Ashfall: City of Shade (UNDER EDITING)

Chapter 11 | Zard

GRETA

The curtain to my room opens. A tall dark shape slips inside. Sunken silver eyes observe me from a distance.

I sit up. "Adler?"

"You must be the emperor's secret."

"Who are you?"

"The one who is going to set you free. Has Enoch told you of my coming? I am here to kill some members of his family. Starting with his parents."

My sword is too far away for me to reach.

The stranger sets his lantern on my bed. I kick it off screaming and thrashing against him as he tries to steal me away from it.

"My name is Zard. You are nothing now. See the bed?" he tells the other men pouring into my room. "That item is worth more than you can imagine, but don't touch it. Rumor is one touch can fry you alive since it only accommodates her level of stardust. There is an even bigger one though, somewhere hidden in this empire, I want more. Not as priceless as the book. Little girl, can you tell us where to find it?"

I bite his hand.

"Youch!" Zard hollers.

With a grimace, he removes his hand from my mouth.

One of the men picks up my limpnut's cage and throws it across the room.

My Fluff shrieks as it remains trapped inside. Its cage slams heavily onto the floor where it remains motionless inside.

"Help! Let go of me! My Fluff!"

My hair gets yanked. The man named Zard grabs my chin drawing blood.

"Silence, you ignorant child. Stay still. The emperor stole something from me. I'm returning the favor," he growls in my ear.

I scream so loud hoping it will hurt his ears as he tugs me out of my chamber. Tears stream down my face as I look over my shoulder finding my pet still motionless inside. Its legs are unnaturally crooked and bent upward as it lays still on its back slowly silver bleeds from its head.

"My Fluff! My Fluff! Y-you killed it! Let me go!"

***

ENOCH

The door to my bedchamber opens. My war advisor walks in as he does every morning before training Greta.

"Good morning, Brommy. What news do you bring me today?"

"Adler and Cephine are to have breakfast with us. We are going to meet at the hospice before going to the market," he explains.

"Right," I mumble. I leave my desk and follow him out.

Brommy has a habit of walking ahead of me. It's rude of him not to match my pace, but we must be running late.

"Um," I huff while picking up a lantern in the hall. "Why has the morning not been made yet?"

"I don't know, Emperor," he replies as we step out of the palace. "It should be made by now. The hour is passed. Maybe Adler slept in."