Free Stranger of Tempest: Book One of The God Fragments by Tom Lloyd Page A

narrow windows that seemed not to conform to any regular design. Given Duegar cities were built mostly underground, Lynx couldn’t help but wonder at what was hidden beneath those idyllic waters.
    There was a stark contrast between the two choices ahead of them. The wide well-maintained road of chalky stone continued left around the long edge of the lake, encompassing a dozen miles and a few villages, while the right-hand track was swiftly swallowed by the dark expanse of forest that engulfed the hills on that shore. Lynx knew they were taking the darker path, one that wound through the trees time and again to avoid the steepest ground before it left the lake behind and swung off east to the town of Tambal. It had been difficult going with wagons, but Master Simbly had at least been right that it remained a quicker journey than the better road.
    His moment of peace was broken when footfalls idled up beside him; the plague-scarred Diviner of Tempest, Lynx guessed without turning, given the smell of tobacco hanging in the air.
    A tight twist of paper was waved across his view. ‘Smoke?’
    Lynx shook his head. ‘Bit early.’
    The man shrugged and raised a coal pot, opening it and blowing on the embers inside before using it to light his cigarette. ‘Suit yerself,’ he declared with a satisfied breath. ‘Name’s Llaith.’
    He tapped the embroidered badge on his breast, the design faded but done with skill once upon a time. It portrayed a black woman with white hair flying in the breeze, her cape quartered black and white, with a trident in her hands and a lightning flash in two corners of the card – Diviner of Tempest.
    ‘Quite a sight, eh?’
    ‘Aye.’
    ‘It’s Lynx, right? You’re Tempest’s newest?’
    ‘For the time being.’
    Llaith sucked hard on the cigarette and turned to Lynx. ‘Oh?’ he croaked through a puff of smoke.
    ‘I needed a job that got me out of town,’ Lynx said with a shrug. ‘Ain’t making too many promises on how long I stay after the job’s done. Never had much love for mercenary work.’
    The man gave a snort. ‘I’ll try not to get too attached, then,’ he said, returning his attention to the tower in the lake.
    Lynx turned, immediately wary, but the man’s face betrayed no real offence so Lynx forced himself to swallow his caution. ‘Might be hard,’ he hazarded. ‘I’m pretty lovable.’
    That made Llaith chuckle. ‘Don’t you take Kas’s affections to mean you’re lovable. Our girl treats sex like she’s in training for a shot at the title.’
    Before Lynx could respond the pair of them received a cuff around the head. Lliath growled as his cigarette was jerked into the water, but Lynx barely caught himself in time, dagger half out of its sheath before Kas’s laugh stopped him.
    ‘Break’s over, boys,’ she announced, ‘so quit your gossiping and get back in the saddle.’
    ‘Piss on you, Kas,’ Llaith muttered, ‘you ain’t in charge here, ya bossy bitch, remember? Diviner trumps Madman so far’s I recall.’
    Behind them all, Payl swung herself up into her saddle. ‘Break’s over, boys,’ she announced without looking at Kas. ‘Enough talking, all o’ you. Get back to it and, Llaith, ditch that bloody coal before we’re into the forest. If they smell it on the wind I’ll shove a burner so far up your arse you’ll be lighting your smokes with that instead.’
    Llaith gave an amiable nod and produced a second cigarette with a conjurer’s flourish. He lit it and emptied the ember pot on the ground before scrambling back into the saddle, well aware that Payl’s stern eyes were watching him the whole time.
    They pushed on in silence and Lynx found his eyes drifting towards the tower again and again through a screen of trees hunched over the water’s edge. Its height was impossible for him to gauge, but certainly far taller than any structure he’d ever seen. The still and silent presence lurked on the fringe of his sight, while the dark forest