Read Online The Quest for the Trilogy: Boneslicer; Seaspray; Deathwhisper by Mel Odom - Free Book Online Page A

enough to survive the unforgiving climate and the bloodthirsty predators. When the Goblin Lord gathered them to his cause, they were ready to kill everything in their path.”
    â€œAn’ they did,” Verdin said.
    â€œYes,” Wick echoed as he watched Hallekk pour him another tankard of wine. He drank it down gratefully, surprised at the way his head felt as if it were floating. “They did. After Teldane’s Bounty was destroyed and the ships dragged down to the bottom of the Gentlewind Sea, after Cloud Heights was ripped asunder and torn from the trees at Silverleaves Glen, humans, dwarves, and elves began a mass exodus from the south, driven unmercifully by the combined might of the goblinkin tribes.”
    Despite the time spent in the Wastelands, the goblinkin population hadn’t dwindled. They had no equal when it came to bearing offspring then, and still didn’t. Even the humans came in at a distant second, followed by the dwarves and elves, but the goblinkin far outlived the humans.
    Unless they were killed , Wick remembered. And that had been an accepted solution to the goblinkin problem for a long time.
    Moving quickly, Wick lined up several tankards on the countertop, fashioning a replica of the Painted Canyon to better illustrate his story. He tiptoed through the tankards as he continued.
    â€œThe fugitives from the south were desperate,” Wick said. “The number of warriors among them had drastically been cut, split off in the effort to hold Teldane’s Bounty, and falling to goblinkin weapons. They needed an escape route. But the Goblin Lord was determined not to let them have it.”
    â€œHe was waitin’ on ’em in the Painted Canyon,” someone said.
    â€œHe was,” Wick agreed. “He harried the escapees from behind with one army, while he worked around to their flank with another. He planned to ambush them there in the Unmerciful Shards.”
    â€œHow did Lord Kharrion get through the dragons?” someone asked.
    Wick paced along the countertop. “Foul being that he was, the Goblin Lord had established a treaty with the dragons through the Dragon King Shengharck. Several of those the goblinkin captured were delivered to the spawning dragons in the Unmerciful Shards. And other places. The dragons didn’t have to hunt anymore, and they didn’t have to worry about being destroyed. All they had to do was not attack the goblinkin.”
    The horror of the thing washed over the crowd. Wick doubted that any among them had ever seen a great dragon feed on bound prisoners, but he had while in Shengharck’s lair in the Broken Forge Mountains. It was a terrible sight and sound that he would never forget.
    â€œFortunately, the Unity found out about Lord Kharrion’s ambush,” Wick said. “They were able to muster three armies, though none of them at full strength, and get them to the Painted Canyon. Each of those armies represented the humans, dwarves, and elves who had taken up arms against Lord Kharrion.”
    â€œBut there wasn’t a dweller army, was there?” someone asked snidely.
“Noooooo. The halfers were hidin’ out here in Greydawn Moors, puttin’ their little Library together, protectin’ the books.”
    â€œQuiet!” a voice thundered.
    Every head in the tavern snapped in the direction of the voice. Hands reached for swords and axes. Then, when they recognized Craugh standing in the doorway, the dwarves and humans quickly looked away and were silent.
    The wizard walked into the room and a threatening chill seemed to follow him. “Continue your tale, Second Level Librarian Lamplighter.” He paused and looked around the room. “And just for clarification, there’ll be no fighting here tonight.”
    â€œThank the Old Ones.” Paunsel sighed.
    Wick was grateful to see that Craugh had put in an appearance, but he was worried as well. Since the very first time