Empress Aurora Trilogy Quest For the Kingdom Parts I, II, and III Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) by L. M. Roth

Author:L. M. Roth [Roth, L. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Roth Publications
Published: 2014-05-08T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter XIX

The Confrontation

The morning came. At least, the time proclaimed it was morning, but in truth there had been no night at all. Twilight never came, the darkness did not fall. All night the land was bathed in an eerie glow. While not true daylight with a blue sky, it was an unsettling glare as on days when the sunlight is filtered through a haze of clouds and humidity, though there was not a cloud in the sky. Yellow-white was its color, a golden glow. Marcus was not sure if he liked it or not.

For the villagers it was a cause for rejoicing. The sound of singing and dancing came to the ears of the little band as they huddled inside Dag’s house, attempting to snatch a few hours of sleep. They forsook the sleeping arrangements of the night before as Fanchon said the strange story of Bjorrne and his celebration had unnerved her, and she did not want to be far from the protection of her betrothed. So it was decided that they would all camp on the main room floor, where they were within easy reach of one another should something happen to alarm them in the night.

But sound slumber eluded them. There was something in the air that unsettled them. Marcus found the peace of his spirit disturbed, and a strange uneasiness plagued him, making even a short nap impossible. Cort listened with widened eyes to the sounds of celebration that came to their ears, as his small body tensed in absolute stillness like some tiny woodland creature trying to evade the detection of the hunter. Dag sat upright in a chair with one hand on his spear, his ears attuned with the skill of the hunter for any sign of approaching steps.

Felix tossed and turned in a fitful doze, occasionally waking to inquire where the noise was coming from, and what time it was. Fanchon nodded off but cried out in sleep that was beset by nightmares.

Kyrene paced back and forth in agitation, her lips moving in prayer, her gaze fixed on some vision seen only by her own eyes. Then she stopped abruptly and strained to listen. The sudden cessation of her pacing caught the attention of the others as her apprehension spread to them all.

“What, what is it?” Marcus managed to whisper hoarsely through a mouth gone suddenly dry.

“The Astra,” Kyrene answered as her breath came in hard gasps for air. “They are here.”

A chill descended on the room as a sudden fear gripped them all. The Astra. Those creatures fallen from glory who preyed on the sons and daughters of Dominio.

“Here? But, where, how?” Felix asked her. “This is just a celebration of Bjorrne the Bear, a feast held by ignorant people who do not know the truth. It is not a worship of demons,” he remonstrated with her.

“No, Felix,” Kyrene insisted, “It is the Astra. Ever they have worn a mask to disguise from men who they really are. Of course these people think they are worshiping a god; yet that adoration is really given to idols.

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.