Free A Dream of Mortals (Book #15 in the Sorcerer's Ring) by Morgan Rice Page A

hole appeared right in the center of the deck,
and Erec looked over to see Strom beginning to do the same. Erec’s men ran over
and helped, and together, they all swung the chain higher, faster, stronger, smashing
the deck again and again, breaking it to bits. Deeper and deeper the anchor
went, to the lowest holds, until finally, ice-cold water came gushing straight
up, like a geyser.
    Erec heard the satisfying sound of the ship
cracking in two, and he felt the massive ship begin to list.
    “Back to our ship!” Erec yelled.
    Erec’s men all turned and ran across the deck
and leapt back over the rail, onto their ship, right before the Empire ships
began to sink. They took up the oars and continued forging ahead, right beside
the ships on either side of them, which began to sink quickly. Strom, the
damage done, escaped back to his ship, too.
    Erec squeezed his ship between the boats, all
his ships single file behind him, all of them firing back at the Empire
soldiers in the greater fleet who were now closer and firing down on them. Some
Empire soldiers even managed to jump from their ships onto Erec’s fleet, and Erec’s
men rushed forward and killed them, one at a time. They were being harassed on
all sides.
    Yet they pushed forward and soon, with one
final satisfying thunk, Erec broke through the blockade, past the last of the
burning ships, and out to open seas.
    Erec looked out and saw open seas before him, and
for the first time, he felt relief. The entire Empire fleet might be rallying
behind him, but at least now he had open seas, a chance to outrun them. For
once, he felt like he could really make it.
    And then, suddenly, Erec’s heart froze as an
awful sight appeared before him: there, coming around the bend, blocking their
way again, were two of the largest Empire ships he’d ever seen, five times the
size of the others, come from out of nowhere, and creating another definitive
blockade.
    Their exit was completely sealed.
    And this time, they had no way out.

CHAPTER TEN
     
     
    Darius stood in the circular dirt courtyard
enclosed by high stone walls, its periphery lined with Empire guards, and he
fought against his training partner until sweat stung his eyes. Back and forth
they went, Darius swinging heavy clubs with both arms as his opponent, a slave
of a race he did not recognize, with green skin and yellow pointy ears, twice
as muscular as he and about his age, defended himself, wielding two shields.
Darius brought down blow after blow of the clubs and his opponent blocked each
one, the clanging of his shield ringing in the air as Darius drove him back
across the ring.
    All around the courtyard stood dozens of other
slaves, among them Desmond, Raj, Kaz, and Luzi, all of them watching, egging
them on.
    Darius, breathing hard, was exhausted. He’d
been sparring, as had the others, all day under the burning suns, each taking
turns under the watchful eyes of the taskmasters. His shoulders ached from the
effort, his entire body was drenched in sweat, and he did not know how much
longer he could go on. If anyone dared to escape, as one unfortunate soul had
tried earlier in the morning, the Empire soldiers were only too eager to step
forward with their weapons forged of real steel, and put a sword through his
heart.
    Darius knew there was no escape—not now,
anyway. The only way out was to do as they were told, to spar, to train, and to
prepare for the arena.
    There came another rumble and roar in the
distance, from the direction of the arena, and Darius knew it was the crowd, eager
for more gladiators, for more entertainment. Their bloodlust was insatiable.
    There came on its heels an even louder shout,
followed by a horn, and Darius knew what that meant: another gladiator had died
somewhere beyond those walls. The crowd went crazy, but Darius and his men all
slumped their shoulders, depressed at the thought. That was their fate,
awaiting them soon enough.
    He would face death soon enough—all of them