Merchants and Mages (Highmage's Plight Book 2) by D.H. Aire Read Free Book Online Page A

puts the Pharaohs to shame,” George muttered.
      “The who?”
      “Sorry, before your time and, uh, world, my dear.”
      Elvin runes of power were displayed along the sides as George walked around it. Staff glowed as it recorded on passive sensors. :Permission to go to active scan of the interior.:
      “Granted,” George muttered, “but keep it low level at first. We
    don’t know what we might accidentally activate.”
      :Acknowledged…  Level 10 scan.: The resolution flowed across George’s mind, a shadow, reflecting the form buried within came to his mind’s eye. The skeletal remains of humans and elves, although similar, were subtly different.
      He was looking at a pure blood elf’s remains or at least as near to pure blood as he could ascertain from this method. Judging by the wealth displayed and the great care taken, he was likely a lord of one of the original forty elvin founding families of the Empire that Balfour had told him about.
      George paused and pondered. Now why had the Summoning brought him here, of all places?
      Se’and looked at the depictions on the wall and frowned. Wasn’t that a Cathartan? And what was she wearing… an exquisitely woven silver anklet? She felt drawn to it, trying to make out all its details.   She leaned forward and abruptly stiffened. She had the oddest feeling that she was looking at…
      The wall suddenly shook and dust rained from the ceiling. They both looked up and knew that the elemental had found them in the tomb. The temperature dropped at least fifty degrees as she drew her sword. George left off his examination of the sarcophagus.
      Confused, George turned to his companion… Time, reality, shifted around them.
     
    The orb sensed them examining the crypt. Its light began to pool around the base of the pedestal, which slowly sank into the floor. Its purpose was
    being made manifest.
      The Cathartan was here. It was time. What it safeguarded could be given over to her… or her – or her… Reality twisted as the man’s companion drew her sword… her short sword… her dagger.
      The roof of the burial mound shook as something evil, fought past the wards that protected this hallowed place, attacking the tomb. The awareness that had awoken found itself seeing three different
    Cathartans, and three different pasts, presents, and futures.
      The ceiling shook apart as the odd human’s mage staff flared, shielding them from the raining debris.
      Priorities shifted. The awareness understood the danger directed against the Cathartan and her lord; they hastily fled the crypt as a chunk of the ceiling in the main vault collapsed. A freezing wind burst through the opening and a creature of ice and snow roared.
    The awareness was startled by the appearance of the elemental. The Demonlord had laid a trap to prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy! This could not be permitted!
      As the creature reached into the vault, the orb’s awareness knew that it could not fulfill its mission and save the two humans both.
    “Je’orj!” each black liveried woman shouted amid the shifting realities. They shoved him aside as the icy hand reached for them… Each dropped their weapon – and grabbed the dagger from the man’s sheath.
      Magery shied from the presence of the bane metal of the troll wrought blade. The elemental’s reaching fingers fell away, yet the frigid cold did not abate. The staff flared with light, but the elemental would not give up. It stuffed its body into the tomb intent on drowning them in snow and ice.
      The orb did not understand the shifting reality, but recognized that fate had brought the promised champion to the MOMENT. No matter that she had a slight scar on her cheek, seemed far too young, or seemed, well, or far too blonde.
      It chose, remembering that life and even prophecy were but a gamble at the whim of fate.  The orb flared red and shattered.
    The explosion knocked them off their feet and into each