Adventurers Wanted, Book 4: Sands of Nezza by M. L. Forman Read Free Book Online Page B

everything is normal in Nezza, and nobody higher up knows that there is a problem.”
    “Yes, I see,” said Alex. “But couldn’t you send a message to someone higher up and tell them what’s going on?”
    “That’s where the new security becomes a problem,” said Savage. “I don’t know anyone higher up than my contact.”
    “What?” Alex asked in disbelief.
    Savage shrugged. “Oh, I know a few other agents, but looking at it as a sensible man, I have to wonder if I’m even working for the order of Malgor. I have no way of knowing for certain. I know my contact has a pendant with the symbol of the order on it, but that’s all. I have to trust that I’m working for the order and hope that I’m doing some good.”
    “I’m sure you are,” said Alex. “I wish there was something I could do to help the situation.”
    “Maybe you can.”
    “How?”
    “Talk to your wizard friends,” said Savage. “I’m sure some of them must know members of the order, members who are higher up in the chain of command than I am. Maybe they can point out the current problems and get things changed.”
    “I’ll do what I can,” said Alex.
    After a few more minutes, they continued on. The campsite Savage had mentioned would be a good place for a longer rest, and Alex was still a little worried that another earthen stoic might turn up. Having a larger source of water nearby would be useful if one did, but he’d used a lot of magic already today. There were limits to every wizard’s powers.
    When they came to the campsite, Alex liked it at once. The mountain stream fell noisily over a nine- or ten-foot waterfall, filling a deep, wide pool before continuing down the hillside. Alex walked to the stream’s edge and stuck his head into the falling water. Shaking the water out of his eyes, he turned back to look at Savage. The cold water had refreshed him, but the look on Savage’s face turned his bones cold.
    Turning back to the stream, Alex saw a creature in the shape of a man standing in the center of the pool, seemingly floating on top of the water. The moonlight reflected off the water stoic’s body. Its skin seemed to flow like a fountain in the middle of the stream.
    Alex didn’t need his O’Gash to tell him how to deal with this stoic; the answer was obvious. He could turn the stoic into ice and shatter it with a blast of lightning. He lifted his staff and spread his feet, then sent a freezing spell into the creature’s liquid body. Ice formed over the surface of the monster, but before Alex could work any other magic, the ice seemed to melt and fall away. The fluid nature of the stoic’s body was drawing warmer water up from the stream, and the ice Alex had created was only on the outer surface of the creature.
    Knowing that his magic was almost used up, Alex reached out for the power of the dragon, a power that had saved him more than once in the past. He knew his dragon powers would restore his magic and make him stronger, but when he reached for it, he found nothing. The power of the dragon simply wasn’t there. Nothing answered his call.
    Panic filled Alex’s mind and heart. The power of the dragon had never failed him before. It was always there; it was part of him. He turned, looking for Savage. He wanted to yell for him to run, but Savage was gone.
    Before Alex could start running, a stream of water hit him like a fire hose, sending him tumbling across the ground. He tried to get back on his feet but slipped on the wet ground and fell into a muddy puddle.
    A second blast of water rolled him out of the puddle and across the ground. Alex managed to get to his knees and look at the stoic. He knew he couldn’t stop this creature with the little magic he had left. He gritted his teeth and staggered to his feet. If he was going to die, he would die standing, and he would put up as much of a fight as he could. Maybe he could slow the stoic down, giving Savage more time to escape—maybe.
    Alex took a step