Read Online Theft of Dragons (Princes of Naverstrom) by John Forrester - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: John Forrester
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Arcanum—including your grandfather, and King Salgar. They faced sheer drops into dark shafts, underground rivers filled with flesh-eating fish, hordes of poisonous snakes and crawling insects, and numbing waves of fear that infected the entrance to Naverstrom. Their numbers dwindled to only half of their original party until only twelve remained. All of the original four wizards, all of the five thieves, two of the rangers, and King Salgar."
Tael chuckled at the image of the thieves surviving and the knights slain. "Thieves survived but the brave knights failed to make it? Maybe you should teach me the dagger and throwing knives, Father."
His father pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow at that. "Likely the thieves killed the knights in their sleep. Your grandfather said little about the details, and the King is said to have spoken sparse facts about the fate of the knights. Although your grandfather guessed the King planned it that way, as the knights were known to be sworn to Lords unfriendly to the King."
"So the King bribed the thieves to kill the knights?" Tael couldn't believe the old King could be so conniving.
"He did many deeds worse than that. Don't look so surprised, expect Kings and nobles to do vile deeds and you won't underestimate your enemies...
"When King Salgar and the party crossed the rune-protected barrier to Naverstrom, the wizards shielded them from the curses placed along the gold-and-silver-veined walls of the tunnel leading down into the heat of the lava-filled caverns. They battled ghouls, animated skeleton warriors, wights, blood-drinking bats, and specters that drained the hope from their hearts. The King fought valiantly and the Elven sword frightened away the undead, allowing the wizards and rangers to strike at a distance as the vile creatures fled.
"One of the immortal Princes of Naverstrom was lured from his lair at the commotion and faced the party with raging, demonic eyes. King Salgar raised his sword and challenged the Prince to a fight to the death. Your grandfather says they fought hard and long until the King tired from exhaustion. But the wizards came to his aid and cast spells of sustenance and invigoration and holy wrath, and the King battled on. The rangers aimed crippling shots at the Prince's knees and the King leapt in with a magically infused jump and sliced half the head off the giant Prince. He hacked and he hacked until finally the dark Prince was slain. And from this Prince he stole a medallion of immense power."
His father sighed and scrunched up his eyes at Tael. "I believe the only way the King won was from ancient Elven magic that your grandfather used to help the Old King. Cast at a terrible cost to his body and soul..."
"Soon after that great battle they reach a nest protected by giant spiders which they dispatched in a bloody, sticky mess. Instead of uncovering cringing Hakkadians they found a beautiful girl of perhaps sixteen tied and bound inside. The King valiantly freed her and upon encountering the girl's thankful tears took her in his arms and carried her out of that foul nest. She begged him—with sobs and tender whispers—to evacuate her out of the dungeon before the sorcerers of that place came back to offer her loins as a reward to the undead overlords of Naverstrom. And the King, taken in by her beauty and deceiving story, ordered the party to the surface.
"The young maiden was of course a witch by the name of Koroshen, who managed to convince the King that she was an Elven daughter of a sage who lived in isolation in an old library protected by a keep along the western border of Drazal'tan. She spun her story with threads of magic that weaved their way deep into the King's mind until he was utterly entranced and taken in by her beauty. Soon after leaving the cave he vowed to take her back to the capitol and marry her in the Illumina Cathedral—despite being already wed six months prior. When one of the wizards dared remind the King of his
Tael chuckled at the image of the thieves surviving and the knights slain. "Thieves survived but the brave knights failed to make it? Maybe you should teach me the dagger and throwing knives, Father."
His father pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow at that. "Likely the thieves killed the knights in their sleep. Your grandfather said little about the details, and the King is said to have spoken sparse facts about the fate of the knights. Although your grandfather guessed the King planned it that way, as the knights were known to be sworn to Lords unfriendly to the King."
"So the King bribed the thieves to kill the knights?" Tael couldn't believe the old King could be so conniving.
"He did many deeds worse than that. Don't look so surprised, expect Kings and nobles to do vile deeds and you won't underestimate your enemies...
"When King Salgar and the party crossed the rune-protected barrier to Naverstrom, the wizards shielded them from the curses placed along the gold-and-silver-veined walls of the tunnel leading down into the heat of the lava-filled caverns. They battled ghouls, animated skeleton warriors, wights, blood-drinking bats, and specters that drained the hope from their hearts. The King fought valiantly and the Elven sword frightened away the undead, allowing the wizards and rangers to strike at a distance as the vile creatures fled.
"One of the immortal Princes of Naverstrom was lured from his lair at the commotion and faced the party with raging, demonic eyes. King Salgar raised his sword and challenged the Prince to a fight to the death. Your grandfather says they fought hard and long until the King tired from exhaustion. But the wizards came to his aid and cast spells of sustenance and invigoration and holy wrath, and the King battled on. The rangers aimed crippling shots at the Prince's knees and the King leapt in with a magically infused jump and sliced half the head off the giant Prince. He hacked and he hacked until finally the dark Prince was slain. And from this Prince he stole a medallion of immense power."
His father sighed and scrunched up his eyes at Tael. "I believe the only way the King won was from ancient Elven magic that your grandfather used to help the Old King. Cast at a terrible cost to his body and soul..."
"Soon after that great battle they reach a nest protected by giant spiders which they dispatched in a bloody, sticky mess. Instead of uncovering cringing Hakkadians they found a beautiful girl of perhaps sixteen tied and bound inside. The King valiantly freed her and upon encountering the girl's thankful tears took her in his arms and carried her out of that foul nest. She begged him—with sobs and tender whispers—to evacuate her out of the dungeon before the sorcerers of that place came back to offer her loins as a reward to the undead overlords of Naverstrom. And the King, taken in by her beauty and deceiving story, ordered the party to the surface.
"The young maiden was of course a witch by the name of Koroshen, who managed to convince the King that she was an Elven daughter of a sage who lived in isolation in an old library protected by a keep along the western border of Drazal'tan. She spun her story with threads of magic that weaved their way deep into the King's mind until he was utterly entranced and taken in by her beauty. Soon after leaving the cave he vowed to take her back to the capitol and marry her in the Illumina Cathedral—despite being already wed six months prior. When one of the wizards dared remind the King of his
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