Steel Wolves of Craedia (Realm of Arkon, Book 3) by G. Akella Read Free Book Online

tall, radiating an inner azure glow that was at once soft and powerful enough to illuminate the space up to fifty yards. Falling drops ricocheted melodiously off the walls and disappeared in the thick velvety moss carpeting the floor. Overhead, the vaulted ceiling was concealed by the darkness. To the fore, maybe a hundred feet away, the cave's denizens hung around in packs of four-five. So it's their blood that Master Skyle asked to bring back, I noted to myself. Each pack included a pair of horned frogs that we'd already met, while the other mobs were carbon copies of the statues that stood at the cave entrance, and were called starx. The fish people wielded long silver tridents and, just like the frogs, were level 170.
    "What beauty..." Zara whispered in awe, as if afraid of disrupting the fragile balance of sound.
    "Right on," Aritor echoed his girlfriend, then tapped me on the shoulder and motioned to the right wall. "That there is an ore outcrop, dar. The one the blacksmith mentioned," the demon added in his signature deep voice.
    "Go on," I nodded to him, then turned toward the rest of the party. "Buff up!"
    Fishing a pickaxe out of his inventory, which looked like a tennis racket in his massive hand, the miner waddled over to the dark patch on the wall and, with a short swing, plunged the tool into the bedrock. The noise from the impact resounded off the walls in a dull echo, as chips sprayed in all directions. Reece, rubbing his cheek after catching one such ricochet, proclaimed with sorrow in his voice:
    "Anybody else wondering why I took up alchemy? On the one hand you have a noble science, a delicate pursuit of the nimble mind. On the other, metal banging against rock..."
    "Oh, sure," Aritor chortled without interrupting from his work. "Rummaging in frog guts is as delicate a pursuit as I've seen..."
    "Since when have you gotten so smart?" the mage smiled. "Don't get too excited now or you'll cut another way to the surface. You're just smart enough to do that..."
    The miner retorted with something of his own, but I didn't hear him, distracted by movement just ahead and to my right. A creature clothed in a black robe had emerged from the darkness suddenly, startling me. The stranger wobbled maybe five yards, panting as he moved, then turned around slowly, letting his eyes flash crimson from under the hood. Reeling like a drunk, he spread his arms wide, one of them gripping a kris the color of midnight. Then he brought his hands back together in what seemed like a monumental effort, releasing a clot of crimson energy that lunged my way. My body reacted all by itself: with a cry of alarm, I dropped like a rock onto the moss, letting the projectile swoosh overhead and crash harmlessly into the rippling screen of the portal that separated the dungeon from the rest of the world.
    The stranger was gone, with only a soft air disturbance remaining where he had just stood.
    "What happened, Krian?" There was great concern in Salta's voice.
    "Did anyone else see that?" I asked, getting up off the ground and sheathing my sword. My mates were on full alert, weapons drawn.
    "No..." Iam shook his head. "What were we supposed to see?"
    "A necromancer just walked by," I said, my expression dour. "At least I saw him walk by. And he fired something at me... Never mind, let's pretend it was all my imagination."
    "You can see all sorts of things in places like this," Reece noted. I glared his way, but there wasn't a hint of mockery in his face or voice. He looked toward the passageway obscured by darkness. "Who knows what vile things await us further..."
    "Everybody ready?" I cut short all ensuing chatter and put on my helm. "Tanks in the front! The pack on the right is first. Same strategy as always. Let's roll!"
     
    We were in the final chamber of the cave. Here, the vaulted ceiling was covered with clusters of brightly glowing mushrooms, creating the illusion of a starry sky and looking altogether fantastic. Large formations of pink