Read Online Flames of Awakening: Faemoch Cycle Book 1 by Michael Reynolds - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael Reynolds
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provided to drag himself to his feet. He wearily looked around the small
room and spotted his viortassi , which was partially under the altar. He
hobbled quickly to it and snatched it up. Now, the half-elf had to choose: help
Tolian, who was very much alive and in danger, or aid Bergar, whose unknown
condition could render a whole new set of problems.
Tolian dodged and danced around the
giant barbarian's swings. Bergar hung suspended upside-down several inches from
the ground by some invisible magic, his lifeblood spilling to the floor. The
choice was not a difficult one at all.
* * *
Tolian dodged and ducked the Morgrys'
advances. His foe moved quickly, but Tolian knew that he could eventually wear
down the brute. His conundrum was that he wasn't sure exactly how long the big
man could keep up his pace. On the one hand, Morgrys' face appeared scalded,
but on the other, he and his men had run unnaturally fast and long from
Nordras. There was also a witch, engrossed at the moment in casting her evil
spell, still inside the tower room. So, there was no sure way of knowing if the
barbarian still had any magic on his side. If he did not, Tolian estimated that
Morgrys would wear out in rather short order. If there was a magical
enhancement cast on the barbarian, then the bard could very well be performing
his last dance.
Morgrys swung his hammer again and
again, barely missing the fleet-footed songster with every heavy swing. That
was Tolian's intention. Every time the barbarian's arms brought the hammer
close enough to Tolian, he scored another tiny cut to the forearm.
"Now, witch, you die,"
Jaxius said. He leveled his viortassi at her.
Fylzia, now unprotected, turned to
face the lone half-elf. She snarled and glanced at the dagger in her hand,
still dripping Bergar's blood. Her yellowed eyes came back to meet Jaxius'
gaze. She launched another white hot bolt of energy at Jaxius.
Jaxius saw the bolt leave her hand
this time and felt his muscles tense as he dove to the side. The bolt whistled
past his head as he narrowly escaped its burning punishment. A second bolt,
hurled just in front of his face, caused him to stutter step and fall backward.
Her magical barrage came too fast for Jaxius to react to each one. He focused,
wishing that he could slow time like he had before. He felt the air grow thick.
The witch's movements began to look lethargic. But Jaxius was too late. A
single bolt of the white energy that he had not accounted for was at his chest.
He watched the room slip past him as he was again uprooted and flung across the
room.
This time, however, he saw everything
slowly and with perfect clarity. As he sailed across the room, he saw Bergar
breathing shallowly but steadily and Tolian making a good showing against the
witch's guardian. Jaxius could smell his own flesh searing from the heat of the
magical blast. He was able to keep his wits enough to hold fast to his blade
this time. Just as he felt his back slam into the wall, he noticed the gaudy
mirror tucked away on an unattended side of the room. He saw in that mirror a
robed figure standing pale-faced. A hood largely covered the figure's face and
only enough light reflected into the mirror to show Jaxius that the man had
one eyebrow lifted questioningly. The hooded man's eyes glowed an eerily bright
red.
Jaxius slammed into the wall like he
had been discharged from a trebuchet. The blow winded, but thankfully did not
kill, him. However, he slumped to the floor in an attempt to make the watching
witch believe he was defeated. Jaxius reasoned that the mirror had to be
spelled in some way, because the man was obviously not in the room. Perhaps,
this was the place that gave the witch her power.
Jaxius abruptly abandoned his plan to
fool the hag. Instead, he surged up from the floor, prepared to sprint before
his feet ever settled. He lunged for the mirror, heavy blade extended. He
connected, and for an instant, it felt as if the elven-made blade might
room and spotted his viortassi , which was partially under the altar. He
hobbled quickly to it and snatched it up. Now, the half-elf had to choose: help
Tolian, who was very much alive and in danger, or aid Bergar, whose unknown
condition could render a whole new set of problems.
Tolian dodged and danced around the
giant barbarian's swings. Bergar hung suspended upside-down several inches from
the ground by some invisible magic, his lifeblood spilling to the floor. The
choice was not a difficult one at all.
* * *
Tolian dodged and ducked the Morgrys'
advances. His foe moved quickly, but Tolian knew that he could eventually wear
down the brute. His conundrum was that he wasn't sure exactly how long the big
man could keep up his pace. On the one hand, Morgrys' face appeared scalded,
but on the other, he and his men had run unnaturally fast and long from
Nordras. There was also a witch, engrossed at the moment in casting her evil
spell, still inside the tower room. So, there was no sure way of knowing if the
barbarian still had any magic on his side. If he did not, Tolian estimated that
Morgrys would wear out in rather short order. If there was a magical
enhancement cast on the barbarian, then the bard could very well be performing
his last dance.
Morgrys swung his hammer again and
again, barely missing the fleet-footed songster with every heavy swing. That
was Tolian's intention. Every time the barbarian's arms brought the hammer
close enough to Tolian, he scored another tiny cut to the forearm.
"Now, witch, you die,"
Jaxius said. He leveled his viortassi at her.
Fylzia, now unprotected, turned to
face the lone half-elf. She snarled and glanced at the dagger in her hand,
still dripping Bergar's blood. Her yellowed eyes came back to meet Jaxius'
gaze. She launched another white hot bolt of energy at Jaxius.
Jaxius saw the bolt leave her hand
this time and felt his muscles tense as he dove to the side. The bolt whistled
past his head as he narrowly escaped its burning punishment. A second bolt,
hurled just in front of his face, caused him to stutter step and fall backward.
Her magical barrage came too fast for Jaxius to react to each one. He focused,
wishing that he could slow time like he had before. He felt the air grow thick.
The witch's movements began to look lethargic. But Jaxius was too late. A
single bolt of the white energy that he had not accounted for was at his chest.
He watched the room slip past him as he was again uprooted and flung across the
room.
This time, however, he saw everything
slowly and with perfect clarity. As he sailed across the room, he saw Bergar
breathing shallowly but steadily and Tolian making a good showing against the
witch's guardian. Jaxius could smell his own flesh searing from the heat of the
magical blast. He was able to keep his wits enough to hold fast to his blade
this time. Just as he felt his back slam into the wall, he noticed the gaudy
mirror tucked away on an unattended side of the room. He saw in that mirror a
robed figure standing pale-faced. A hood largely covered the figure's face and
only enough light reflected into the mirror to show Jaxius that the man had
one eyebrow lifted questioningly. The hooded man's eyes glowed an eerily bright
red.
Jaxius slammed into the wall like he
had been discharged from a trebuchet. The blow winded, but thankfully did not
kill, him. However, he slumped to the floor in an attempt to make the watching
witch believe he was defeated. Jaxius reasoned that the mirror had to be
spelled in some way, because the man was obviously not in the room. Perhaps,
this was the place that gave the witch her power.
Jaxius abruptly abandoned his plan to
fool the hag. Instead, he surged up from the floor, prepared to sprint before
his feet ever settled. He lunged for the mirror, heavy blade extended. He
connected, and for an instant, it felt as if the elven-made blade might
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