Road To Shandara (Book One of The Safanarion Order) Read Online Free Page B

feelings can’t be turned on and off like a light switch.”
    “Yeah…” He began but Tara cut him off.
    “Look, I’m not condoning what she did, but you should at least talk to her and hear what she has to say. Then maybe you can move on.”
    Brother and sister faced each other, both unwavering.
    “Maybe.” Was all he would say and Tara rolled her eyes muttering about the stubbornness of men.
    The rest of the day was filled with mindless tasks just to keep busy while the time went by. His parents were busy making arrangements for the funeral tomorrow. Aaron made a bold attempt of getting through the day without concentrating on anything in particular and busied himself with the horses. When his mind did start to wander it kept going back to the same unanswered questions. What was happening to him? Try as he might to go about a normal day he kept a state of constant alertness lest he be caught off guard again.
    Often his thoughts strayed to the swords. He opened the white cloth sack to look at them and feel them in his hands, which gave him a small measure of reassurance. His grandfather referred to them as Falcons in the letter. He couldn’t determine what type of metal they were made from. As an engineering student with a focus in mechanics and materials science, this perplexed him. Certainly not steel as they were much too light. They were strong and each time he held the swords they felt more at home in his hands, which both comforted and scared him. After all why would he need swords?
    The day drained away to night and Aaron finally returned home to pass out in his own bed. Near his bedside was the white bundle that held the Falcons. The medallion he left on. Zeus was asleep on a blanket that he pulled off Aaron’s bed claiming it for himself.
    Dreams plagued his nighttime slumber. One moment he was back in the wooded clearing standing completely alone in the shifty moonlight that danced with the clouds. Next he stood upon a ledge surrounded by mists that cleared revealing mountains as far as he could see. He gazed at the mountains with a longing in his heart, but he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to find. Last he dreamt of a long dark corridor. The corridor opened to a circular room with two doors on the far end. A hooded figure stood directly in his path. In the dark the hooded figure could have easily been mistaken for a statue, but Aaron knew better. Coldness crept its way through his veins and sapped the heat from him. He felt the same way when the life drained from his grandfather in his dying moment. The presence of death filled the room and it was a cold and lonely feeling at best.
      The hooded figure uncrossed his arms and raised his head challengingly as if daring Aaron to see inside the hood. His breath quickened and his pulse raced as he stood frozen, unwilling to move. Behind him was emptiness and the arrogant stance of the figure in front him set his teeth on edge. His fear began to retreat as anger began to spark. Everything from the way the figure dominated Aaron’s path to the way he appeared to be looking down at him, Aaron hated. The figure projected it’s utter discontent for him who dared to stand before it and dominated the space before the doors. He had to get to the doors. They meant something significant, but he didn’t know what. Aaron swallowed and took a bold step closer. He heard the whirling of the air and a giant twin mooned battle-axe demolished the ground before his feet. Aaron stood his ground looking grimly forward. He knew he was being weighed and measured. He made his move and he would not step back. The figure sensed this and brought the great axe up and held it ready to strike. Everything stopped and Aaron felt himself being tugged away.
    He woke up sweaty and disoriented. He could feel the medallion warming on his skin. He sat up in his bed and despite the sweat, he shivered.

C HAPTER 4
    DAY TO MOURN
    THE MORNING TRICKLED away while Aaron’s family prepared for