by E. E. Knight
The Wheel of Fire would butcher no more hatchlings in their home cave, and Hammar’s half-Hypatian, half-barbarian plot to gain power in war and conquest had vanished in the catafoua mouth, and the Dragonblade had hung up his spear, even if he wasn’t exactly raising chickens. She’d kept her promises—
Save the last one to Father.
But felt little satisfaction in were-blood. Avenging her own was a grim duty, like breaking a bullock’s back in a dive so that you could eat, and just as necessary to survival. Ignoring those who kill others in the hope they won’t get around to you only means that when they appear to take your head and scales, they would apply all they learned in other victories, making your chances against them so much the worse.
“Does that have to go in?” Lada asked.
“What do you mean?” Wistala said, brought back to the dictation.
“The battle. Betrayals. Incompetence, even cowardice. Boats falling, mud everywhere, blood running from balconies, carrion birds poking marrow from bones, dwarves hanging from bridges, burned corpses, but worst of all, no hero whose courage and skill is put to the ultimate test.”
“They asked for a history, they shall have my history. If someone else will have the battle take place on a spring-green field with pennants at the lance points and songs sung over the honored dead, let them write it thus. This history is a story of death begetting death, and should end with carrion birds, for they are the only ones who come out the better at the end.
“Speaking of which—steaks and cakes, but I’m hungry. Enough of this wordplay. Let’s head over to Mossbell and eat!”
Glossary
DRAKINE
FOUA: A product of the fire bladder. When mixed with the liquid fats stored within and then exposed to oxygen, it ignites into oily flame.
GRIFF: The armored fans descending from the forehead and jaw that cover sensitive ear-holes and throat pulse-points in battle.
KAZHIN: a dragon related to you on unfriendly terms.
PRRUM: The low thrumming sound a dragon makes when it is pleased or particularly content.
SAA: The rear legs of a dragon. The three rear true-toes are able to grip, but the fighting spur is little more than decoration.
SII: The front legs of a dragon. The claws are shorter and the fighting spur on the rear leg is closer to the other digits and opposable. The digits are more elegantly formed for manipulation.
TORF: A small gob from the fire bladder, used to provide a few moments of illumination.
UZHIN: a dragon related to you on friendly terms.
DWARVISH
DHSSOL: an “evil star” or catastrophe.
COCOLAT: a dwarvish sweet made from rare tropical beans and milk.
POGT: a dwarvish curse.
ELVISH
GAR-LOQUE: a smelly but flavorful bulb of the lily family with a slightly dragonish odor.
HASPADALANESH: The final, rooted stage of an elf’s life.
SENISOTE: music.
FELINE
TCHATLASSAT: a close friend.
HYPATIAN
BALAGAN: a sort of crane.
MOD: Hypatian low-priest title.
NUUM: Hypatian librarian or professor title.
VESK: a Hypatian mark of distance based on the amount of distance light infantry can cover in an hour—about three-and-a-half miles.
YEO: an informal title for those who act as retainers for Hypatian nobles.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
E. E. Knight graduated from Northern Illinois University with a double major in history and political science, then made his way through a number of jobs that had nothing to do with history or political science. He resides in Chicago. For more information on the author and his worlds, E. E. Knight invites you to visit his Web site, vampjac.com.