Read Online Calling On Fire (Book 1) by Stephanie Beavers - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Stephanie Beavers
Tags: Fantasy
Ads: Link
asked—what did Arxus have to say about all this?" Toman asked before tearing into his meal.
Esset mumbled under his breath.
"What was that?" Toman asked through a full mouth.
"He agreed with you. But really, how can you expect a magical construct to understand ethics, especially when he has no emotions." Since Esset's words weren't intoned as a question, Toman didn't answer, but he did grin.
"I still have reservations about this," Esset said. Toman swallowed and sighed.
"I know. And I do too, but I think this is a risk we need to take." Toman took another bite, and they both ate in silence.
"Oi, there they are!" Esset said, pointing with what was left of his sandwich. Two dark specks were visible in the sky, back the way they'd come.
"Right on time. Finish your food and we can get going," Toman said. He stuffed the last of his own in his mouth and stretched.
"We should reach that town tomorrow, right?" Toman asked.
"Midday or so," Esset confirmed. "We should be crossing into Erizen's territory today though, so we should switch mounts now. No need to announce our arrival any more than we need to."
Toman just nodded and watched as the two specks in the sky grew larger. Within a minute, they were clearly recognizable as a pair of stone, winged horses. Each was laden with supplies—one mainly with chains, the other with rope and a harness bristling with sheathed daggers. Toman had figured these would be the most effective weapons against the dragon—or whatever it was.
The twin horses descended, and Toman hung onto his hat. They landed with plunging hooves and thrashing wings that blasted the area with their own wind.
"You'd think that since magic enables their flight, not their actual flapping wings, that they could land with less of a stir," Esset said dryly when the horses were still. Toman shrugged. Gripping the harness of the knife-bearing horse, he swung up on its back with practiced ease. The stone was cool to touch, but the stone shifted like the muscles a real horse would have. He'd found, with his animations, that the more detailed he made them, the more nuanced their animated behavior was. Fortunately, even with their enhanced appearance, he never had to worry about misbehavior from his artificial companions.
Esset was still mounting when Toman cued his own mount into the air with a thought. The winged horse leapt skywards, pumping its wings for altitude and gaining height despite the fact that its solid stone weight should have prevented such a creature from becoming airborne—Esset was right about them being moved by magic rather than nature.
Toman glanced back to make sure Esset was following—he was, and only a few wingstrokes behind—before setting his eyes on the horizon. His stone creations were slower than Esset's summons, and they weren't as warm, so they couldn't fly as high without freezing their riders. On the other hand, if his concentration slipped, they would just keep doing whatever they'd last been told to do. If Esset's concentration slipped, the summons would do anything they pleased. Usually that just meant they went off course or got up to some antics, but they could also choose to turn on their riders and burn them or dump them. Toman was never quite able to relax when astride Esset's summons. But stone—stone was reliable. It was also far less obtrusive flying overhead than the glowing monstrosities Esset called upon, which was why they'd switched mounts.
Toman closed his eyes and focused on the physical sensations: the wind grasping at his hair and battering his face; the worn leather of his hat, firmly held against his torso so it wouldn't be ripped away; the living stone beneath him, replicated muscles shifting and straining in the rigors of flight; and the two rigid lumps against his knees where they pressed up against daggers sheathed on either side of his mount.
Toman opened his eyes again, and the first thing he saw was flashing stone wings close on his right; Esset
Esset mumbled under his breath.
"What was that?" Toman asked through a full mouth.
"He agreed with you. But really, how can you expect a magical construct to understand ethics, especially when he has no emotions." Since Esset's words weren't intoned as a question, Toman didn't answer, but he did grin.
"I still have reservations about this," Esset said. Toman swallowed and sighed.
"I know. And I do too, but I think this is a risk we need to take." Toman took another bite, and they both ate in silence.
"Oi, there they are!" Esset said, pointing with what was left of his sandwich. Two dark specks were visible in the sky, back the way they'd come.
"Right on time. Finish your food and we can get going," Toman said. He stuffed the last of his own in his mouth and stretched.
"We should reach that town tomorrow, right?" Toman asked.
"Midday or so," Esset confirmed. "We should be crossing into Erizen's territory today though, so we should switch mounts now. No need to announce our arrival any more than we need to."
Toman just nodded and watched as the two specks in the sky grew larger. Within a minute, they were clearly recognizable as a pair of stone, winged horses. Each was laden with supplies—one mainly with chains, the other with rope and a harness bristling with sheathed daggers. Toman had figured these would be the most effective weapons against the dragon—or whatever it was.
The twin horses descended, and Toman hung onto his hat. They landed with plunging hooves and thrashing wings that blasted the area with their own wind.
"You'd think that since magic enables their flight, not their actual flapping wings, that they could land with less of a stir," Esset said dryly when the horses were still. Toman shrugged. Gripping the harness of the knife-bearing horse, he swung up on its back with practiced ease. The stone was cool to touch, but the stone shifted like the muscles a real horse would have. He'd found, with his animations, that the more detailed he made them, the more nuanced their animated behavior was. Fortunately, even with their enhanced appearance, he never had to worry about misbehavior from his artificial companions.
Esset was still mounting when Toman cued his own mount into the air with a thought. The winged horse leapt skywards, pumping its wings for altitude and gaining height despite the fact that its solid stone weight should have prevented such a creature from becoming airborne—Esset was right about them being moved by magic rather than nature.
Toman glanced back to make sure Esset was following—he was, and only a few wingstrokes behind—before setting his eyes on the horizon. His stone creations were slower than Esset's summons, and they weren't as warm, so they couldn't fly as high without freezing their riders. On the other hand, if his concentration slipped, they would just keep doing whatever they'd last been told to do. If Esset's concentration slipped, the summons would do anything they pleased. Usually that just meant they went off course or got up to some antics, but they could also choose to turn on their riders and burn them or dump them. Toman was never quite able to relax when astride Esset's summons. But stone—stone was reliable. It was also far less obtrusive flying overhead than the glowing monstrosities Esset called upon, which was why they'd switched mounts.
Toman closed his eyes and focused on the physical sensations: the wind grasping at his hair and battering his face; the worn leather of his hat, firmly held against his torso so it wouldn't be ripped away; the living stone beneath him, replicated muscles shifting and straining in the rigors of flight; and the two rigid lumps against his knees where they pressed up against daggers sheathed on either side of his mount.
Toman opened his eyes again, and the first thing he saw was flashing stone wings close on his right; Esset
Similar Books
