The Last Heroes Before Judgement Read Online Free Page A

the tunnels turned over- resulting in an endless free fall. Grandmother woke me by accident, as she was covering all of us in the long pelt of a sloth.
    “Where am I?”
    “We are still on the highway Matthius. Don’t worry, you will all wake up when you hear hooves in the tunnel.”
    “What a shame we couldn’t see it in the day.”
    “That’s alright dear, everyone needs their rest now- except you. Sit up and let me look at this while we’ve still got the moonlight.”
    “Do you have a key for this cuff?”
    I held up my hand and shook it. Instead of responding, she used the distraction to quickly rip the rag off my head. From where she separated my long dirty hair, I gathered the wound was centered on the back from where I slammed into the wall. She cut the dirty hairs as best as she could in the low light. Her fingers were unflinching, and she spoke softly to cover the sound of my whining. Her skills as a doula served me well.
    “You are lucky to be alive. Can you still see from both eyes? You are lucky to be so young. You had better start being more careful. If you were born to be a hero, you would not be bleeding so much. Do you hear me?”
    I thought myself lucky to not end up bald like the others, but, she worked over my scalp without mercy, and then ran stitches through me without warning.
    “That hilt is going to burn straight through your hair. I hope you know what you’ve been signed up for. He-olt swears you will just laugh at anything the Lantos throw at you, but…” she dropped her hands and huffed, “peace is so expensive, Matthius. There is just no way the lords will allow it continue for much longer. When the Swillians return, you will be the first men standing in their way. And, you’re naught but boys. It’s not fair.”
    “No worries Grandmother, we will fight them off together.”
    She wanted to argue more. Instead, she focused on not crying, and went back to ride on the steed. She wrapped herself around Grandfather for warmth, and buried her face into his back. I wiped off the loose hairs and turned towards the rear to let the rushing wind cool my burning scalp.
    There was little blood left to wipe away with the stitches pulling the skin tight. When I lifted the rag to dry off in the wind, the shadow of the mountain quickly enveloped the light of the moon. Once the steed crossed through the threshold into the tunnel, the air filled with a thunder from his hooves. The others jumped up, yelling at the sudden eruption of bone shaking echoes. We moved back close to each other and covered our ears against the noise. Omar hid under the sloth pelt completely and curled into a ball. Few caverns branched from the main path and, eventually, we were in complete darkness. They did not slow the beast until a small bit of light crept in from the western opening. By then, I was the only one still fully awake. Grandmother hopped back into the cart to stand up a post. Always the planner, she had smuggled a UNF lighting globe out of the city. Senjay did not have the wherewithal to look away as she pulled the starter cord. In the middle of a lazy yawn, he made the mistake of watching the flash ignite the whale oil inside.
    “I’m blind! Help, I’ve been blinded.”
    “Well then, you’ll know better next time.”
    He continued to stare into the lighting globe as she hung it on the post and crossed his hands over his face to bring his vision back faster. Omar sat up and stretched as though he had fallen back to sleep despite all the noise.
    “I say, are we to the bridge already?”
    “You weren’t asleep Omar.”
    “At least I’m not blind you idiot.”
    “That’s enough you two. We only slowed down to keep from waking too many bats. So, shut your mouths because they like their prey alive and kicking.”
    “Bats? Yes ma’am. Eek.”
    Omar slid back under the sloth pelt and curled into a trembling ball of cowardice. When I poked him, he shook and let out a whine.
    “Ha, poor baby. Scared of