Read Online Champions Battle for the Fate of the Future!: The Wild Finale of (Swords Versus Tanks Book 5) by M Harold Page - Free Book Online
Authors: M Harold Page
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hid the bruises and mud, so that the steel rings only made her seem the more soft and delicate by comparison — which was about all it was good for. Shorn of runic magic, the mail would be even less use than it had during the battle. "Actually, you should go back, Milady."
"What?"
The Archbishop's footfalls dwindled down the stairwell. Ranulph hurried after him. "Hitherto, I have led you out of danger, not into it," he said.
"You would not say that to Jasmine."
"You are not a soldier."
"And you are not a sorcerer," she said. "And this raid was my idea. It is I who lead, if only from behind." She laughed then cut herself off with a yelp. "Ribs hurt."
The Archbishop halted before a wooden panel. "You shall have to unbind me so I can work the catch. Or perhaps you can squeeze past?"
"Permit me a moment with which to deduce his scheme," said Lady Maud.
"Uncovering cunning schemes is one of my many knightly accomplishments." Ranulph booted the cleric between the shoulder blades.
With a scream, Grossi crashed through the panel and landed in a heap of books and splinters. A metal blade chopped down and grated to a halt inches above the prone man's ankles. The Archbishop whimpered. Ranulph stepped over him and caught the distinct sheep-pen smell of badly kept parchment.
The oil lantern pierced the darkness and threw a bull's-eye of light on a wall of books. Ranulph cast the beam this way and that. The bookshelves towered to the vaulted ceiling. "Your grimoires, Milady."
The sorceress slid past and her warmth seemed to pass right through his damp arming jacket. She followed the light to where it played over the shelves. The fingers of her good hand scuttled over the spines, dislodging clouds of dust. She tilted her head sideways, brushed the hair from her eyes and read out. " Fertility Rituals of the Treebrand Islanders Volume Five of Twelve … " She strode off down the aisle.
Ranulph stooped and caught the Archbishop's wrists with one hand. He hauled the fat cleric to his feet and gave chase. "Make haste, Milady," he hissed.
"I am… I am. But this is all rubbish. Chicken Divination Techniques of Newark Cattle Herders ! Very useful indeed — I do not think." She turned the corner at the end of the aisle. "Oh! Not exactly what one expects in a library."
Ranulph caught up with her.
Two red-gold dragon heads grinned down at them, wicked white teeth bared as if to nip at their faces. The effect would have been all the more impressive had not a skin of dusty cobwebs softened their scales.
Ranulph patted their entwined necks and swept his lantern down the smooth lines of the marooned longship. It was as short-keeled like a river boat and runes frosted every inch of planking. "So, that's what happened to the Dragon Twins ."
"Look!" Maud brushed cobwebs from the face of a shelf. " Earth spells of the Tolmecs … Ebon’s Book of Perilous Summonings and Divers Cantrips of Doubtful Safety ."
"More books than we can carry," said Ranulph.
Maud hauled the first volume from the shelf and rested it on her injured arm. She thumbed through the pages. "Hmm, I have neither the time nor inclination to build a pyramid, even one that flies." She tossed it on the floor. The spine split and Ranulph recognised the Tolmec Dancing Earth-Fish god on the cover.
Maud stuffed the second book into her looted shoulder bag. The third joined the first on what became a rapidly growing pile of rejects. "Don’t worry, I shall make all due haste."
Gunfire echoed down the stairwell.
"Her lust for the unnatural will doom you," said the Archbishop. "Truly — "
"We do not have long," said Ranulph loudly to cut him off.
"Don't you think this is important?" shot back Maud.
Ranulph took a deep breath. "Two books will suffice. Or three."
"Really?" She started towards the other shelf. "Then I must consider carefully. Perhaps I should re-examine those books of folk wisdom? Chicken divination might be useful to the cause of Chivalry."
The Archbishop
"What?"
The Archbishop's footfalls dwindled down the stairwell. Ranulph hurried after him. "Hitherto, I have led you out of danger, not into it," he said.
"You would not say that to Jasmine."
"You are not a soldier."
"And you are not a sorcerer," she said. "And this raid was my idea. It is I who lead, if only from behind." She laughed then cut herself off with a yelp. "Ribs hurt."
The Archbishop halted before a wooden panel. "You shall have to unbind me so I can work the catch. Or perhaps you can squeeze past?"
"Permit me a moment with which to deduce his scheme," said Lady Maud.
"Uncovering cunning schemes is one of my many knightly accomplishments." Ranulph booted the cleric between the shoulder blades.
With a scream, Grossi crashed through the panel and landed in a heap of books and splinters. A metal blade chopped down and grated to a halt inches above the prone man's ankles. The Archbishop whimpered. Ranulph stepped over him and caught the distinct sheep-pen smell of badly kept parchment.
The oil lantern pierced the darkness and threw a bull's-eye of light on a wall of books. Ranulph cast the beam this way and that. The bookshelves towered to the vaulted ceiling. "Your grimoires, Milady."
The sorceress slid past and her warmth seemed to pass right through his damp arming jacket. She followed the light to where it played over the shelves. The fingers of her good hand scuttled over the spines, dislodging clouds of dust. She tilted her head sideways, brushed the hair from her eyes and read out. " Fertility Rituals of the Treebrand Islanders Volume Five of Twelve … " She strode off down the aisle.
Ranulph stooped and caught the Archbishop's wrists with one hand. He hauled the fat cleric to his feet and gave chase. "Make haste, Milady," he hissed.
"I am… I am. But this is all rubbish. Chicken Divination Techniques of Newark Cattle Herders ! Very useful indeed — I do not think." She turned the corner at the end of the aisle. "Oh! Not exactly what one expects in a library."
Ranulph caught up with her.
Two red-gold dragon heads grinned down at them, wicked white teeth bared as if to nip at their faces. The effect would have been all the more impressive had not a skin of dusty cobwebs softened their scales.
Ranulph patted their entwined necks and swept his lantern down the smooth lines of the marooned longship. It was as short-keeled like a river boat and runes frosted every inch of planking. "So, that's what happened to the Dragon Twins ."
"Look!" Maud brushed cobwebs from the face of a shelf. " Earth spells of the Tolmecs … Ebon’s Book of Perilous Summonings and Divers Cantrips of Doubtful Safety ."
"More books than we can carry," said Ranulph.
Maud hauled the first volume from the shelf and rested it on her injured arm. She thumbed through the pages. "Hmm, I have neither the time nor inclination to build a pyramid, even one that flies." She tossed it on the floor. The spine split and Ranulph recognised the Tolmec Dancing Earth-Fish god on the cover.
Maud stuffed the second book into her looted shoulder bag. The third joined the first on what became a rapidly growing pile of rejects. "Don’t worry, I shall make all due haste."
Gunfire echoed down the stairwell.
"Her lust for the unnatural will doom you," said the Archbishop. "Truly — "
"We do not have long," said Ranulph loudly to cut him off.
"Don't you think this is important?" shot back Maud.
Ranulph took a deep breath. "Two books will suffice. Or three."
"Really?" She started towards the other shelf. "Then I must consider carefully. Perhaps I should re-examine those books of folk wisdom? Chicken divination might be useful to the cause of Chivalry."
The Archbishop
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