Read Online Blood Bride (Aarabassa World) by Catherine L Vickers - Free Book Online
Authors: Catherine L Vickers
Ads: Link
streaked injured hands and raw knees, he painfully crawled through the constricted burrow. Arriving at an antechamber containing five exits, he could see symbols of creatures above the doorways. Leon glanced at the icon of a dragon, the silhouette of a human, the shape of a lizard, an outline of a giant insect and one more. He chose the last, depicting the flight of an eagle.....
Following the tunnel to the very end, he found himself perching on another ledge high up a mountain. Standing on a windy rocky ledge, he glanced up towards the light blue skies and watched as a strange black cloud approached. Small dark shapes increased in size as they neared him and he could see they resembled huge strange birds. Once upon him he watched each creature, pure white with a wingspan as wide as the sail of a ship, glide towards him. Prominent through the thin white skin of the bird were the dark lines of its skeletal shape. Was it a huge replica of the small bats he often watched flying from the rooftops of the buildings at home? What manner of creatures were these? Atop the leading bird, perched a different creature of a human shape but so very pale, it appeared painted. The beautiful features indicated this was a female. She seemed uncannily familiar yet he had never before seen these creatures. She flew close to him whilst he wavered on the ledge. His heart pounded at the sight of her. No, it could not be. He slumped down onto the cold stony floor and he knew in his heart that it was her; it was Heather....
Leon awoke with a start. Leaping up swiftly, he bumped his face on something over his head. Throwing off the cumbersome saddle that he had ingeniously used to shade himself with, he jumped to his feet to confront the imminent danger. Yet there he stood, alone at the waters edge. He realised it had been nothing but a simple dream. Laughing aloud at his childish nightmare he started to pack up camp. Where had that dog got to? No sooner had he looked up to find Frizz, he heard the waters of the lagoon swirling noisily. Slowly he turned to see the circling of a whirlpool forming on the surface. From its centre a colossal head appeared. Leon’s jaws opened as he yelled at the monster he recognised from his dream. There was only one course of action to be had. Promptly, he ran up the embankment and jumped on Jhapar’s back.
‘Quick boy, get us out of here, now!’
Frizz yelped, ears and tail cowardly lowering. Not even bothering to look behind. He had sensed it was better to just follow his master. Soon horse, dog and human were well away from the haunted lagoon. Leon had left behind his saddle and other meagre belongings that he owned. All they had left now were the few provisions that were contained in the saddlebag still hanging loosely over Jhaper’s back. He must now journey bare back on his horse. This was going to be a bumpy ride.
By the end of the moonwake they had made good time in their haste and arrived at the Morkodian Marshes. Never having been through the marshes alone, he trustingly followed a map the dwarves had provided for him. One wrong turn would see him swallowed up in the green marsh pools, never to be seen again. Following landmarks such as a particular shaped thorny Jujubi tree, a field of giant blue ferns, particular shaped rugged rocks, it was like a game of obstacles: find the item, move on a step, beware the deadly traps. Sometimes the surface was solid enough to walk upon with muddy sodden grasses that squelched underfoot. Other times the waterlogged land sank into slimy green pools that smelled of rotten eggs and bad gasses. At one point, the little group of weary travelers needed to cross over a black stinking pool of some green oily substance. They each balanced on a huge rotten tree trunk that had collapsed and fallen into its convenient position as an unstable bridge. The large trunk, not only soft with rotten wood, was also slippery with a covering of moist green moss. Not at all a kind
Following the tunnel to the very end, he found himself perching on another ledge high up a mountain. Standing on a windy rocky ledge, he glanced up towards the light blue skies and watched as a strange black cloud approached. Small dark shapes increased in size as they neared him and he could see they resembled huge strange birds. Once upon him he watched each creature, pure white with a wingspan as wide as the sail of a ship, glide towards him. Prominent through the thin white skin of the bird were the dark lines of its skeletal shape. Was it a huge replica of the small bats he often watched flying from the rooftops of the buildings at home? What manner of creatures were these? Atop the leading bird, perched a different creature of a human shape but so very pale, it appeared painted. The beautiful features indicated this was a female. She seemed uncannily familiar yet he had never before seen these creatures. She flew close to him whilst he wavered on the ledge. His heart pounded at the sight of her. No, it could not be. He slumped down onto the cold stony floor and he knew in his heart that it was her; it was Heather....
Leon awoke with a start. Leaping up swiftly, he bumped his face on something over his head. Throwing off the cumbersome saddle that he had ingeniously used to shade himself with, he jumped to his feet to confront the imminent danger. Yet there he stood, alone at the waters edge. He realised it had been nothing but a simple dream. Laughing aloud at his childish nightmare he started to pack up camp. Where had that dog got to? No sooner had he looked up to find Frizz, he heard the waters of the lagoon swirling noisily. Slowly he turned to see the circling of a whirlpool forming on the surface. From its centre a colossal head appeared. Leon’s jaws opened as he yelled at the monster he recognised from his dream. There was only one course of action to be had. Promptly, he ran up the embankment and jumped on Jhapar’s back.
‘Quick boy, get us out of here, now!’
Frizz yelped, ears and tail cowardly lowering. Not even bothering to look behind. He had sensed it was better to just follow his master. Soon horse, dog and human were well away from the haunted lagoon. Leon had left behind his saddle and other meagre belongings that he owned. All they had left now were the few provisions that were contained in the saddlebag still hanging loosely over Jhaper’s back. He must now journey bare back on his horse. This was going to be a bumpy ride.
By the end of the moonwake they had made good time in their haste and arrived at the Morkodian Marshes. Never having been through the marshes alone, he trustingly followed a map the dwarves had provided for him. One wrong turn would see him swallowed up in the green marsh pools, never to be seen again. Following landmarks such as a particular shaped thorny Jujubi tree, a field of giant blue ferns, particular shaped rugged rocks, it was like a game of obstacles: find the item, move on a step, beware the deadly traps. Sometimes the surface was solid enough to walk upon with muddy sodden grasses that squelched underfoot. Other times the waterlogged land sank into slimy green pools that smelled of rotten eggs and bad gasses. At one point, the little group of weary travelers needed to cross over a black stinking pool of some green oily substance. They each balanced on a huge rotten tree trunk that had collapsed and fallen into its convenient position as an unstable bridge. The large trunk, not only soft with rotten wood, was also slippery with a covering of moist green moss. Not at all a kind
Similar Books
