Swords of the Six Read Online Free
Author: Jennifer Miller, Scott Appleton, Becky Miller, Amber Hill
downward. Its pink eyes focused on the king.
"My dear friend and ally." The dragon growled as tears flooded down its face. It opened its maw as if to continue, then ground it shut. Its wings unfolded from its sides, unveiling the body of a youth wrapped in them. The dragon set the body on the stone floor in front of the king and withdrew its wings.
The king's knees shook as he looked at the body. He sank to the floor, burying his face in the corpse's chest. His hunched shoulders shook and his crippled form wept. Then the king turned his face upward as if seeing through the rafters to the heavens . . . and he screamed with rage.
And the dragon looked on and his tears flowed like a flood around the king. Brian's heart broke at the sight and he tried to approach his father to comfort him, but when he looked at the body his father held he fell back. For the body was his own.
The crippled king screamed again with strength born of pain beyond reckoning. And the dragon, that noble white creature, roared with such terrible power that the walls cracked and began to crumble, falling toward the king's courtiers.
* * *
The prince fought with his nightmare and at last awoke. The light of the moon had waned; perhaps due to moisture accumulation in the atmosphere. Mist roiled over the ground, veiling it.
Whatever the cause he thought he detected movement on the slope. Could it be a trick? Valorian was cunning. Maybe the black dragon intended to slip his agents into Brian's cave by hiding them in the mist.
Not on my watch. The prince closed his fingers around the handle of his sword.
A human figure rose out of the mist not ten feet away. "Brian, is that you?"
"Kesla?!" Relief washed over Brian like a warm blanket. The man was like a second father to him. Four other warriors stood in the mist behind the first. "Thank God you have come!" The prince relaxed his hand, let go of his scimitar and stood.
He beckoned them into the cave and led the way to Xavion. "The captain is . . ." He stopped outside the cavern sheltering the wounded warrior. "Well," he said, "you will have to see for yourself."
One of the other men strode faster and looked down at the prince. " He is wounded? Where is he? Let me see him now! "
Kesla's arm smote the man solidly in the chest. "Speak out of turn again, Letrias, and I will make certain you regret this trip."
Letrias laughed and looked up at Kesla. "Watch your tongue, warrior. The future belongs to me."
"Kesla?" Xavion's weak voice sounded from the dark chamber.
"Yes, my captain. It is me." Kesla drew his sword from its sheath. Its blade glowed, illuminating the cave and the bloodied body of the revered warrior as he lay on the stone floor. To his right the Art'en's eyes glowed like a cat's.
"What is that doing here?" Letrias demanded. He too drew his glowing blade from its sheath and behind him three other blades split the darkness.
Auron, Hestor, and Clavius formed a half-circle behind Kesla, Brian, and Letrias. Brian smiled down at his captain. "They have come, my master."
Xavion's mutilated face slowly wandered over each of his men. Then his eyes closed as if lacking the strength.
The men let out long breaths as Kesla knelt next to Xavion. Then Clavius and Hestor joined arms with Letrias and Auron, forming a human litter. Brian and Kesla hefted the captain into their arms and watched them walk out of the cave.
Brian tried to tell Kesla how relieved he was to see him, but the man averted his eyes. "Kesla, what is wrong?"
"Darkness has fallen, young prince," the warrior said. "And I do not expect to see the return of light." He lifted the Art'en with ease and left the cave. The prince followed.
Dawn's first rays of light glowed in the east, but clouds hung in the sky.
The warriors dropped Xavion on the stony ground. His eyes popped open and he screamed with pain. Brian drew his sword and ran to assist his captain. But Letrias stood in his path and laughed, pointed his blade at the prince's
"My dear friend and ally." The dragon growled as tears flooded down its face. It opened its maw as if to continue, then ground it shut. Its wings unfolded from its sides, unveiling the body of a youth wrapped in them. The dragon set the body on the stone floor in front of the king and withdrew its wings.
The king's knees shook as he looked at the body. He sank to the floor, burying his face in the corpse's chest. His hunched shoulders shook and his crippled form wept. Then the king turned his face upward as if seeing through the rafters to the heavens . . . and he screamed with rage.
And the dragon looked on and his tears flowed like a flood around the king. Brian's heart broke at the sight and he tried to approach his father to comfort him, but when he looked at the body his father held he fell back. For the body was his own.
The crippled king screamed again with strength born of pain beyond reckoning. And the dragon, that noble white creature, roared with such terrible power that the walls cracked and began to crumble, falling toward the king's courtiers.
* * *
The prince fought with his nightmare and at last awoke. The light of the moon had waned; perhaps due to moisture accumulation in the atmosphere. Mist roiled over the ground, veiling it.
Whatever the cause he thought he detected movement on the slope. Could it be a trick? Valorian was cunning. Maybe the black dragon intended to slip his agents into Brian's cave by hiding them in the mist.
Not on my watch. The prince closed his fingers around the handle of his sword.
A human figure rose out of the mist not ten feet away. "Brian, is that you?"
"Kesla?!" Relief washed over Brian like a warm blanket. The man was like a second father to him. Four other warriors stood in the mist behind the first. "Thank God you have come!" The prince relaxed his hand, let go of his scimitar and stood.
He beckoned them into the cave and led the way to Xavion. "The captain is . . ." He stopped outside the cavern sheltering the wounded warrior. "Well," he said, "you will have to see for yourself."
One of the other men strode faster and looked down at the prince. " He is wounded? Where is he? Let me see him now! "
Kesla's arm smote the man solidly in the chest. "Speak out of turn again, Letrias, and I will make certain you regret this trip."
Letrias laughed and looked up at Kesla. "Watch your tongue, warrior. The future belongs to me."
"Kesla?" Xavion's weak voice sounded from the dark chamber.
"Yes, my captain. It is me." Kesla drew his sword from its sheath. Its blade glowed, illuminating the cave and the bloodied body of the revered warrior as he lay on the stone floor. To his right the Art'en's eyes glowed like a cat's.
"What is that doing here?" Letrias demanded. He too drew his glowing blade from its sheath and behind him three other blades split the darkness.
Auron, Hestor, and Clavius formed a half-circle behind Kesla, Brian, and Letrias. Brian smiled down at his captain. "They have come, my master."
Xavion's mutilated face slowly wandered over each of his men. Then his eyes closed as if lacking the strength.
The men let out long breaths as Kesla knelt next to Xavion. Then Clavius and Hestor joined arms with Letrias and Auron, forming a human litter. Brian and Kesla hefted the captain into their arms and watched them walk out of the cave.
Brian tried to tell Kesla how relieved he was to see him, but the man averted his eyes. "Kesla, what is wrong?"
"Darkness has fallen, young prince," the warrior said. "And I do not expect to see the return of light." He lifted the Art'en with ease and left the cave. The prince followed.
Dawn's first rays of light glowed in the east, but clouds hung in the sky.
The warriors dropped Xavion on the stony ground. His eyes popped open and he screamed with pain. Brian drew his sword and ran to assist his captain. But Letrias stood in his path and laughed, pointed his blade at the prince's
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