Dread Knight: A Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Harem by Sarah Hawke

Author:Sarah Hawke [Hawke, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jade Fantasy
Published: 2024-01-08T00:00:00+00:00

9

The Wizardess

Moonshade Fen, the Wild Marches. Four Years Ago…

I stood there staring down at the body of the young man I’d just killed, my hands trembling so badly I nearly dropped my new sword. Steelshade had carved through dozens of Riven today, but I hadn’t expected to need the blade to cut down one of our own.

“Shit,” Roderick said, looking as if he might be sick at any moment. “Shit!”

“He died hours ago,” I said, as much to myself as to him. “We gave him peace.”

The words didn’t seem to soothe the young paladin at all, and frankly they didn’t do anything for me, either. The dead armiger at my feet, a freckled boy named Calden, had been swiped by a ghoul during our long, brutal retreat from the Dragonscar this morning. I hadn’t thought it deep enough to turn him, but he’d probably inhaled too much of the corruption during the fighting. In all likelihood, he wouldn’t be the only man who’d turn tonight in camp.

Or woman.

“Is Zaelya stable?” I asked, taking a step away from the body. I’d killed Calden quickly with a precise thrust through his chest, but he’d continued flopping around until I’d severed his head.

“I…I’m not sure,” Roderick managed. “I did the best I could, but without a cleric…”

I nodded in understanding. He had a gift for healing, there was no doubt about it—he’d saved my ass half a dozen times already during this campaign. But even the most skilled paladins couldn’t channel Aodar’s healing magic like clerics. And it wasn’t as if I could do anything to help.

“I’ll check on her,” I said, forcing myself to finally look away. “Get the body burned as quickly as you can.”

I put my hand on the heavy pauldron of his dented plate armor, and Roderick turned to look at me. His dark eyes were as haunted as mine. He had hardened himself over this last year, but there were times when he still looked as lost and helpless as when we’d saved him from Canith Mir. I doubted he would sleep much tonight.

Gods knew I wouldn’t, either.

Setting my sword down so the aspirants could clean it, I turned and strode across the camp to the hospital tent where Zaelya was waiting. One of the apothecaries was watching her, at the orders of Legate Bremic—we couldn’t take the risk that she would turn into a banshee before anyone noticed. I sent him away with a nod, and I quickly moved to her side and took her hand.

“You’ll make it. I swear.”

I wasn’t certain if I believed myself or not. Despite Roderick’s healing magic, Zaelya remained extremely weak. She had been struck by three arrows this morning as a gryphon and two more this afternoon as an owlbear. The wounds had mostly healed by now; Balphoren’s Profane blood granted many gifts, not the least of which was demonic regeneration to his druids who remained in their bestial form.

But the Beast Lord despised elves as much as humans, and his dark blessing faded the moment a druid reverted to her natural shape.

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.