Read Online Stones Unbound (The Magestone Chronicles Book 1) by Richard Innes - Free Book Online Page A

then, Hoyle realized, Brows couldn't know whether he had called the
City Guard or not.  But why would Hoyle have called the guard, he just wanted
his gold, and the city guard would just confiscate it as "evidence". 
Probably already have.  For that matter how had they found them? wondered
Hoyle.  He looked over at the Fear Squad, and saw two sets of glowing eyes
watching him back from the depths of their hoods.  Looking at the scaazi now,
he didn’t feel the same crippling fear that had claimed him in the tower.  Was
that a power they were able to control?
    Once their chains were in place, the Imperial soldiers herded
the two of them up the stairs towards a door that led into the back of the fortress
proper, leaving the guardsmen in the courtyard.  The fortress interior was
unadorned stone, with torches lining the hallway, giving off acrid smoke. 
Hoyle saw soldiers and veklian slaves at various tasks as they passed through
the corridors. 
    They were ushered through a door at the end of the corridor
into the main hall.  There was a raised platform the officers’ table rested upon,
set above the remaining tables for the men.  They were herded towards a door at
the back.  One of the officers used two different keys on a chain to unlock the
two locks on the door.
    Hoyle gasped as they were pushed into the next room.  Even
Brows took in a deep breath of surprise.  The only furnishing in this bare
stone room was a large, golden arch, a span and a half tall, holding five mage
stones the size of Hoyle’s fist, glowing azure, amber, vermillion, garnet and
indigo in the otherwise unlit room.  A Magegate.   A magegate that could only
lead one place Hoyle realized – The Emperor’s Sky Citadel.
    ---o---
     
    Hoyle and Brows were ushered to one side of the room as the Fear
Squad entered behind the contingent of Imperial soldiers.  One of the Rak’soraa
approached the magegate while the other watched the two of them intently with
his unnatural eyes while holding the scaazi’s leash.  The white eyes of the scaazi
seemed to look through him.  Hoyle shuddered involuntarily.
    The Rak’soraa facing the magegate uttered a complex web of
syllables in the language of magic and the magestones flared to life.  The Rak’soraa
raised a gloved hand and touched the stones in a series, each magestone flaring
brightly as it was touched.  Hoyle felt something pulling at him, draining his
energy, and tried to brace against it.  Brows grunted next to him, and even some
of the Imperial soldiers seemed to be feeling what he was feeling, several gritting
their teeth.  As the center of the magegate wavered, like a swirling pond
instantly stilling, showing a view of a dark courtyard like through clear
glass, Hoyle felt himself physically drained.
    The Fear Squad gathered together and stepped through the
magegate, looking like water rippling around their forms.  Hoyle and Brows were
ushered into the gate roughly, giving no time to comprehend that they were
going to travel hundreds of spans in distance with one step.  Hoyle tried to
brace himself, but felt only as if a quick chill breeze passed over his body as
he stepped down onto the flagstone courtyard of the Imperial Sky Citadel.
    ---o---
     
    Hoyle looked around him as they found themselves in a small
courtyard, the magegate mounted in a covered alcove behind them, near the wall
of a tall spire-like tower.  They appeared to be near the center of the sky
citadel.  Hoyle could see the lights of towers high above, surrounding the
citadel on all sides, with high walls running between.
    They were marched through a small gate in a wall to their
right, finding themselves in a large courtyard facing the main fortress. 
Behind them the curved wall revealed itself to be the base of the central
spire, the tallest tower at the center of the sky citadel.  There appeared to
be no entrance from this courtyard either.  Lights glowed from sconces around
the courtyard with evenness that no