Orphan's Quest by Terry Ironwood

Author:Terry Ironwood [Ironwood, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Terry Ironwood
Published: 2024-08-26T23:00:00+00:00

5

First and foremost, Chip decided to introduce himself to the men guarding the pass. Looking up, he saw the face of a sentry high up in the open window of the watchtower, gazing over the Desolate Plain. The only way the soldier could see him was if he looked straight down.

Instead of calling up, Chip began to mount the stairs. Taking them two at a time, he felt excited to reach the top. Holding the railing, he walked up through a dark rectangular hole in the floor of the watchtower and emerged into a great circular room with a wide view of the Desolate Plain. Chip opened his mouth to announce his arrival, but no sound came out. He froze in shock.

There were bodies everywhere. Rather, pieces of bodies. Chip nearly fell down the hole as he stepped back. A stench of blood and rot filled his nose, causing him to gag. He yanked his sword out and crouched down, looking for an enemy. Where was the guard he had seen from below?

He then saw a severed head resting on the sill of the giant window overlooking the Desolate Plain. It was a soldier whose vacant eyes would never see again. Scattered around the rest of the room were pieces of human bodies shredded beyond recognition. There was blood everywhere.

The desolate howl of the wind coming off the plain was the only sound. He walked around overturned tables and looked behind cupboards, satisfying himself that he was alone in the large room. It seemed whatever had done this was gone. He looked down the hole at the stairs below to make sure nothing was coming up. Chip determined that even though there were body parts everywhere, only three soldiers were dead in the watchtower. Where were the other three?

After several heart-fluttering moments, the boy decided to climb down and investigate the log cabin. With sword in hand and senses on high alert, Chip descended the stairs in the deepening gloom. The sun had almost disappeared behind the great barrier across the Desolate Plain to the west.

Nothing moved as he reached the ground and crossed the empty expanse to the cabin. Everything was eerily quiet. It all felt wrong. He did not realize it before but the door to the cabin was ajar. It was getting so dark that he knew he would not be able to see clearly inside.

Chip slid his pack off and quietly rummaged through it until he found a small, wrapped torch. He lit it with flint and steel, then held it aloft. With his other hand, he gripped his sword tightly. The door squeaked as he pushed it slowly open and slid through. He gritted his teeth at the sound.

Moving forward, he entered a long room with a large oak table and a set of wooden chairs at the other end surrounding an unlit hearth. Lying on the table before him was a dead soldier, his throat slashed and large chunks of his body missing. The guard’s sword was still clasped in a death grip in his right hand.

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