Read Online The First Kaiaru by David Alastair Hayden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Alastair Hayden
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stand, and took off his robe. “Lu Bei, inventory the vault. Make certain nothing else was stolen, and check that everything in there is genuine. Send that girl back in first, though. And while you’re at it, find out her name for me.”
----
Turesobei awoke with Lu Bei sitting on his chest. Iniru and Kurine lay on either side of him, where they had fallen asleep at some point during Enashoma’s good luck party. The fetch briefly put a finger across his lips and motioned for him to follow. He carefully extracted himself from between the sleeping girls and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Awasa must have gone in to bed at some point, because her spot around the still smoldering fire pit was empty. Enashoma and Zaiporo lay curled up together on the other side.
The fetch beckoned to him from the doorway. Turesobei tiptoed around his friends’ sleeping forms and followed the nervous fetch back to his room. Once he slid the door shut, Lu Bei finally settled on the edge of his desk.
Turesobei knelt on the reed mat in front of him. “What's wrong?”
“You were talking in your sleep.”
"Oh." The dream, Chonda Lu's memories, came rushing back. “What did I say?”
“You muttered a few names is all,” Lu Bei said. “Was it a bad dream?”
He rubbed his temples. “I don’t really remember.”
Lu Bei nodded decisively. “Probably just as well, master.”
He could tell that Lu Bei understood he was lying, in case Lord Gyoroe was listening in. These dreams always left him with more questions than answers. It would help if he and Lu Bei were able talk freely but, even if they could, the fetch obviously didn't know everything.
Turesobei stared at the fetch.
In the dream, Lu Bei had been able to fly around without a distance restriction, and he’d been able to track kenja trails. The fetch often claimed he used to have a lot of other powers, including the ability to turn invisible. Maybe he was telling the truth about that. It was always hard to tell.
At the beginning, Lu Bei had claimed he could only stay in fetch form if Turesobei focused on him. That had turned out to be a lie, though it was true he was the source of Lu Bei’s power. That’s why the storm energy had caused the fetch to grow and gain the ability to cast sparks. It had doubled his range, too. Lu Bei had not, however, regained any of his old abilities, despite the massive storm energy they had both absorbed. So either the fetch was hiding those abilities, or different power sources led to different types of abilities.
Lu Bei’s face creased with worry. “Something wrong, master?”
“Just worrying about the mission tomorrow. I could use a cup of tea.”
“Right-o, master! Tea ahead!”
Turesobei gave up on getting any more sleep and fixed himself a bath instead. He slipped into the hot water with a sigh and pondered what the dream had meant. Nine stones…ten personalities…a powerful Kaiaru named Nalsyrra who told Chonda Lu about the threat posed by the Council of Nine, and then apparently stole the kavaru which were now bound to Gyoroe. There were big pieces missing from the puzzle and knowing them might give him the edge he needed to defeat the Blood King.
Solving this would be so much easier if Turesobei had direct access to Chonda Lu’s memories instead of receiving random dreams. But that thought made him shiver, despite the hot bath. He'd almost rather just go up to the Blood King and ask how he had gotten the stones.
Chapter Twelve
W ith a sizzle like water tossed on hot iron, the flickering portal within the stone arch of the Spring Gate closed and disappeared. Her friends gone, Enashoma collapsed to her knees, raking in shallow breaths. The blissful feelings from the night of companionship around the campfire vanished.
She was all alone with the Blood King now.
As the Nexus seemed to close in on her, Enashoma’s muscles trembled. Her heart thundered in her chest, and her breath caught.
The Blood King knelt beside her.
----
Turesobei awoke with Lu Bei sitting on his chest. Iniru and Kurine lay on either side of him, where they had fallen asleep at some point during Enashoma’s good luck party. The fetch briefly put a finger across his lips and motioned for him to follow. He carefully extracted himself from between the sleeping girls and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Awasa must have gone in to bed at some point, because her spot around the still smoldering fire pit was empty. Enashoma and Zaiporo lay curled up together on the other side.
The fetch beckoned to him from the doorway. Turesobei tiptoed around his friends’ sleeping forms and followed the nervous fetch back to his room. Once he slid the door shut, Lu Bei finally settled on the edge of his desk.
Turesobei knelt on the reed mat in front of him. “What's wrong?”
“You were talking in your sleep.”
"Oh." The dream, Chonda Lu's memories, came rushing back. “What did I say?”
“You muttered a few names is all,” Lu Bei said. “Was it a bad dream?”
He rubbed his temples. “I don’t really remember.”
Lu Bei nodded decisively. “Probably just as well, master.”
He could tell that Lu Bei understood he was lying, in case Lord Gyoroe was listening in. These dreams always left him with more questions than answers. It would help if he and Lu Bei were able talk freely but, even if they could, the fetch obviously didn't know everything.
Turesobei stared at the fetch.
In the dream, Lu Bei had been able to fly around without a distance restriction, and he’d been able to track kenja trails. The fetch often claimed he used to have a lot of other powers, including the ability to turn invisible. Maybe he was telling the truth about that. It was always hard to tell.
At the beginning, Lu Bei had claimed he could only stay in fetch form if Turesobei focused on him. That had turned out to be a lie, though it was true he was the source of Lu Bei’s power. That’s why the storm energy had caused the fetch to grow and gain the ability to cast sparks. It had doubled his range, too. Lu Bei had not, however, regained any of his old abilities, despite the massive storm energy they had both absorbed. So either the fetch was hiding those abilities, or different power sources led to different types of abilities.
Lu Bei’s face creased with worry. “Something wrong, master?”
“Just worrying about the mission tomorrow. I could use a cup of tea.”
“Right-o, master! Tea ahead!”
Turesobei gave up on getting any more sleep and fixed himself a bath instead. He slipped into the hot water with a sigh and pondered what the dream had meant. Nine stones…ten personalities…a powerful Kaiaru named Nalsyrra who told Chonda Lu about the threat posed by the Council of Nine, and then apparently stole the kavaru which were now bound to Gyoroe. There were big pieces missing from the puzzle and knowing them might give him the edge he needed to defeat the Blood King.
Solving this would be so much easier if Turesobei had direct access to Chonda Lu’s memories instead of receiving random dreams. But that thought made him shiver, despite the hot bath. He'd almost rather just go up to the Blood King and ask how he had gotten the stones.
Chapter Twelve
W ith a sizzle like water tossed on hot iron, the flickering portal within the stone arch of the Spring Gate closed and disappeared. Her friends gone, Enashoma collapsed to her knees, raking in shallow breaths. The blissful feelings from the night of companionship around the campfire vanished.
She was all alone with the Blood King now.
As the Nexus seemed to close in on her, Enashoma’s muscles trembled. Her heart thundered in her chest, and her breath caught.
The Blood King knelt beside her.
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