Wizard's Blood [Part Two] Read Free Page B

complete the block. She’d been so close.
     

Chapter 91
     
     
    “ You think you’re pretty smart,” said Draan.
    She was one of the two female wizards that had been assigned along with Mishim and Tinos to watch Shyar on the trip overland. As’org had never been found, lost in the waves as the crew battled the remaining Octi. Once free of the beast, the captain made a run towards land, coming ashore a bit north of Yermo. Einau and Wint were heavily blockaded, but were still in the hands of Kimlelm’s military. At least for now. Once they made shore the wizards decided that they would complete the journey to Ale’ald by land. It would take a bit longer, but they didn’t have another ship readily available, and no one was sure what would be required to make the damaged ship seaworthy once again. Trying to contact and conscript one of the blockading ships would simply take too long that the advantage of doing so would be lost.
    “ From this time on you will be dosed and blocked, at all times. Dragons! I wonder what Cheurt finds so important that he is willing to waste so many resources on you, but I’m not going to be the one to disobey him.”
    She handed Shyar a glass filled with brown liquid. Draan was administering the Karonabark in the recommended manner. It was already dissolved in the water, meaning her previous technique of resisting the substance would be useless. Shyar took the glass and drank the liquid as directed. She’d find another way. Already she was encouraged. There was only one reason Cheurt wouldn’t have her killed. She was intended to be a lever against Jolan. That meant he was still alive and free. She needed only to hang on.
    The four wizards, two of whom had been added to the group along with the six guardsmen they had appropriated from the Ale’ald forces that fought near Yermo, set off to the south across Kimlelm. They were on horseback, a means of travel that Shyar hadn’t experienced in a long time, although she’d once been quite a horsewoman. No reason she could think of to make her abilities known, and she was as clumsy as possible with the animal, which caused her to be the source of certain jokes, but which she endured gladly. Anything that might work in her favor later she’d be willing to try.
    Shyar could see that many of the locals were relatively free to go about their business under the watchful eye of the occupying forces. Most looked hungry and thin. They passed a few gallows, which had bodies still hanging from the nooses, an object lesson as to the fate of anyone caught acting against the Ale’ald interests. It was one way they were keeping the conquered citizens in line. They made a wide swing around Yermo. Apparently the capital city was still resisting, even if totally surrounded. It was really pointless. Time was on the side of Ale’ald. With no supplies coming in, those resisting were doomed to fall. Their main contribution was to keep a large block of Ale’ald troops occupied while their countrymen organized resistance elsewhere.
    Shyar was kept heavily dosed, and she supposed, blocked as well. Without access to the power her ability to sense any blocking was destroyed, so she had to assume the wizards were following through with their stated intentions. They certainly had stayed close to her during the daily travel. Mishim, who’d been quite talkative and almost friendly, now avoided her as much as possible. Draan appeared to have taken charge of the troop since joining the group. Shyar bided her time, taking the best advantage she could each night when she was left to sleep. An opportunity would arise somewhere along the way. It had to.
    They passed by the port city of Sisco which had fallen to Ale’ald forces some time ago. Now it supported the flow of soldiers and supplies from Ale’ald into Kimlelm, skirting the mountain ranges and allowing for easy access to the country. Shyar didn’t realize it, but Sisco had been their intended destination from