Chaos Unleashed Read Online Free Page B

brought war to your people…and ours! How many more of us must die for their cause?
    “We’ve already been drawn into someone else’s war once,” he reminded them. “Are we fools enough to let it happen again?”
    “Hadawas understood the danger Shalana and Vaaler speak of,” Roggen said, openly siding with them before any of the other thanes could speak. “He alone among us had the ability to see the future though his visions were faint and dim. Yet he knew a time of great upheaval was coming.
    “That is why he called the Conclave. That is why he joined Norr and the others in their search for Daemron’s Sword after learning of their quest. He understood that the Slayer’s return will bring another Cataclysm upon the world, and the clans will suffer just as much as those in the North and the South.”
    “Even the bravest warriors can grow weary of battle,” Shalana admitted, openly acknowledging what they all felt. “But a new threat is coming. If we ignore it with the excuse of trying to survive this winter, then none of us will live to see another.”
    Shalana paused, scanning the faces of the thanes in a desperate attempt to gauge their reactions. She feared she would see disbelief or scorn, but what she saw instead was concern and fear.
    “What would you have us do?” a voice called out from somewhere in the back.
    “The Guardian spoke to us before he died,” Shalana told them. “He said he had given Daemron’s Sword to Norr and the others. They are headed for Callastan now, in search of another who will join forces with them to defeat the Slayer. But they will not succeed without our help.”
    “What kind of help could we even give?” Terramon wondered bitterly. “The war with the Danaan has left us with nothing to spare.”
    “Vaaler has been part of this from the beginning,” Shalana explained. “His fate is tied to those who will stop Daemron’s return. We must escort him through the Southlands so that he may rejoin his friends.”
    “The journey will be dangerous,” Vaaler admitted. “But I cannot make it alone. There are too many enemies between me and my friends. The Order is hunting them…and possibly me as well.”
    “This is madness,” Terramon mocked. “If we march into the Southlands, they will see it as an act of war! With our numbers so low, we wouldn’t stand a chance against their united armies!”
    “Sending an invading army would be suicide,” Vaaler admitted. “But a small group moving quickly might be able to make it to Callastan with minimal resistance.”
    “All we are asking for is a dozen warriors to accompany us,” Shalana said.
    “You’re going with him?” Terramon said, shaking his head in disbelief. “I thought my own flesh and blood would have more sense than to throw her life away.”
    His disapproving, disgusted tone was one Shalana was all too familiar with; she’d heard it all her life. But it no longer held any power over her, and she didn’t even bother to respond.
    “We can spare supplies for the first part of the journey,” Roggen chimed in. “Enough for Shalana and her honor guard to reach the Southlands. After that, they will have to get by on what they can find for themselves.”
    “Roggen will stay behind to guide you through this winter,” Shalana added. “Unless there is one among you who feels you can do better than he.”
    Not surprisingly, nobody came forward, though Terramon glared sullenly at the crowd as if he was trying to will one of them to step up.
    “As Vaaler already told you,” Shalana said, “the journey to Callastan will be dangerous. We are much more likely to find death than victory. But though the risk is great, we must make the attempt: The fate of the clans—of the entire world—hangs in the balance.
    “We will leave tomorrow,” Shalana continued. “After this meeting, go to your thanes and your clans and tell them what must be done. If any of your warriors wish to join our cause, they are