Lord of the Inferno - Chapter Twenty One

This week’s episode features a chapter from Lord of the Inferno, Volume Two of War of the Fathers. War of the Fathers is available as a free ebook if you sign up for the Dan Decker Newsletter. Here is an excerpt from the show:

The doors of the three remaining ships were still down, just as they had been earlier when Adar had encouraged the captives to flee right after the tower had killed the Hunwei. That didn’t mean Hunwei hadn’t already gone aboard and were waiting for some of the stragglers to join them. At any moment, another of the doors might shut.

How insane is this little plan of mine? Adar wondered. Waiting until the last ship? All three doors could close at once and where would I be then?

There was hardly a movement on the grounds in front of the town hall other than gusts of wind that moved leaves and grass. The stench of the dead Hunwei was still as strong as ever. Melyah, it could be weeks before it got any better. 

He was alarmed when he saw a trail of smoke coming from the ruins of the governor's mansion but after careful observation realized it was just coming from one of the smaller fires of burning Hunwei armor. The breeze was dragging the smoke, so it looked as though it was coming from the mansion.  

“Are we going to do this or what?” Barc asked with a small tremor in his voice. “I’m getting tired of waiting.”

Adar snorted. You were out cold for much of it. “Have patience,” he said instead. “We only need one ship.”

He was uncertain about what to do next. Should they go now? At least five ships had crashed, but more than that had already lifted off. They might be down to one or two groups of Hunwei, but there was no way to know. If they were to wait it out, they could get a ship without any fighting at all. 

No, he thought after he mulled it over. That’s wrong. Not only could they not afford to wait much longer because he still had Isak and his men to contend with, he knew there were tactical flaws in his logic.