Read Online Chronicles of Den'dra: A Land Torn: Ancient Powers Awaken by Spencer Johnson - Free Book Online Page B

Dismounting he rubbed his buttocks as if to massage away hours of riding.
    “ Not yet. It’s impossible to follow any tracks in this snow.”
    “ Then search every building until you are sure that he isn’t here.” Verkal turned back to Encer and continued.
    “ How does your village manage to pay taxes in no one leaves or enters the village?” Encer realized that he was treading on dangerously thin ice. It was well known what the penalty for not rendering the taxes due the crown into the crown’s treasury. If the burgomaster was fortunate enough to escape with his life then his properties were forfeit to the crown as punishment. The villagers were then required to pay the due taxes thrice over. The strict penalty had been accountable for the relative rarity of this crime.
    “ The King’s tax men never came. We tried to deliver the taxes but dragons appeared and drove the men back into town.”
    “ Liar. If there were dragons about, your village wouldn’t have survived the day. Dragons spare no one.” Verkal looked smug in his assessment of the situation.
    “ These dragons seem intent on keeping us imprisoned. No one is harmed unless they are seen to be attempting to leave the valley.” Encer didn’t like the look that came into Verkal’s eyes. By this time several people had assembled to observe these newcomers.
    “ We found him! He was hiding in a building over here.” Verkal was interrupted just as he was about to make a declaration in response to Encer’s assertion. Leaving matters where they were the commander strode off in the direction indicated. Encer followed a few paces behind intent on seeing who had been “found”.
    They arrived at the storehouse where a group of soldiers and villagers were gathering. The door was open and the feet of a soldier could be seen inside the gloomy interior of the building. The soldier was lying flat and unmoving. On Verkal’s orders another soldier began edging his way into the doorway. Suddenly he grasped his head and screamed. A moment later he gave a couple jerks and fell to the ground.
    “The bastard is too strong. We are going to have to do this the easy way.” Verkal said a few words to a subordinate that were lost before they reached Encer.
    “ What is going on? Who is this person?” Encer inquired of Verkal.
    “ A telepath and we are going to smoke him out.” Verkal glared at Encer in annoyance before returning to the task on hand. A moment later the soldier returned with a bundle of torches and a flint. Encer was still confused as to what the easy way was meant to represent. The torches were soon lit and distributed in a ring around the building. Encer then got an inkling of what Verkal was planning.
    “ You can’t do that! We have all our winter’s previsions in that building. If you burn it down we will starve!” Encer tried to get closer to Verkal who ignored him.
    “ Stop! You can’t burn our storehouse!” Encer was getting frantic now as the soldiers advanced on the building. Verkal swung around and caught Encer off guard with a right hook to the nose. Stunned he sat on the ground. Reaching up to his face he could feel the sticky warm blood already flowing.
    “ I will do what I want. You should have considered this when you chose to hide the cultist man in there.” Verkal’s voice positively dripped venom.
    “ But we didn’t hide him. We haven’t done anything wrong.” Encer was ignored and the first flames caught at the dry eaves. The telepath inside caught on to what was happening and several of the soldiers collapsed in screams. Encer watched helplessly as their fellows dragged them back from the flames that licked hungrily at the building. With horror he watched the smoke billow out of the door. In the light of the flames he was able to see the soldier who had first entered the building.
    Suddenly a black robed man came out of the door at a full run. He leaped the supine soldier at the door and impaled himself of Verkal’s