The others drew closer to the table, but Amyu faded back to stand against the wall. She debated leaving, her message delivered, but she didn’t want to disturb their work. She’d wait, and slip out at the first chance. The solid stone felt good on her back, and its coolness seemed to leech out her tremors.
“The first attack was just yesterday, on the day of Heath and Atira’s wedding,” Warren continued.
“Bonding,” said Atira, giving Heath a fond glance.
“That was the first we saw of the beasts. Heath managed to kill it with one of the Plains lances,” Warren said. “We lost one man to the sting that day. As far as we could tell, it came down from the mountains, and its target was the horses in the courtyard.”
“The stinger,” Lara said. “That was given to the healers, correct?”
“Yes,” Warren said. “They’re still clearing the carcass. Hard to believe the size of its claws, and its horns.”
“It’s a fearsome creature,” Wilsa agreed. “But we know they can die. Since the first attack, dozens of the creatures have been sighted, all hunting in the fields beyond the walls. Since that first attack, we’ve kept the people and the animals in the City under cover.”
Warren spread out a new map, a larger representation of Xy. “It seems that the creatures roost in the mountains. Once we moved the herds down into the trees, there were fewer attacks. But they still go after horses and cattle.”
“And any riders on the roads,” Keir said grimly.
“Lances work best to kill them,” Heath said. “Crossbows as well.”
Detros, head of the Palace Guard, nodded his head. “I’ve men trained with both on the walls and on watch. They’ll not take us by surprise again.”
“How far have they spread through the land?” Keir asked.
“I don’t know,” Warren said. “But the gods help anyone caught out in the open with no warning.”
“We’ve taken down all the flags and pennants from the Castle walls,” Detros said. “They’re attracted to movement.”
“The Trials have started,” Keir said. “The challenge banners will have been raised.”
“The Plains...” Xylara whispered.
Amyu’s stomach clenched at the idea of the monsters attacking her home.
“Before his death, Father sent crossbows and bolts in the supply caravan,” Heath said firmly. “And obsidian for making lances.”
“And we don’t yet know if the wyverns have attacked the Plains,” Atira said. “It may be they are only here in the mountains.”
Truth, to be sure, but Lara didn’t seem any more reassured then Amyu was. The warriors would have no warning, and the poison in their stings—
“The Plains will fight.” Keir’s voice was a rumble. “And they will kill the beasts. Remember, on the Plains, one can see open sky for miles around.” He shared a look with the Warprize who smiled, but did not look any more confident.
The door behind Amyu opened and Archbishop Iian stumbled through, his arms filled with scrolls and books, followed by two acolytes, their arms just as burdened.
“I may have found something,” Iian said as he tried to thrust part of his load into Amyu’s arms. She took a step back, and he stopped and blinked at her, noticing the blood.
“Are you hurt?” he asked urgently.
“I’m fine.” Amyu suppressed a smile. The archbishop had come into his office suddenly, and was not much older than she was. But he handled his duties with skill and dignity. He’d been the one to recognize the wyverns and give them a name.
“What have you found?” Keir leaned forward eagerly.
The archbishop recalled himself, and deposited his books on the table. Iian pulled out one that looked the oldest to Amyu’s eyes and opened it to a place marked with a ribbon.
“An ancient reference, with illustrations, if you can believe.” Iian let the book fall open.
Amyu gasped at the vibrant colors. Both pages were covered in a picture of what had to be the Castle and the city of Water’s Fall. In the air, wyverns flew, and were being attacked from the air by airions, and from below by some sort of contraptions.
Everyone leaned in to look.
