Belly of the Beast by Warren Thomas (story books for 5 year olds txt) 📕

            Dakar’s eyes flashed fiery red.

            “I see much evil in you, mortal,” He said. “I accept your offer of service. Attend me.”

Chapter 5

                        A cool southerly breeze washed over the teeming mass of people as they approached Kestsax’s south gate, called the Three Temples Gate, with the promise of an early winter. The first leaves were turning red and gold in the surrounding hardwoods. And the air was heavy with the scent of woodsmoke and sausage.

            Tane felt his heart quicken at the sight of the great whitewashed walls and gatehouse. It was only his fifth trip to Kestsax. Previous trips with his family had been thrilling, with new sights and peoples to discover and experience each time. It had been in Kestsax that he first saw dwarves and elves. The only dragon he’d ever seen, a yearling, was the pride of the city zoo three years back. And now he was coming to Kestsax to live, maybe for several years, giving him lots of time to explore the city and its various districts in depth.

            Traffic entering the city moved exceedingly slow. He could see the problem. A large contingent of guards stopped everyone at length.

            What are they so worried about? he wondered, looking to the western horizon. They better not close the gates for the night before I get inside.

            The sun already touched the western horizon, so traffic should by all rights be mostly people leaving the city. Tane had yet to see anyone coming out of Three Temples Gate. Most of the people on the road with him appeared to be either soldiers or refugees. Not a good omen. So Tane turned his attention to various other groups before and behind him.

            Did I make a mistake? he thought. Tane looked south, at the moment looking dark, cloudy, and foreboding. He glanced up to the heavens. Should I go home?

            The Gods didn’t answer.

            He could see three distinct mercenary companies on the road. The one nearest the gate was a light cavalry troop of mercenaries in dark red and blue leathers. All wore sabers, open-faced helmets, and light chain vests. Powerful Steppe bows waited in cases under the mercenaries’ knees, with at least two quivers of red-shafted, blue-fetched arrows hanging off each saddle. Round shields were hung off their saddles, readily at hand.

            Skirmishers and scouts, he thought, recalling the stories of wars and battles his uncle and aunt told.

            Behind them was a caravan of Leltic merchants with twenty covered wagons, followed by a company of Tyrian foot soldiers. The Tyrians were something of a disappointment, for they were quiet and subdued for that lot. Most looked to be armed and armored better than average for mercenaries, with quilted mail gambesons and great swords or battle-axes being the most common. Otherwise, the men were typical of Tyrians, with the shortest looking to be a good hand taller than Tane. All wore long unkempt beards.

            Behind Tane by a hundred paces was a small company of Leltic tribesmen. Compared to the other men and women on the road, mostly wearing somber browns, greens, and blues, they were quite distinctive in their red and yellow striped trousers and tattooed upper bodies and faces. All wore their long hair pulled up in a topknot, while the men all had bushy mustaches. None that he could see had body armor, with only a handful carrying shields. Most carried long-handled battle-axes, and all had small throwing axes hanging off their wide, red-dyed belts.

            But the mercenaries held little appeal for Tane. Not ten paces ahead of him rode a pair of Vikon, male and female. And they were putting on quite a show by arguing, rather loudly, over whose stupid idea it was to enter Kestsax instead of bypassing it.

            The Vikon were the most renowned practitioners of Witchcraft, providing most of the common folks with birth control spells, simple healing, and fortune-telling. Anything magical not requiring powerful Sorcery, the Vikon excelled at. Well, the women anyway. Male Vikon were only trained to be warriors.

            “Don’t look at me like that,” the redheaded witch snapped, ice-blue eyes narrowing at the male. “I wanted to find a ferry over the river. You’re the one that wanted to come to Kestsax.”

            “There are no other ferry sites!” he cried. “Get it through your thick skull, woman.”

            Tane grinned. They had to be a married couple. No one else argued like that.

            The line surged forward. Tane looked just in time to see the troop of light cavalry vanishing into the gate. City Guardsmen stopped the merchant caravan from entering. Strangely, they were forced to wait an unusually long time before the caravan, and then the company of Tyrians was allowed to enter. It quickly became apparent that the guards only allowed small groups in at a time, up to company size. It was a good hour before Tane stood within the lengthening shadows of the towering gatehouse.

            “What’s the hold up, sergeant?” Tane asked the burly woman in charge of the guards, hoping to gain some insight before he was allowed inside. “Is there any danger we should know of?”

            She gave him an unreadable look for several heartbeats, her hard brown eyes boring deeper and deeper. Her blue warrior tattoos, deep within the shadows of her iron helmet, made her the fiercest looking person he had ever encountered. Tane felt himself blush under her scrutiny. He was sorry he asked, and wished she’d just forget him and go bother someone else.

            “We’re at war, boy,” the sergeant said. “Breathing in these parts is dangerous now.”

            “Next group, Sergeant Kaleigh!” a voice called from inside.

            “Aye, sir!” Sergeant Kaleigh shouted back as she turned amused eyes on Tane. “Well, boy, guess you get to find out what all the fuss is about.” She grabbed his shoulder, and shoved him toward the gate. Other guards closed on him, all forcing him to hurry through the