Avion by Emma Daniels

Author:Emma Daniels [Daniels, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Magic, Amnesia, knight, sword fighting, castle, tall ship, pirate
Publisher: Emma Daniels
Published: 2011-08-18T14:02:42+00:00

ELEVEN

POISON IN HIS VEINS

Lorenso heard the steady drumming of hooves change tempo, instantly sensing that something had happened to one of his companions. Reining in his mount, he slowed to see Antano come to a galloping halt beside him.

“Where be Alecsis?” the old magician demanded, peering into the gloom around them.

Antano shook his head. “He was right behind me a moment ago.”

Swinging his mount around, Lorenso cantered back the way they had come. Soon he caught a glimpse of the riderless horse gnawing some grass by the side of the road. Easing his own mount to a walk, he reached out to the other animal, taking hold of her reins. The mare followed obediently.

The black shape of a man lying in the middle of the road wasn’t hard to miss. The cowl had slipped from his head, and the moonlight slanting through the trees shone directly on his pale face, turning his long flowing hair into a shimmering gold mantle.

“Dear Heaven!” Antano gasped, jumping from his horse.

Lorenso also dismounted, and hurried to Alecsis’s side. He placed a trembling hand to the side of his neck, searching for a sign of life. He eventually found it, a pulse so faint that Alecsis would surely die if he didn’t administer those healing potions immediately.

Turning to the young man at his side, he said, “Help me drag him into the bushes. We have to find some flat ground where we will not be seen from the road.”

Stepping around Alecsis, he took hold of one of his limp hands. Antano took the other, and they dragged him into the forest. Trying to shift a man almost twice their weight over rocks and bracken was not easy. Soon they were panting from exertion. By the time they had dragged Alecsis to a spot open and flat enough, both men were lathered in a fine film of perspiration.

“Fetch my healing satchel, and the nightstones. Then see to the horses,” Lorenso commanded, crouching beside the supine man. He looked like death had already claimed him.

Antano scurried off, returning with the items Lorenso requested. He placed a glowing stone on either side of Alecsis. Now able to see what he was doing, he parted the cloak, then began tugging at Alecsis’s clothes, hoisting up his stained blue tunic.

When he saw the extent of the damage, he gasped in horror. Instead of healing, the wound had opened further, and a noxious yellow fluid that reeked of sickness seeped from it. Lorenso marveled that he had made it this far.

Hurriedly he set to work, rubbing a drawing ointment around the red raw wound, knowing it would get worse before it got better. I hope you have the strength to survive what I have to do, he thought.

He started chanting a spell that brought Antano rushing to his side. The youth immediately began worrying an already ravaged fingernail. He listened with rapt attention as Lorenso spoke of drawing the poison from Alecsis’s veins, pulling the evil from his body like unraveling a thread from a garment.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.