Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Authors: Amber Chen
- Language: English
- Genre: Fantasy
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 3.1 MB
- Price: Free
Perched at the edge of a cliff, a tiny figure watched as a dark cloud floated
toward her, accompanied by the thunderous whir of rotating engine blades.
A furrow appeared on Aihui Ying’s smooth forehead.
The High Commander’s airships were far noisier than they should be. It
was a low-level problem that could have been easily fixed with mufflers
fashioned out of bison leather. Her father’s hypothesis was that the guild
masters had let this flaw slip through on purpose, because noise was
apparently an effective show of intimidation.
“Why stop there? Might as well make lightning bolts shoot out of the
keel,” she muttered.
The airships passed overhead. Two smaller ones in front and two
behind, guarding the behemoth in the middle. Each of them was a black
monstrosity emblazoned with the silver emblem of the cobra, bamboobattened sails extending out from both sides of the hull and flapping
majestically against the cold winds.
In her childhood, Ying had once disturbed a sleeping lizard lounging on
a rock to find out if it was dead. It awoke in a fury, brightly colored frills
flaring from its neck in a spectacular display. That was where the Engineers
Guild must have gotten their inspiration from, she reckoned, when they
added those sails to the airships. Again, for intimidation more than
functionality.
“By decree of the High Commander,” a monotonous voice issued from
above, “the Cobra’s Order is transporting a traitorous prisoner from the
capital city to the mines of Juwan, where he is to serve his sentence till
death. All civilian airships, keep away—I repeat—keep away.”
Ying snorted, covering her ears with her gloved hands to shield them
from the racket. Trust the High Commander to make an exhibition of his
own son’s exile.
Nevertheless, she had little sympathy for the former beile and High
Commander–designate. He had dug his grave by trying to incite conflict
between his brothers and then having the gall to declare that he would
execute everyone he deemed a threat once he assumed command. The story
of his downfall had spread far and wide across the nine isles, no doubt with
silent approbation by the authorities, as a warning to all who might threaten
the stability of the Aogiya High Command.
Once the airships had gone by, Ying focused her attention back on the
task at hand. She was losing daylight, and while the night views of the
Huarin isle were magical, landing was far more challenging in the dark. She
tucked loose strands of hair behind her ears, adjusting the cloth band at the
back of her head to make sure her bun was secured. Inhaling the frigid
summer air, she stretched her hands out to the sides.
“In Abka Han we trust.”
She leaned forward, tipping her center of gravity over the edge of the
cliff. Her body hurtled downward, the distance between her and the perilous
rocks rapidly shrinking.
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