Strife In The Sky (Book 7) Read Online Free
Author: Craig Halloran
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CHAPTER 6
The walls were stone. The corridor long. The green torches didn’t flicker, and the howls were like banshees in the night. One foot at a time, Gorlee stepped forward. He’d never been so deep in the ground before in all of his decades. Not even with a dwarf. He’d never felt so small, either. Above, in the light, he felt confident and invincible. Now he felt like a child frightened by the howls of the night.
His stomach groaned. The fullness he had experienced earlier at Selene’s table had dissipated and been replaced by something else. Fear.
Be brave. She won’t keep you down here forever. Will she?
Gorlee’s chains rattled when he stopped. He hadn’t thought about that. Maybe she knew he wasn’t Nath Dragon. Maybe she knew what he was and had abandoned him down here forever. No. Can’t be. Please, it can’t be.
He jumped.
A pale white rodent scurried over his toes and disappeared into the wall.
A cry echoed down the tunnel, sending a chill down his spine.
Get it together, Gorlee. You’ve never met anything you couldn’t handle . He took a breath and continued forward. The tunnel was murky and damp. Water dripped down the slime-coated walls, forming many small puddles. He covered his nose. What is that?
An angry cry rang out. The sound of a scuffle ensued. Gorlee kept going. Ahead, a light glowed beyond the torches. Shadows flickered in its essence. What kind of place is this? Are there prisoners? Do they all run free?
He thought about Selene. So far as he knew, she was the most powerful woman in the world. Beautiful. Dark and exotic, she was. Beyond human, and different. He could picture her in his mind and see her as if she were right there, smirking and toying with him. She knows I’m not what I appear to be. But she said this was a test. His stomach gurgled. He felt uncomfortable. That’s odd . It gurgled again. What was in that food she gave me? He looked at his black-scaled hands. They shifted and changed a little. Control it, Gorlee. Control it. His hands seemed to solidify once more, but he had a feeling something was at work inside him. Probing what he was all about.
A bend in the tunnel started. The murmuring of many voices assailed his ears. Onward he went with his hand on his stomach, fighting down the fear inside him. Is it possible that I missed another phantom? The smells got stronger, the voices louder, and steps led … upward ?
Up he went, chains dragging over the stones. All the mumblings went silent. Gorlee looked at his shackles. How can I defend myself in these things? I could make myself smaller. Change to something lither and slip out of these things. He shook his head. It’s a test, remember. It’s a test. On heavy legs,he followed the light up the long rows of stone steps. He took fifty of them and came to a stop on a broad marble platform. Ancient runes and symbols covered the floor, but most were covered by the wet murk.
“COME,” a cavernous voice said.
Gorlee remained frozen in place.
“COME,” the voice said, “and I don’t like to repeat myself.”
“Come,” other voices chanted. “Come,” all sorts of voices said.
Gorlee’s legs seemed to move of a will that was not his own. Toward the lights. Toward the voices he went. A great chamber opened up. Hundreds of eyes blinked and sought his from the shadows of ledges and side caves. A great figure stood in the middle with its arms crossed over its chest.
I’ve never seen anything like that before.
Its long large fingers beckoned Gorlee forward.
“COME,” it said, calmly, “let me have a better look at you.”
Gorlee made his way into the chamber and took a glance back over his shoulder. He could hear all the voices say:
“Nothing leaves The Deep.”
CHAPTER 6
Nath ripped Fang out of the ground. His fingers felt like fire, but he held on. His head beaded in heavy drops of sweat.
“I will not let go!” he said, fighting the agony.
Fang’s blade shimmered
CHAPTER 6
The walls were stone. The corridor long. The green torches didn’t flicker, and the howls were like banshees in the night. One foot at a time, Gorlee stepped forward. He’d never been so deep in the ground before in all of his decades. Not even with a dwarf. He’d never felt so small, either. Above, in the light, he felt confident and invincible. Now he felt like a child frightened by the howls of the night.
His stomach groaned. The fullness he had experienced earlier at Selene’s table had dissipated and been replaced by something else. Fear.
Be brave. She won’t keep you down here forever. Will she?
Gorlee’s chains rattled when he stopped. He hadn’t thought about that. Maybe she knew he wasn’t Nath Dragon. Maybe she knew what he was and had abandoned him down here forever. No. Can’t be. Please, it can’t be.
He jumped.
A pale white rodent scurried over his toes and disappeared into the wall.
A cry echoed down the tunnel, sending a chill down his spine.
Get it together, Gorlee. You’ve never met anything you couldn’t handle . He took a breath and continued forward. The tunnel was murky and damp. Water dripped down the slime-coated walls, forming many small puddles. He covered his nose. What is that?
An angry cry rang out. The sound of a scuffle ensued. Gorlee kept going. Ahead, a light glowed beyond the torches. Shadows flickered in its essence. What kind of place is this? Are there prisoners? Do they all run free?
He thought about Selene. So far as he knew, she was the most powerful woman in the world. Beautiful. Dark and exotic, she was. Beyond human, and different. He could picture her in his mind and see her as if she were right there, smirking and toying with him. She knows I’m not what I appear to be. But she said this was a test. His stomach gurgled. He felt uncomfortable. That’s odd . It gurgled again. What was in that food she gave me? He looked at his black-scaled hands. They shifted and changed a little. Control it, Gorlee. Control it. His hands seemed to solidify once more, but he had a feeling something was at work inside him. Probing what he was all about.
A bend in the tunnel started. The murmuring of many voices assailed his ears. Onward he went with his hand on his stomach, fighting down the fear inside him. Is it possible that I missed another phantom? The smells got stronger, the voices louder, and steps led … upward ?
Up he went, chains dragging over the stones. All the mumblings went silent. Gorlee looked at his shackles. How can I defend myself in these things? I could make myself smaller. Change to something lither and slip out of these things. He shook his head. It’s a test, remember. It’s a test. On heavy legs,he followed the light up the long rows of stone steps. He took fifty of them and came to a stop on a broad marble platform. Ancient runes and symbols covered the floor, but most were covered by the wet murk.
“COME,” a cavernous voice said.
Gorlee remained frozen in place.
“COME,” the voice said, “and I don’t like to repeat myself.”
“Come,” other voices chanted. “Come,” all sorts of voices said.
Gorlee’s legs seemed to move of a will that was not his own. Toward the lights. Toward the voices he went. A great chamber opened up. Hundreds of eyes blinked and sought his from the shadows of ledges and side caves. A great figure stood in the middle with its arms crossed over its chest.
I’ve never seen anything like that before.
Its long large fingers beckoned Gorlee forward.
“COME,” it said, calmly, “let me have a better look at you.”
Gorlee made his way into the chamber and took a glance back over his shoulder. He could hear all the voices say:
“Nothing leaves The Deep.”
CHAPTER 6
Nath ripped Fang out of the ground. His fingers felt like fire, but he held on. His head beaded in heavy drops of sweat.
“I will not let go!” he said, fighting the agony.
Fang’s blade shimmered
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