Bacorium Legacy by Nicholas Alexander Read Free Book Online Page A

Zinoro, watching him endlessly from some dark place. He saw the barren wasteland that had once been the village, now nought but ashes buried under snow. He saw the clothes and blood of those taken by death. He saw the look of resignation in his father's eyes as Zinoro ended him.
    He woke, suddenly and without sound. His instincts kicked in, and he reached for his blade. It was not by his side.
    Wherever he was, it was not where he had been before.
    He was lying in a warm and comfortable bed, wearing a change of soft bedclothes he had never seen before. He was in a bedroom, illuminated by the silver glow of moonlight streaming in through an open window. The room was sparsely and indifferently furnished in the way that inns always were.
    The air was different. It was warmer - a welcome relief from the harsh and biting cold of the Arimos region. He did not know where he was, but it was certainly farther south.
    The real question was how he had came to be in such a place.
    He thought back as best he could. His final memory was of Zinoro walking away, leaving him to be dealt with by the large Acarian with the axe. After that, he remembered being seized by a great fury, and blacking out.
    Zinoro had delegated his work to one of his men, not even bothering to kill a person who was, in his eyes, nothing but a child. Even after everything he had done.
    Luca looked down at his hands. The cold images flashed through his mind again. Arlea was dead. His father was dead.
    “Zinoro.”
    He said the name softly, as though his lips were testing it. He vowed never to forget that name. The man who had slain his father...
    The door of the bedroom creaked opened. Luca looked up to see a girl stepping inside, carrying a bag under her right arm, and a pitcher of water in her left hand. She looked up as she stepped in, freezing and giving a small start as her gaze met his.
    Luca found himself looking her over. The girl was pretty, but not beautiful. She had dark black hair, which ran down to just past her shoulders, contrasting well with her milky white skin. Her eyes were large and round, and as green as emeralds. She was dressed simply, in a plain white dress, which seemed to glow mysteriously in the strong moonlight. She was not wearing any shoes.
    The girl watched Luca warily, not speaking or moving. She was waiting to see what he would do - like a wild beast. He found that strangely irritating, so he decided not to do anything at all. He simply sat there, and an indeterminate amount of time went by before the girl at last spoke, breaking the silence.
    “So you are awake...” she said slowly.
    “Your powers of observation are astounding,” he muttered dryly.
    The girl blinked, and looked away from him awkwardly. “I don't understand why I... Well, I guess that's because of the...”
    Her words trailed off, and she looked down at the floor, confused about something.
    “I apologise,” she said finally. “I shouldn't just be standing here. Are you alright? How are your injuries?”
    Injuries? He looked over himself to find that he was bandaged in several places beneath the bedclothes. It made sense he would be injured, after what had happened - he just hadn't noticed the wounds until she had mentioned them, so they must have been well-treated.
    “It seems I'll live.”
    The girl smiled.
    “Excellent. I was just bringing your clothes up. I had just finished cleaning them. I also got you some water if you're thirsty.”
    He was, actually. He sat up, and moved to the side of the bed as she approached. She placed the pitcher on the nightstand, and placed his clothes atop the dresser while he drank. He easily downed the entirety of the water in the pitcher, likely half a litre. A little surprised with himself, he set the pitcher down and turned to the girl.
    “Thank you,” he said.
    She smiled and bowed. “Of course. How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?”
    He did not feel particularly well, nor did he really want anything.