Read Online Heir to the Sundered Crown by Matthew Olney - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Matthew Olney
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Epic, War & Military, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Children's eBooks, Sword & Sorcery, Teen & Young Adult
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raced towards the downed figure of his comrade who was desperately struggling to hold the monsters fangs away from his face. He winced as he heard Carlock’s arm snap as the wolf’s jaws clamped around it, he felt pride however that the younger man did not scream out the pain he must surely be feeling. To do so would alert the army still marching through the valley below.
Blood sprayed as a talon raked the ranger’s chest, Woven reached the struggling pair and without hesitation raised his sword high into the air. With a two handed downward thrust he stabbed the werewolf between its shoulders. The tip of the blade ripped through flesh and bone until it burst the monsters heart to rip through its chest and stop just inches from Carlock’s face. Before the wolf could roar out its pain and give away their position Woven drew a dagger from his cloak and deftly sliced the snarling monsters throat cutting off the gurgling scream of pain.
With a kick he rolled the heavy corpse off of his companion only to find Carlock covered in blood and gasping for air. His chest was a mass of cuts where the talons had scratched at it, and his arm was at an impossible angle.
It was then he saw the bite mark on the younger man’s neck and despair filled him. Woven slumped to his knees, the bite of a werewolf meant one thing to anyone who was not eaten or killed outright. The cursed magic in its saliva spread into open wounds passing it onto the victim. Carlock would turn into the very thing the Rangers hunted, a monster of evil.
Carlock grabbed Woven’s shoulder and drew him close. His breathing was rapid with fear.
“Woven” he tried to say. He coughed, causing blood to foam at his mouth. “Already I can feel it” he managed to utter. His eyes turned glassy and then the colour began to change. First to black, and then slowly to yellow.
Woven picked up his sword and put the blade to his friend’s neck. “I am sorry my friend. It is better to die a man and under the grace of Niveren than a monster of the darkness.” He reverently said reciting the Rangers code. With a thrust of his blade Carlock was silenced never to rise again. Woven fell to his knees and sobbed and all the while the army below continued its march, it seemed as though the horde would never end.
He respectfully said a silent prayer to Niveren for his friend’s soul and knelt to retrieve the pendant around his neck. The young man’s fiancée would despair at the news. With a final glance at the scene below him Woven turned away and began to move down the mountainside. He had to warn the soldiers at Fuio pass.
***
8.
The barricade had taken just three days of constant building to finally be constructed. It was an engineering feat worthy of the ancient Golden Empire. The manpower needed to erect the massive mounds of earth used to block a pass over a mile wide was immense.
Twenty thousand soldiers of the barony of Eclin had been put to the task and none had protested. They had each heard the rumours of the nightmare that was threatening to overwhelm their homeland and they were itching for the chance to deal out death to their foes.
Baron Lido watched as the final wooden stake was hammered into place, finishing the last line of defences.
A hundred paces in front of the stakes were the hastily built watchtowers and palisades. Archers would take up position in the towers whilst the infantry would hold the walls. In front of that was the great mound of Earth that was so steep it took a man several attempts to reach the top. There, the skirmishers would be placed; among them the rangers and hunters, experts at hit and fade tactics. The baron hoped they would deliver such a hail of arrows that any enemy would turn tail and flee, even one that was said to have magic as its ally.
Finally, there was the field of stakes that would slow down any attackers and would buy his forces time to regroup and counter
Blood sprayed as a talon raked the ranger’s chest, Woven reached the struggling pair and without hesitation raised his sword high into the air. With a two handed downward thrust he stabbed the werewolf between its shoulders. The tip of the blade ripped through flesh and bone until it burst the monsters heart to rip through its chest and stop just inches from Carlock’s face. Before the wolf could roar out its pain and give away their position Woven drew a dagger from his cloak and deftly sliced the snarling monsters throat cutting off the gurgling scream of pain.
With a kick he rolled the heavy corpse off of his companion only to find Carlock covered in blood and gasping for air. His chest was a mass of cuts where the talons had scratched at it, and his arm was at an impossible angle.
It was then he saw the bite mark on the younger man’s neck and despair filled him. Woven slumped to his knees, the bite of a werewolf meant one thing to anyone who was not eaten or killed outright. The cursed magic in its saliva spread into open wounds passing it onto the victim. Carlock would turn into the very thing the Rangers hunted, a monster of evil.
Carlock grabbed Woven’s shoulder and drew him close. His breathing was rapid with fear.
“Woven” he tried to say. He coughed, causing blood to foam at his mouth. “Already I can feel it” he managed to utter. His eyes turned glassy and then the colour began to change. First to black, and then slowly to yellow.
Woven picked up his sword and put the blade to his friend’s neck. “I am sorry my friend. It is better to die a man and under the grace of Niveren than a monster of the darkness.” He reverently said reciting the Rangers code. With a thrust of his blade Carlock was silenced never to rise again. Woven fell to his knees and sobbed and all the while the army below continued its march, it seemed as though the horde would never end.
He respectfully said a silent prayer to Niveren for his friend’s soul and knelt to retrieve the pendant around his neck. The young man’s fiancée would despair at the news. With a final glance at the scene below him Woven turned away and began to move down the mountainside. He had to warn the soldiers at Fuio pass.
***
8.
The barricade had taken just three days of constant building to finally be constructed. It was an engineering feat worthy of the ancient Golden Empire. The manpower needed to erect the massive mounds of earth used to block a pass over a mile wide was immense.
Twenty thousand soldiers of the barony of Eclin had been put to the task and none had protested. They had each heard the rumours of the nightmare that was threatening to overwhelm their homeland and they were itching for the chance to deal out death to their foes.
Baron Lido watched as the final wooden stake was hammered into place, finishing the last line of defences.
A hundred paces in front of the stakes were the hastily built watchtowers and palisades. Archers would take up position in the towers whilst the infantry would hold the walls. In front of that was the great mound of Earth that was so steep it took a man several attempts to reach the top. There, the skirmishers would be placed; among them the rangers and hunters, experts at hit and fade tactics. The baron hoped they would deliver such a hail of arrows that any enemy would turn tail and flee, even one that was said to have magic as its ally.
Finally, there was the field of stakes that would slow down any attackers and would buy his forces time to regroup and counter
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