"Insanity may play a part before the dawn..."
Before his eyes, these ferocious flying apparitions ate human flesh, ripping off the heads of guards, whose bodies wavered, then fell to the ground. More terrifying than any midnight dream, guards were a...
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PART TWO:
MANY SACRIFICES
XI
The sound of trumpets echoed about the city and a proud father, Reuben Foulds, made his way to the balcony of his host's villa. From there he could see the city walls and knew that his only daughter would soon be safely within them.
'I'm beginning to think you're more excited about the wedding than the bride and groom!' the jolly voice of Lord Brenna boomed out behind him. 'Let us make our way down.'
Reuben shook his head and smiled, 'I want to see her arrive, Brenna. I'll wait here.'
Lord Brenna Lomar was short in stature and wide across the belly, yet behind his jovial mannerism he was an astute politician, loved by the people.
Making his way down the steps and into the courtyard of his home, Brenna waved to his staff to prepare for the arrival of his soon to be daughter-in-law. With no need for words, the staff went about their business with smiles and an eagerness to please their lord.
Still upon the balcony, Reuben watched, happier now than he could ever remember. Down below, the footman prepared to unload from the carriage boxes and clothes. Servants prepared for the delicate dresses of silk and lace. The head boy, Orday, spoke quickly with Brenna before nodding to another waiting boy, who ran back in the house, heading for the kitchens. Brenna waved up to Reuben, 'Are they coming?' he asked, unable to control his excitement.
Reuben, admiring Brenna's organisational skills grinned back, then looked to the walls. Spread out before him, were the tiled and thatched rooftops of a hundred houses, where a murder of cawing crows swooped and swirled about the cloudy sky like black flags caught on the wind.
Reuben was surprised to see only two horse riders enter the city. Then, with the relief of a Father, he saw the carriage in the distance come through the gates looking as small as a nail upon his little finger. 'They're coming,' he replied to Brenna, who nodded and ran inside the house, calling for his wife.
'Souszka, Souszka, your new daughter is here!'
Reuben kept an eye upon the carriage until the rooftops shrouded its journey. Now he watched the streets below, where horses trotted and people walked; where to the right, the market square stood guarded by the town hall and its clock, and where the next day, the wedding was due to take place.
The setting Sun cast a warm glow over Malathorn, and Reuben wished there and then that his late wife, Carrie was beside him. Suddenly, that warmth dispersed to be replaced by a sharp coldness. Reuben Foulds was a soldier and he had seen enough in his life to know when not all was right. He knew from his elevated position that the carriage would be in his sight whilst passing the corner of Turtle Street and Clarendon Street, if only for a brief moment. When it did pass, Reuben's eyes caught two things astray; one, an Ape-man was at the reins and not a Sakia man, and two, a door to the carriage was missing and there was blood upon the carriage step. The next sighting would be at Brenna's bridge, a small crossing over the Malathorn River, no wider than five metres.
