Read Online Empire of Bones by Christian Warren Freed - Free Book Online Page B

the Goblin asked.
    Darkness and shadow coalesced into the hovering, gaunt figure of Amar Kit’han directly behind the throne. Grugnak snarled while Badron didn’t bother looking. The wraith-like Dae’shan was an ever present whisper in his mind’s eye. Ice-colored eyes penetrated the gloom forever dominating his cowl. He radiated power, electricity dancing off his ethereal form. Amar Kit’han personified evil. Relentless, driven evil.
    “You should be more careful when using my name, Goblin,” he scolded with a raspy voice. “I am not so forgiving as others.”
    Badron winced, knowing there was nothing forgiving about the former Man. “He merely wished council on these new developments. What does the mighty Dae’shan have to say?”
    “Rolnir betraying you was inevitable. He is a Man of great character. To do any less would be a permanent stain upon his soul. That he could coerce the bulk of his army to turn with him says a great deal. You chose wisely in making him general of your army.”
    “Wisely? He’s gone over to the enemy and left me with bones!” Badron all but screamed.
    Amar casually floated around the throne. “Bones? He’s taken a great weight from you and left you open to new beginnings. The Wolfsreik was never the end, merely a means to your further evolution. They were bound to turn on you when they realized Rolnir didn’t share your belief system. Proud Men often fail to see the grander schemes of life.”
    “You forget to mention how they nearly wiped out the entire Goblin army in Rogscroft in the process,” Badron countered.
    “That was a…regrettable act,” Amar said and paused in midsentence. Truthfully even he hadn’t foreseen the ferocity of the combined army’s attack on the Goblin army. Goblins were fighters, but not warriors. They lacked the training and discipline necessary to achieve the greatness of armies like the Wolfsreik. Losing them was unfortunate, but each death served to further his purpose. Time was running out and there was still much to do in order to prepare the gateway at Arlevon Gale for the return of the dark gods.
    “Regrettable!” Grugnak roared. “My people destroyed for what? A madman’s glory?”
    “Now Grugnak, King Badron, or should I say, Emperor Badron, is hardly a madman. His quest to unite the kingdoms of Delranan and Rogscroft under a single banner was bound to endure massive casualties. An entire way of life needs to be subsumed in order for the greater enterprise to exist. Rogscroft has died so that Badron can make his dreams come to pass,” Amar explained, knowing most of his rationale went beyond the Goblin’s grasp. He marveled at the primitive culture. How had they endured for so long while the rest of the world passed them by? The probability of such was limited, making them a conundrum to his attuned senses.
    The Dae’shan continued, “You are forgetting the one unifying truth of us all. We are here to bring enlightenment to another people. Goblins and Men working together hasn’t been seen on Malweir in our entire history. These are times of great honor. With that honor comes responsibility. Are either of you willing to sacrifice it all?”
    Badron held out his palms. “Look around you, Amar, I already have. My army is gone. I sit on a throne of lies and my own kingdom has been usurped by the one Man I thought was my closest ally. You bring another army that proved useful for a while, but they too were stolen from my grasp. I am a powerless king. A haunted figurehead of something I still don’t understand.”
    “Such is truth about many great leaders,” Amar said politely.
    Grugnak fumed with unbridled aggression. “I have nothing. My army is destroyed. The time has come for me to leave.”
    “Are you forgetting the new Goblin force even now marching from the Deadlands?” Amar taunted. “When was the last time you heard of such strength in Goblin numbers? Never. You have given them something they never dreamed of. They