed, sensing Jillan’s mood and becoming nervous.
    ‘What you are no doubt smelling, Haal, is your own breath, for the rubbish that comes from your mouth is as foul as any midden. One wonders what you eat to be so malodorous and bloated. What festering garbage do you gorge on and where do you get it all from? You haven’t been sneaking out to the ditches in the dark of the night, have you? With such a creature abroad, no wonder the pagans fear to come near Godsend. The Chaos itself fears the enormity of your appetite, and that you will pig it down whole!’
    There was silence. Even the wind stilled as if in shock.
    ‘What, Haal?’ Jillan sneered. ‘So stupid that you don’t even know when you’ve been insulted?’
    Karl and Silus stood with their mouths hanging open. Their eyes flicked from Haal to Jillan and back again. All the other students instinctively drew away.
    Haal’s face began to redden and swell, rage sparking in his small black eyes. Speechless with anger, he choked and spluttered. Then he lowered his heavy brows like a wild boar preparing to charge.
    ‘No! Don’t!’ Hella squeaked.
    Jillan was strangely calm. Let the Chaos come then. It would either destroy him totally or he would put down his enemies. It was simple. It was clear. There was no doubt in him to confuse things or cloud his judgement. There was only focus, purpose and poise. He would not fail. The storm raged around him, but he stood in the still centre of its eye. He watched with a strange detachment as the eddies of power swirling around him began to buffet Haal …
    The school’s large door suddenly swung open, showing only darkness beyond. It was a cavernous mouth yawning wide to consume its prey whole. A cold breath issued out of the portal.
    ‘Come in, children!’ creaked the voice of Minister Praxis. ‘Quickly now, for we should spend whatever time we may learning of the blessed Saviours for our own improvement.’
    For once most of the students wasted no time hurrying into the darkness. Jillan suddenly came back to himself and staggered as dizziness overtook him. Hella reached out to steady him, her blue eyes fearful.
    ‘What happened?’ she whispered. ‘It was so strange.’
    Haal still stood glaring at Jillan. He silently promised that things would be settled between them after school and then turned on his heel, followed by the pale Karl and Silus.
    ‘I-I don’t know,’ Jillan wheezed. ‘Maybe I’m coming down with something.’ Yet he forced himself to straighten and seem bright, so as not to upset her any further. ‘Come on then, let’s get inside. Otherwise, the Minister will decide we need punishing for being lazy.’
    But Jillan’s thoughts were not so easily straightened. They swirled as if the storm was in his head and desperate for release. A pain started at his temples and it was a struggle not to wince. He concentrated hard on placing one foot after another evenly on the stony ground, and managed to force everything else into the background, reducing his headache to a dull throb. It itched and nagged at him, making his shoulders twitch every now and then, but he was satisfied that he had it largely under control. He managed a smile for his friend and pulled her inside the school.
    Minister Praxis stood looking down at each of them. He was so tall and thin that he seemed unnaturally upright. His eyes were like water, sometimes colourless, sometimes taking on the hue of everything around them. Jillan felt as if he were drowning whenever the Minister looked at him. Everything else about the Minister was hard lines – an unbreakable brow, ruler-straight cheekbones and a spiked nose. He was the rod of discipline every community needed if it was to remain close to the will of the blessed Saviours.
    ‘Good morning, children!’ the Minister creaked.
    ‘Good morning, Minister Praxis!’ they chanted back, having to brave his gaze. Jillan could not help shivering, the back of his neck