Soul Catcher Read Online Free Page A

Shaking, he fell to his knees.
    “Spare me, please,” he whispered. As the man begged for his life, his words came out as a stutter. “P-p-please. I’ll not s-s-say a word. Please.”
    Aleco rolled his eyes; he didn’t have time for this. He punched him hard on the side of the head, and the guard’s body fell to the ground. As he lay unconscious in the street, Aleco grabbed the woman and continued toward the gate.
    Aleco approached the entryway and spotted a handful of soldiers guarding the entrance, hindering his escape. Then, Aleco noticed something even more intriguing. A horse-drawn cart filled with bounded slaves was waiting to leave the city. Extra slaves, not sold by Steward Josiah, were delivered to the neighboring city of Mortar for a small profit. They traveled during the dark hours to avoid detection, since slavery was strictly forbidden on the Continent. Although, some of the highest officials, who publicly prohibited slavery, would turn a blind eye if it filled their pockets with gold.
    Aleco grinned; he had an idea.
     
    “Good evening,” the driver said. “I’m taking these poor souls to Mortar.” The driver nodded towards the rear of the load. “I need to leave if I plan to make it before the sun rises.”
    The guard looked him over and examined his suave features and attire carefully. He proceeded to inspect the cargo in the back of the cart, where the slaves were tied and gagged, unable to escape. Initially, the guard was hesitant to let him pass. After all, there was a trained assassin killing guards in the city. What if he and this man were one and the same? Then the guard thought the better of it. Obviously, this man knew how things worked around there. He knew information the general public was completely unaware of. Besides, the assassin never revealed his face, and this man displayed it clearly. The wanted man was rumored to be hideous and appalling, opposite of the friendly and fair man before him.
    “Let him pass,” he announced. The watchmen instructed the soldiers to open the gate and the driver passed through it.
    “Thank you, gentlemen.” The driver smiled. “Keep your eyes locked on this gate,” he sai d, gesturing to the towering wooden doors. “We don’t want that atrocious murderer slipping through our grasp again.” The soldiers nodded in agreement.
    Aleco departed from the gateway and began his expedition across the sand under the glow of the full moon. He could still hear the shouts of the soldiers within the city, barking orders to one another as they futilely searched for the Tri-blade man, who seemed to have disappeared once more. Pleased with his own cleverness, Aleco laughed as he continued through the desert.

Roslyn Pass
    5
     
    Aleco released the last slave from his bonds. The emaciated man stared at his unbound wrists with eyes full of tears—he was finally free. He reached down to grab the bloody rope that had restricted his body for so long, and caressed it with his fingertips before he threw it across the field. The slave watched it disappear into the grass, then turned to his rescuer.
    “Why are you doing this?” he asked.
    “I have no use for you,” Aleco said as he released the next captive.
    The slave was quiet for a moment. “You’re a good man.”
    “You should get to know me better before you make such flattering comments,” he said. He sheathed his small dagger onto his belt.
    The man looked at Aleco. “I am indebted to you,” he said. “If there is ever anything I can do to aid you, I will.”
    “That won’t be necessary.” Aleco laughed.
    “I am Von.” The slave outstretched his hand. “What’s yours?”
    Aleco shook the man’s hand. “You really don’t need to thank me. I have done nothing for you,” he said. “Now you are stuck in the middle of the Continent, dressed in rags, with no food, water, or coin. You were better off as a slave, if you ask me.”
    “I would rather die as a free man, than as a man who belongs to