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saw the sailors fall. He saw the Kershtians effectively barricade the door shut, buying their allies just enough time to perform their duty. He saw Kenton get attacked. He saw Khriss’s pleading look. I can’t! he thought with agony. Not this. After so long, not this… Kenton was getting flanked. The two in front were jus... |
had been less fluid than Kenton remembered, his thrusts a little less precise, but even an out-of-practice Eric was an awesome sight to behold. “This isn’t good,” he said as Khriss approached. “What’s wrong with him?” Khriss asked. Kenton shook his head. “I don’t know. I never really understood why he left, but it had ... |
Kenton sighed. “We might as well humor him, Delious,” he suggested. “All right,” Delious agreed. Kenton waited apprehensively beside Eric’s door, not certain if he should knock or not. The rest of the day had passed with a muted tone, an amorphous sense of discomfort covering the ship. Eric hadn’t emerged from his quar... |
went to darkside.” “You mean, he’s serious?” Khriss asked. “I almost thought he was playing a joke on us.” Kenton shook his head. “I think he’s… given up on himself, in a way. Eric grew up in a very strict home, Khriss. There was always a glint of wildness in him, and I exploited it to its fullest. However, he was alwa... |
horrifying thought. However, Ais knew it was a possibility. These last few days had been wearying. There was a reason he spent so much of his free time seeking solace in the words of the KerKor. Now that he didn’t have his family to comfort him, it was growing increasingly difficult to control his emotions. Back in the... |
had returned after just three days of waiting. He was a sand master again. He almost dropped the sand pouch in his eagerness to retrieve another handful of sand. The mastrells had been wrong—he had now proven that fact twice. Overmastery did not burn away one’s powers. But, did it really make him stronger? He began to ... |
him. Most sand masters never got beyond two or three ribbons—once one hit five or six, he was approaching undermastrell or mastrell level. Except, Kenton reminded himself, the mastrells must have all known the truth behind overmastery. That is why they could control two dozen ribbons, while the undermastrells could onl... |
her toward the real world. She kicked at the annoyance, trying to ignore it. Unfortunately, the more she did so, the more awake she became. Eventually she realized that if someone was tickling her, then someone must have snuck into her room. She cried out at the indecency of the thought, immediately snapping awake and ... |
formless robes seemed designed to hide a woman’s form instead of accentuate it—as if being female were somehow shameful. In a way, she liked how the men’s robes fit her. She could pull them tight at the waist and leave the top open just enough to reveal a hint of bosom. She could see them catching on in Elis, though sh... |
end, it was one of Baon’s lessons that came to her aid once again. “Kenton,” she said slowly, frowning to herself. “Hum?” he asked, still staring at the city. “I don’t think you have to find the Lord General.” He turned at this, a question on his face. “I mean, not you personally,” Khriss explained. “Why not let the ex... |
housed barracks, the long arm-like structures forming the sides of the courtyard. Most of the Tower’s soldiers didn’t reside in Kezare, but in garrisons along the borders of Lossand. Though there was relative peace right now, they occasionally suffered raids from the Rim Kingdoms. Lossand might be a desert, but it at l... |
single large chamber rather than three separate ones like Kenton’s own rooms. They were simply decorated—despite his place in society, the Lord General was an austere man. The walls bore several carapace shields and weapons, and there were a few tapestries—remnants from the time Eric’s mother had lived her before her d... |
smooth, soft material, but it was also incredibly strong. “They probably couldn’t have gotten him out of the Tower,” he said. “There were too many guards. He might still be here somewhere.” “Where then?” Kenton asked. Ais frowned, trained instincts leading him along. There was blood on the floor, but not on the mattres... |
Kenton said with a frown, “you hate sand mastery. But honestly, Ais, would you rather stumble around in the dark? Chastise me later.” Ais turned around, giving the Lord Mastrell no sign of just how wrong he had been. They continued down the staircase, which eventually led to a closed carapace door. Ais pushed the door ... |
they did, why did they bother to set it afterward?” Kenton shook his head, looking a little stunned. “They didn’t do that,” he said absently. “He broke his leg fighting a sandling on the deep sands.” Ais frowned. What was bothering him? What possible reason could Sharezan have to kill Reegent? Usually, Sharezan reserve... |
the Diem’s destruction. Their one vote could destroy all of Kenton’s work over the last two weeks. There is another way, his mind whispered. Kenton shook his head. He didn’t want to think about that. Unfortunately, he couldn’t afford not to. He had too much responsibility, too many people depending on him, to ignore su... |
