"Michael A. Stackpole - Dragon Crown Saga 4 - The Grand Crusade" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stackpole Michael A)

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Book Information:
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Author: Michael A. Stackpole
Name: The Grand Crusade
Series: Dragon Crown Saga 4 (the conclusion)
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The Grand Crusade
тАЬThe Stunning Conclusion of the Dragon Crown SagaтАЭ
By Michael A. Stackpole
PROLOGUE
The crisp winter cold penetrated the walls of the villa that King Scrainwood of Oriosa had taken in Narriz.
A chill radiated through the varied stones used in the buildingтАЩs construction. But he felt no draft and,
indeed, no winter winds howled outside. Darkness had come with preternatural silence, and Scrainwood
could feel portent and power gathering.

Something had happened out there, something at once terrible and yet wonderful. The possibilities raced
through his mind, each to be sorted, weighed, then used as a lever to move other bits and pieces of what
was the world. All would be to his advantage. Eventually. Although, he ruefully admitted to himself, he and
his nation were in a difficult position.

The leaders of the worldтАЩs key nations had been summoned to Narriz, the capital of Saporicia, to deal with
the threat of conquest by ChytrineтАЩs Aurolani hordes. While the Northern EmpressтАЩ troops had been
thoroughly routed in far Okrannel, their assault south through Sebcia and Muroso had been relentless and
powerful. Sebcia had fallen quickly, Muroso was in the process of falling. Sarengul, the urZrethi stronghold
north of Oriosa, had likewise been invaded.

His nation looked to be the next in line for conquest, and King Augustus of Alcida had threatened to invade
Oriosa from the south, so any battle against Chytrine would be fought well away from his own lands. HeтАЩd
done that to force ScrainwoodтАЩs hand, and OriosaтАЩs king hated it.

But he had acquiesced for two reasons. The first was that he had long danced on the edge of a knife.
Oriosa had been covertly neutral, providing a haven to Aurolani troops to stage raids in the south.
Scrainwood could justify his actions a dozen different ways and never let himself think about the underlying
one: he was terrified that Chytrine would have him murdered as she did his mother.

As bad as some might find me on the throne, my death would be worse.
Scrainwood reached up and adjusted the green leather half mask he wore. At one time heтАЩd had high hopes for his