Read Online Land of Shadows (The Legend of the Gate Keeper Book 1) by Jeff Gunzel - Free Book Online

a broken man. Whenever Eric asked why he was so attached to something that had so little bearing on his own life, he would just revert to tears all over again and say nothing.
    It’s not like he knew anyone who lived there . Eric learned to just stop talking about it and hoped time would heal the mysterious wound. The festival would begin shortly, and it was time to clean up his work area before getting ready.
    Rolling his neck as he stretched out his arms, Eric suddenly noticed two girls watching him from across the road. Who knows how long they had been there, but both smiled when they saw that he had finally noticed them. Realizing he had been inadvertently flexing his muscles, he felt heat build in his face as he awkwardly looked away. Then, right on cue, he dropped the large hammer he had been using with a loud clang. Spending several seconds fumbling around trying to pick it up as fast as he could, he did his best not to look back in their direction. His face was pure fire.
    “All those muscles and not a brain in your head,” came a chuckling voice from behind him.
    Eric whirled around, already wearing a huge grin, knowing exactly who this was. There stood a lightly muscled young man of average height. Blond spiky hair, light blue eyes and a huge grin made Jacob seem like the most charming young man alive. This was not far from the truth, as Jacob had stolen the heart of almost every girl in town. With his hoop earrings, flashy smile, and masterful charm, it was hard not to think of him as anything but a ladies’ man. But he had special combat skills that were nearly unmatched, and he had won the stick-fighting tournament almost every year. Looking past his charm and good looks, he was quite dangerous in his own right. He sparred with Eric all the time, and although Eric was better in almost every other weapon, he could not touch Jacob’s skill with a staff. Not that Jacob was any slouch in other forms of weaponry, but a quarterstaff might as well have been part of his own body.
    “Since it appears you blew it with two girls at once without saying a word to either one—which simply must be some kind of record—I guess I will have to take both of them off your hands,” Jacob said, trying his best to keep a straight face. “No, no. Don’t thank me yet. I will try my best to assure both of them you are not mentally challenged, although I’m afraid this might take all evening.”
    The two young men shared a hearty laugh. Although their personalities were very different, they complemented each other quite well.
    Jacob had always done well with the ladies, and he had a very aggressive personality—but not always to his benefit. He had gotten in many fights with the other boys for stealing girls’ hearts. Sometimes it was an older brother seeking revenge, other times a rival who had his eye on the same girl. He had a bit of a temper himself, and it found him trouble more often than not.
    Eric, on the other hand, was reserved with the ladies. Not that they didn’t like him; far from it. With his long, curly brown hair and bulging arms, the girls would watch him all day as he trained out in the yard. Shortly after that, they continued to watch as he began working away in the shop. He was always in control of his emotions and never let them get the best of him. Eric hated making hasty decisions, and always took the time to think things through.
    As different as they were, the two friends loved each other like brothers.
    “So, are you going watch me tonight?” asked Jacob, still grinning widely. “I’m considering using a little tree branch this year to even the odds, you know.”
    No doubt he was talking about the stick-fighting competition. Eric respected Jacob’s skill, but always thought he could do with a little humility. Although to be fair, his arrogance spilled over into all aspects of his life, not just his skill with a staff. He was just very sure of himself at all times. Eric could not deny his