Page 57 of A Simple Truth (the Freckled Fate #2)

56

GIDEON

I watched as fifteen men pulled on one of the chains connected to the enormous being.

“Does it ever stop?” I scowled as the creature, as large as a dragon, screeched loud enough to burst our eardrums.

“It doesn’t like being separated…” one of the men yelled back. A few men swore as the creature tugged on the chains, making them falter. Similar to Glides, this creature was made of claws and bones, but instead of mist and shadows, it was comprised of thick, leathery, black flesh.

“So, it’s a mother then?” I presumed.

“Yes, we are attempting to saddle the offspring,” Andrias’s commander mumbled, walking alongside me as I cautiously trailed around the creature. It was not surprising that Queen Insanaria was also building an air force.

“How many dead?” I asked, looking for weak points of the being's build.

“No successful riders yet.” The commander's face turned sour at the mention.

“Well, that’s a shame. Fire?” I continued questioning the soldier as I sent a careful nod to Orest, standing by the door.

“Their skin can withstand high temperatures, though they do not like it.” The soldier scoffed. Unknown to my guide or the soldiers, I sent a small, untraceable heat wave down to the creature, curiously observing its reaction. It paused the screeching finally, turning its large, bony head towards me. The empty eye sockets glared back at me, and I returned the stare, smiling.

“How many offspring?” I asked my guide.

“A hundred here, and we have a hundred more soon to hatch.”

I kept my surprise well-hidden, my face reflecting nothing but the half-bored look of the Destroyer General.

“Riders or not, they all follow the mother, and the mother obeys the Queen. So as long as we allow the hatchlings to hatch, we should have an air force either way,” the soldier added. “Imagine what complete chaos one creature like her can do? Now, with hundreds of them, the Elves won’t stand a chance.”

“Of that, I am sure.” I glanced at the creature’s curved teeth, which were as large as my arm, ready to tear us to pieces. How wonderful… But I should’ve held on to my sarcasm, because the soldier didn’t stop blabbering.

“And we only have one mother, but I’ve heard rumors that the seas are covered with them. Though, the amount of human flesh they require to maintain is a bit concerning. We’ve been feeding it half-decomposed bodies and some of the prisoners, but the creature never seems to be full.”

Fucking hell. I held in an eye roll. There goes the missing piece to the lost slaves . I let out a large breath.

“Thank you, Commander, you’ve been most helpful.” I smiled politely at him as I motioned to Orest, walking out of the tall dungeon they kept the creature in.

We marched upstairs, not saying a word until we were in my quarters, shutting the door behind us and scanning the room for anything out of place. I slowly took off my armor as Orest stood leaning by the door.

“Well, that was entertaining ,” he mumbled.

“What a shitshow,” I scoffed, changing my shirt into a neatly steamed button up, readying for the Lords’ meeting.

“The creature and a million hatchlings are the least of my concern. Did you notice one of the soldiers there?” Orest asked as he folded his arms.

“Yes, the eighth soldier on the right. That was surprising too.” I let out a sigh and Orest nodded.

“Yes, I’ll take care of him. But that’s the strongest one we’ve seen in years.” Orest raised his eyes to me, full of apprehension.

“I noticed. What was he looking for?” I paused, dressing myself.

“A high level spy. Though, it might be worth noting that this time it was Hosam’s,” Orest replied.

I turned my head back to the window, facing the large courtyard full of gardeners, working on tidying up the greenery after last night's rain.

“ Hosam …” I shook my head. “ This complicates things. Hosam is not an idiot,” I mumbled to myself. The war was coming faster than I had hoped. I ran my hand through my hair. “Find out more about the hatchlings. We definitely need to take care of the mother,” I ordered to Orest. He nodded, opening the door. “And Orest?” I called before he could disappear in the labyrinth of halls and dungeons, “If you need to talk, I’m here,” I offered.

“I know. But some things are better left unsaid.”