Read Online Fate Rides Wicked: Volume I of the Lerilon Trilogy by Jonathan Biviano - Free Book Online
Authors: Jonathan Biviano
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shelter on our way south!” Tych stepped into the
bushes on their right and Lendril went with him.
For three days they had traveled east, after circling the
valley. The decision had been made to look for work in the
Kingdom of Lake, the most northeast on the continent. It
sported the largest infantry of all of them and its politics
attracted a lot of free armies that were looking to serve one
disenfranchised lord or another. Their journey ended up as
one boring day followed by a repeat.
As they crashed down the hill for the valley below,
branches pulled at their armor and cloaks. Several times
one of them slipped in the rapidly increasing mud and
reached for one of the sparse, short trees that dotted an area
around the forest. Sometimes it failed to stay planted and
the desperate endaril would slide several more feet.
Thus, when they reached the bottom, they resembled
mud-monsters. Fortunately, a troll sitting nearby sat
oblivious to their arrival because of the storm’s noise and
the cold earth, which hid their heat from his vision. Tych
did see him, sitting on a fallen tree, eating the remains of a
hapless deer. Lendril reached for her axe but Tych
restrained her. Hoping the rain would go slow in cleaning
off the mud, he quietly began to circle around the creature
to get behind it. Lendril unshouldered her crossbow and
removed a bolt until only the metal tip hid in the leather
case.
In a moment Tych stood behind the unsuspecting
creature and slid a dagger out of his belt. Lightning lit the
clearing and the troll’s eyes opened wide in surprise at
seeing Lendril. Then his head fell with a mucky thump.
They moved rapidly to ensure the troll would stay dead, for
they have a habit to rebuild themselves, even if decapitated.
Already the body thrashed in the mud, trying to stand up.
With her axe, Lendril cleaved the skull of the regenerating
monster. Over and over again she chopped until the body
stopped. Tych had removed the fingers, arms and legs of
the body to prevent their usage. Without a word, they
cleaned their weapons on the troll’s cloak and charged
onward across the valley, the trees growing thicker and the
storm getting more dangerous with every step.
The slick surface slowed them, but in a matter of
minutes the edge of the forest rose before them. Suddenly,
a deep rumbling filled the air. They knew instantly that the
sound was not thunder. Panic hitting them, they picked up
the pace. A few feet from the edge of the trees and safety
from the new threat, Tych’s scar tore and he fell,
screaming.
Lendril turned to help him but Tych yelled, “No, reach
the trees and climb one. I’ll be alright.”
She kept coming and reached for him. They could only
see for a foot in the rain and as she reached for him, she
failed to notice the wall of mud that knocked down some
nearby trees. One of the cracks forced her to look up, but
the waist high flow of earth flowed over Tych and knocked
her down. They both used what muscles still worked to
swim up, but the limits to their endurance approached
rapidly.
Briefly, they both surfaced and caught sight of each
other. Tych felt his strength leaving as his armor filled
with blood and he struggled against the raging flood. His
head came out for a moment and he gasped for breath
before the rolling tide took him under. The river seemed to
take him sideways for a moment and he realized it had
encountered a tree. With the strength of desperation he
reached out to it but it was too hard to fight the force of the
flow.
Lendril lacked Tych’s physical strength, but since she
weighed less, made it to the top more often. After catching
sight of her companion, she centered her efforts on both
staying up and reaching him. She knew that his wound
would make it more difficult for him. A tree changed her
course and she cursed. Once, as she took air, inspiration hit
her at the sight of a tree branch passing overhead. While
bushes on their right and Lendril went with him.
For three days they had traveled east, after circling the
valley. The decision had been made to look for work in the
Kingdom of Lake, the most northeast on the continent. It
sported the largest infantry of all of them and its politics
attracted a lot of free armies that were looking to serve one
disenfranchised lord or another. Their journey ended up as
one boring day followed by a repeat.
As they crashed down the hill for the valley below,
branches pulled at their armor and cloaks. Several times
one of them slipped in the rapidly increasing mud and
reached for one of the sparse, short trees that dotted an area
around the forest. Sometimes it failed to stay planted and
the desperate endaril would slide several more feet.
Thus, when they reached the bottom, they resembled
mud-monsters. Fortunately, a troll sitting nearby sat
oblivious to their arrival because of the storm’s noise and
the cold earth, which hid their heat from his vision. Tych
did see him, sitting on a fallen tree, eating the remains of a
hapless deer. Lendril reached for her axe but Tych
restrained her. Hoping the rain would go slow in cleaning
off the mud, he quietly began to circle around the creature
to get behind it. Lendril unshouldered her crossbow and
removed a bolt until only the metal tip hid in the leather
case.
In a moment Tych stood behind the unsuspecting
creature and slid a dagger out of his belt. Lightning lit the
clearing and the troll’s eyes opened wide in surprise at
seeing Lendril. Then his head fell with a mucky thump.
They moved rapidly to ensure the troll would stay dead, for
they have a habit to rebuild themselves, even if decapitated.
Already the body thrashed in the mud, trying to stand up.
With her axe, Lendril cleaved the skull of the regenerating
monster. Over and over again she chopped until the body
stopped. Tych had removed the fingers, arms and legs of
the body to prevent their usage. Without a word, they
cleaned their weapons on the troll’s cloak and charged
onward across the valley, the trees growing thicker and the
storm getting more dangerous with every step.
The slick surface slowed them, but in a matter of
minutes the edge of the forest rose before them. Suddenly,
a deep rumbling filled the air. They knew instantly that the
sound was not thunder. Panic hitting them, they picked up
the pace. A few feet from the edge of the trees and safety
from the new threat, Tych’s scar tore and he fell,
screaming.
Lendril turned to help him but Tych yelled, “No, reach
the trees and climb one. I’ll be alright.”
She kept coming and reached for him. They could only
see for a foot in the rain and as she reached for him, she
failed to notice the wall of mud that knocked down some
nearby trees. One of the cracks forced her to look up, but
the waist high flow of earth flowed over Tych and knocked
her down. They both used what muscles still worked to
swim up, but the limits to their endurance approached
rapidly.
Briefly, they both surfaced and caught sight of each
other. Tych felt his strength leaving as his armor filled
with blood and he struggled against the raging flood. His
head came out for a moment and he gasped for breath
before the rolling tide took him under. The river seemed to
take him sideways for a moment and he realized it had
encountered a tree. With the strength of desperation he
reached out to it but it was too hard to fight the force of the
flow.
Lendril lacked Tych’s physical strength, but since she
weighed less, made it to the top more often. After catching
sight of her companion, she centered her efforts on both
staying up and reaching him. She knew that his wound
would make it more difficult for him. A tree changed her
course and she cursed. Once, as she took air, inspiration hit
her at the sight of a tree branch passing overhead. While
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