Gameplay

Gameplay by Kevin J. Anderson Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: Gameplay by Kevin J. Anderson Read Free Book Online
Authors: Kevin J. Anderson
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, Science Fiction & Fantasy
turning the raft toward the opposite shore. He paused a moment, then dug the pole into the river mud and pushed. Slow to gain momentum, the raft moved a few more feet away from the shore.
    “Wait!” Vailret hurried to jump onto the raft. The lashed logs swayed as he gained his balance. Delrael leaped over to join him. Bryl hesitated at the edge of the River, then jumped across.
    Enrod’s raft moved with greater speed, rocking as the Sentinel worked his pole. They drew away from the shore, then mist closed around them in a damp cocoon.
    The mist muffled even the noise from the River, and all other sounds fell away. The line of trees on the shore faded into murky skeletal shapes, then vanished altogether.
    The hush around them made Vailret afraid to talk, but Bryl finally whispered, “I can’t see where we’re going. How do we know we’re making any progress at all?”
    Enrod gave no sign that he even realized the passengers had joined him on the raft. The dirty sleeves of his robe flopped around his wrists as he raised the pole, dripping water and river mud, then pushed down again.
    “What if he wants to keep us here?” Bryl whispered again. The half-Sorcerer’s eyes were wide, and he hunched down into his cloak, as if trying to hide. “We’re the ones who created the River. We’re the ones he was coming to blast with the Fire Stone. I don’t see the Deathspirits here to protect us—what if their curse isn’t strong enough?”
    Vailret had no answers for him, but Bryl’s fear struck home. After another moment in silence, Delrael said, “Shut up, Bryl. Thanks for pointing that out to him.”
    Enrod gave no sign that he had heard.
    Vailret stared at the cursed Sentinel. Enrod’s eyes were red and unfocused, possessed. He had been driven into madness somehow, he had wanted to blast all the hexagons into blackened cinders. Did he know that his imagined enemies stood directly beside him? Did he know that Bryl carried his Fire Stone no more than two steps away?
    “Enrod? Enrod, can you hear me?” Vailret stood beside him, but the Sentinel did not flinch.
    “I’ve heard many legends about you. I know what you attempted to do for Tairé. You remained behind from the Transition to help rebuild the blasted lands. You wanted to atone for all the damage done in the old Sorcerer Wars.”
    Enrod fixed his eyes at the blank wall of mist in front of him. He lifted his arms and pushed down on the pole.
    “Enrod,” Vailret continued, “we know the Outsiders put something in the east, a monster called Scartaris who’s going to destroy Gamearth. Can you tell us anything about him?”
    The dark-haired Sentinel seemed to be in a world of his own. He moved jerkily. His eyes did not blink.
    “Enrod, please help us!”
    Enrod lifted his pole out of the water.
    “The whole Game is at stake!” Vailret clutched at the Sentinel’s tattered white sleeve, trying to yank his attention away from the raft.
    In a lightning blur of speed, Enrod snapped backward with his right foot, scooped it behind Vailret’s legs. He slashed with the mud-dripping pole and jabbed with his elbow.
    Vailret tumbled, sprawling to the deck of the raft. He skidded and grabbed at the pitch-covered logs to keep from falling into the water.
    In a fluid motion, Enrod composed himself again, thrust his pole back into the River, and pushed on.
    It all happened so fast that Delrael could do little more than bend over to catch his cousin. Bryl blinked in astonishment.
    Enrod acted as if nothing had happened at all.
    Vailret coughed and tried to catch his breath, opening and closing his mouth. Then he climbed back to his feet, brushing himself off. He said nothing, but continued to watch Enrod out of the corner of his eye.…
    Before long, shapes appeared in the mist ahead of them, the dark silhouettes of trees from the far shore. Vailret squinted as they approached closer until the fog around the raft broke open, letting him see the hex-line of the

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