Read Online The Immortal Mystic (Book 5) by Sam Ferguson - Free Book Online
Authors: Sam Ferguson
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No, not a voice, just a thought. Something had happened at Demaverung. Takala needed his help. Gilifan regained his focus and then noticed Gersimon staring at him curiously. Gilifan nodded and pointed to the battering ram. “I trust you can get this to Maernok on your own? I have some things I need to check on.”
Gersimon nodded. “When it was only made of iron I thought it was a beast, but now…” Gersimon’s words trailed off and he stared in wonder. “We shall crush the gates with this.”
“You said before it could withstand dragon’s fire,” Gilifan said. “Now, it actually will.”
*****
The moment the necromancer entered Demaverung he could feel that something was horribly wrong. None of the acolytes would return his stare, and others simply ran away or bolted their doors at his approach. Had Tu’luh been angered? There was no way for him to know. So he began his way up the tunnel. The air inside the volcano was as hot as it ever was, stinging his lungs with each breath. He looked up to the rubies and diamonds glittering in the wall like brilliant stars above the stark granite floor. The fact that none of the gems seemed to be humming gave him pause. Gilifan stopped and strained his ears while staring up the tunnel.
Silence was all that greeted his ears. He looked to his left and saw a middle-aged woman approaching him. “Takala is in the master’s chamber. He expects you there. Others have been assembled.”
He turned and increased his speed up the tunnel without responding to the woman. At last he came to the end of the tunnel. It opened into a large chamber. A great hole was situated almost dead center, with hot steam and smoke rising up out of it. To the far side on the right was a pile of gold coins and gems that made the hallways seem like costume jewelry by comparison.
Takala and a group of others stood around the edge of the pit, looking down. Gilifan moved forward, walking to the edge of the pit and looked down. Down below he saw the twisted, rigid body of his master. His face soured and he turned away from the sight at the bottom. “When did this happen?” he asked.
Takala looked up with a sober expression and answered for the group. “I called for you just as soon as I found out. The acolytes summoned the other elders, who had been out gathering firedrakes for an assault on Ten Forts.”
“Where were you?” Gilifan asked.
“I was also out in the valley,” Takala replied. “I was gathering some of the mercenaries we had hired. Our reinforcements are on their way to the westernmost walls of Ten Forts and should add significant strength to the orcs.”
“What difference does that make now?” one of the elders asked.
Gilifan nodded. He turned away from the pit and looked at the other elders of the order that stood nearby.
“What do we do now?” one of them asked.
Gilifan stood silently. He knew of the egg, but none of the others did. He turned to Takala and looked at the man for a moment. “Where do your loyalties lie, Takala?” he asked.
“You have the power to raise men from the dead,” Takala said quickly. “Couldn’t you raise the master back?”
Gilifan sighed. Even if he still had the amulet, raising a dragon was beyond his power. He would need the book for that. The only problem was, he needed a dragon to use the book.
“I knew this was a waste of time,” one of the elders spat. “I have been sitting here waiting for the master’s return for all of my life, only to have him come back just in time to die at the hands of one man! This is ridiculous.”
Gilifan reached up with his hand and a magical vice wrapped around the elder’s throat. “It was your job to secure the lair.”
“No,” the man sputtered as he wiggled against the unseen choke-hold. “We were out on the master’s errand. We weren’t here!”
Gilifan released his spell and the man fell back a couple of steps. “We go after the book,” he said definitively. “Our order
Gersimon nodded. “When it was only made of iron I thought it was a beast, but now…” Gersimon’s words trailed off and he stared in wonder. “We shall crush the gates with this.”
“You said before it could withstand dragon’s fire,” Gilifan said. “Now, it actually will.”
*****
The moment the necromancer entered Demaverung he could feel that something was horribly wrong. None of the acolytes would return his stare, and others simply ran away or bolted their doors at his approach. Had Tu’luh been angered? There was no way for him to know. So he began his way up the tunnel. The air inside the volcano was as hot as it ever was, stinging his lungs with each breath. He looked up to the rubies and diamonds glittering in the wall like brilliant stars above the stark granite floor. The fact that none of the gems seemed to be humming gave him pause. Gilifan stopped and strained his ears while staring up the tunnel.
Silence was all that greeted his ears. He looked to his left and saw a middle-aged woman approaching him. “Takala is in the master’s chamber. He expects you there. Others have been assembled.”
He turned and increased his speed up the tunnel without responding to the woman. At last he came to the end of the tunnel. It opened into a large chamber. A great hole was situated almost dead center, with hot steam and smoke rising up out of it. To the far side on the right was a pile of gold coins and gems that made the hallways seem like costume jewelry by comparison.
Takala and a group of others stood around the edge of the pit, looking down. Gilifan moved forward, walking to the edge of the pit and looked down. Down below he saw the twisted, rigid body of his master. His face soured and he turned away from the sight at the bottom. “When did this happen?” he asked.
Takala looked up with a sober expression and answered for the group. “I called for you just as soon as I found out. The acolytes summoned the other elders, who had been out gathering firedrakes for an assault on Ten Forts.”
“Where were you?” Gilifan asked.
“I was also out in the valley,” Takala replied. “I was gathering some of the mercenaries we had hired. Our reinforcements are on their way to the westernmost walls of Ten Forts and should add significant strength to the orcs.”
“What difference does that make now?” one of the elders asked.
Gilifan nodded. He turned away from the pit and looked at the other elders of the order that stood nearby.
“What do we do now?” one of them asked.
Gilifan stood silently. He knew of the egg, but none of the others did. He turned to Takala and looked at the man for a moment. “Where do your loyalties lie, Takala?” he asked.
“You have the power to raise men from the dead,” Takala said quickly. “Couldn’t you raise the master back?”
Gilifan sighed. Even if he still had the amulet, raising a dragon was beyond his power. He would need the book for that. The only problem was, he needed a dragon to use the book.
“I knew this was a waste of time,” one of the elders spat. “I have been sitting here waiting for the master’s return for all of my life, only to have him come back just in time to die at the hands of one man! This is ridiculous.”
Gilifan reached up with his hand and a magical vice wrapped around the elder’s throat. “It was your job to secure the lair.”
“No,” the man sputtered as he wiggled against the unseen choke-hold. “We were out on the master’s errand. We weren’t here!”
Gilifan released his spell and the man fell back a couple of steps. “We go after the book,” he said definitively. “Our order
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