Ritual of the Lost Lamb (Legends of Windemere Book 13) by Charles E. Yallowitz

Author:Charles E. Yallowitz
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2017-05-10T06:00:00+00:00

11

Luke awakens and is surprised to find himself standing among green-leafed trees, the smell of damp grass bringing joy to his heart. Hoping that his captivity and torture were nothing more than a nightmare, the half-elf looks around for his friends. The other champions are nowhere to be seen, their absence making him fear that he is hallucinating. Spotting the side of a large building, he sprints through the forest, which is devoid of birds or even the slightest breeze. Luke flips into the flaking branches to gain enough height for a wind-boosted leap to the top of a long wall. A curse slips from his lips when he looks down at the forked peak of the Widowhorn, his eyes spotting many horned spiders wandering through the distant shadows. The champion is tempted to step off the edge and plummet in order to wake from a dream that he assumes will become a nightmare. Before he can act, wisps of smoke drift from below and a noxious scent makes him cover his mouth. His eyes water with burning tears until he steps away from the edge and takes a cleansing breath. The sensation steadily fades away and is replaced by the aroma of blooming flowers, which seep from the thick cracks in the wall.

“Welcome home, foolish champion,” a wispy voice says from the sky. The Brocken Dragon’s antlered head looms out of the clouds and yawns, the beast’s forked tongue sliding out in search of moisture. “I have been watching you suffer and given you what little strength I can afford to sacrifice. The Garden of Uli has been targeted, so I cannot go to you. Not that protecting the champion is my job. The guardians exist to watch over the temples while our masters continue along their path.”

“What do I have to do?” Luke asks, staring at his hands. Dirt and scabbed-over wounds flicker on his flesh before disappearing. “I don’t know how long I can last. He took my friends who have been giving me their strength for so long. I’m starting to forget what it was like to not feel pain. Every time I think I’ve found a way out, the Baron hurts me more. All I can do is scream and watch those I care about get killed. The chances of me being rescued are so bad that I’m having trouble believing it will happen.”

“Our enemy is a sadistic monster,” the dragon admits, revealing its serpentine body. A shiver of its light green feathers releases a gentle rain upon the battered land below. “Though you are proving to be very resilient. You should have more faith in yourself and always believe that you will be saved. The fact that you are able to send part of your mind here is proof that you still have strength.”

“I don’t think this was intentional,” the half-elf claims while he watches the clouds move back and forth. He can hear distant voices, none of them clear enough for him to recognize or understand.

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