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Back Copper Chain Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. CONTENTS
  5. MAP
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Weakened by its struggles, the wings began to beat more slowly as the charcoal-gray dragon realized there was no chance of escape. It lost height, knocking against the wall once more before falling to the ground. Palemon gazed down from above, leaning over the ledge to see. He watched the slaves assembled at the bottom run forward and throw more lengths of iron chain over the beast, standing around it in a circle, grunting as they held it down. The scar-faced magus, Tarik, then came forward and clamped an iron collar around its neck. Soldiers stood by with heavy crossbows, keeping a wary eye on the monster in their midst. Tarik then fastened a set of copper reins to the collar.

Immediately the dragon settled.

Palemon felt a thrill of satisfaction as the magus led the creature away by the reins. He glanced across at Zara, and she smiled triumphantly.

‘Next!’ Palemon called.

The next captive was a middle-aged man with black, wiry hair cut close to his scalp and darting eyes that were a pale shade of green. Moaning with fear, the man struggled against the soldier behind him, but with a collar around his neck and a dagger pressed to his side, he was soon pushed forward. The soldier levered the collar open and kicked him in the back with a booted heel.

The captive’s scream echoed in the hollow tower as he fell through a hole in the iron net and struck the ground seconds later. With a sharp crack, he was changed from a living, breathing human into a motionless heap. The slaves dragged the body away, leaving a bright-red smear on the stone.

‘Next!’ Palemon called again.

The next captive looked as if she thought she was living in a nightmare and would surely soon wake, barely struggling as she was released and pushed through the net. Palemon watched intently as the old woman cried out, her limbs flailing as he waited for her to hit the hard stone.

But his breath caught as he saw the cloud of pale mist. A flying creature burst out of the ether, a monster that resembled the woman, but with jaws enlarged and bat-like wings sprouting from her shoulder blades.

The woman had eldran blood, but she was no dragon. This one was a fury.

Palemon glanced at Zara and shook his head.

Zara issued orders down to the soldiers. A moment later two crossbows twanged in quick succession. The fury shrieked as the bolts struck home, and plummeted to the ground, writhing and twitching before the slice of a blade silenced the creature, pumping its lifeblood over the stone. The fury’s corpse was dragged away.

Palemon called out yet again. ‘Next!’

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