Fireborn Champion Read Online Free Page A

the creatures of the world. Iron smiled. Then, he laughed.
      “I’m a glory hawk now!” he screamed, throwing his chin to the sky. This moment of pure freedom, riding a wave of godlike wrath and fury, it carved itself into his memory.  
    This is life. This is what I’m meant to feel.
    The moment faded as quickly as it came. His stomach fluttered, warning him that even a ghost could still plummet to the ground in this maelstrom. Iron grimaced and tucked his legs against his chest. He folded his arms over his face and clenched his teeth. He slammed into snow, his muscles seizing with the frigid shock. Not a single branch or leaf cut him upon landing. That could only mean one thing. The storm brought him to the valley where the cabin—and hopefully Sander—waited.  
    Not bad for an apprentice , he thought with a smirk. Wait ’til I tell the old man about this. I bet he’s never flown in a thundersnow before .
    He wrapped his arms around his shivering torso and grit his teeth. His magic kept him on the snow’s surface, but even that simple spell would dwindle from him soon. At least he’d made it close to home. Now to face his master.
    The storm lost some of its fury, the storm wall having swept over the valley. While snow still fell in thick curtains, he at least made out the ground and a few trees dotting the valley. An odd shape appeared in the snows, out of place on the rolling landscape. Home.  
    Iron spit out snow and combed the ice from his hair. He stalked toward the cabin, wiping flakes from his shoulders with a wide grin. “Talk about luck. Sander!” Iron shouted. “I’m ready for dinner…”
    Iron’s grin melted, and he stopped in his tracks. A hunched black object prowled from behind the cabin. Its eyes gleamed hungrily despite the heavy snows masking most of its muscular form. Three other creatures stalked into view with it, their amber scowls piercing winter’s veil like the hate within them melted ice.
    He groaned and flexed his hand. Once pale skin flushed a deep red. He fumbled for his sword hilt, but his fingers were stiff as bark and his grip unsteady. Taking Shade Stride, he forced his fingers around the grip. “Sinner, you four are fucking annoying, you know that? I’d tell you to go choke on an elk antler.” He ripped his sword from its sheath. “But I’ll settle for letting you choke on steel instead. You want a fight? You got it!”
    Like a dimming candle snuffed, the Sinner’s magic extinguished from his heart. Iron sunk to his knees and nearly dropped the sword into the snowdrift. He groaned again and rolled his eyes, looking to the sky. “Really?”
    The wolves howled. They charged, tossing snow in their wake.

CHAPTER THREE
Shade Stride

    It took all Iron’s strength to grip the sword. The leather seemed off—distant. The blade weighed his sore and bleeding arms—they sagged like wet bags on branches too thin to lift them. He tried summoning the Sinner’s magic into him, but his well of power had run dry.  
    And so he watched, knee-high in a fresh thundersnow drift, as the pack of black wolves snarled and charged. A puff of air escaped his lips. He held his sword before him, slipping into what he hoped was Shade Stride. He’d lost all feeling in his toes. Sinner only knew if they obeyed his commands.
    Shouldn’t he be scared right about then? The wolves tore toward him, although the deep snows slowed the pack. It gave him even more time to consider his likely, extremely savage death. And yet, a quiet calm blanketed his soul. He could have sat and said a prayer if he had the time. Unfortunately, he did not have the time.
    Shade Stride would save him. Sander said he hadn’t yet mastered the Sinner’s swordplay. Maybe Iron hadn’t, but he had nothing else. Iron closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Without sight, somehow he saw .  
    Snow sprayed him as the first wolf bounded within reach. Step lightly. Be swift. Be shadow.  
    Iron leapt, wincing as his wounded