Chapter 99

First light came faster than he had expected, and he stared east at the volcano as it drifted out of the darkness into the light. The sun rose just to the south of the mountain, so there were no shadows to block the rays from warming him the moment the orb rose fully above the horizon. He stood where he was, staring at the mountain and hoping his newly-found protection would indeed hold true. It was not that he doubted Yisu, but he was not quite ready to believe something blindly just because the Creator said it was so, or because Telantes said it was so. Frank trusted the Debaduta with his life, but the Anmah would be skeptical of everything from now on until he proved it to be accurate.

After ten minutes, he sensed the others coming up behind him, and he stood a bit taller, his sword in his hand. “Half a league, Dinton, and no closer.”

“As you command, Mistri.” Dinton’s voice was tight, but he was a soldier of the crown, and Frank knew he would obey no matter how much he wanted to d