FIRST BOOK OF THE PIPER OF MIRCHAEK TRILOGY
When the walled city of the gods, Dansarun, opens its doors for trade, Xuijae's ruling clan sends its perfect representatives: the troublesome prince, Kai-Se, who wants nothing to do with palace life, and...
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Kai-Se dragged Nao-Zai through the chaos, ducking under swinging arms, screaming warriors, and blasts of magic that could have singed his hair to nothing. Nao-Zai followed in his footsteps, albeit a little slower. The soldier's eyes were sharp even with blood pouring from his side. Knowing him, he'd probably just want to collapse in a corner to at least let the bleeding stop but they didn't have the luxury for that. Not when there's a literal civil war happening around them and a fortress they needed to escape from.
The sky flashed with lights in colors whose names Kai-Se couldn't even think of at the top of his head. Thunder boomed. Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on a specific area of the wide, manicured courtyard, courtesy of the god of rain, Misaki.
Up ahead, columns of fire and water snaked through the battered army of creatures with animal heads and armored bodies. Yuride, the god of fire, and Nora, the god of water cackled in their equally horrifying, childish laughs as they attempted to torch the army with nothing but the unlimited vat of magic at their disposal.
Kai-Se's scream tore off his throat when a charred body slid into his way. Its eyes were still wide open even though life has faded from them. His heart sank. There's no way two humans such as him and Nao-Zai could fight the gods. He needed to get them out of here. Before they end up as one of the fried bodies littering the courtyard.
He looked forward, finding the gate creeping closer. That's good. Maybe they could hide in central Shencai at least until this whole fiasco dies down and Dansarun forgets about getting Xuijae in its hands. Sounds like a good plan. He turned and Nao-Zai gave him a quick nod.
Then, a column of fire hurtled closer to them.
It happened a bit too fast---just Kai-Se seeing a flicker of movement and feeling the air around him turn hot. The next thing he knew, his world was upended, limbs flying out in wild arcs as something heavy slammed against him. A hard, leathery surface pressed against his side.
"Ka-Ji," Nao-Zai's strained voice reached Kai-Se's ears. Slowly, Kai-Se planted his palms on the ground and hauled himself up. His ears were filled with sounds of chaos, of bones breaking, and of metal clanging against a concentrated force of nature.
Kai-Se turned to the direction Nao-Zai was facing and came face to face with a person with a snake head. Its frills were extended, making its shadow looing over Kai-Se larger. The slitted pupils and yellow irises introduced another kind of dread in Kai-Se's gut. Wait, did Nao-Zai just refer to it as Ka-Ji?
"It's okay," Nao-Zai met Kai-Se's eyes as the soldier sensed his apprehension. "I know him. He's a friend. Gang Sen is too, if I could just find him in this mess."
Kai-Se hauled himself to his feet. "Let's focus on running, shall we?" he said, scanning the next possible route across the courtyard that would run against the pandemonium the least. "Can you help us, Ka-Ji?"
The snake head bobbed, the narrow slits of its eyes narrowing even more. Then, a forked tongue slipped between its lips, a hiss resounding in the air. Nao-Zai grunted as he straightened, his back staying in a hunched position. Kai-Se's gut churned. The soldier might be in more pain than he let on.
