The Red Sword by Michael Wallace
Author:Michael Wallace [Wallace, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Balsalom Publishing
Published: 2017-08-11T06:00:00+00:00
Chapter Fourteen
The three apprentices were exhausted by morning. Theyâd passed the night sitting in a circle in the shrine of the Golden Pavilion, heads bowed, reading the archivistâs writing by moonlight. Whenever they parsed out a new line, they spent an hour, sometimes two, chanting it in unison, using their combined efforts to fix it in their memories.
As the first rays of sun crept over the woods to the east and gleamed off the small lake, one of the acolytes scaled the platform. He pulled back the sleeves of his saffron-colored robe, drew the beam suspended on ropes, and let it fall against the massive bell. It let out a deep, sonorous ring that echoed through the still morning air.
Still, the apprentices kept up their labors. It was an unusually slippery incantation, and even after an exhausting night of work, Nathaliey struggled to contain the words. At last, Narud lifted his head.
âI have it.â
âDo you?â Chantmer asked. âRepeat it, then.â
Narud did so. It sounded nearly perfect.
âGood. You will say the spell. Nathaliey and I will lend our strength.â Chantmer stood, rolled the sheet of vellum, and tucked it into his robe. âCome. We must hurry before it is forgotten.â
Nathalieyâs body creaked as she straightened herself. Her joints felt frozen, and her feet tingled when she put weight on them. She stumbled down the stairs to where Chantmer was already slipping on his sandals and did the same. The two of them walked ahead, while Narud brought up the rear, muttering the incantation under his breath.
âIt will take our combined power,â Chantmer told her. âAnd thatâs if Narud can hold the incantation.â
âWe can manage.â Nathaliey gathered her confidence. The earlier she began to build her will, the better.
âI would even welcome Markalâs contribution,â Chantmer said. âSmall as it is. But as he is not here, we must draw strength where we can. From unlikely sources, if you will.â
âYou mean the acolytes?â
This brought a dismissive wave of the hand. âThey are useless. No, I mean the gift left to us by the master.â
Nathaliey stopped and gave him a sharp look. âThe orb again?â
âShh, keep walking. You will distract Narud.â
âYou never should have recovered it from the desert. Should have left it there for the master when he awakened.â
âWhat if our enemies had found it? It was lying there in the sand. Anyone could have scooped it up.â
She raised an eyebrow. âSo simple? You walked up, and there it was, glinting in the sunlight.â
âWell, no. I searched for some time. It didnât want to be found, Iâll admit. But with a bit of clothing from the masterâs cottage and a seeking spellââ
âSomething anyone can cast,â she said.
âGo ahead, be sarcastic if you want. But I saw fit to recover it, and I saw fit to study it, learn from it. Thatâs more initiative than any of the rest of you showed.â
âAnd what did that gain you? You tried to use it once already, and you failed miserably. You lost the thing to Bronwyn, remember?â
âThe barbarian is long gone, and there is no risk now.
Download
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.
11/22/63 by Stephen King(2810)
11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King(2723)
Slow Horses by Mick Herron(2607)
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson(2333)
If It Bleeds by Stephen King;(2299)
Pet Sematary by Stephen King(2291)
Real Tigers by Mick Herron(2121)
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager(2089)
Misery by Stephen King(2043)
If It Bleeds by Stephen King(1984)
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James(1843)
Different Seasons by Stephen King(1826)
Backfire by Catherine Coulter(1686)
Devoted by Dean Koontz(1657)
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake(1580)
Doctor Sleep: A Novel by Stephen King(1561)
Penpal by Auerbach Dathan(1410)
Cujo by Stephen King(1389)
The Ruins by Scott Smith(1382)
