Read Online Keeper of the Eye (The Eye of the Sword Book 1) by Mark Shane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mark Shane
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else. The Sword lay next to him, and the Eye glowed purple. It had chosen its new Keeper. To keep the baby safe I needed to hide him, so I gave him to a close friend, a traveler who happened to be visiting me at the time. If you believe in coincidence.
I knew if I didn’t return with the Sword every treasure hunter, thug, and enemy of the throne would search the far corners of the world for it, so I returned to Shaladon with the Eye and followed the pretense of selecting a new Keeper. When a new Keeper was not chosen by the Eye, the people began to believe it had been damaged. I vowed the Order of Wizards would not rest until we determined what was wrong and took the Eye to the Wizard’s Keep.
The major houses began to vie for power. For a thousand years the Eye had chosen Shaladon’s king. Politics and lust for power now ran rampant. The Order of Wizards worked to maintain peace, but we had our own politics and infighting to contend with. The nation’s identity was in shambles. It was only a matter of time before Shaladon fell apart at the seams.”
His face dropped, seeing something in his mind’s eye he wished he did not.
“It came sooner than I anticipated,” he said, his gaze distant and sorrowful. “I fled Dalarhan with the sound of swords and screams behind me.”
“So why did you settle here? Magic is not looked upon favorably.” Baldwin’s voice was still sharp, but the edge had faded.
“A few countries in the Ma Shal Dar live by magic, which presents dangers I prefer to avoid. My mere presence would make me an outlaw in others. Of the countries somewhat neutral to magichae, this is the farthest from Shaladon. And when I came here, magic was not as disliked as it is now.”
Baldwin’s eyes said he was not convinced. It was time to lay everything on the table and let fate do the rest. “The traveler who took the son of Tobias to safety lived here. He was A’lan Trommel.”
The crackle of the fire sounded loud in the silence. Eyes darted to Michael, who sat rigid in his chair.
Max laid the old sword on the table. “This belongs to you, Michael.”
Before their eyes, the common sword and scabbard transformed into something exquisite. The cracked scabbard became fine leather with intricate designs and silver tipped. Near the throat, the scabbard split revealing a marquise jewel, blacker than night, embedded in the blade. Blunt silver quillions became curved golden talons on one side and a wolf’s head bent back as if howling at the moon on the other. Finishing the transformation, the pommel became round with a gold lion’s head. It drew Michael’s eyes like a magnet.
“This is impossible,” Falon said. “The Eye is asleep in Dalarhan.”
Max eyed her. “All is not as it seems.”
“I don’t understand,” Falon said. “The Eye chose no keeper. It’s still there, in Shaladon. I saw it. How can the Eye be here now?”
“Since the Eye already chose Michael as Keeper, it would not choose another until he died. Something I intended to prevent,” Max said sternly. “My last act as First Wizard was to create a counterfeit. It took seven wizards to craft the replica and weave a spell of illusion powerful enough to fool other wizards for long. Making the fake blade radiate magic like the Eye was the hardest part. I suspect the Eye’s reputation has played a role in maintaining the ruse. I doubt anyone wanting to dominate Shaladon is willing to touch the fake sword.
“The sword in Dalarhan is a fake?” Falon gasped.
“The greatest fake ever created,” Max replied with a hint of pride.
“That’s quite a story,” Baldwin interjected, “and who is this lady who knows so much?”
“Falon is from the Rang Shalan,” Max replied. “She came in search of me. Thanks to her, I now know the man behind the murder of Tobias and numerous other crimes is part of a much larger conspiracy.
General Baldwin leaned his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers. “And what conspiracy would
I knew if I didn’t return with the Sword every treasure hunter, thug, and enemy of the throne would search the far corners of the world for it, so I returned to Shaladon with the Eye and followed the pretense of selecting a new Keeper. When a new Keeper was not chosen by the Eye, the people began to believe it had been damaged. I vowed the Order of Wizards would not rest until we determined what was wrong and took the Eye to the Wizard’s Keep.
The major houses began to vie for power. For a thousand years the Eye had chosen Shaladon’s king. Politics and lust for power now ran rampant. The Order of Wizards worked to maintain peace, but we had our own politics and infighting to contend with. The nation’s identity was in shambles. It was only a matter of time before Shaladon fell apart at the seams.”
His face dropped, seeing something in his mind’s eye he wished he did not.
“It came sooner than I anticipated,” he said, his gaze distant and sorrowful. “I fled Dalarhan with the sound of swords and screams behind me.”
“So why did you settle here? Magic is not looked upon favorably.” Baldwin’s voice was still sharp, but the edge had faded.
“A few countries in the Ma Shal Dar live by magic, which presents dangers I prefer to avoid. My mere presence would make me an outlaw in others. Of the countries somewhat neutral to magichae, this is the farthest from Shaladon. And when I came here, magic was not as disliked as it is now.”
Baldwin’s eyes said he was not convinced. It was time to lay everything on the table and let fate do the rest. “The traveler who took the son of Tobias to safety lived here. He was A’lan Trommel.”
The crackle of the fire sounded loud in the silence. Eyes darted to Michael, who sat rigid in his chair.
Max laid the old sword on the table. “This belongs to you, Michael.”
Before their eyes, the common sword and scabbard transformed into something exquisite. The cracked scabbard became fine leather with intricate designs and silver tipped. Near the throat, the scabbard split revealing a marquise jewel, blacker than night, embedded in the blade. Blunt silver quillions became curved golden talons on one side and a wolf’s head bent back as if howling at the moon on the other. Finishing the transformation, the pommel became round with a gold lion’s head. It drew Michael’s eyes like a magnet.
“This is impossible,” Falon said. “The Eye is asleep in Dalarhan.”
Max eyed her. “All is not as it seems.”
“I don’t understand,” Falon said. “The Eye chose no keeper. It’s still there, in Shaladon. I saw it. How can the Eye be here now?”
“Since the Eye already chose Michael as Keeper, it would not choose another until he died. Something I intended to prevent,” Max said sternly. “My last act as First Wizard was to create a counterfeit. It took seven wizards to craft the replica and weave a spell of illusion powerful enough to fool other wizards for long. Making the fake blade radiate magic like the Eye was the hardest part. I suspect the Eye’s reputation has played a role in maintaining the ruse. I doubt anyone wanting to dominate Shaladon is willing to touch the fake sword.
“The sword in Dalarhan is a fake?” Falon gasped.
“The greatest fake ever created,” Max replied with a hint of pride.
“That’s quite a story,” Baldwin interjected, “and who is this lady who knows so much?”
“Falon is from the Rang Shalan,” Max replied. “She came in search of me. Thanks to her, I now know the man behind the murder of Tobias and numerous other crimes is part of a much larger conspiracy.
General Baldwin leaned his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers. “And what conspiracy would
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