Read Online The Written by Ben Galley - Free Book Online

known
better than to mess around with elven magick,’ said Farden.
    ‘We knew that, but at the time
it seemed the best thing to do for our people, with power like that
we would have been unstoppable,’ said Jergan, grinning a
little.
    ‘Then I’m glad we started the
war before you did.’ Farden returned the yellow smile.
    ‘Perhaps, but either way this
book was the most fantastic example of dark elf magick we had ever
seen. Once our most powerful spells had opened the book we were
able to learn the summoning incantations that brought daemons,
monsters, and ghosts from the other side, calling them to fight
anyone who would stand in our way. We tested some of them with
several prisoners from Skölgard with brutal results. The daemons
would do anything we asked them, and they would fight on command
until death. That is, if you were strong enough to summon one;
several of our wizards died from the strain of summoning such
terrible beasts.’ Jergan looked wistful, remembering an age long
forgotten, like a torn-out chapter of a book he had once read.
    ‘Shame,’ Farden spat.
    Jergan seemed hurt, but thought
better of complaining. He went on. ‘The most powerful spell in the
manual was for the one of the most ancient and terrifying of all
dark monsters. None of us to this day knew how to raise it, and the
incantation alone scared us witless. Whatever it was the Old Dragon
called a stop to such free use of dark magick, and called off the
whole investigation into the “evil” book. Farfallen had it banished
to southern Nelska, where apparently your soldiers stole it and
whisked it away back to Krauslung.’ The scaly man crossed his
arms.
    ‘What was this spell about?’
Farden asked as he took a seat on a small wooden box.
    ‘We never knew, it referred to
what was named...’ Jergan made a guttural sound of some foreign
language, and Farden shook his head. ‘Something I can understand,
please?’
    Jergan made a face as though he
were teaching a child. ‘ Thy mouths of
darkness or terrible dark ,
something like that. All that we managed to find out was that this
thing was different from the other dark creations, a crossbreed of
daemon and dragon that old Farfallen feared greatly. Luckily, none
of our wizards had been strong enough to survive such a powerful
incantation, and the Old Dragon put a stop to our research, so the
book was sent away and we halted all other reading on dark magick.
Farfallen had the practice outlawed in Nelska and none of us spoke
any more of it.’
    ‘ Research is hardly the word I would use, but that
sounds a wise thing to do, for a Siren.’ The mage nodded as he
searched in his travel bag for food. He tossed Jergan a red apple
and munched on his. ‘I will assume that was a compliment,’ said the
lycan, as he caught the offered fruit. ‘Thank you.’
    Farden shrugged. He mused as he
crunched on the bruised apple, turning over words in his head.
There was a moment of chewing, and then the lycan asked a question.
‘I take it you are one of the Arka then? One of the Written I
imagine?’
    Farden set his jaw. It was an
invasive question, especially from a Siren. He humoured him. ‘Yes,
I am.’
    Jergan nodded slowly, a hint of
something in his hollow eyes. ‘Then I applaud you, carrying the
Book is not easy task, for some,’ he said, and his hungry eyes
roved over the mage. ‘I’ve heard the stories about the unlucky
ones, mage, when the magick eats away at the mind.’
    Farden shuffled on his little
box and scowled. ‘I suggest you keep your observations to yourself.
Why would someone want to steal this dark manual?’ How much would
it be worth on the magick market?’
    ‘As I said, it has been years
since I talked to barely anyone mage, as you might have guessed I
usually just end up eating my guests.’ Jergan’s face went icy cold
and his eyes glazed into a faraway look. Farden tried to find
patience somewhere inside him. ‘I saw as much last night. Again,
why would anyone want