Rise of the Serpent (Serpent's War Book 2) by Jason Halstead Read Free Book Online Page A

Corian asked. His legs stretched out into longer strides until he fell in between Allisandra and Namitus. “This Lariki person, what do you know of him?”
    “Absolutely nothing,” Namitus admitted with a smile he was sure would infuriate the elf. “I know he has a company of mercenaries by the name of the Vultures and that he’s rumored to be in the south.”
    “I know nothing of the human lands to the south,” Corian said.
    “Lots of fighting,” Gor called from behind them. “Goblins, splisskin, humans, ratkin, and last I heard, a few small colonies of minotaurs. And none of them get along worth a damn, even among different villages between the same races.”
    “Sounds lovely.” Namitus turned as much in his saddle as he could with risking his or Amra’s safety and asked, “Have you heard of Lariki?”
    “Not by name. I’ve heard of the Vultures,” he said. “Merciless and the best that money can buy.”
    “How far are they?” Corian asked.
    “My horse, a couple weeks. With you walking, longer,” Gor said. “Could try a boat along the coast—never tried that before. Might be faster.”
    Namitus grimaced. “My luck with boats hasn’t been the best. I was captured by Kelgryn once. Another time we dared to take a ship to the abandoned Island of Britanley. Giant monsters though, magic gone awry that either killed or drove away the island-nation’s people. What remained was a tropical paradise for giant apes taller than most towers. I saved Alto that time, too; he’d been captured and hurt by the apes and needed me to keep him alive until we were rescued.”
    Corian rolled his eyes. “All well and good,” he muttered. “If we’ve got weeks of travel ahead of us, we should find some horses for Jilly and me.”
    “I agree,” Namitus said.
    “We can’t afford horses!” Allie protested.
    “I can,” Amra offered. “You can consider them a loan.”
    Namitus turned so he could peer back at her. “You can?”
    “Yes,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “I came into a small bit of gold before I started this journey with you.”
    Namitus grunted to hide his chuckle. “Very well. We’ll see what steeds we can find in the next town. Pity though, I’d give much for a unicorn to keep us company.”
    “You’ve ridden a unicorn?” Allie gasped.
    Namitus grinned and began to tell her the tale of Alto and Winter, the unicorn that saved the young warrior only to leave him soon after to be with another.
     
    * * * *
     
    Namitus stirred the logs burning in the firepit, kicking sparks into the air. One of them landed near his grandmother’s thin blanket, inviting him to study her. The night was half spent and, judging by the stars and moon, he was nearing the end of his watch.
    He studied her sleeping face, his elven features picking through the shadows cast by the trees at the roadside oasis. Other travelers and merchants stopped to camp for the night, ignoring one another out of mutual respect or disdain while they watered their mounts and refilled their waterskins. Each group had a watch posted, making certain none of the other travelers had the urge to wander.
    A scuffle of a body moving drew Namitus’s attention across to the other side of the fire. Amra rolled over and sat up. She was looking away from him at first, but turned her head to take in the quiet and cool surroundings. As hot as the desert grew at day, it could drop to near frigid temperatures in the dead of the night. Amra saw him and drew her blanket around herself and rose up.
    “You should sleep,” Namitus whispered when she came over and sat next to him with a grimace.
    “I can’t,” she said. “Too sore.”
    He gave her a half smile and nodded.
    “So tell me about her,” Amra coaxed.
    “I’m sorry?”
    Amra nodded at Jillystria. “Your grandmother. How is it you recognize her but she doesn’t know you?”
    “I could be wrong,” he admitted.
    “You don’t think so.”
    He chuckled under his breath. “You see