Home > Work > Kings of the Wyld (The Band, #1)
21 " Matrick plied his knives like a parade drummer, his rhythm so fast his enemies didn’t know he’d murdered them until their god asked them if they took milk in their tea "
― Nicholas Eames , Kings of the Wyld (The Band, #1)
22 " But life, Clay knew, didn’t work that way. It wasn’t a circle; you didn’t go round and round again. It was an arc, its course as inexorable as the sun’s trek across the sky, destined at its highest, brightest moment to begin its fall. "
23 " Judge them for what they wished to be,” he begged the Father of Gods, “not what the world made of them. "
24 " A battle, as relayed by a poet, is a glorious thing, full of heroic stands, daring charges, and valiant sacrifice. But a battlefield, as experienced by some poor bastard mired in the thick of it, is something different altogether. The word clusterfuck came to mind. "
25 " What was it about fathers, Clay wondered, that compelled so many of them to test their children? To insist that a daughter, or a son, prove themselves worthy of a love their mother offered without condition? "
26 " Judge them for what they wished to be,” he begged the Father of Gods, “not what the world made of them.” The "
27 " he had long since learned that harbouring regrets was akin to stashing embers in your pockets: it was pointless and bound to hurt. "
28 " Saying glory to a warrior was like saying walk to a dog—you got its tail wagging, sure as shit. “Because "
29 " they passed through the wide-open gates into the city whose parents had hired a prostitute as a babysitter and never come home. The "
30 " We were giants once, remember? Kings of the Wyld. "
31 " What a nice bunch of girls,” declared Matrick, watching her go. “They certainly were,” Gabe agreed. “I mean, they made us breakfast and everything,” said Moog, and the other two nodded. Which left Clay to state the obvious. “Y’all are fucking crazy,” he said. "
32 " Clay found himself wondering what the Council of Courts etiquette was regarding vomiting your breakfast onto your boots. He suddenly wished he were elsewhere, anywhere—or better yet, someone else entirely. A simple man doing simple things. A cobbler, maybe. Cobblers rarely, if ever, made enemies of vengeful immortals, or so he figured. "
33 " In stories, when a giant was slain, it toppled thunderously to the ground. In reality, a giant died much the same way anything else did: screaming and shitting itself. "
34 " This is not a choice between life and death, but life and immortality! Remain here and die in obscurity, or follow me now and live forever! "
35 " a little embellishment was so often the difference between a good story and a great one. "
36 " The ship, which appeared to belong to another band, was just passing by for a look. She was bigger than the Old Glory, but not by much. The words Lucky Seven had been painted on her belly, but the seven had been crossed out, as had the six below it. The word five was scrawled underneath, but Clay only spotted four people at the rail and wondered silently if the ship was due for another paint job. "
37 " Be careful of making friends out of enemies, lest they remember why they didn't like you in the first place. "
38 " Pike,” Clay said by way of greeting. “Heard you were dead.” “Close. Married. "
39 " and in the ensuing silence Clay heard the quiet but ominous thud of Ganelon setting his beer down on the table. "
40 " Sounds better than being a king," said Matrick.Kit nodded. "It was - until a plague tore through the village and killed every man, woman, and child in the tribe. I was left alone to do whatever gods do once all who believe in them are dust. "