Fireborn Champion by AB Bradley Page A

rat. We are .
    “Tell me,” Caspran said, rotating to the rest of the cabin. “I see why you fled Ormhild, but why did you come to the…what do they call it…unconquered city?” He chuckled. “Unconquered. A name that will no longer apply soon enough.”
    Ayska tried to stand but Caspran whipped around and raised a finger at her. “I don’t think so. Stay on your knees. You should remember how, judging by the slave brands on your arms.”
    She swallowed but did as he commanded. Her gaze swept over the cabin, pausing only for a heartbeat where Sander and Iron hid.
    “We received word that High King Sol desired something in Skaard. My comrade in Ormhild—Elof was his name—sent word to me since I was nearby. I came looking to please our king, but it turned out to be a lie.”
    Caspran folded his arms. “A lie? You tell me my birds carried a lie beneath their wings?”
    “No, of course not you, Brother Caspran!” Ayska crossed her hands over her chest and dipped her chin. “Elof set a trap for me. He wanted my ship for himself and plotted to use Kalila against me. He nearly succeeded.”
    “Clearly he did not. And what has become of this Elof of Ormhild?”
    Ayska’s lips pressed into a point. Iron heard her breath rush from her nostrils as she looked up and met Caspran’s gaze. “I killed him. I sliced his throat and listened to him choke on his blood for the lies he told.”
    Iron nearly believed the story himself. It was a good lie. The ones threaded with truth often were. He didn’t know if that put him any more at ease with this strange Rabwian woman or made her true motives more suspect.
    Caspran smirked. He opened his palm, and the glinting blade returned to its master, slipping within the folds of his wraps. “I like your style. To be honest, I think you weren’t harsh enough on this Elof. Then again, I could not hope one of your kind to ever meet my expectations.”
    “What—what will you do now?” she asked.
    “Well, your friend was correct on the account of my birds’ message. There is something in Skaard I need, and I believe it to be in Ormhild.”  
    He strolled to the stairs and began his ascent. He paused at the last stair and turned to Ayska. “But if it is not, you would serve me and your king well to keep an eye out.”
    “And what should I have my eye on?”
    “Two men; one in the middle of his years and one fresh into his manhood. The elder one has a scar on the side of his jaw. He wears black and favors a hood. I suspect the other also cloaks himself in black. They are heretics who fancy themselves priests of the old religion. They have cast aside the Serpent Sun and seek to harm our king. They spew the heresy of the gods High King Sol destroyed.”
    I guess he was too good for Good King Sol , Iron surmised. More power, better titles. That was the way of royalty. But this fall of the Six Iron kept hearing, that concerned him. No king on Urum could destroy the gods. The alp could not destroy them. The titans couldn’t even do the deed. This Godfall required more investigation.
    “I will be vigilant in my wanderings throughout the Sapphire Sea,” Ayska said.
    “Indeed you will.” Caspran dug into his wraps and produced a gold coin. “I will hunt you down and personally make this Kalila thing suffer horrendously if you don’t. Once I’m done with your pet, then perhaps I’ll do to you what you did to Elof. Only slower, so I can savor your pain.”
    He tossed the coin at Ayska. It landed and spun, reflecting the light until it thunked onto the floor. “Take that,” he said, “you will need to carry it on your person at all times should you find yourself in Eloia.”
    Caspran disappeared outside, leaving only an angled shaft of sunlight and frigid winds in his wake. Shadows fluttered through the light, birds crying as they took flight. Their calls faded and left them alone in the cabin.  
    Ayska stood and searched the room with a frown on her face. She turned to Kalila