Read Online Take My Heart...: Dark Ages - Fantasy (Dark Gods & Tainted Souls Book 3) by julius schenk - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: julius schenk
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Epic, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Genre Fiction, dark fantasy, Magical Realism
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past his father’s study and to the back of the Keep. Down some cold stone stairs, they passed two guards who stood on the side of a large wooden doorway. One of the men just nodded at Renfra and pushing the huge door, swung it inwards. Inside was well lit and Thellas could see it was a prison. There were small rows of cells and guards sitting by them looking bored. They stood to attention as the king walked past. He wandered to one of the cells and looked into it. There was an old man in tattered robes and more than a few large bruises on his body and face. The man looked at the king with wandering blue cloudy eyes, he looked like any other Pellosi beggar to be seen in great number in the city streets.
“His crime?” Thellas asked.
“Speaking against the king’s interests,” said the captain of the guards, who had walked up beside him. The man was finely dressed and had a small eagle on the breast of his leather armor a sign of office. The king looked around at the ten or so people in various cells.
“The rest?”
“Same crime, different methods.”
The boy was slightly horrified to see so many. Where his citizens against him. He’d only be in charge for a few short weeks and made only a few public appearances, letting his uncle take the lead until he was of age, of course, the man did what Renfra told him but still he was a good face for the city.
“So many.”
“Never fear, my King. Fewer and fewer every week as they learn a harsh lesson, they are like children who need to know that they have a strict father who will neither tolerate any churlish behavior nor spare the rod,” he said.
Renfra took the young king by the shoulder and lead him away from the man in the cage. They walked to the smaller narrow doorway at the back of the room that was guarded by a single man. He was dressed in red, bald and had the same tattoos as Renfra, he bowed deeply to the king and Renfra and let them pass.
Down a narrow set of stone stairs. It was cold and close in there and Thellas felt his fear raising. Renfra gripped his shoulder hard and guided him on. They walked from the staircase to the dungeon. He was shocked and tried to hold onto his emotions as he took in the sight. There was a single person in the room. Tied to a large wooden cross, a young woman, not five years older than himself. She was lashed to the wooden arms of the large structure with rough leather ties, he could see where they had cut into her wrists and legs. She was a desert girl. He’d never seen one before, dark skin and long matted black hair, she raised her head slowly to look at him and he saw, she had a broken lip and signs of a beating.
Thellas was horrified. What could she have possibly done?
Renfra bent down and looked at him. “I know it’s hard but she is one of them, she must be taught.”
“She killed my father?”
“Her people call on the dead, they practice dark blood magic and they know of dark beasts from other lands.”
He stepped forward. “Is it true do you know of where these creatures come from, the ones with the sharp teeth and howls, the ones which ripped my father apart?” he asked.
She looked at him. “I know them, my father is a shaman of our people, he can call them but never would,” she said.
“Why not?” he asked.
“We fear them as much as you do,” she said.
“I’m not afraid. Can you call them as well?” he asked.
A flicker of fear passed her eyes. Renfra stepped back and reaching to a small table handed the young king a baton. It was a short rod covered in leather and metal studs.
“Ask her again,” he said.
Chapter Thirteen.
The cold found his exposed arms and made him shiver. His arm, which held Seraphina’s boat was aching and his hand felt weak. He’d been holding the wooden railing close for hours and hours. At first, they had talked but now they just sat in silence as their boats slowly floated on the soft lapping waves through the fog. To either side of him, he could see
“His crime?” Thellas asked.
“Speaking against the king’s interests,” said the captain of the guards, who had walked up beside him. The man was finely dressed and had a small eagle on the breast of his leather armor a sign of office. The king looked around at the ten or so people in various cells.
“The rest?”
“Same crime, different methods.”
The boy was slightly horrified to see so many. Where his citizens against him. He’d only be in charge for a few short weeks and made only a few public appearances, letting his uncle take the lead until he was of age, of course, the man did what Renfra told him but still he was a good face for the city.
“So many.”
“Never fear, my King. Fewer and fewer every week as they learn a harsh lesson, they are like children who need to know that they have a strict father who will neither tolerate any churlish behavior nor spare the rod,” he said.
Renfra took the young king by the shoulder and lead him away from the man in the cage. They walked to the smaller narrow doorway at the back of the room that was guarded by a single man. He was dressed in red, bald and had the same tattoos as Renfra, he bowed deeply to the king and Renfra and let them pass.
Down a narrow set of stone stairs. It was cold and close in there and Thellas felt his fear raising. Renfra gripped his shoulder hard and guided him on. They walked from the staircase to the dungeon. He was shocked and tried to hold onto his emotions as he took in the sight. There was a single person in the room. Tied to a large wooden cross, a young woman, not five years older than himself. She was lashed to the wooden arms of the large structure with rough leather ties, he could see where they had cut into her wrists and legs. She was a desert girl. He’d never seen one before, dark skin and long matted black hair, she raised her head slowly to look at him and he saw, she had a broken lip and signs of a beating.
Thellas was horrified. What could she have possibly done?
Renfra bent down and looked at him. “I know it’s hard but she is one of them, she must be taught.”
“She killed my father?”
“Her people call on the dead, they practice dark blood magic and they know of dark beasts from other lands.”
He stepped forward. “Is it true do you know of where these creatures come from, the ones with the sharp teeth and howls, the ones which ripped my father apart?” he asked.
She looked at him. “I know them, my father is a shaman of our people, he can call them but never would,” she said.
“Why not?” he asked.
“We fear them as much as you do,” she said.
“I’m not afraid. Can you call them as well?” he asked.
A flicker of fear passed her eyes. Renfra stepped back and reaching to a small table handed the young king a baton. It was a short rod covered in leather and metal studs.
“Ask her again,” he said.
Chapter Thirteen.
The cold found his exposed arms and made him shiver. His arm, which held Seraphina’s boat was aching and his hand felt weak. He’d been holding the wooden railing close for hours and hours. At first, they had talked but now they just sat in silence as their boats slowly floated on the soft lapping waves through the fog. To either side of him, he could see
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