Return of the Paladin by Layton Green

Author:Layton Green [Green, Layton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cloaked Traveler Press
Published: 2019-06-03T22:00:00+00:00

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After their journey across Praha, Will and his companions were hungry and exhausted. Skara Brae provided cheese wedges and potato dumplings, washed down with water and a shared flagon of granth, then led them to a secluded alcove furnished with reed mats and woolen blankets. There was even a wash room with a rudimentary toilet at the far end of the winding stone tunnel.

The Nilometer was so inaccessible and well-fortified that Will felt no need to post a guard. He fell quickly into a dreamless sleep, and woke the next morning when Yasmina gently prodded him awake. Dalen was snoring in a corner, and Mateo was just beginning to rouse.

As they gathered their rucksacks for the next stage of the journey, Will asked the group, “What do you think of the bargain I made with Skara?”

Yasmina fastened the clasp of her pewter cloak. “I don’t think she means us harm. But I don’t trust her, either.”

“Aye,” Mateo said. “You saved us from the brushfire, cousin, but we might be sticking our heads into the witch’s oven.”

Will took a drink of water and wished, as he did most mornings, for a double espresso from his favorite coffee shop in New Orleans. “I wish there was another way. Like I said before, one step at a time.”

“I think the Nephili are a fairy tale,” Dalen added, “but tales of the Old City of Praha have been around for ages. At least according to my Da. Aike, there’s something on that bluff. Maybe it will help us find the Coffer thief—or maybe it will get us all killed.”

Will knew that whatever happened on the next stage of the journey, the responsibility lay on his shoulders. He was the leader, and he had to own it. “Listen,” he said, eying them one by one. “I don’t mind if you back out now. All of you. I was the one who got us into this. I can follow Skara to this door on my own, and meet you at Tiny’s when it’s done.”

“Krikey,” Dalen said, “I thought you’d never ask!”

As the young mage shouldered his pack and walked towards the entrance to the alcove, Will’s heart sank, though he couldn’t blame Dalen for not wanting to join him on such a dangerous quest. Without a backward glance, the young illusionist walked right through the beaded curtain that shielded the alcove, leaving Will stunned by the sudden departure. He turned to see how Yasmina and Mateo would react, only to find all three of them—including Dalen—watching him with huge grins.

“What the—” Will spluttered. “I just saw you leave!”

Dalen broke into laughter as he put an arm around Will’s shoulders. “I told you I was getting better.”

“That was an illusion? I heard your voice, too!”

Dalen pulled Yasmina and Mateo into a circle with him and Will. “We may not be the most fearsome group of adventurers in the Realm, but lucka, we stick together.”

“Aye,” Mateo said solemnly, gripping Will’s other shoulder.

When Will looked over at Yasmina, expecting

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