Read Online Chaos Unleashed by Drew Karpyshyn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Drew Karpyshyn
Ads: Link
that had led the Danaan people into the disastrous war against the Eastern clans.
Yet he knew Rianna well enough to understand that she also felt guilt and regret over what had happened. She had forced Vaaler’s hand by exiling him; she shared much of the blame for what had happened.
Do you want to hear that he’s dead so you can finally put this all behind you? Or are you hoping your son is somehow still alive?
Whatever her motivations, Andar didn’t have an answer.
“Once we realized the Barbarians weren’t pursuing us, Hexiff pulled all his scouts back into the main ranks,” the High Sorcerer told her. “We know the ogre eventually fell, but we know little else about what happened after we fled the battlefield.”
Several seconds of awkward silence passed as Andar waited to see if she would ask anything else about her son.
“I’m tired,” Rianna finally muttered. “I need to rest.”
“Of course, my Queen,” Andar replied, bowing his head slightly, then leaving the room and closing the door softly behind him.
—
Jerrod sensed the small farm in the distance before he saw it with his newly restored eyes, but just barely. His second sight was getting stronger, but it was still a shadow of what it had once been.
The distant farmhouse was a welcome sight; it gave him something to focus on besides the concerns Scythe had raised about Keegan. And it might give them a chance to restock their supplies. Water could be found easily enough; here on the borderlands there was still a thin layer of snow on the ground they could easily melt whenever they were thirsty. But food was scarce, and they had run out of their last rations yesterday.
Hopefully we can find something at the farm.
If the owners were generous, they might give them enough to continue on. If not, Jerrod had no reservations about taking what they needed. Hopefully this could be done without violence, but if it was necessary, blood would be spilled.
Our mission is too important. If some of the innocent must suffer for the greater good, it cannot be helped.
Ezra hadn’t taught him that; it sounded more like something Rexol would have said. But that didn’t make it any less true.
And maybe Ezra had always known it would come to this. He’d always warned Jerrod about the dangers of allying with a Chaos mage, but in the end he’d decided they had no other choice.
He knew that Scythe would support him if they had to take what they needed by force. With Keegan, however, he wasn’t so sure. Hopefully the young wizard would understand.
We’ve come too far to falter now. All we need is a few supplies, and we’ll be on our way.
As they drew closer to the farm, however, Jerrod realized that wasn’t likely to happen.
—
Keegan’s first reaction when he saw the distant farmhouse was one of relief: his empty stomach churned so hard in anticipation of a hot meal that it actually hurt. That emotion was quickly replaced by concern.
What if the farmer won’t give us food? Will Jerrod just take it? What if he has a family? What if they try to stop us? Will Jerrod hurt them? Will Scythe?
Deciding it was better to try to head off any trouble with a discussion before things escalated, Keegan broke the traveling trio’s silence.
“There’s a farm up ahead. Maybe we can bargain with the owner for something to eat.”
The sentiment was so blatantly obvious it sounded foolish even to his own ears, but the words were better than the eerie silence.
“We won’t have to worry about that,” Jerrod replied. “There is nobody living at the farm anymore.”
“You can sense that even from here?” Scythe asked, showing her first spark of interest in anything since the battle with Raven.
“Most of my Sight has returned,” the monk assured her.
“Good,” she said matter-of-factly. “Sooner or later we’re going to have to fight to keep moving forward. Nice to know you won’t be a liability.”
She didn’t say anything further, and Jerrod
Yet he knew Rianna well enough to understand that she also felt guilt and regret over what had happened. She had forced Vaaler’s hand by exiling him; she shared much of the blame for what had happened.
Do you want to hear that he’s dead so you can finally put this all behind you? Or are you hoping your son is somehow still alive?
Whatever her motivations, Andar didn’t have an answer.
“Once we realized the Barbarians weren’t pursuing us, Hexiff pulled all his scouts back into the main ranks,” the High Sorcerer told her. “We know the ogre eventually fell, but we know little else about what happened after we fled the battlefield.”
Several seconds of awkward silence passed as Andar waited to see if she would ask anything else about her son.
“I’m tired,” Rianna finally muttered. “I need to rest.”
“Of course, my Queen,” Andar replied, bowing his head slightly, then leaving the room and closing the door softly behind him.
—
Jerrod sensed the small farm in the distance before he saw it with his newly restored eyes, but just barely. His second sight was getting stronger, but it was still a shadow of what it had once been.
The distant farmhouse was a welcome sight; it gave him something to focus on besides the concerns Scythe had raised about Keegan. And it might give them a chance to restock their supplies. Water could be found easily enough; here on the borderlands there was still a thin layer of snow on the ground they could easily melt whenever they were thirsty. But food was scarce, and they had run out of their last rations yesterday.
Hopefully we can find something at the farm.
If the owners were generous, they might give them enough to continue on. If not, Jerrod had no reservations about taking what they needed. Hopefully this could be done without violence, but if it was necessary, blood would be spilled.
Our mission is too important. If some of the innocent must suffer for the greater good, it cannot be helped.
Ezra hadn’t taught him that; it sounded more like something Rexol would have said. But that didn’t make it any less true.
And maybe Ezra had always known it would come to this. He’d always warned Jerrod about the dangers of allying with a Chaos mage, but in the end he’d decided they had no other choice.
He knew that Scythe would support him if they had to take what they needed by force. With Keegan, however, he wasn’t so sure. Hopefully the young wizard would understand.
We’ve come too far to falter now. All we need is a few supplies, and we’ll be on our way.
As they drew closer to the farm, however, Jerrod realized that wasn’t likely to happen.
—
Keegan’s first reaction when he saw the distant farmhouse was one of relief: his empty stomach churned so hard in anticipation of a hot meal that it actually hurt. That emotion was quickly replaced by concern.
What if the farmer won’t give us food? Will Jerrod just take it? What if he has a family? What if they try to stop us? Will Jerrod hurt them? Will Scythe?
Deciding it was better to try to head off any trouble with a discussion before things escalated, Keegan broke the traveling trio’s silence.
“There’s a farm up ahead. Maybe we can bargain with the owner for something to eat.”
The sentiment was so blatantly obvious it sounded foolish even to his own ears, but the words were better than the eerie silence.
“We won’t have to worry about that,” Jerrod replied. “There is nobody living at the farm anymore.”
“You can sense that even from here?” Scythe asked, showing her first spark of interest in anything since the battle with Raven.
“Most of my Sight has returned,” the monk assured her.
“Good,” she said matter-of-factly. “Sooner or later we’re going to have to fight to keep moving forward. Nice to know you won’t be a liability.”
She didn’t say anything further, and Jerrod
Similar Books
