Return To Sky Raven (Book 2) by T. Michael Ford Read Free Book Online

the loudest call to attention I have ever heard. My ears were ringing after that, but it also worked perfectly because everyone’s attention was on her now.
    “Listen up people! My name is Maya; I am the weapons trainer attached to the Enchanters Hall. As you all know, the academy has fallen.” Murmurs and cries rang out from the crowd. “Regrettably, we were forced to leave many of your fellow wizards behind, but those of you who are demanding that we charge back through the portal and retake the academy, I ask that you to look around! We’re barely over 250 in numbers and you want to fight a force of over 20,000? Grow up! Just because you’re wizards doesn’t mean you’re invincible; the friends you have already lost should be proof of that.”
    Most of the servants and younger wizards were crying; most of the older students seemed to understand her point, but the guards looked like they just wanted to kill something. She always was one for tough love, but after a short pause for dramatic effect she continued, “But just because we lost this round doesn’t mean we can just give up and go home. There are still two towers of students trapped in Xarparion.”
    A small blonde girl in a water wizard’s robe stepped forward. “If we can’t attack them, then how are we going to save my sister?”
    “First things first - we are going to find a safe haven where we can regroup, tend to our wounded, and form a plan. There is a suitable fortress only a few days away from here. Thanks to the Earth Tower, the Wind and Water Towers in Xarparion are sealed up and should withstand assault from the undead for the immediate future. They also have enough supplies to hold out for up to a year. That will give us the time we need to formulate a counterstrike. And remember, the enchanters created the original portals; we can create more if needed.”
    The group murmured quietly for a bit, but from what I could hear, most of them seemed satisfied enough that they would go along with our plan so far. Then much to my surprise, a familiar figure stepped forward. It was Naton, but he was wearing servant’s clothing. I switched to my mage sight and found four of his goons had also snuck in as servants. He pulled himself up to his full height and leered at Maya.
    “And why should we listen to you? Since when did the enchanters take over? Last time I checked, you didn’t have a Headmaster on the counsel, nor do you have the numbers to be the most powerful tower. So just because that crazy old elf is the last master left doesn’t mean anything. Headmasters are chosen by the most powerful wizard, and that would be me!”
    Somewhere from the back of the crowd someone piped up, “No, that would be the Combat Pixie!” Naton reddened almost to the color of his missing robes as the crowd chuckled nervously and then got increasingly louder and angrier as Naton’s demands were discussed among them. They might not necessarily like enchanters, but they all hated him. Calmly, Maya proceeded. “Is that all you had to say?”
    “No, but first I have a question for you. Are you the one who was with him at the dance?” he said, jerking his arm angrily in my direction.
    Everyone was quiet, wondering where he was going with this. “Yes, I am.”
    He smiled, but not the good kind. “Then you’re a dark elf traitor! Probably a spy for the evil Duke! Seeing that the rest of the enchanters hall couldn’t not know, that means they too are traitors and the ones who opened the portal and killed our teachers!” All of the students and staff froze with surprise and confusion. Not at the venom Naton was spewing, but because after his first line, all the guards burst out in laughter.
    Naton looked around, visibly confused. He obviously felt he had thrown down a card that trumped all others only to meet with derision from mere hired swords. He ended up trying to glare to death the offending guards, with no results as they continued to laugh at him. In his