Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy: The Templar Chronicles: Book 2 Read Online Free Page A
Author: Jeff Gunhus
point, Will threw the sword up into the air. He mistimed the toss and I had to dodge to the side to avoid being impaled. The sword clanged off the antenna, but I was able to still grab it by the handle with my free hand before it bounced into the murky waters below.
Below me, Will and T-Rex cheered.
The antenna reached the bottom of a giant sway, as far from the vortex as we were going to get. Eva cried out from the tension on the rope. I focused in on the black mass in the vortex as the antenna began its return trip in the other direction.
The wind and rain pelted me as the antenna sped toward the vortex. At the very last second, I jumped from the antenna, windmilling my arms through the air to get as much distance as possible, praying I would reach my target.
Sword out, I slashed upwards, severing the rope connected to Eva, then jammed the sword down into the center of the black mass.
BOOM!
The mass exploded and I was catapulted backward, head over heels into the night.
Luckily, I was thrown past the edge of the ship. I slammed into the water, the force of the impact knocking the air out of me. By the time I got my wits about me, I was deep underwater. I clawed and kicked my way to the surface.
Finally, I broke the surface and gulped down mouthfuls of fresh air. As I treaded water, I looked back at the ship. A brilliant white light shone where the vortex had been. The fog covering the ship was being sucked up into the light as a high-pitched whistle filled the air.
The moment the final traces of the fog were gathered up, the light shrunk to a mere pinprick. But the whistling continued to grow louder and higher-pitched.
The point of light exploded in a grand display of fireworks with an ear-shattering sonic boom. I ducked under the water to escape the noise and when I rose back up the waves had calmed and the night was again clear. Searchlights from the trawler were activated and in a short time they had a bead on me.
By the time they dragged me on board, Eva had made her way down from the antenna and was waiting for me on the deck with T-Rex and Will.
“Dude, that was crazy!” Will cried, high-fiving me. “I mean, I could have done it a little better, but still.”
I smiled and looked at Eva. “Now you can’t tell me the Academy is going to be more intense than that.”
Eva smiled. “Yeah, I can,” she said. “But that was a good warm up. You guys better get some sleep. We’ll be there tomorrow.” She turned and walked into the ship.
“A good warm up?” Will asked, shocked. “How bad is this place going to be?”
“Don’t worry about it. She’s just trying to scare us,” I said.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe she was telling the truth and that the Monster Hunter Academy was going to be more than I could handle. Try as I might, I couldn’t get to sleep that night; my head was filled with images from the battle, and, worse, images of my father locked away in Ren Lucre’s dungeon. I knew the Academy was the path to finding and saving my father. No matter how hard it was, I couldn’t fail. I couldn’t afford to.
The next day was going to be one of the most interesting and impactful of my life. Not only was I going to finally reach the Monster Hunter Academy, but I was going to find out a secret about my family that I never would have guessed, and, frankly, I still can’t believe.
Eva was right. I needed a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.
Chapter Two
I n the morning, we spotted land. This was the first time in my life that I had been out of the country and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had images in my mind of Europe being filled with castles, ancient cathedrals and cobblestone streets. As we neared shore, all I saw was a broken-down harbor just like the one we had left behind.
Long buildings lined the wharf. Perhaps once the center of bustling activity, they were now rusting hulks with broken windows and caved-in roofs. Cranes to
Below me, Will and T-Rex cheered.
The antenna reached the bottom of a giant sway, as far from the vortex as we were going to get. Eva cried out from the tension on the rope. I focused in on the black mass in the vortex as the antenna began its return trip in the other direction.
The wind and rain pelted me as the antenna sped toward the vortex. At the very last second, I jumped from the antenna, windmilling my arms through the air to get as much distance as possible, praying I would reach my target.
Sword out, I slashed upwards, severing the rope connected to Eva, then jammed the sword down into the center of the black mass.
BOOM!
The mass exploded and I was catapulted backward, head over heels into the night.
Luckily, I was thrown past the edge of the ship. I slammed into the water, the force of the impact knocking the air out of me. By the time I got my wits about me, I was deep underwater. I clawed and kicked my way to the surface.
Finally, I broke the surface and gulped down mouthfuls of fresh air. As I treaded water, I looked back at the ship. A brilliant white light shone where the vortex had been. The fog covering the ship was being sucked up into the light as a high-pitched whistle filled the air.
The moment the final traces of the fog were gathered up, the light shrunk to a mere pinprick. But the whistling continued to grow louder and higher-pitched.
The point of light exploded in a grand display of fireworks with an ear-shattering sonic boom. I ducked under the water to escape the noise and when I rose back up the waves had calmed and the night was again clear. Searchlights from the trawler were activated and in a short time they had a bead on me.
By the time they dragged me on board, Eva had made her way down from the antenna and was waiting for me on the deck with T-Rex and Will.
“Dude, that was crazy!” Will cried, high-fiving me. “I mean, I could have done it a little better, but still.”
I smiled and looked at Eva. “Now you can’t tell me the Academy is going to be more intense than that.”
Eva smiled. “Yeah, I can,” she said. “But that was a good warm up. You guys better get some sleep. We’ll be there tomorrow.” She turned and walked into the ship.
“A good warm up?” Will asked, shocked. “How bad is this place going to be?”
“Don’t worry about it. She’s just trying to scare us,” I said.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe she was telling the truth and that the Monster Hunter Academy was going to be more than I could handle. Try as I might, I couldn’t get to sleep that night; my head was filled with images from the battle, and, worse, images of my father locked away in Ren Lucre’s dungeon. I knew the Academy was the path to finding and saving my father. No matter how hard it was, I couldn’t fail. I couldn’t afford to.
The next day was going to be one of the most interesting and impactful of my life. Not only was I going to finally reach the Monster Hunter Academy, but I was going to find out a secret about my family that I never would have guessed, and, frankly, I still can’t believe.
Eva was right. I needed a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.
Chapter Two
I n the morning, we spotted land. This was the first time in my life that I had been out of the country and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had images in my mind of Europe being filled with castles, ancient cathedrals and cobblestone streets. As we neared shore, all I saw was a broken-down harbor just like the one we had left behind.
Long buildings lined the wharf. Perhaps once the center of bustling activity, they were now rusting hulks with broken windows and caved-in roofs. Cranes to
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