Song of Dragons The Complete Trilogy - By Daniel Arenson Page 0,170

did my part hunting the race to near extinction. I'll do what I must to rebuild it, to redeem myself. Even if it hurts you and Agnus Dei. The future of our race is more important than your pain." She shoved the porridge close to him and patted his cheek. "Now eat, darling. You're going to need your strength."

After breakfast, they left the tavern with fresh supplies, and walked down dirt roads. In the distance, they saw mountains of burned trees.

The ruins of Requiem were near.

AGNUS DEI

She climbed through the snow, fingers stinging, the wind whipping her face. Snow filled her clothes, hair, and mouth. She spat it out.

"Have I mentioned already that I hate snow?" she said.

Father grunted. He was climbing beside her, snow covering him. It clung to his stubble like a white beard.

"Once or twice," he said. "Or a million times."

Agnus Dei looked behind her. They'd been climbing all morning, and the mausoleum of skeletons lay a league below, piny hills surrounding it. When she turned her head and looked above her, she saw Fidelium soaring, all black boulders and swirling snow. The wind howled.

"We're close," she said. "We'll reach the cave within an hour."

Father nodded and they kept climbing, shivering in the cold and wind.

Agnus Dei thought of Kyrie as she climbed. The thought of him made her feel warmer. What was the pup up to now? Was he tolerating Gloriae? Agnus Dei knew the two held no love for each other. I hope they made it to the caves, Agnus Dei thought. I hope they're huddling inside, waiting for us. Maybe I'll see them again soon, in only an hour or two. She promised herself that she'd give her sister a hug, and the pup a kiss that would knock his boots off.

And what of Mother? Had she found the griffins? Would she be waiting here too? Suddenly Agnus Dei felt fear, colder than the snow. What if they weren't here? What if the nightshades had caught them, or Dies Irae's crossbow, or the griffins had attacked, or—

Agnus Dei shook her head to clear it. There was no use worrying now. Soon enough, she would know.

The wind howled, and a strange sound—a twang—sounded above.

Agnus Dei froze and frowned.

"Did you hear that?" she said to Father.

He nodded and drew his sword. "Yeah, and I don't like it."

The twang sounded again, closer now. It sounded like a wobbling saw, metallic. Agnus Dei narrowed her eyes, staring up the mountain. Snow cascaded.

"What—" she began.

Something leaped above, emitted that wobbling twang of a cry, and disappeared behind snow.

"Griffin balls," Agnus Dei swore, narrowed her eyes, and aimed her crossbow. "What the abyss was that?"

"Don't curse!" Father said.

The creature had seemed large, the size of a horse. Agnus Dei had only glimpsed long limbs, white skin draped over long bones, and three eyes. Where was it now?

The creature burst from behind a mound of snow, flying toward them. Its mouth opened, revealing teeth like swords, and its eyes blazed.

Agnus Dei shot her crossbow into its head.

It crashed a hundred yards away, squealed, and came sliding down the snow toward her. Agnus Dei snarled. It's hideous. It had a knobby spine and six legs, bony, with large joints. White, wrinkly skin draped over it. Agnus Dei had once seen a hairless cat; this creature looked like a cross between that poor critter and a giant spider.

It squealed at her feet, black blood squirting from its wound. It snapped claws and teeth at her. Father shot his own crossbow, sending the quarrel into the creature's brain. It made a mewling, high-pitched sound that sent snow cascading down the mountainside, then lay still.

Agnus Dei looked down at it. She shivered. "Ugly bastard. And new to this mountain. These things weren't here in the summer."

"Dies Irae must have new pets," Father said grimly. "This is a snowbeast, a creature from the far north."

"Let's shift and fly the rest of the way up," Agnus Dei said. "I don't want to meet any more of these creatures."

Father shook his head. "No shifting, Agnus Dei. Your scales are red. Irae's men would see you from the forests leagues away. Let's keep climbing." He pointed his sword. "I see the back cave. We're almost there."

They stepped around the dead snowbeast and began climbing again.

With a chorus of twangs, a dozen snowbeasts appeared and leaped toward them.

Agnus Dei and Father shot their crossbows. Two snowbeasts crashed and slid down the snow, screaming. The others screeched, scurried on six legs,