trackt said something, and Kenton nodded, replying curtly. “Kenton,” Khriss asked. “What did you say?” “Ais needs to go back to the Hall to report this,” he said. “I told him to go.” “No,” Khriss corrected. “I mean to Eric.” Kenton shook his head. “I asked him to be Lord General. Come on, let’s go back to the Diem. I n... |
start killing my supporters.” “Are you certain they think that way?” Baon asked pointedly. “Because, honestly sand master, if I were your enemy, those Taisha would be the first people I went after. Kill enough of them, and they’ll learn not to support the Diem.” “I’m certain Ais has considered that possibility, Baon,” ... |
one of them. “The squad is in here,” he said, motioning furtively toward an open door. Ais followed him through the door and into a large, darkened room. A few insufficient windows shed light down toward the floor, creating spots of illumination on the empty ground. Ais stepped forward hesitantly, searching for signs o... |
asked, looking up with a smile. “It was one of my better projects. Reegent has always had a horrible fear of darkness; he was even worse than the rest of us. Once you know a man’s weakness, well, the rest of the project just sort of builds itself, doesn’t it?” Tain continued to walk. He paused a few feet in front of Ai... |
gently.” “No!” Ais screamed. Tain smiled. Ais shot him. The zinkall, however, only let loose a hiss of pressure. The arrow didn’t fire. “Never accept a weapon from someone you don’t trust, Ais,” Tain warned. “Oh, wait. You did trust me. Never mind, then.” The former trackt turned to Lokmlen, and the man nodded, walking... |
with a cry of dismay, Ais crawled to his feet and stumbled toward the door. The door Lokmlen had taken. Outside, he was confronted by the light. The sun shone down on him with dissatisfaction. Ais could feel the Sand Lord’s vengeful heat pushing down on him, crushing him beneath its power. Still, he struggled on. The a... |
matter. Rise. “No!” Ais yelled, pushing himself out of the trackts’s grip. He stumbled to his feet and grabbed the nearest one, pulling him close. “The orphanage on east side, the one next to the sandling pens. It’s in danger. Look for a firebomb. Go!” The man stumbled back as Ais released him. He stared at Ais with co... |
as I was leaving, I saw someone coming down the street with a large sack. Something about him made me suspicious—he had a trackt’s uniform on, and the sack looked suspicious. So, I watched. He opened the door to your house and came in, and I followed.” Ais continued to hold the girl—his daughter. That fact alone had st... |
he made his way to his sleeping room and lay down on the sand mattress, letting his tired body rest. Tomorrow it will all be over. Khriss had never seen the Diem so busy. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people milled through its halls, pushing toward its courtyard. Most of them wore the bright robes of kelzin. They spo... |
in these huge rooms by himself? No one to share his life? No friends, no family? Immediately, Kenton’s eyes fell on the crowd below. Had she come? Yes, she had. He saw Baon’s unmistakable black-skinned form standing near the south entrance. Kenton almost wished Khriss had decided not to watch the fight. He didn’t want ... |
I was so popular,” Kenton mumbled, looking over the crowd. He turned to Khriss. “Are you sure you want to watch this?” he asked. She nodded. “It might be… gruesome,” Kenton warned. “I have to be here, Kenton,” she insisted, looking into his eyes. He nodded slowly. He turned eyes on the crowd again and selected a group ... |
you see necessary. However, I must make one request. I need you to remain a trackt for one more day—or, at least, until the Council meeting in a few hours.” Ais nodded. She would probably have him testify during the Diem’s trial. “As you wish, My Lady,” he agreed. Heelis nodded, then motioned for her aids to join her a... |
Lord Artisan. Rite’s stern, simple face was disturbed as he entered the building. From what Kenton heard, the man had nearly decided not to come to the fight. Social pressures, however, had persuaded him to attend the event. Kenton was almost disappointed—in his opinion, the fewer people who saw him get slaughtered the... |
as he reached for his sand pouch. His hand never got there. Sand exploded around Drile, rising into the air like a mythical many-armed beast. Twenty-five ribbons screamed toward Kenton. They didn’t cut him; instead, they picked him up and slammed him back against the Pit’s stone wall. Kenton both heard and felt somethi... |
cried out in surprise and horror, but Kenton only groaned, his eyes shutting against the agony. He felt pain from his chest, arms, and legs. However, for some reason he was still alive. Drile hadn’t pierced him with the sand, he had only cut and sliced, lacerating Kenton’s flesh with painful, but not fatal, wounds. Dri... |
eyes staring unseeingly at the stone wall. An image seemed to form before him, and image of a young boy in white robes. A boy with a determined expression and light brown hair. A defiant boy—a boy that would be a sand master, no matter what others told him. I was a fool, Kenton thought with despair. I was always a fool... |
that he was right. Stale sand fell to the pit floor as Drile’s ribbons fell dead. Kenton opened his eyes to find Drile staring at him with stupefaction, every one of his ribbons destroyed. Kenton’s one single ribbon hovered in front of him. “Impossible,” Drile mouthed, gathering another storm of sand around himself. He... |
