Read Online Etchings of Power (Aegis of the Gods) by Terry C. Simpson, D Kai Wilson-Viola, Gonzalo Ordonez Arias - Free Book Online
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, english, Action & Adventure, Magic, Epic, American, War, Fantastic fiction, Mercenary troops, Magicians, Attempted assassination, Heroes, sorcery, battle, Assassins, elemental magic, Courts and Courtiers, gods, elements, Emperors, sword, Ostania, Denestia, shadeling, Granadia
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state of decomposition. He squelched through the decay, the brown of his boots becoming black.
Careful not to touch the trunks, he slipped through an open space between the trees. The putrid smell of decay and moldy fur as if he stood inside a mismanaged dog kennel grew to choking proportions. As he entered, a lapra howled from Sakari’s direction. Ryne turned to go back when the sight of what lay in the middle of the area caught his eye. His hands coiled into fists.
The eight missing villagers, their bodies black and purple, lay among festering roots and rotten kinai fruit. Fleshy tendrils connected them all together in a mass that vibrated with a beating heart’s rhythm. The men and women’s chests rose and fell slowly.
Beside them were four beasts joined in the same fashion.
The creatures appeared to have been lapras at one time, but their snouts were now more elongated like a wolf’s. Their mouths lolled, revealing rows of sharp teeth. The middle legs were almost fully withdrawn into their torsos. They were each at least seven feet in length. Muscles rippled beneath ebony skin and fur.
Memories of similar creatures before and during the War of Remnants surfaced within Ryne. Wraithwolves? He frowned even as the thought brought a chill crawling along his back. Is someone or something attempting to create the beasts? But that’s supposed to be impossible in this realm. They must be what’s left of the host from the war. If so, how did they cross the Rotted Forest without triggering my wards?
Ryne sucked in a breath at the auras around the shadelings. They were the same as the one he saw around the Alzari. He remembered where he saw them before.
Amuni’s Children.
The realization led to several conclusions. These particular Alzari must have given themselves to the shade. They had to be protecting these shadelings for Amuni’s Children not fleeing as he first thought. Which meant the Children had indeed breached his wards, crossed the Rot from the lands beyond, and were somewhere within Ostania.
Ryne drew his sword.
“Use our power,” hissed the deep voice. “It’s the only way to be sure.”
The other, opposing sentience remained silent.
Ryne’s Scripts thrummed to life, and Mater surged through him. His bloodlust triggered, and he didn’t subdue the feeling.
CHAPTER 6
Irmina hunkered down among the branches and leaves, staring slack-jawed. Below her, the fight between the giant’s bodyguard and the lapras raged. These particular ones were normal in size, only about three feet across. They’d attacked as soon as the giant disappeared among the strange black trees.
Silvereyes danced among the lapras, always keeping himself between the closest one and Kahkon. The man’s movements were a blur of inhuman speed.
At first, the creatures had tried to dart in and snatch at the boys legs, but once they realized those efforts were futile, they resorted to attacking the Ostanian. Jaws dripping, lapras snapped and snarled as they pounced, their dark fur made darker by the waning light. Each one that sprang in fell to the ground. Wounded animals struggled to their feet to limp back among the trees. Yet, the creatures continued to pour from the forest’s dark recesses.
The bodyguard moved like a snake, his arm flickering as if he and his sword were one. Not once did he harm any beast more than to maim it with a precise slice to render it harmless. Numerous wounds scoured his armor from slashing claws and snapping teeth, tallying up with the other older scratches and nicks to leave his leathers a bloody mess. But not one lapra passed him. If she was not seeing it with her own eyes, Irmina wouldn’t have believed one person could hold off this many beasts.
With the back of her hand, Irmina flicked the salty sting of sweat from her eyes. Frowning, she stared from the wetness on her hand to Silvereyes. Where she was covered in perspiration from the day’s heat, no such sheen reflected from his face. The
Careful not to touch the trunks, he slipped through an open space between the trees. The putrid smell of decay and moldy fur as if he stood inside a mismanaged dog kennel grew to choking proportions. As he entered, a lapra howled from Sakari’s direction. Ryne turned to go back when the sight of what lay in the middle of the area caught his eye. His hands coiled into fists.
The eight missing villagers, their bodies black and purple, lay among festering roots and rotten kinai fruit. Fleshy tendrils connected them all together in a mass that vibrated with a beating heart’s rhythm. The men and women’s chests rose and fell slowly.
Beside them were four beasts joined in the same fashion.
The creatures appeared to have been lapras at one time, but their snouts were now more elongated like a wolf’s. Their mouths lolled, revealing rows of sharp teeth. The middle legs were almost fully withdrawn into their torsos. They were each at least seven feet in length. Muscles rippled beneath ebony skin and fur.
Memories of similar creatures before and during the War of Remnants surfaced within Ryne. Wraithwolves? He frowned even as the thought brought a chill crawling along his back. Is someone or something attempting to create the beasts? But that’s supposed to be impossible in this realm. They must be what’s left of the host from the war. If so, how did they cross the Rotted Forest without triggering my wards?
Ryne sucked in a breath at the auras around the shadelings. They were the same as the one he saw around the Alzari. He remembered where he saw them before.
Amuni’s Children.
The realization led to several conclusions. These particular Alzari must have given themselves to the shade. They had to be protecting these shadelings for Amuni’s Children not fleeing as he first thought. Which meant the Children had indeed breached his wards, crossed the Rot from the lands beyond, and were somewhere within Ostania.
Ryne drew his sword.
“Use our power,” hissed the deep voice. “It’s the only way to be sure.”
The other, opposing sentience remained silent.
Ryne’s Scripts thrummed to life, and Mater surged through him. His bloodlust triggered, and he didn’t subdue the feeling.
CHAPTER 6
Irmina hunkered down among the branches and leaves, staring slack-jawed. Below her, the fight between the giant’s bodyguard and the lapras raged. These particular ones were normal in size, only about three feet across. They’d attacked as soon as the giant disappeared among the strange black trees.
Silvereyes danced among the lapras, always keeping himself between the closest one and Kahkon. The man’s movements were a blur of inhuman speed.
At first, the creatures had tried to dart in and snatch at the boys legs, but once they realized those efforts were futile, they resorted to attacking the Ostanian. Jaws dripping, lapras snapped and snarled as they pounced, their dark fur made darker by the waning light. Each one that sprang in fell to the ground. Wounded animals struggled to their feet to limp back among the trees. Yet, the creatures continued to pour from the forest’s dark recesses.
The bodyguard moved like a snake, his arm flickering as if he and his sword were one. Not once did he harm any beast more than to maim it with a precise slice to render it harmless. Numerous wounds scoured his armor from slashing claws and snapping teeth, tallying up with the other older scratches and nicks to leave his leathers a bloody mess. But not one lapra passed him. If she was not seeing it with her own eyes, Irmina wouldn’t have believed one person could hold off this many beasts.
With the back of her hand, Irmina flicked the salty sting of sweat from her eyes. Frowning, she stared from the wetness on her hand to Silvereyes. Where she was covered in perspiration from the day’s heat, no such sheen reflected from his face. The
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