Read Online Shadowrun - Earthdawn - Lliferock by Jak Koke - Free Book Online

the rock face and look for a good place to begin the dig. He remembered the conversation with Pontin Nemish back in Throal. Pontin was a thin dwarf with a pleated red beard, and he had spoken with a high voice, telling Sarbeneck about the orichalcum in this rock. Where to find the tepuis. Where to find the vein of ore.
    Pontin had told Sarbeneck that it was foolish to refuse his offer; there were other mining companies eager to accept.
    Pontin had chosen Sarbeneck because of his excellent repu-tation for discretion and for following instructions precisely.
    Pontin had shown him a pouch of jewels — a fortune which he claimed was merely a down payment.
    Back in the comfort of Throal, Sarbeneck had cast aside his curiosity and suspicions even though he hated Pontin’s whining voice and arrogance. Sarbeneck had accepted the job.
    With that kind of profit, he could afford to retire after this. He wanted so much to just live out the rest of his days in peace.
    Now, he caught sight of Gingreth hurrying through the rain toward him, mud splashing up around his boots. The ork coiled his whip and hooked it into his belt.
    “Nice day,” Sarbeneck said, wincing as a concussion of thunder shook the air around him.
    “Just lovely.” Gingreth stepped under the flap of tent and shook water from his long, curly hair.
    Sarbeneck stood to meet him. “What brings you?” he asked.
    “The dwarf from the town is here to see you. He said it’s important.”
    Sarbeneck looked past Gingreth, catching sight of three dwarfs on miniature horses being detained by a huge ork mounted on the horned back of a thundra beast. “Let them through, I suppose.”
    This Book Belongs to: Andrew Tobin (black _ [email protected]) Liferock 
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    Gingreth waved his arm at the guard, then followed Sarbeneck into the tent.
    “Wine, my friend?” Sarbeneck asked.
    Gingreth nodded.
    Sarbeneck pulled a wine skin from its hook on the tent’s center pole and poured two cups. He handed one to Gingreth just as the three dwarfs stepped under the flap of the awning, shaking themselves free of rain.
    “Come and share wine with me and my friend,” Sarbeneck said.
    Pontin pulled his hood back, revealing neatly coifed red hair. “Thank you, I shall.” The other two drew heavy battle axes and stood at the entrance to the tent.
    Sarbeneck suppressed a sudden burst of laughter. As if these two dwarfs could do anything to prevent a hundred angry orks from killing their master if the orks were so inclined.
    What he said was, “Horrid weather, eh?” He handed a glass of wine to Pontin.
    “Yes, well, this is pretty normal.” He sipped the wine tentatively. “I have brought your first instructions,” he said, pulling a scroll case from inside his blue cloak. Sarbeneck noticed a beautiful brooch in the form of a scarab beetle pinned to Pontin’s cloak.
    Very valuable, he thought. Probably magical even. Sarbeneck had an eye for these things.
    Pontin handed the scroll to Sarbeneck, never looking at Gingreth.
    Sarbeneck opened the scroll case, sliding out the parchment.
    “You will notice the clearing on the west side of the rock,”
    Pontin said. “There is a mark on the map, a little ways up the rock from the clearing. That is where you should dig.”
    The map was three dimensional rendering of the rock and surrounding areas. It was expertly done, and quite unusual; This Book Belongs to: Andrew Tobin (black _ [email protected]) Liferock 
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    Sarbeneck had searched the Great Library of Throal for detailed maps of this part of the Servos Jungle, but he had been unable to find anything.
    “Do you see the spot?” Pontin said, giving a smug smile.
    The encampment clearing was easy to find because it had been painted in brown in a space next to the rock. Sarbeneck caught sight of a small black dot on the surface of the rock. Impossibly thin filaments of gold ink traced meandering patterns throughout the rock, but they all came