Read Online Key of Living Fire (The Sword of the Dragon) by Scott Appleton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Scott Appleton
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him. “This should be impossible.”
“Impossible?” Patient laughed and spread his arms, turning in a circle. “All things are possible with God, my friend! From the mountains to the seas and even the Valley of Death, the Creator’s hand is evidenced in them all and sustains them all.”
Specter breathed deeply. The mountain air had been fresh, but this tasted sweeter. In the distance a mountain range rose from Subterran. From the position of Yimshi in the sky he determined the mountains lay south and maybe a bit west of his location.
With a gentle laugh, Patient embraced him and held him at arm’s length. “God be with you, my friend.”
“But—” Specter didn’t get to finish. The distant mountain range rushed up to his cloud. Their green peaks filled the sky. Then the cloud and the prophet vaporized around him. A mountain cliff shifted under his feet, and he grabbed for a vine on the rock face. The fingers of his remaining hand missed the vine, and he flailed as he plummeted down the long cliff face. He plunged into a deep blue lake.
The frigid water penetrated Specter’s every pore. His arms and legs cramped. Holding his breath proved unbearable, yet he held it in as he sank. Sunlight sparkled on the water’s surface. The light bent in beautiful shafts of yellow and white that dimmed in the depths around him. Unable to hold his breath any longer, he exhaled bubbles and coughed on the sharp intake of water in his lungs. He choked on it, coughed again. For a moment his lungs adapted to the water, and he breathed it as he would air. Everything darkened around him, and he closed his eyes.
Something slimy and warm cushioned his descent. It lashed around his torso and constricted his chest, at the same time raising him out of the lake’s depths. In that moment his sight returned, and he rose out of his body to view as if from a great height. A green arm that reminded him of seaweed raised his body above the lake’s surface and carried it away from the cliff toward a sliver of sand. He floated after his body, unable to steer himself in any other direction. Several minutes passed. The arm cut its swift path to the shore, and a narrow beach grew from the sliver of sand. A lush land of green field and forest spread beyond the beach.
The arm set his body on the beach and slid into the lake’s depths. The joyous sound of laughter filled the forest, and a host of children danced from the trees. Their hands raised to the sky, the children circled his body. He noted that most of them had dark skin, almost black, while others were orange, green, blue, or cream-skinned. The boys wore green-and-black trousers without shirts. The girls flitted about in bright dresses of yellow, white, and pink. They waved like flowers in the wind to the movement of the grass all around them.
Then he remembered that his body still lay unmoving on the sand. He gazed upon himself and shook his head. Death by drowning. But if he was dead, why this sense of living?
The children swarmed around his body, and the lake’s calm surface started to swirl with such speed and force that a funnel formed at its center. The children hushed, and birdsongs filled his ears. From the forests trotted lions and lionesses. The powerful animals roared together, and the grass trembled before them as they mingled with the children. The children laughed again, and songbirds flitted from the forest, of variety and colors incredible to behold.
As he watched the birds flying above and the children and lions filling the shore, his heart filled with awe. Yimshi settled a bit lower in the western sky, partially eclipsed by mountain peak. Glancing back at his body, he saw two little black girls kneeling beside him. “Awaken, Specter!” They giggled and pulled on his arms. Other children joined them. Together they dragged his body into the lake and then stepped back.
The current swept his body away, carrying it around and around until it made him dizzy. A
“Impossible?” Patient laughed and spread his arms, turning in a circle. “All things are possible with God, my friend! From the mountains to the seas and even the Valley of Death, the Creator’s hand is evidenced in them all and sustains them all.”
Specter breathed deeply. The mountain air had been fresh, but this tasted sweeter. In the distance a mountain range rose from Subterran. From the position of Yimshi in the sky he determined the mountains lay south and maybe a bit west of his location.
With a gentle laugh, Patient embraced him and held him at arm’s length. “God be with you, my friend.”
“But—” Specter didn’t get to finish. The distant mountain range rushed up to his cloud. Their green peaks filled the sky. Then the cloud and the prophet vaporized around him. A mountain cliff shifted under his feet, and he grabbed for a vine on the rock face. The fingers of his remaining hand missed the vine, and he flailed as he plummeted down the long cliff face. He plunged into a deep blue lake.
The frigid water penetrated Specter’s every pore. His arms and legs cramped. Holding his breath proved unbearable, yet he held it in as he sank. Sunlight sparkled on the water’s surface. The light bent in beautiful shafts of yellow and white that dimmed in the depths around him. Unable to hold his breath any longer, he exhaled bubbles and coughed on the sharp intake of water in his lungs. He choked on it, coughed again. For a moment his lungs adapted to the water, and he breathed it as he would air. Everything darkened around him, and he closed his eyes.
Something slimy and warm cushioned his descent. It lashed around his torso and constricted his chest, at the same time raising him out of the lake’s depths. In that moment his sight returned, and he rose out of his body to view as if from a great height. A green arm that reminded him of seaweed raised his body above the lake’s surface and carried it away from the cliff toward a sliver of sand. He floated after his body, unable to steer himself in any other direction. Several minutes passed. The arm cut its swift path to the shore, and a narrow beach grew from the sliver of sand. A lush land of green field and forest spread beyond the beach.
The arm set his body on the beach and slid into the lake’s depths. The joyous sound of laughter filled the forest, and a host of children danced from the trees. Their hands raised to the sky, the children circled his body. He noted that most of them had dark skin, almost black, while others were orange, green, blue, or cream-skinned. The boys wore green-and-black trousers without shirts. The girls flitted about in bright dresses of yellow, white, and pink. They waved like flowers in the wind to the movement of the grass all around them.
Then he remembered that his body still lay unmoving on the sand. He gazed upon himself and shook his head. Death by drowning. But if he was dead, why this sense of living?
The children swarmed around his body, and the lake’s calm surface started to swirl with such speed and force that a funnel formed at its center. The children hushed, and birdsongs filled his ears. From the forests trotted lions and lionesses. The powerful animals roared together, and the grass trembled before them as they mingled with the children. The children laughed again, and songbirds flitted from the forest, of variety and colors incredible to behold.
As he watched the birds flying above and the children and lions filling the shore, his heart filled with awe. Yimshi settled a bit lower in the western sky, partially eclipsed by mountain peak. Glancing back at his body, he saw two little black girls kneeling beside him. “Awaken, Specter!” They giggled and pulled on his arms. Other children joined them. Together they dragged his body into the lake and then stepped back.
The current swept his body away, carrying it around and around until it made him dizzy. A
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