ignored him. His skin was beginning to turn a dun color, but his whirling torrent of sand was glowing even brighter. Kenton cursed softly. He had seen a look like the one in Drile’s eyes once before—in the eyes of his father, right before he died. Drile commanded his sand forward. Khriss cried out, the brightness of Dr... |
the wall and down to the floor. She rushed past Drile’s desiccated corpse and began to dig in the sand mound. “You’d better not be dead,” she whispered, digging furiously, looking for a sign of Kenton. “Shella, Kenton, don’t be dead.” Her hand bumped something soft. She moved anxiously, uncovering a hand. Tears streami... |
he said. “Cast your vote, and I will accept the result.” “You vow this, Kenton of the Diem?” Heelis asked. “I do.” Heelis turned to look at the other Taishin. None of them shook their heads, so finally she nodded. “It will be as you say, Kenton. We will vote. I warn you, however, I will hold you to your vow. This time,... |
said. “I really don’t know. A leader must have the support of his people—we of the Council do not rule by domination, but by consent of those below us. If the Diem does not have the favor of the people of Lossand, then it doesn’t matter what deals you have made with the Taishin.” “The people don’t know us yet, Lady Hee... |
Lord. Ais opened his mouth to speak. However, as he did so, his daughter’s face appeared in his mind. You will attempt to become my friend, Ais’s own words, spoken coldly to Kenton, resurfaced in his mind. You will try to laugh with me, prove to me that you aren’t what I assume. You may even save my life. None of this ... |
weeks. “It’s really strange, sir,” Dirin admitted, turning with a frown on his face. “There’s one of Drile’s old followers—Terr—who claims you hired Kershtian warriors to try and kill Drile. Apparently, he thinks you sent those Kershtian assassins that have been trying to kill Drile.” Kenton froze. “Kershtian assassins... |
noticed. I always have kept to myself.” “And then he ordered you to betray us,” Kenton said flatly. “It would have been better for you in the end,” Elorin said with despair. “Better that several should die now so that souls will not be lost in the future. Of course, I wouldn’t have done it, except.…” “Except?” Kenton a... |
against us ever since.” “Oh, Kenton,” she gasped. “I’m sorry.” She knew, quite powerfully, how painful a betrayal could be. Kenton shook his head. “I should have seen it sooner.” Khriss paused. Kenton looked so hurt, but she had something she needed to tell him. “Kenton,” she said slowly. “I… can’t stay here on dayside... |
shore. He had saved the Diem, rescued sand mastery when everyone thought it was lost. But he felt as if he had lost something far more important. Ais set aside his trackt’s uniform. He would never wear that again. Instead he packed a few simple robes in his bag. He owned few possessions beyond his clothing, none of any... |
had not been destroyed. A mastrell lived on—the A’Kar’s assassins had failed. There was a Kershtian proverb, they reminded—a pinch or a dune, it is all sand. It didn’t matter that the A’Kar had killed a lot of the mastrells, as long as one still lived, the blasphemy would continue. These arguments were also strong. The... |
involved were satisfied with the results. A month before, Kenton had announced his new plan for giving sashes. They would now be granted for both skill and power. In addition, he made provisions for increasing in rank. Those who showed promise and increased their abilities could move to a higher sash. In fact, under Ke... |
a boy—he never had been. He was only two years younger than Kenton, though everyone assumed he was younger. “Where to, sir?” Dirin asked. “Darkside,” Kenton announced with a smile. “Sir?” Dirin asked with surprise. “But—” “You’re in charge until I get back. You’ve been taking care of this place this entire time anyway.... |
I still have to finish so many books, I had no idea where to slot this trilogy in. Then Dynamite came to us and suggested the graphic novel. I was up for this from the get-go, as it was a way to get a canonical version of the story on shelves for readers faster than my schedule would otherwise allow. As for the scene i... |
the sand masters. He watched with emotionless eyes as each boy pulled a handful of white sand from within his bag. They had to hold tightly to keep the increasingly powerful wind from tearing the sand away and scattering it across the Kerla. Praxton frowned, as if his simple displeasure could force the wind to abate. T... |
glimmer—one so dark Praxton couldn’t be certain he hadn’t just imagined it—then faded to a dun black. Though he knew he betrayed no look of disappointment, Praxton felt the senior mastrells around him grow stiff with anticipation. “I’m… sorry, Lord Mastrell,” Tendel mumbled beside him. “It is nothing,” Praxton replied ... |
Kenton did not move. Praxton sighed. “Fine!” he declared. “You may join.” Kenton smiled in victory, pulling his legs free from the dune and scrambling over to join the line of students. Praxton watched motionlessly as the boy moved. The buffeting wind tore at his robes, sand scraping its way into his eyes and between h... |
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