Read Online The Light, the Dark and the Ugly by Bryan Cohen - Free Book Online
Authors: Bryan Cohen
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him, their skin sizzling. That's when Ted saw it. A weapon the size of a rocket launcher sat atop one raider's shoulder, and when his Lychos trotted away from the formerly closed trap, the man pointed the weapon directly at Ted.
His eyes grew wide. "Uh oh."
The sound was twice as bone-chilling as the first had been, but Ted did his best to fly through the fear. As he zipped back through the room and onto the stairwell, a thick lightning bolt of energy slammed into the building. Ted braced himself, putting his arms in front of his eyes as he raced against the explosion. Wood shattered behind him as he flew downward in a diagonal direction. He slammed through one wall first, and then another. His arms stung from the impact as he crash-landed on the charred floor of the abandoned tavern. Ted skidded along the ground and heard the sound of weapons being drawn.
"Hold your fire!"
Ted pushed himself up with his battered arms and saw Commander Ferrick keeping his men at bay.
Ted felt his arm twitch with pain, though his legs seemed to be relatively unfazed. "Thanks."
He looked back through the hole he'd punched in the side of the tavern. Sure enough, the building he'd just left had completely collapsed behind him. He'd gotten out just in time. Another sound of a shockwave blasted through the air, followed by screams and moaning. Ted steeled himself against the pain and walked to the commander's side. He looked left and right. Ted's heart sunk.
"Where's Natalie?"
As Ferrick gestured outside, the front door to the tavern came ripping off. The Lychos had torn it right off its hinges and tossed it away. It slammed hard on the dirt outside. The leader of the bandits powered up his weapon once again.
Ted put all his strength into his voice. "Wait! I'm the living soul!"
The raider's laugh started with a chuckle and morphed into an all out guffaw. "You think we care about this war? About you?" The man stared right into Ted's eyes. "You must not be from around here."
With the dark souls surrounding him, there'd be no flying out of this one. Ted shut his eyes and thought of home. The sound of a small energy blast and the impact of animal flesh made Ted open his eyes. The Lychos in front of the door growled and turned away, running in a full on sprint in the direction of the town's exit. The raider nearly lost his balance in the shift, but he maintained his hold on the animal's fur.
Ferrick gave Ted a sideways glance. "What the heck was that?"
Ted shrugged and ran outside. That's when he saw her.
"Catch me if you can, sucker!"
Natalie sat atop one of the Lychos, which was hightailing it away from the town square. Ted realized that she'd distracted the assailant's steed with a shot in the posterior and she was drawing his fire. He had to admit that whether or not he still had feelings for Natalie, he kind of loved her right now. Ted heard the raider's heavy artillery power up again. He instinctively tried to throw him off the Lychos with his powers, but it was no use; there were too many dark souls looking in his direction.
Ted cupped his hands around his mouth. "Natalie! Watch out!"
The next few moments seemed to last a millennium. The raider screamed with his finger on the trigger. Natalie pulled a 180 and hopped up on the back of her full-speed Lychos. As the weapon discharged, she dove sideways, aiming her body for the space between two buildings. Her weapon took three expertly-aimed shots. As the massive wave of energy approached her body, each of her three blasts hit the raider's weapon. The device glowed red-hot after the second shot, and the third one caused it to explode in a raging, blue fireball. In the moment before Ted crouched down to avoid the blast, he saw Natalie safely avoid the explosion and disappear into the alley.
When the raider's weapon detonated, it pushed Ted and the guards to the ground. He landed with a thud on his now possibly-broken arm. The pain caused him to bite down so hard on his lip, he could
His eyes grew wide. "Uh oh."
The sound was twice as bone-chilling as the first had been, but Ted did his best to fly through the fear. As he zipped back through the room and onto the stairwell, a thick lightning bolt of energy slammed into the building. Ted braced himself, putting his arms in front of his eyes as he raced against the explosion. Wood shattered behind him as he flew downward in a diagonal direction. He slammed through one wall first, and then another. His arms stung from the impact as he crash-landed on the charred floor of the abandoned tavern. Ted skidded along the ground and heard the sound of weapons being drawn.
"Hold your fire!"
Ted pushed himself up with his battered arms and saw Commander Ferrick keeping his men at bay.
Ted felt his arm twitch with pain, though his legs seemed to be relatively unfazed. "Thanks."
He looked back through the hole he'd punched in the side of the tavern. Sure enough, the building he'd just left had completely collapsed behind him. He'd gotten out just in time. Another sound of a shockwave blasted through the air, followed by screams and moaning. Ted steeled himself against the pain and walked to the commander's side. He looked left and right. Ted's heart sunk.
"Where's Natalie?"
As Ferrick gestured outside, the front door to the tavern came ripping off. The Lychos had torn it right off its hinges and tossed it away. It slammed hard on the dirt outside. The leader of the bandits powered up his weapon once again.
Ted put all his strength into his voice. "Wait! I'm the living soul!"
The raider's laugh started with a chuckle and morphed into an all out guffaw. "You think we care about this war? About you?" The man stared right into Ted's eyes. "You must not be from around here."
With the dark souls surrounding him, there'd be no flying out of this one. Ted shut his eyes and thought of home. The sound of a small energy blast and the impact of animal flesh made Ted open his eyes. The Lychos in front of the door growled and turned away, running in a full on sprint in the direction of the town's exit. The raider nearly lost his balance in the shift, but he maintained his hold on the animal's fur.
Ferrick gave Ted a sideways glance. "What the heck was that?"
Ted shrugged and ran outside. That's when he saw her.
"Catch me if you can, sucker!"
Natalie sat atop one of the Lychos, which was hightailing it away from the town square. Ted realized that she'd distracted the assailant's steed with a shot in the posterior and she was drawing his fire. He had to admit that whether or not he still had feelings for Natalie, he kind of loved her right now. Ted heard the raider's heavy artillery power up again. He instinctively tried to throw him off the Lychos with his powers, but it was no use; there were too many dark souls looking in his direction.
Ted cupped his hands around his mouth. "Natalie! Watch out!"
The next few moments seemed to last a millennium. The raider screamed with his finger on the trigger. Natalie pulled a 180 and hopped up on the back of her full-speed Lychos. As the weapon discharged, she dove sideways, aiming her body for the space between two buildings. Her weapon took three expertly-aimed shots. As the massive wave of energy approached her body, each of her three blasts hit the raider's weapon. The device glowed red-hot after the second shot, and the third one caused it to explode in a raging, blue fireball. In the moment before Ted crouched down to avoid the blast, he saw Natalie safely avoid the explosion and disappear into the alley.
When the raider's weapon detonated, it pushed Ted and the guards to the ground. He landed with a thud on his now possibly-broken arm. The pain caused him to bite down so hard on his lip, he could
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