Drakonika (Book 1) by Andrea Závodská Read Free Book Online Page A

was his backpack which he seized to his chest in the last second before it could splash on the slippery pavement. He didn't even realise that he had let go of his jacket which fell onto the ground and the cold raindrops started penetrating his hair and clothes.
    “ Keep your problems,” growled the thief. Then his frowning expression suddenly changed into a malevolent smile, saying: “Have a pleasant death.” He disappeared as suddenly as if the shadows themselves had swallowed him. He didn't even wait for the kids to say thank you .
    Magnus felt a strong tug on one of his sleeves and then there was an indignant whisper.
    “We have to leave right now, it's not safe here! Did you hear those bandits?” the girl implored, but Magnus didn't move a limb. “Pleeeaaaase!” she said, her big blue eyes fixed on him.
    Bandits? So that's what the inhabitants of Ragna are so afraid of? thought Magnus and a faint smile finally appeared on his face. He was acting like a snail. “Calm down, it's okay. There are no bandits here, the sounds were coming out from my backpack,” said Magnus calmly.
    The girl glanced at him as though he was the strangest person she had ever seen. Actually, there was a good chance that he was. “What? Don't be silly! How could anyone's backpack talk?” she said, shaking her head in disbelief and if her sopping hair wasn't plastered to her face, her two long blonde ponytails would have shook as well.
    “You'll see. One day I'll show you,” Magnus promised and hoped that the gingerbreads would not be sulky when that day would come. After all, they were surely capable of doing a lot of witty stuff.
    “ I am Maren. Maren Samai,” said the girl suddenly as she stretched her arm towards him, ignoring Magnus' promises about his talking backpack.
    Magnus took her hand gently, but she shook his whole arm wildly as if they were good old friends. When Maren let go of his hand at last, Magnus said hesitantly: “I am Magnus. Magnus... Il'idiel.” It sounded almost as though he was not even sure of what he had just said, but he was determined not to mention his blank memory.
    “Magnus? Il'Idiel? Have you made that up just now?” said Maren unbelievingly and let out a hearty giggle, as if she had suddenly forgotten what could have been lurking in the dark streets.
    Magnus felt his face turning red, but Maren didn't stop questioning.
    “You aren't from here, are you?” she asked curiously.
    How could she have known? Magnus asked himself in his mind. His responses were growing slower and slower. Before he could give the girl any answer, another question came.
    “ What are you doing out here anyway? Don't you know that Ragna is haunted at night?” Maren said.
    It seemed she had finally made Magnus talk.
    “I think it's pretty obvious what I'm doing here,” he said shortly, tossing his backpack over his shoulder. “But what are you doing here, I don't understand.”
    “ Me?“ Maren jabbed herself with a finger, giving Magnus the kind of look as if he didn't know that one and one made two. “I happen to be a born mage and I am looking for adventure out here, to practice my powerful spells,” she said proudly in a slightly superior tone, and with her eyes shut, she pulled the black hood of her mage robe over her head.
    Magnus turned slowly in the direction he had come from. “All right Miss Sorceress, if you know some powerful spells, now would be the time to use them,” he said with his voice shaking.
    Magnus, the brave boy who had taken care of a dangerous robber sounded terrified. That forced Maren to forget about her bloodline of mighty mages at once as she turned in Magnus' direction.
    There was a pair of huge yellow eyes glancing at them from the darkness which gleamed like polished crystals. The only source of light in the whole of Ragna was the two moons in the black, cloudy sky, for all of the house windows were well boarded. And apparently with a good reason.
    “No matter what happens, stay