The Sword of Light: Book One of the Veredor Chronicles Read Online Free Page A

him a
plate of fried eggs and onions.
    The taste of
eggs was delicious compared to the salted meat that he and Red had
been eating for the last few days.
    ‘ Do you have any idea where you would start looking?’ asked
Stella.
    ‘ I am searching for a woman by the name of Lady Kaloren, I
think she would probably know where I could find my
parents.’
    ‘ The nobles don’t tend to mix with the commoners in Ancora,
especially these days,’ said Stella. ‘Lady Kaloren, I don’t know
the name, perhaps she’s the wife of a knight or lord.’
    ‘ You could try the Royal Library,’ suggested Red. ‘They
probably won’t let you in, but if you pay one of the scholars they
might be able to point you in the right direction.’
    ‘ I’ll give it a try,’ said Eben.
    He looked to
Stella and she smiled back at him warmly.
    ‘ So you and Red worked together in the circus?’ asked
Eben.
    ‘ I was an acrobat,’ replied Stella. ‘Unfortunately the circus
was burned to the ground a long time ago. I do miss those days;
seeing you dressed up as a clown was always amusing,’ she said to
Red, a playful grin crossing her face. Red shot a nervous glance at
Eben before uncomfortably looking away.
    ‘ You never said you were a clown,’ said Eben, smiling at Red.
Red twitched in his seat.
    ‘ I was only a clown for a little while; it was more like
filling in really,’ he said defensively.
    ‘ Filling in!’ Stella laughed. ‘Don’t believe a word he says,
Eben. He was employed as a clown from the very
beginning.
    ‘ No! I wasn’t!’ he cried, blushing crimson red.
    ‘ Come on, Red. You’re a wonderful clown,’ she said, trying to
reassure him, but still laughing.
    ‘ It is true, I was a clown,’ confessed Red, glancing awkwardly
up at Eben.
    ‘ You are the first clown I’ve ever met,’ said Eben
smiling.
    Red nodded and
his usual smile crossed his face. He was happy to hear the sound of
their laughter, even though it was at his expense.
    **
    Dozens of
vultures slowly circled high in the sky above Ancora. They peered
downward through the hazy smoke cloud to the dank and filthy
streets below. To the town folk their arrival was a sign of the
dark times they were living in. Never before had vultures circled
the skies above their town. They were a constant symbolic reminder
of the ever growing oppression that filled the Kingdom of
Ortaria.
    Eben walked
through the streets and up the main cobblestone road that led
toward the palace. A deep depression and despair pervaded the
entire town. Stella had given basic directions to the library and
he walked along quickly, not wanting to catch the attention of any
of the unsavoury looking characters he saw along the way.
    The main road
ascended gradually toward the palace. At the top of the rise was a
large town square, and across the square were several wide stone
steps that led up to a mighty arched entrance gate that was set in
a gatehouse. A stone wall stood about fifteen yards high and
encircled the entire palace. Ten fully armoured guards with long
spears stood at the gate. It seemed like the gate was the only way
in or out of the palace. He passed by unnoticed and followed the
lane that edged along the outer wall on the western side of the
palace.
    Just down from
the wall on the northwest side was a large building with a set of
stone steps that led up to a solid bronze door. At first glance the
library looked closed. He walked up the steps. There was a big
bronze doorknocker with the face of a dragon. Eben knocked three
times. There was no reply. After a minute he knocked again, but
still there was no answer.
    After waiting
several minutes he decided to push on the door. The hinge creaked
as the door slowly opened revealing a dark hall beyond. Many
Bookshelves had been cast down and those that were still standing
were completely empty. The library had been ransacked. A dim light
drifted down from several smashed windows set high in the walls.
There was no one around and the