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Back Golden Age Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  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. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  70. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

By now Cob and Sal had reached Otus but there was nothing they could do. Dion ran over to join them, scanning the sky. ‘Riko could still be alive,’ he panted.

Something large and flailing plummeted from the sky a hundred paces away. It struck the rocks with a sickening crunch. When the group of three ran to the huddled mass on the ground, Dion’s heart sank as he saw that it was Riko. The youth’s eyes were wide and sightless, blood covering his clothing. He had died before having his first shave.

‘We can’t stay here,’ Cob said. ‘We have to leave them.’

‘They’ll be eaten,’ Sal said.

‘So will we if we stay,’ said Dion. ‘We have to go. Quick. Back to the cave.’

The three men sprinted to the cavern. Dion wondered how long it was until dawn. They all threw their possessions into the boat and then exchanged glances, Cob still holding his axe and Sal his sword.

Then Cob looked out at the night and pointed with a trembling hand. ‘By the gods,’ he breathed.

A pack of huge man-shaped figures lumbered along the beach in the distance, dark silhouettes far too large to be human. They were following the shore, in a path that would take them directly past the open mouth of the cavern.

‘They don’t communicate, do they?’ Sal whispered. ‘They’re no longer eldren. They’re just animals.’

‘Pack animals,’ Dion said grimly.

‘What do we do?’ Sal looked at Dion.

‘Only the furies saw us,’ Cob said slowly. ‘There’s no evidence they’re looking for us. This cave is defensible.’

‘We can’t take the risk,’ Dion said. ‘The three of us are going to have to manage the boat.’ There was a giant in the midst of the ogres, five feet taller than its companions. The pack was coming closer with every passing moment. Dion met the eyes of each man in turn. ‘Better to risk a leviathan than every wildran on Cinder Fen. We have to go. Now!’

21

21

‘Cob, take the front on your shoulders. Sal and I will each lift a corner of the stern.’

‘This is madness,’ Sal muttered. ‘We’ll never carry it with just the three of us.’

‘Got a better idea?’ Dion growled.

‘If the boat was on the shore in the first place . . .’

‘The furies would still have come,’ Dion finished. ‘Get moving. Our lives depend on it.’

Each man went to his place and then Dion counted. ‘On three. Ready? Lift!’

The open-decked boat had been placed with the front facing the beach. Groaning in unison, they lifted, getting it up into the air and then moving forward. Dion had a crushing weight on his shoulder but he knew that to stop would be to die. His back screamed for him to set the boat down but he set his jaw and kept moving.

‘Watch your footing,’ he grunted. ‘Take slow steps. Move!’