The Fabled Beast of Elddon Read Online Free Page B

wish is to help Elddon and her people.”
    “You
have a strange way of showing loyalty,” Baron Leofrick said, arching an eyebrow.
    “It
is true that we attacked your men,” Tristan said, “but only to save the life of
a young woman, one who has been wrongly accused of witchcraft and is now in
peril.”
    “What
woman is this?”
    “The
girl,” Sir Egan offered helpfully, “the young woman I told you about, Ryia, the
daughter of Sir Kadis.”
    “Ah,
yes, the witch. Two hundred acres, was it not?”
    “The
very same,” Sir Egan said.
    “She
is no witch, m’lord. I would stake my life on it.” Tristan’s eyes were fixed on
the baron.
    “I
would say you already have,” Sir Egan purred.
    “Do
you know the suffering she has caused?” Baron Leofrick said, annoyance in his
voice. “She has awakened the beast. She has called it down upon us--”
    “That
wasn’t--” Tristan began, but a clout to his ear by one of the guards silenced
him.
    “Please
try not to interrupt,” Baron Leofrick drawled. “It is a most unbecoming trait.”
He dabbed at his mouth with a square of cloth, taken from his sleeve.
    “Do
you know the story, young man?”
    Tristan
hesitated, uncertain if he should say more.
    “Of
course you don’t. Why should you? I will tell it, mostly because it will amuse
me. But there are others here who may not have heard the tale told in full.”
The baron glanced around him, to ensure that he had the attention of his courtiers.
    “There
is a ruined city in the mountains to the north of Elddon, a place called
Ibridion. It is an evil place. The Anthunians, who ruled this country before us,
lived there and they practiced all manner of perversion.
    “Some
say it was the Apportioners, those beings that once ruled the fates of men, who
called upon Sura, ancient god of fire and lord of the underworld, to punish the
people of Ibridion. It was Sura who summoned the beast from the depths of his own
realm and loosed it upon the city. The beast devoured them all, every last man,
woman, and child. And when it was done, the beast slept. For two thousand years
it slept, until it was all but forgotten.”
    Baron
Leofrick cleared his throat. “Bring me wine,” he said to no one in particular.
A cup bearer appeared, thrusting a cup of red into the baron’s hand.
    “It
came to us half a year ago, appearing out of the darkness. At first we thought
it a dragon by its size and ferocity, but everyone knows dragons have faded from
the world.
    “One
of the peasants from the valley told me of how his home was destroyed and his family
taken. Devoured, he said. Another man told how the beast flew over his fields,
setting them ablaze with its flaming breath.” The baron paused, drinking deeply
from his cup.
    “It
could be none other than the fabled beast,” said a priest. The man’s voice was a
deep, rich baritone. “Someone had awoken the monster and now it was hungry
again.”
    “You
should have killed it,” Ander snarled. “The thing is made of flesh and blood,
is it not? I’m sure some of these fine soldiers of yours know which end of a
sword to hold.”
    “We
tried that,” Baron Leofrick leaned back in his chair and sipped from his cup.
“Sir Egan sent five men, five of his bravest soldiers, into the mountains to
slay the beast. Three days passed and we had no word of them. Then a single
horse returned without its rider, bearing marks of battle and blood on its
flanks.
    “That
night the beast came again. Its rage was terrible. More farms were destroyed,
and by morning more villagers had disappeared, along with their livestock.
    “We
then attempted to placate the monster with gifts. On the first new moon of each
month, we left tribute outside the gates of the city. For a while the beast remained
quiet, but our coffers were soon bare and so the beast plagued us anew. We must
have this sacrifice and who better than the girl who summoned it in the first
place?”
    The
courtiers murmured their agreement, and