Read Online NexLord: Dark Prophecies by Philip Blood - Free Book Online

life?"
    "Father told me I was going to be a scholar,
like him."
    Mara frowned a little.  "That's a
worthy goal, to be sure, yet is that what you desire?"
    The boy rubbed at his sleep encrusted
eyes.  "I'm not sure, but it's what my father
wanted."
    "Aerin," Tocor suddenly barked, "catch!" and
tossed an apple at the boy, it came at a fast pace.
    Aerin caught it just before it struck his
chest.
    Tocor's hand had already moved back within
the robe before Aerin thought to look at it.
    "He has good reflexes and coordination,
Mara," Tocor noted.
    "Indeed," she replied.  "Perhaps...
Aerin?” she asked, interrupting herself.
    "Yes, Mara?"
    "Just for fun, if you could do anything in
the whole world, be anyone, with any skill, what would you do?"
    Aerin thought for a moment.  "I'd
have friends like Ragol did, and we'd be the best fighters in the
land, then we'd stop the Togroths from killing any more
people."
    Tocor glanced at Mara with amusement in his
eyes.
    Mara scowled.  "Ragol, Ragol,
that's all I ever hear."
    "He was the greatest NexLord to ever live; he
stopped the Togroths and the Dreadmaster!"  Aerin
exclaimed.
    "Ragol was a fool," Mara noted.
    Aerin was shocked; the Legendary Ragol had
been his hero for as long as he could remember.  "He was
not!  Nobody listened to him... they were the
fools!  If he was alive in this age he would have done
something about the Togroths and maybe my parents might still be
alive!"
    "Ragol was a fool because he believed people
would listen to his warnings because of who he was, and when they
didn't he grew angry, like a fool.  But enough of the
past, that happened over three hundred years ago, we were talking
about your future.  I'll consider what you've said and
we'll start your instruction soon if you want it.  As far as chores, eventually I'll have
some for you, but for now, you
have it easy.  Just remember, don't stray away unless you get permission from Tocor,
Yearl or me."
    "I will, Mara, but is Yearl coming back?"
Aerin asked, wondering about the disappearance of the lavender man
who had planted the strange trees at his parent's grave.
    Aerin nearly leaped out of his skin when Yearl's soft voice spoke from his left." 
    "Where do you think I've been, young Aerin?”
the lavender man asked.
    Aerin's heart was bouncing around within his chest, seemingly trying to find a
way out of his rib cage.  "How did you do that?" he
finally blurted out.
    Yearl shrugged.  “Do
what?”    
    Aerin would have sworn that Yearl wasn’t
there a moment ago and seemed to appear out of nowhere when he
spoke.  Aerin wondered how he had not noticed the
willowman before.
    "I'll be gone till late afternoon," Mara
continued, her voice showing no surprise at Yearl's presence, "as I must procure housing for us; we
can't stay at this Inn forever."
    The chair creaked as Tocor's heavy weight
lifted when he stood up. 
    "Aerin," the large man rumbled," I need to
purchase some leather; you may come with me if you like."
    Aerin scrambled out of bed.
    "Eat something," Mara noted, stopping him
mid-stride.
    Aerin scooped up the apple Tocor had tossed
at him earlier and then followed the Quarian out the door.
    Tocor put up his deep hood before they
reached the street, and he carried his smooth gray staff like a large walking
stick.  Aerin almost had to run to keep up with the wide
stride of the tall Quarian.
    The boy was almost disappointed when he
caught a glimpse of Tocor's black-gloved hand where he gripped his
staff.  The fingers seemed to be of normal human
shape.
    They had only gone a few blocks when Aerin
noticed his friend Darel coming up the street.  "Look,
Tocor, there's Darel. He’s one of the friends I met yesterday at the Inn."  Aerin
raised his arm to wave when he noticed two Guardsmen following a
pace behind Darel; they almost seemed to be following the boy.
    His cry of welcome died on his lips, he
wondered if Darel had broken his word and gone to a Guardsman