A Crumble of Walls (The Kin of Kings Book 4) Read Online Free
Author: B.T. Narro
flaming arrow in front of his face.
The warrior took time to stare at the catapult as he raised his flaming arrow up. He somehow ignored the fireballs and arrows coming down around him and striking his comrades. Men screamed as they fell and stumbled into one another. Basen fought the urge to duck and cover his head. How could Cleve appear so calm?
The next sight caused Basen to curse. Cleve didn’t seem to notice the horde of psychic Elves rushing toward them. “You might want to hurry,” Basen advised in as calm a voice he could manage, barely refraining from shouting the words and possibly startling Cleve. The other archers had begun firing at the catapult, though the few arrows that struck didn’t stick.
Basen gathered energy for a fireball, waiting until Cleve shot so as not to distract him. Finally, Cleve pulled back his string and fired in one smooth draw of his arm. Basen formed and shot a fireball, striking two of the Elves leading the charge. It didn’t slow the rest.
Basen looked over their heads at the catapult, hoping to see Cleve’s arrow catching it aflame. One lick of fire flickered around the back of it.
The basket! He got the basket! Knowing little about catapults, Basen had no idea what to call its different parts. But if there was one thing he could tell, it was the wooden structure looked weakest in the back, where an enormous bucket could be pulled down for loading and then tossing boulders. The wood there appeared thin, probably to keep it light for the design of the catapult to work.
It didn’t burn quickly, but at least it burned. However, Basen’s enemies were quickly pulling down the beam to get at the basket. Basen had already gathered enough energy for another fireball. It was a long shot, and he put everything he had behind it.
The front line of Basen’s allies yelled in pain as they collapsed. The Elves had their arms out and their faces twisted from the focus of psyche, staying out of range of the attacking swordsmen. Basen heard his father’s scream among the others and tore his eyes away from the soaring fireball.
CHAPTER THREE
The wind and rain provided scant protection as enemy archers fired freely. Several men were struck, but none fell out of rank. A mage took an arrow to the shoulder, grunted, then continued to light another of his comrade’s arrows.
Basen’s fireball finally landed a good distance in front of the catapult. He might’ve killed one or both of the enemies hit by his explosion, but that didn’t matter. The burning basket was extinguished before any damage was done.
More flaming arrows were shot, but every time they hit, the same enemy mage smothered the flame with heavy sartious energy that looked like tiny storm clouds from this great distance.
The woman responsible couldn’t have graduated from the Academy, because Alabell had witnessed graduates being dragged out of their homes to be killed when Tauwin took the castle. Those who escaped death had joined up with Henry. So where had this woman come from?
She must’ve trained in Greenedge specifically to take our territory from us. Anger made Basen fearless as he gathered energy for his next fireball. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his father standing tall against a psychic spell. Basen had never spoken to his father about resisting psyche and wondered how Henry was capable.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Henry screeched, “Tell Terren to send the reinforcements!”
“Already done!” one of his officers called from somewhere behind Basen.
“Move back while we wait!” Henry yelled.
But it seemed as if their enemies were retreating as well, as they began dragging the catapult away. The psychic Elves looked over their shoulders and then sprinted back toward their army, who continued to fire.
Ally archers changed their targets to the Elves, felling only a few of them. Basen paid them little mind as he moved to the outskirts of his group and condensed all
The warrior took time to stare at the catapult as he raised his flaming arrow up. He somehow ignored the fireballs and arrows coming down around him and striking his comrades. Men screamed as they fell and stumbled into one another. Basen fought the urge to duck and cover his head. How could Cleve appear so calm?
The next sight caused Basen to curse. Cleve didn’t seem to notice the horde of psychic Elves rushing toward them. “You might want to hurry,” Basen advised in as calm a voice he could manage, barely refraining from shouting the words and possibly startling Cleve. The other archers had begun firing at the catapult, though the few arrows that struck didn’t stick.
Basen gathered energy for a fireball, waiting until Cleve shot so as not to distract him. Finally, Cleve pulled back his string and fired in one smooth draw of his arm. Basen formed and shot a fireball, striking two of the Elves leading the charge. It didn’t slow the rest.
Basen looked over their heads at the catapult, hoping to see Cleve’s arrow catching it aflame. One lick of fire flickered around the back of it.
The basket! He got the basket! Knowing little about catapults, Basen had no idea what to call its different parts. But if there was one thing he could tell, it was the wooden structure looked weakest in the back, where an enormous bucket could be pulled down for loading and then tossing boulders. The wood there appeared thin, probably to keep it light for the design of the catapult to work.
It didn’t burn quickly, but at least it burned. However, Basen’s enemies were quickly pulling down the beam to get at the basket. Basen had already gathered enough energy for another fireball. It was a long shot, and he put everything he had behind it.
The front line of Basen’s allies yelled in pain as they collapsed. The Elves had their arms out and their faces twisted from the focus of psyche, staying out of range of the attacking swordsmen. Basen heard his father’s scream among the others and tore his eyes away from the soaring fireball.
CHAPTER THREE
The wind and rain provided scant protection as enemy archers fired freely. Several men were struck, but none fell out of rank. A mage took an arrow to the shoulder, grunted, then continued to light another of his comrade’s arrows.
Basen’s fireball finally landed a good distance in front of the catapult. He might’ve killed one or both of the enemies hit by his explosion, but that didn’t matter. The burning basket was extinguished before any damage was done.
More flaming arrows were shot, but every time they hit, the same enemy mage smothered the flame with heavy sartious energy that looked like tiny storm clouds from this great distance.
The woman responsible couldn’t have graduated from the Academy, because Alabell had witnessed graduates being dragged out of their homes to be killed when Tauwin took the castle. Those who escaped death had joined up with Henry. So where had this woman come from?
She must’ve trained in Greenedge specifically to take our territory from us. Anger made Basen fearless as he gathered energy for his next fireball. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his father standing tall against a psychic spell. Basen had never spoken to his father about resisting psyche and wondered how Henry was capable.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Henry screeched, “Tell Terren to send the reinforcements!”
“Already done!” one of his officers called from somewhere behind Basen.
“Move back while we wait!” Henry yelled.
But it seemed as if their enemies were retreating as well, as they began dragging the catapult away. The psychic Elves looked over their shoulders and then sprinted back toward their army, who continued to fire.
Ally archers changed their targets to the Elves, felling only a few of them. Basen paid them little mind as he moved to the outskirts of his group and condensed all
Readers choose
Eliza DeGaulle
Emily Hendrickson
Johan Theorin
Carol Colbert
Tama Janowitz
Gail Carriger
Lexy Timms
Fiona Wright
Robin Robertson