Read Online Lusam: The Dragon Mage Wars Book Three by Dean Cadman - Free Book Online
Authors: Dean Cadman
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The reason the Empire found it so easy to discover the spies sent by Afaraon was simple: the Necromatic rings they wore were fakes. All it took was an inquisitive guard or a member of the public, and they were discovered for what they were.
Tristan had spent all his life as a fisherman in a small coastal village south east of Lamuria. He had been very happy there with his wife and two small children, and knew, or cared, very little for the politics of Afaraon or the Empire. That was until one day he arrived home from a long fishing trip and found his entire village laid waste by Empire forces. Desperately he searched for his family, hoping beyond hope that they had fled the attack in time. It took him hours to find the bodies of his two children amongst the mutilated corpses strewn throughout the streets and buildings of his village. Charred beyond recognition, only the small doll clutched tightly to his daughter’s chest gave any clue to her identity, and the charred copper bracelet on the wrist of her smaller brother, who still clung to his sister, even in death.
The scene Tristan discovered was enough to send any man insane with grief, but what he witnessed next, sent him further into insanity than any man should ever be able to return from. Lumbering slowly down the street towards him was a creature from his worst nightmares. Its shape was that of a woman. No longer alive, but still moving, and still making a hideous sound as it moved towards him. It was obvious by her injuries and torn clothes that she had been ravaged whilst still alive by the same men who had destroyed his village. Half of her clothes were charred to her skin, and half of her face blackened and blistered by fire. Tristan stared dumbfounded at the undead creature as it approached him, not knowing what to do. It wasn’t until the hideous creature came closer that he recognised it as his wife. He fell to his knees, all strength and desire to live fleeing him at that instant. He knew the creature before him was no longer his wife, but he could also clearly see the results of how she had been tortured before she had died, and that sent him over the edge.
To this day he couldn’t remember what he had done to that foul creature, or for that matter, anything else about the following few days. Maybe that was for the best, he had told himself many times, not wanting to remember his wife like that. He had no idea how many days passed before he was found by a travelling merchant on his way to Lamuria. He couldn’t even remember agreeing to go with the merchant, but found himself travelling with him to the capital nonetheless.
It was shortly after he had arrived in Lamuria that he heard about the opportunity to become a spy against the Empire. It didn’t take him long to decide that joining their ranks would be a good way to gain revenge against the Empire for the brutal murder of his family. He enrolled immediately, and with single-minded determination, completed the training in record time. The risks to his life were never withheld, and he embraced the dangers with open arms.
Many things about the Empire had been discovered throughout the years by sending generations of spies to Thule, but many things also remained veiled in secrecy. It was well known, for example, that the Empire had the ability to read the minds of any spies they captured. Part of the training Tristan had received consisted of shielding his mind from such attempts, but truth be told, no one knew how effective it was, because anyone captured never returned to Afaraon alive.
None of the spies knew, but for the past few decades some misinformation had been given randomly to various spy recruits. If they were captured and their minds successfully read, certain information would be obtained by the Empire that would make Afaraon seem more prepared for war than was actually true. Any information obtained by the Empire in this manner would have to be considered as truth, and therefore an
Tristan had spent all his life as a fisherman in a small coastal village south east of Lamuria. He had been very happy there with his wife and two small children, and knew, or cared, very little for the politics of Afaraon or the Empire. That was until one day he arrived home from a long fishing trip and found his entire village laid waste by Empire forces. Desperately he searched for his family, hoping beyond hope that they had fled the attack in time. It took him hours to find the bodies of his two children amongst the mutilated corpses strewn throughout the streets and buildings of his village. Charred beyond recognition, only the small doll clutched tightly to his daughter’s chest gave any clue to her identity, and the charred copper bracelet on the wrist of her smaller brother, who still clung to his sister, even in death.
The scene Tristan discovered was enough to send any man insane with grief, but what he witnessed next, sent him further into insanity than any man should ever be able to return from. Lumbering slowly down the street towards him was a creature from his worst nightmares. Its shape was that of a woman. No longer alive, but still moving, and still making a hideous sound as it moved towards him. It was obvious by her injuries and torn clothes that she had been ravaged whilst still alive by the same men who had destroyed his village. Half of her clothes were charred to her skin, and half of her face blackened and blistered by fire. Tristan stared dumbfounded at the undead creature as it approached him, not knowing what to do. It wasn’t until the hideous creature came closer that he recognised it as his wife. He fell to his knees, all strength and desire to live fleeing him at that instant. He knew the creature before him was no longer his wife, but he could also clearly see the results of how she had been tortured before she had died, and that sent him over the edge.
To this day he couldn’t remember what he had done to that foul creature, or for that matter, anything else about the following few days. Maybe that was for the best, he had told himself many times, not wanting to remember his wife like that. He had no idea how many days passed before he was found by a travelling merchant on his way to Lamuria. He couldn’t even remember agreeing to go with the merchant, but found himself travelling with him to the capital nonetheless.
It was shortly after he had arrived in Lamuria that he heard about the opportunity to become a spy against the Empire. It didn’t take him long to decide that joining their ranks would be a good way to gain revenge against the Empire for the brutal murder of his family. He enrolled immediately, and with single-minded determination, completed the training in record time. The risks to his life were never withheld, and he embraced the dangers with open arms.
Many things about the Empire had been discovered throughout the years by sending generations of spies to Thule, but many things also remained veiled in secrecy. It was well known, for example, that the Empire had the ability to read the minds of any spies they captured. Part of the training Tristan had received consisted of shielding his mind from such attempts, but truth be told, no one knew how effective it was, because anyone captured never returned to Afaraon alive.
None of the spies knew, but for the past few decades some misinformation had been given randomly to various spy recruits. If they were captured and their minds successfully read, certain information would be obtained by the Empire that would make Afaraon seem more prepared for war than was actually true. Any information obtained by the Empire in this manner would have to be considered as truth, and therefore an
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