BooksBarbecue
Back Copper Chain
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

‘The eldren are here to help you,’ Dion said. He glanced at the forward line of biremes and the struggle taking place, and shook his head. ‘I thought Palemon was dead, but it appears otherwise. He wants ships. And we both need at least some of your fleet to survive.’

Kargan hesitated, but then nodded. ‘What do we do?’

‘Signal your captains to row. We need your men to work harder than they ever have before.’

‘And the enemy? Won’t they just follow?’

‘Leave them to us. Just get your ships moving. Head back to the Maltherean Sea.’

Without another word, Dion ran to the side of the vessel and leaped off, diving head first into the water.

‘I suggest we do as he says,’ Javid said.

Kargan shook himself. ‘Run the flag for ramming speed! The serpents are here to help!’

Suddenly the pressure on the bow eased, and looking down into the water, Kargan saw a dark shadow passing beneath the ship. The Nexotardis was now facing the Chasm, while the other vessels in the row were in varying stages of turning toward their only hope of escape.

The sail went taut as it pocketed the wind. The drum began to pound below decks, immediately thundering at ramming speed. Oars pulled at the water, over a hundred rowers knowing that they had to match the rhythm of the drum if they ever wanted to see home again.

Finally the Nexotardis was moving, the first of the biremes to head back toward the Chasm. Two more warships followed after, and then another three. In a ragged column, they began to pick up speed. Soon each flat-bottomed ship was skimming over the water. The blades of the oars churned furiously, moving back and forth in the time it takes to draw a sharp breath. The wind picked up as Kargan clenched his fists at his sides, willing speed out of the crew of the Nexotardis and from every other ship he might be able to save. He crossed the deck and looked into the Chasm, with its narrow breadth and mile-high cliffs, then glanced back at the dragons swarming over half the fleet he’d brought from Lamara.

Their battle was nearly over. Most of the biremes were floating without crews to guide them. The occasional trio of dragons fought over one warship or another, but the majority were regrouping in the sky above, sunlight shining off their scarlet bodies.