Draconis' Bane by David Temrick Read Free Book Online Page B

to use a sword. One of the servants walked
into the room to bring you water with a slice of lemon in it. He
walked out and when another servant brought lunch a few minutes
later…you, your fencing partner and everyone else in the room was
unconscious. No one knows what happened, the water wasn’t poisoned
or anything, it just looked like everyone had passed out, like a
spell.” She explained.
    “Wait…hold on…a
spell? Like magic? You mean like card tricks and sleight of hand?”
Tristan laughed.
    No Mykl, like
magic….
    He wiped his head
around as flame erupted from his mothers palm, she gently blew on
it and it floated in between Tristan and Eurydice. He sat there,
shocked and not wanting to believe; he reached out and held his
hand above it….it was hot!
    “Th…that’s
impossible.” He muttered.
    Eurydice looked
shocked at that announcement as his mother and father exchanged
meaningful glances, but it was his brother who spoke first.
    “Tristan, don’t you
remember us?”
    “All I remember is
being beaten, abused, ignored and punished…Ok?” He snapped
needlessly.
    This time his father
stepped forward, he knelt down in front of Tristan. Concern clearly
evident on his face he reached into the night table and pulled out
a mirror. He held surrendered it to Tristan.
    “You’re not eight
Tristan. Look at yourself.”
    Tristan took the
offered mirror, doubt clearly evident on his face, and looked into
it. The face looking back at him was wasn’t his own. It wasn’t the
reflection he was used to seeing. What he’d expected to see was a
skinny dark haired boy. The man looking back at him had long
shoulder length hair, a few days worth of stubble and a faded scar
running down the left side of his face.
    The only thing he
could recognize were his eyes, the same three colors of grey, green
and brown looking back at him. It was at this point that he noticed
he wasn’t wearing his hand me down suit, he was clothed in a
comfortable short sleeved shirt and trousers made of a soft
material he’d never felt before.
    “You’ll be
celebrating your twentieth Midsummer in a few months.” His father
explained with a confounded look on his face.
    “I thought I was
telling the story!” She pouted theatrically and everyone in the
room laughed, including Tristan.
    Alright Mykl, tell
your brother the story.
    “Wait. What’s that
word? Mykl? You call me that too.” He asked.
    “I can tell you
that.” His sister replied eagerly. “It’s what Mom calls all her
children. It’s really funny when she calls Kevin it though,
especially in front of his men.” She giggled.
    “He’s so serious
around them.” She whispered as though it was a grand
conspiracy.
    Everyone laughed
again and Tristan looked over at his older brother and saw that he
was genuinely amused at her observations.
    “You would be too,
little one, if you were their General.” He replied.
    “Do they know I can
beat you at chess too?” She said through a crooked smile.
    It seemed like
Tristans’ recovery had definitely brightened the room because
everyone was once again laughing at her byplay with the family. She
was clearly the baby that everyone doted on, but there wasn’t
anything “spoiled” about her. She didn’t look pampered and didn’t
give off the impression that everyone should bend to her will. It
was very much outside of Tristan’s experience. His mind seemed to
be stuck in the nightmare and all of his anger and resentment came
back with him.
    “So, anyway.”
Eurydice cut off his dark musing. “When the servants found you
unconscious they sent for a healing priest. When she arrived she
looked over you and tried to heal you, only the spell that hit you
had some sort of trap for anyone attempting to force it out.” She
continued. “The spell rebounded on her and she died.”
    Tristan ran his hand
through his hair and tried to make sense of this information. Why
had it killed a trained healing priest but spared him? As if