Exiles From The Sacred Land (Book 2) by Mark Tyson Read Free Book Online Page B

them away. Go now!” He stopped and put his hand on Melias’ arm. “Now would be a good time, old friend.”
    Melias nodded before turning to face Bren, who bowed his head momentarily out of respect.
    Dorenn jumped away from Tatrice as Melias and Bren rushed around the camp, gathering up the leather backpacks. “What is happening? What’s down there?” He didn’t want them to think he had been eavesdropping.
    “Dramyds in the forest. Get your gear and head up the mountain.” Tatrice started rounding up her things. Dorenn pulled Dranmalin from its scabbard. Bren stayed Dorenn’s arm. “We can’t fight them; there are too many. Get up the side of the mountain to the sentinels.”
    Dorenn sheathed Dranmalin and gathered up his backpack. Frantically he followed Bren and Tatrice as they stumbled up the rocky outcropping. He could hear the horses screaming, and he hoped they had broken loose and run away. The side of the mountain brightened with intermittent flashes of light, reminding him of a lightning storm. He stopped and looked back after he heard something explode. He briefly saw the image of Morgoran with his arms outstretched to the sky. The forest trees below were bursting in giant fiery splinters, impelling Dramyds to the frozen ground.
    Dorenn turned back to the mountain ahead and climbed with frenzied speed. His heart skipped a beat when he heard the now familiar beating of leathery wings above him. Dorenn froze as a Drasmyd Duil landed directly in his path, its teeth exposed in a sinister grin. It lurched for him, and he fell backward to the ground, fumbling for Dranmalin . The Drasmyd Duil reached for him with its terrible claws, and Dorenn braced for the worse, but it never came; he opened his eyes to the horrific sight of the Drasmyd Duil’s head immersed in a golden light, distorting as the rest of the now headless creature’s body fell to its knees. Vesperin stood behind it with its head between his hands, squeezing, his teeth gnashed in a determined concentration. Dorenn had never seen such hatred from his friend before. The black flesh of the Drasmyd Duil’s head peeled away to reveal its twisted skull. Vesperin let the severed skull fall to the ground, smoldering.
    “Come on, Dorenn, run!” he insisted.
    Dorenn gathered himself up and ran as fast as he could up the steep incline. He heard more explosions and squealing screams behind and below him, but he dared not look back. He only hoped the squeals were coming from Dramyds and Drasmyd Duil and not from his friends. He stumbled on loose rock and went down on all fours. His backpack broke loose and tumbled behind him. Clawing desperately at the shifting terrain, Dorenn slid down the side of the incline. The sound of beating wings inspired him to claw at the ground faster. Something grabbed the hood of his cloak and pulled him back to sure footing. Dorenn’s heart pounded. He readied himself for a fight, but instead, he stood stunned, looking into the blood-red eyes of Melias. The monk hovered above the ground, two leathery wings outstretched behind him, keeping him aloft. With each flash of Morgoran’s light spell, Melias’ features changed. He began to look like a red Drasmyd Duil. Dorenn saw red-scaled claws in place of Melias’ hands, and he shrank back from him, not comprehending what he was seeing. Melias reached out with his red claws and took Dorenn by his arms. He looked for Tatrice, who was now in the company of Vesperin, heading up the mountain. Dorenn tried to force the claws away in vain. With a powerful lurch, Dorenn felt himself being lifted upward into the night air.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 4: Basillain
     
    Lady Shey looked down the muddy, filth-laden street to a shabby inn located a few long paces away. “I will confirm that the Eagle Eye, and this city for that matter, was in much better shape the day Gondrial and I made