(eng) Jonathan Moeller - Frostborn 06 by The Dark Warden

Author:The Dark Warden [Warden, The Dark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13 - To Your Deaths

“Explain,” said Ridmark. “What game?”

The Warden looked at Valakoth. “Are you ready?”

Valakoth bowed deep, leaning on his staff for support. “All is in readiness, great master.”

“Good,” said the Warden. “Dispatch the acolytes to the circles of power and await my coming.”

“It shall be a glorious day, master,” said Valakoth. “The dawn of a new age.”

“More than you can imagine,” said the Warden. “Go.”

Valakoth bowed again and hobbled towards the waiting Devout.

“What was that about?” said Ridmark. “Are you going to answer our questions, or are you simply going to kill us?”

“So impatient,” said the Warden, turning back to Ridmark. “These things must be done properly. Still, it is logical. You have such short lifespans. Seventy years, or eighty if you have the strength, do not your own scriptures make that claim? Even you, dwarf.” He waved a hand at Caius. “Three hundred years or five hundred, and then your bones shall turn to stone in the endless darkness of the Deeps. Or they would have, had you not come here.”

“And you, Warden?” said Caius, looking at the dark elf without flinching. “Has fifteen thousand years within the walls of Urd Morlemoch taught you wisdom?”

“A form of it,” said the Warden.

“You want something from us,” said Ridmark.

The Warden said nothing, his black eyes stark against the bone-white pallor of his face.

“Else you would have killed us already,” said Ridmark, “or you would have let the Devout and your pet urvaalgs slay us.”

“Still clever,” said the Warden. “But not quite clever enough, alas.” He looked at Morigna. “Perhaps your ancient philosophers were right, and sins of the flesh do weaken the will and corrupt the intellect. Sir Ridmark, Knight of the Order of the Soulblade, might have been able to realize the truth. Ridmark Arban, branded exile and the lover of a renegade sorceress, did not realize the truth in time. A pity for him.”

“And what truth is that?” said Ridmark.

“Did you ever wonder, my lady Calliande,” said the Warden, “why you were walking into Urd Morlemoch with an empty soulstone?”

Calliande shrugged. “A wizard of your power…what use would you have for a soulstone?”

“That is the wrong question,” said the Warden.

“If you kill us here,” said Calliande, “then Shadowbearer will not be able to use the soulstone to restore the Frostborn.”

Again the Warden threw back his head and howled his insane laughter.

“No,” said the Warden when he calmed down. “No, he will not. But there is one more question you must ask yourself, for I know the answers to your questions. The truths you have sought for so very long. Are you sure you want to know the answers? For once you know them, you can never forget them…and you might very much desire to forget.”

“We’ve come this far for the truth,” said Ridmark. Yet the feeling of impending disaster that had come upon him in the ruined mansion grew stronger.

Had he been wrong the entire time? Had he led his friends to their deaths? He had warned them of it, but knowing it would happen and seeing it happen were different things entirely.

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