Read Online Erebos by Ursula Poznanski - Free Book Online

by the trees among which he took refuge during the battle.
    Sarius feels a curious satisfaction. He wasn’t especially good, he knows that, but someone else was worse than he was.
    â€˜I caution you, Lelant. Fear does not pay. In the next battle I will expect your resolution, your strength, your whole heart.’
    Last of all, the messenger turns to the vampire woman. ‘Jaquina. You are as good as dead. If I leave you here, you will die in a few moments. If that is what you want, lie down to die. If not, follow me.’ The vampire struggles to her knees. The blood flowing from her wounds is black. She crawls towards the messenger. As soon as she’s near enough, he lifts her onto the horse.
    â€˜You have permission to light a fire,’ he says, pulls his mount around hard and gallops away into the darkness.
    Sapujapu is the quickest. All it takes is three pieces of wood and a red spark that shoots from his fingers, and a campfire is already blazing in the middle of the clearing. Everyone immediately gathers round it.
    â€˜What do you think he wants from Jaquina?’ Nurax asks.
    â€˜The usual,’ Keskorian says. ‘Who cares? When she comes back, she’ll be Level 4.’
    â€˜ If she comes back,’ Sapujapu replies.
    One after another they sit down. Sarius feels out of place, uncomfortable, even though it’s quite possible that he knows some of the people here, maybe all of them . . .
    â€˜We’ve got a newbie. Sarius,’ Samira declares.
    â€˜Yeah, another stupid dark elf,’ jeers BloodWork, who’s been silent till now. ‘They’re like flies.’
    â€˜At least we’re better looking than barbarians,’ Lelant puts in.
    â€˜Shut your mouth, loser.’
    And Lelant does stop talking, so BloodWork turns all his attention back to Sarius.
    â€˜Why a dark elf? Didn’t they tell you that we’ve already got too many of them?’
    â€˜What’s it to you anyway?’
    â€˜I bet you’re even a scout as well,’ the barbarian keeps griping at him. ‘Like your whole clan.’
    â€˜I’m a knight. Do you mind if I call you Bloody?’
    The vampire LaCor finds that marvellously funny. ‘A knight! You’re going to bite the dust faster than you can blink. Especially if you come up with nicknames for BloodWork.’
    What’s wrong with a knight? Sarius would like to ask, but doesn’t want to show himself up any further. Maybe the gnome would have told him, if Sarius had been able to bring himself to ask his advice.
    â€˜Where is the messenger taking Jaquina?’ he inquires instead.
    â€˜You’ll find that out yourself later.’ Sapujapu gives him the brush-off.
    â€˜Why don’t you just tell me?’
    â€˜Not allowed. You’re Level 1.’
    Level 1 – of course. He’s only just started and the others must be dying to see him fall flat on his face. Or bite the dust, as LaCor put it with such relish. He takes a closer look at Sapujapu and Samira, but can’t find any indication of their levels. How does everyone know that he’s a beginner?
    Meanwhile, however, another topic is being discussed. ‘Does anyone know where Drizzel is today?’
    â€˜No idea. Perhaps he’s running with another group.’
    â€˜Or he’s got a solo quest.’
    â€˜I think he has to do stuff outside right now.’
    Interest in Sarius has evaporated. He’s pleased about that, wonders who Drizzel is, and what it means to have stuff to do ‘outside’. Even if he doesn’t understand everything people are talking about, he is gradually relaxing in the embrace of the beguiling music, which flows languorously through him like honey. It makes him heavy and contented, as if the next victorious battle already lay behind him.
    Samira is standing near him the whole time. He keeps getting the impression that she wants to talk to him, but doesn’t know how to