The people fell like wheat. The screams of agony and pain were nearly overpowered by pleas for the Dragoneers to come and save them, but only Richard and his riders were there to answer. It was wonderful to behold, and Richard let their terror lift him. He felt like the king of the realm should have felt; in total control. For most of a morning, they circled the city, forcing the people to flee either into, or out of, its confining protection. Most of the outer city was deserted, as the people found the sturdier holds in which to hunker down. Richard relished the fear as much as the Nightshade had, and it filled him with an intense bloodlust that was multiplied tenfold by the tainted dour flowing through him from all of his dragon tears. He was lost in the delicious screams of a woman as he had Bruiser slowly squeeze her life from her, but suddenly Richard’s attention, as well as that of most of the mudged around him, was drawn to a point in the sky a little higher above the city than they were.
