Read Online Ethan Wright and the Curse of Silence by Kimbro West - Free Book Online

He realized that it had no burn or scorch marks, yet he recognized it as the original and not the copy that Odin had hastily made. As he moved his eyes down the map, he spotted a familiar name.
    “Tirguard,” he said to himself quietly. “MacArthur was telling the truth … but this doesn’t make any sense.”
    He continued his perusal. There was a large ‘M’ on the map, with a depiction of an Oroborus forming a circle around the ‘M’, and arrows pointing up and down. The top arrow had a large ‘N’, and the bottom had a much smaller ‘n’. Ethan thought this must be a mistake, as the bottom should read ‘south.’ Tirguard was near the center of the map. To the north was a city named Losalfar, and to the northeast was a city called Gilfangir.
    There were several other cities on the map, but Ethan was too tired to investigate further. The flicker of the lantern sent shadows of Ethan’s messy hair onto the map. He brushed back his hair and got comfy. He missed the grey and white cat at his feet, and there was still no brother in the bed across from his own. While in Tirguard, Ethan had felt closer to his brother than he had in a long time, though Isaac was still nowhere to be seen. Ethan yawned. His eyes grew heavy and he drifted to sleep with the map clenched in his hands.
    ***
    A massive pressure surge ripped through Isaac, sending him to the ground in agony. A drop of sweat formed at his brow from an exhausting battle. Blood dripped from his nose and trickled from his ears. He knelt despairingly in the mud. With his head drooping, he saw his reflection in a small mud puddle, revealing a tired, pale-faced boy. A sword lay half-covered in mud a couple feet from him. He leaned forward to reach for it. Before he could grasp the hilt, he noticed his reflection had dissipated and was replaced by a small object shining in the puddle. Isaac reached down to pick it up. As he did, smoke plumed and swelled around him, forming a face whose jaws stretched open, enveloping him.
    Ethan bolted upright, covered in sweat. He was becoming more familiar with the dreams now and knew he would not get back to sleep. But this time, he did not have to. The sun was peeking through his window, letting him know it was morning. This dream made it further than the others. Ethan wondered if it meant anything. Maybe it meant he was supposed to do something, or maybe it meant absolutely nothing. He could never grasp why this dream in particular jogged through his mind so much. He had often wondered if it were real. One thing he did know is that the dream, whether it was good or bad, gave him a glimpse of his brother, which brought him comfort. That would have to be good enough for now.
    Ethan jumped out of bed with a much more focused outlook on the day. He got dressed, stuffed the map in his pocket and went to the study expecting to see Odin, who was not there.
    “Odin!” yelled Ethan, but no answer came. He went into the kitchen and started making tea. He preferred licorice tea which reminded him of his brother. When they had gone exploring, they would often chew on licorice root, as he and Auren did now. He finished making the tea and went to the study. He noticed a note on the desk before he sat down.
    “ Ethan, went to run errands — will return tomorrow — Odin .”
    Since Ethan had not checked the desk last night, he was now wondering if Odin left yesterday or earlier this morning. Ethan decided he would just wait for Odin. Since he was expecting Wegnel to show up with his cat, maybe he could get some answers from both of them regarding Tirguard. Ethan started to get restless as the day wore on. He sat on the front porch to enjoy some of the day. He pulled the map out and started to study it again. Soon, he noticed Wegnel walking down the path toward his house. He shoved the map in his pocket and stood up to greet the alchemist. He saw a chubby feline trailing behind Wegnel; the cat was grunting and snorting as usual. Her belly