Heir of Shandara (Book 4) Read Online Free Page A

armor covered it from head to toe, with the exception of the thick horns that protruded from its forehead. Something about the armored beast tugged at Aaron’s memory.
    Verona came to his side with a crystal-tipped arrow nocked in his bow. The arrow flew into the giant beast, but the exploding dust of the crystal-laden arrow barely slowed it down.  
    The beast’s armor ended in spikes, and it carried a large twin mooned ax. FNA soldiers armed with plasma rifles fired at the beast, but the bolts were absorbed into the armor.  
    That’s no creature of Safanar. It’s one of the Zekara! Aaron thought.
    The Zekara were of the Hythariam military led by General Halcylon, who had sworn to enslave the people of Safanar.
    The giant ax was swung through the air, dealing crushing blows upon the FNA soldiers. The Elitesmen surrounding the beast attacked. Aaron rushed forward, heading straight for the beast. He ducked under a swing of the giant ax and hammered down upon the armored leg, but the Falcons bounced back, jarring his arms.
    Elitesmen closed in behind him, and Aaron scrambled around looking for a vulnerable spot in the beast’s armor. He unleashed an energy-fused kick to the beast’s knee, driving it down, but the beast sprang back up and spun around, focusing on Aaron as a hound on prey.  
    Aaron taunted the beast, drawing it away from the others, and it roared in pursuit. As the distance between them increased, the beast came to halt and lifted the haft of the ax as if it were aiming a rifle. Aaron threw himself behind a wall. The blast of the Zekara weapon thundered against the wall.
    “Aaron.” Gavril’s voice came through his comms device. “The beast is from the Zekara. Try to take it alive.”
    Another blast from the Zekaran weapon blasted a hole through the rock wall near his head.
    Capture it? Yeah, right.
    Aaron leaped over the wall and charged the beast. The FNA was engaged with the Elitesmen. The beast’s ax swung past him, and Aaron brought the Falcons down upon the haft, cutting through it. A bolt of energy ran along the remaining haft of the ax, and the beast howled in pain, dropping its weapon. The beast’s boulder-sized hands smashed at the ground, trying to get at him. Aaron backed away, looking for a way to capture the beast. A gauntleted fist sailed toward him, and he brought up his swords, funneling energy into his muscles and limbs. The gauntleted fists slammed into him, and the beast bore down upon him, using its massive weight. The corded muscles in Aaron’s back groaned in protest, and they each struggled against the other. Deep within the helm were glowing yellow eyes, eerily reminiscent of the Drake. The beast roared, as did Aaron, each refusing to yield. Aaron pushed with his legs, and the ground beneath the beast’s feet gave way as it slid on the ground.
    Aaron heaved to the side, using the beast’s forward momentum, causing it to lose its balance. The horns protruding from the helmet slammed into the wall. Aaron brought his swords down and cut one of the horns. The beast reared back in pain. Yellowish liquid dripped from the stump. The beast tore its helmet off, revealing bronze skin and white hair similar to those of the Hythariam. The beast focused its rage-filled eyes upon Aaron. The beast charged. Aaron ducked to the other side and cut through the remaining husk. With the beast’s head exposed upon its armored body, Aaron waited for it to attack again. The yellowish liquid dripped to the ground and hissed as it made contact.
    The beast regarded Aaron with the barest hints of a smile and charged forward. Aaron summoned the bladesong, readying to strike the final blow. At the last second, a white blur appeared out of nowhere and kicked Aaron out of the way.
    Aaron spun in the air and rolled to his feet.  
    A figure in white armor stood, holding a staff that ended in a short sword, ready to face him.
    “You’ll kill us all,” the man in the white armor said.
    The beast