Read Online Dawn of the Dreamsmith (The Raven's Tale Book 1) by Alan Ratcliffe - Free Book Online
Authors: Alan Ratcliffe
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for him to stand upright. More than once he stumbled over some unseen obstruction. Am I running in the right direction? he wondered. Am I leaving that madness behind, or headed for something even worse? Desperately, he stopped and tried in vain to find his bearings.
In the darkness of the passage behind him, something skittered against the stone. With a moan Cole broke again into a weary lope.
Is this a memory or a dream? Surely the creatures he had seen inside the cavern were the product of nightmare, not reality...
At the sound of alien chittering in the tunnel behind, Cole urged his legs to move faster, terrified shrieks still ringing in his ears.
It had all started off so promisingly. After joining with the mist-wreathed orb, Cole had opened his eyes in darkness. The only light came from a torch burning a short distance away, held aloft by a young man. The orange glow illuminated rock walls all around. A cave, he’d realised.
As the halo of light moved away from him, Cole had followed at a discreet distance, wishing to remain undetected. Every so often, the young man would pause and sweep his torch along the tunnel walls. Once or twice, Cole had caught sight of markings of some kind. The young man seemed deeply intrigued by these, running his hands along them.
Now, as he ran, Cole found himself missing that light. Vaguely, he wondered what had happened to the torch. No doubt it had been snuffed out when the young man dropped it upon the floor of the cavern when he was taken. Cole’s mind recoiled from the memory of that place, and what had happened there. They came from the walls!
Just then, his toe snagged on another rocky protuberance and he fell hard. His chin slammed into the jagged floor, sending shooting stars of pain across his vision.
He was about to rise, when something cold brushed against his leg. His heart hammering against his ribcage, Cole jerked onto his back, scrambling away on his elbows. From the tunnel behind, green eyes floated in the blackness, luminescent and inhuman. Cole held his breath, too afraid to move. With mounting horror, he watched as they were joined by a second pair, then another.
For several long moments that stretched on for an eternity, the eyes stayed still, watching. Slowly, Cole moved a hand behind his back, hoping to creep away. A loose stone, brushed by his groping fingers, clattered against a wall. In the silent darkness, the noise was loud enough to fill the world.
There was an angry hiss. The eyes leapt.
* * *
Cole awoke on his cot. Brother Merryl sat to one side, worry etched deep on his face. Beside the bed, upon a small stool that served as a night stand, a candle burned.
Finding himself in familiar surroundings once more, relief washed over him. He tried to speak, but all that came out was an unintelligible mumble. His tongue was numb and unresponsive.
“Don’t speak, child,” said Merryl, patting his shoulder. “Try to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning, I’m sure.”
Cole fought get the words out. “What... happened?” His voice came out in a feeble croak.
Brother Merryl wrung his hands anxiously. “Nobody is certain. Our theory is that it was an unforeseen consequence of having so many present at once during the experiment, but it’s impossible to say. We understand so little about it, though it shames me to admit it.”
Cole stared at the ceiling. He tried to remember what had happened to him, but everything after joining with the crystal was a confused jumble in his mind. “How... long?”
“Three hours, I was starting to worry if you would wake at all.” Brother Merryl sounded fretful. “The Archon was carried to his chambers by the giant servant of his, and recovered more swiftly. In fact, he seemed in remarkably good spirits as he accompanied Elder Tobias to the Great Hall for his welcome feast. He enquired after your health, so I returned here to keep watch until you woke.”
A nagging feeling
In the darkness of the passage behind him, something skittered against the stone. With a moan Cole broke again into a weary lope.
Is this a memory or a dream? Surely the creatures he had seen inside the cavern were the product of nightmare, not reality...
At the sound of alien chittering in the tunnel behind, Cole urged his legs to move faster, terrified shrieks still ringing in his ears.
It had all started off so promisingly. After joining with the mist-wreathed orb, Cole had opened his eyes in darkness. The only light came from a torch burning a short distance away, held aloft by a young man. The orange glow illuminated rock walls all around. A cave, he’d realised.
As the halo of light moved away from him, Cole had followed at a discreet distance, wishing to remain undetected. Every so often, the young man would pause and sweep his torch along the tunnel walls. Once or twice, Cole had caught sight of markings of some kind. The young man seemed deeply intrigued by these, running his hands along them.
Now, as he ran, Cole found himself missing that light. Vaguely, he wondered what had happened to the torch. No doubt it had been snuffed out when the young man dropped it upon the floor of the cavern when he was taken. Cole’s mind recoiled from the memory of that place, and what had happened there. They came from the walls!
Just then, his toe snagged on another rocky protuberance and he fell hard. His chin slammed into the jagged floor, sending shooting stars of pain across his vision.
He was about to rise, when something cold brushed against his leg. His heart hammering against his ribcage, Cole jerked onto his back, scrambling away on his elbows. From the tunnel behind, green eyes floated in the blackness, luminescent and inhuman. Cole held his breath, too afraid to move. With mounting horror, he watched as they were joined by a second pair, then another.
For several long moments that stretched on for an eternity, the eyes stayed still, watching. Slowly, Cole moved a hand behind his back, hoping to creep away. A loose stone, brushed by his groping fingers, clattered against a wall. In the silent darkness, the noise was loud enough to fill the world.
There was an angry hiss. The eyes leapt.
* * *
Cole awoke on his cot. Brother Merryl sat to one side, worry etched deep on his face. Beside the bed, upon a small stool that served as a night stand, a candle burned.
Finding himself in familiar surroundings once more, relief washed over him. He tried to speak, but all that came out was an unintelligible mumble. His tongue was numb and unresponsive.
“Don’t speak, child,” said Merryl, patting his shoulder. “Try to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning, I’m sure.”
Cole fought get the words out. “What... happened?” His voice came out in a feeble croak.
Brother Merryl wrung his hands anxiously. “Nobody is certain. Our theory is that it was an unforeseen consequence of having so many present at once during the experiment, but it’s impossible to say. We understand so little about it, though it shames me to admit it.”
Cole stared at the ceiling. He tried to remember what had happened to him, but everything after joining with the crystal was a confused jumble in his mind. “How... long?”
“Three hours, I was starting to worry if you would wake at all.” Brother Merryl sounded fretful. “The Archon was carried to his chambers by the giant servant of his, and recovered more swiftly. In fact, he seemed in remarkably good spirits as he accompanied Elder Tobias to the Great Hall for his welcome feast. He enquired after your health, so I returned here to keep watch until you woke.”
A nagging feeling
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