Sneak Peek: The Stone Sea - A Golden Glint of Dragons
He stood in the middle of my way with predatory confidence, and with his wide shoulders and wider stance he blocked most of the gangway.
I’d seen plenty of men stand this way. Not the type looking for a fight. No, he was the type secure in his ability to defeat anyone who stood in his way. And I’d bet my reed that he was the one who watched me from shore earlier today. I clutched the bucket stronger, hugging the stalk to my body.
I also remembered Vince’s warning earlier. How did he put it? “Big intimidating guy dressed as a road-side bandit.”
I couldn’t hope to get him out of my way. Especially not with my hands full and my staff hanging uselessly tied to my backpack. I could only pass him if he let me. My pulse quickened at the thought.
He just stood still, facing me, and I couldn’t see his eyes in the shadow of his hood, which stood perfectly at just the right angle to protect his face all the way to his chiseled jaw from the elements. I disliked him immediately.
“Evening,” he said in a deep rumble, to my astonishment.
To be clear, the deepness of his voice didn’t astonish me. His polite words did. Considering it was evening, the phrase shouldn’t have been so shocking either. But somehow, looking at him, I rather expected that he’d pull out a long-sword and demand my valuables instead of a polite greeting.
I sighed. I had no choice now.
“Good evening,” I replied. “May I pass, please?”
He glanced around him, as if surprised by the fact that, goodness gracious, there wasn’t enough space for me to pass.
“Of course.” Despite his words, he stood still. As the rain was slowing down, I suddenly realized how quiet it was without the thunder. Just the slow dripping of water. And a whisper.
Oh, no.
Could it be the reed? Just my luck that my mythical quarry would become a chatterbox at the worst moment possible. Anyway, I’d thought it was only detectable underwater. Was it audible because of the rain? Maybe all the humidity of the air affected it somehow. It didn’t matter. I resisted the urge to look down at the loquacious stalk in my hands and began talking as loudly as I could.
“Are you lost? The train stop is in the other direction. It comes every two hours.”
He just shook his head in reply. I thought he grinned, though it was hard to tell with most of his face in shadow.
Meanwhile, my face got more and more soaked without the protection of my hood. But now that seemed to be the least of my worries.
“Out for an evening stroll?” I was still desperate to talk over any whispering of my reed.
He nodded.
“Me, too,” I said while I strode toward the right in a confident manner, hoping he’d step to the left and I could pass.
“Do you always take aquatic vegetation on your evening walks in the storm?” He still hadn’t moved, so now we were close enough to touch. I resisted the urge to back down.
“A little movement strengthens the stalks. So I try to bring them out, especially on windy nights.”
“Ah.”
While I’m sure I hadn’t impressed him with all this nonsense, he finally turned sideways and gestured for me to pass.
We started the awkward side-shuffle of passing each other in the cramped space.
I endeavored to keep up the chatter. “There really should be hand-rails here. Actually, there used to be, they’d just rotted away.”
Look, small-talk isn’t my forte.
A sudden gust of wind tore through the area, shaking the whole construction, which creaked and swayed. I was in the middle of stepping and as I placed down my foot for balance, I could feel myself slipping. I was going to land in the water.
Strong hands hauled me back in the last second, and for a moment warmth enveloped me. My face rested against spot of cold though, and I felt a spark of electricity. As I pulled back, I noticed the golden glint of a familiar insignia on his leather chest plate.
“Wait a minute,” he said once we’d crossed each other.
I froze, clutching the handle of the bucket so hard, I could feel the metal digging into my flesh.
To my surprise, he gently reached over my shoulders and pulled my hood back up, arranging it just right.
“Farewell, witchling! Don’t stay out too long walking your pet vegetation. There are dark creatures out tonight.”
“There’s plenty of time till midnight.” Even little children knew that no spirits would come out till the clock strikes twelve, and it was officially the first of November, All Hallows Day.
“Not only spirits walk the roads at night. Haven’t you heard the howls?” He then turned and disappeared into the dark before I could reply.
I just stood there staring after him, waiting for my heart-beat to calm down.
For I had recognized that golden sign. It was a sárkánykígyó, a dragon-snake with its wings spread.
Now what was a Garabonc, one of the wanderers, a dragon-rider of legends, doing here in Örs?
This is the end of the sneak peek from Episode 5 of The Stone Sea.
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Still not sure whether The Stone Sea is your kind of bookish adventure?
Read another excerpt here: FOLLOW THE WHISPER OF REEDS!
Find out more about Zalka, the heroine of The Stone Sea, here: UNLEASH THE MAGIC - MEET ZALKA, A HUNGARIAN WITCH!
Or go on a quest to meet my five favorite types of Hungarian dragons: MEET THE DRAGONS OF HUNGARY!