The Elementalist (The Kothian Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free
Author: Andrew Wood
held it up to his nose, inhaling the slightly perfumed scent. Without even thinking, he stripped off his clothes and let them drop to the floor. The others in the room all cringed, as Maxim stood there completely naked. Not sure what everybody was complaining about, he explained that in the orphanage they had all bathed together, albeit only a couple of times a year.
After an age of rubbing and scrubbing himself clean, and washing his hair, Zack handed him a towel to dry himself, and suggested he wrap it around his waist to maintain some decency. His new friend then suggested they go into one of the other rooms and find some suitable clothes. Inside the other room, Maxim looked around. There was not much inside, aside from the three beds that all lined one wall, there were two wooden trunks. "One of these is mine. I'm afraid I probably have more clothes than I need, but my parents insisted I bring them," Zack told him as he lifted the lid.
Maxim was handed clean underclothes, a warm vest, black trousers, a pair of boots, a shirt, a tunic and even a new cloak for when they ventured outside. As he stood, dressed in the finest clothes he had ever worn, he felt a little overwhelmed.
"Thank you," he said with the makings of a tear in his eye.
"You are welcome," Zack said with a warm-hearted smile.
After re-joining the others in the main room of the small cottage, Danton thought it best that, they all sit and discuss plans. By which, he actually meant that he talked and made the plans, whilst the others listened. Some of what he said the others already knew, although he thought it only fair to explain everything for Maxim's benefit.
He was a magician, as they all were; all had powers, some more so than others did. In Maxim's case he was unsure as to exactly what those powers were until he could be tested properly, but he was certain they had the potential to be greater than he had ever seen. They would spend a few days to get to know each other, rest and get a few more supplies, as well as horses before they moved on. He kept the name of their destination a secret, telling them they did not yet need to know, only that it was somewhere south.
Until such time as they got to the secret destination, they were not permitted to do any magic outside of the cottage. Maxim thought that would be easy, as he was still certain he could not do any. Mikel groaned and was about to complain, but Danton stared him down. "I mean it. If anybody catches you, then you put all our lives at risk," he added sharply, just to make sure the young man understood the seriousness of the situation.
Once Danton had finished his short lecture, he suggested a talk about their powers. He went first and told them all that he could do, going invisible was his main skill, and sensing magic in others via the aura he could see when he was in stealth was his other. He told them he could do a few minor bits of magic, such as produce a small sphere of light, which he duly demonstrated. Maxim's eyes nearly popped from his head when he saw it; he had never seen such an amazing thing.
Mikel told them he would go next, and seemed keen to show everyone his skills. Again to Maxim, they were impressive, scary almost he thought. Using just the power of his mind, Mikel could move small objects across the table. "I moved a chair once," he said proud of his own achievements.
Melia went next, and to demonstrate her power she took a rather limp looking flower. She closed her eyes and placed her hand over it, as the others all watched on intently, waiting to see what happened. Maxim thought he could hear her mumbling strange words under her breath. There were gasps all round as she lifted her hand away to reveal the flower had changed. It now looked as fresh as the day it had been picked, "I know a good teacher of healing that would be interested in you my dear," Danton said clearly impressed.
When it was Zack's turn to show his skill he
After an age of rubbing and scrubbing himself clean, and washing his hair, Zack handed him a towel to dry himself, and suggested he wrap it around his waist to maintain some decency. His new friend then suggested they go into one of the other rooms and find some suitable clothes. Inside the other room, Maxim looked around. There was not much inside, aside from the three beds that all lined one wall, there were two wooden trunks. "One of these is mine. I'm afraid I probably have more clothes than I need, but my parents insisted I bring them," Zack told him as he lifted the lid.
Maxim was handed clean underclothes, a warm vest, black trousers, a pair of boots, a shirt, a tunic and even a new cloak for when they ventured outside. As he stood, dressed in the finest clothes he had ever worn, he felt a little overwhelmed.
"Thank you," he said with the makings of a tear in his eye.
"You are welcome," Zack said with a warm-hearted smile.
After re-joining the others in the main room of the small cottage, Danton thought it best that, they all sit and discuss plans. By which, he actually meant that he talked and made the plans, whilst the others listened. Some of what he said the others already knew, although he thought it only fair to explain everything for Maxim's benefit.
He was a magician, as they all were; all had powers, some more so than others did. In Maxim's case he was unsure as to exactly what those powers were until he could be tested properly, but he was certain they had the potential to be greater than he had ever seen. They would spend a few days to get to know each other, rest and get a few more supplies, as well as horses before they moved on. He kept the name of their destination a secret, telling them they did not yet need to know, only that it was somewhere south.
Until such time as they got to the secret destination, they were not permitted to do any magic outside of the cottage. Maxim thought that would be easy, as he was still certain he could not do any. Mikel groaned and was about to complain, but Danton stared him down. "I mean it. If anybody catches you, then you put all our lives at risk," he added sharply, just to make sure the young man understood the seriousness of the situation.
Once Danton had finished his short lecture, he suggested a talk about their powers. He went first and told them all that he could do, going invisible was his main skill, and sensing magic in others via the aura he could see when he was in stealth was his other. He told them he could do a few minor bits of magic, such as produce a small sphere of light, which he duly demonstrated. Maxim's eyes nearly popped from his head when he saw it; he had never seen such an amazing thing.
Mikel told them he would go next, and seemed keen to show everyone his skills. Again to Maxim, they were impressive, scary almost he thought. Using just the power of his mind, Mikel could move small objects across the table. "I moved a chair once," he said proud of his own achievements.
Melia went next, and to demonstrate her power she took a rather limp looking flower. She closed her eyes and placed her hand over it, as the others all watched on intently, waiting to see what happened. Maxim thought he could hear her mumbling strange words under her breath. There were gasps all round as she lifted her hand away to reveal the flower had changed. It now looked as fresh as the day it had been picked, "I know a good teacher of healing that would be interested in you my dear," Danton said clearly impressed.
When it was Zack's turn to show his skill he
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