Message Bearer (The Auran Chronicles Book 1) by M. S. Dobing Read Free Book Online Page B

attacking high and low,
probing for gaps in his opponent’s defences. The warrior matched him for speed,
but their strength was less than his. With every attack he pushed on, forcing
the shadow back. Their blades clashed and clanged in the night, sparks flying
as they danced around the open square.
    A noise from the exit
made him pause. Not another attacker? He glanced, just for a second, just
enough to see the door opening and the welcome sight of his Brothers spilling
out, just enough time for the shadow to catch him unawares.
    His sense flared
before his own physical senses made him aware. The sword lunged. He pushed one
dagger up, pushing the tip of the sword away from his chest and into his
shoulder. Pain exploded up his side. The shadow followed through but he
twisted, ignoring the fire in his shoulder and chopping down with an iron-lined
sleeve onto their wrist. Bone gave way and the shadow let out a yelp as it
stumbled backwards.
    ‘Cade! Eyes!’
    He knew what was coming.
Without thinking Cade threw himself to the floor, covering the unconscious Seb
with his own body, readying himself for the feel of cold steel in his back.
    The strike never came.
From somewhere behind him came the familiar sound of a grenade launcher being armed.
The shadow cursed just as the grenade launched with a loud whoompf !
    The world exploded into a
searing white light. Cade scrunched his eyes shut, waiting for the effect to
pass. Seconds that felt a lifetime drifted by, the smell of the wet earth
mixing with that of burning phosphorous.
    ‘Clear!’ Came a shout
from the door.
    Without a second thought,
for he knew and trusted the source, Cade forced himself upright and staggered
to the open door. He cast a last look at the square, noting with no small
respect that no remains lay where the shadow had been seconds earlier. Strong
hands grabbed him as he stumbled in, dragging him into safety. Others rushed
out and collected the boy. The door shut behind him, the air crackling with
energy as ancient seals activated.

Chapter
7
     
    ‘...have brought him here...’ The voice
came from far away.
    Seb’s eyes flickered. He
felt himself rising from a timeless void.
    ‘...your father will...’
    Images formed in his
mind. Wicked, black eyed creatures. Daggers cutting flesh. His flesh.
    ‘Will he live?’ The voice
was familiar. A face came to mind, pale, almost grey. Yellow eyes.
    ‘Live?’ An unfamiliar voice,
older, gruffer. ‘I’m surprised he’s still alive as it is.’
    ‘Me too, he’s a tough
one.’
    ‘Tough, or just foolish.’
    An image flashed across
his mind. A terrifying visage, a contorted face of fangs, dripping with drool,
the mouth wide open, exposing a bottomless pit of darkness. The dark swelled,
encompassing everything.
    He heard himself scream.
Then silence.
    ***
    Seb opened his eyes, the effort painful,
as if the lids were muscles atrophied from under use. He sat upright, noticing
straight away the absence of pain from his side. He glanced down, tentatively
feeling the bare skin, the flesh now completely unblemished aside from a pale
white line, barely an inch across.
    ‘Stone me,’ he said,
pressing the scar, not quite believing what he saw.
    He took a moment to scan
the room. It was a simple place, more a dormitory really. Aside from the bed he
was in there were several more arranged at regular intervals throughout the
room. Next to his bed stood a chest of drawers with a jug of water and a half
full glass on it.
    He swung the sheets back
and lowered his legs to a cold wooden floor. He stood, relishing the feeling of
movement without pain, before striding to the small window.
    Outside, dimmed in the
fading light of a setting sun, lay a large lawn, expertly maintained, that
extended far into the distance. Immediately before him, next to the building,
was a gravelled drive which trailed off into a small copse to the far right.
Beyond the lawn the grounds of the building became more unruly, with large
bushes and