Temple of the Dragonslayer by Tim Waggoner Read Free Book Online

Catriona sheathed her sword in a single smooth motion. The tavern keeper’s face was pale, and a tiny trickle of blood ran down his neck where the sword had barely pierced his flesh.
    Catriona and Davyn moved down the bar toward the dwarf. But just as Davyn was about to say something to the Theiwar, the man on his right—the one with blond hair—turned around and said, “Did I hear right? Are the two of you seeking a guide?”
    The man had a friendly smile, but there was something calculating in his gaze. He brushed his blond hair back over his ears—his pointed ears—and Davyn realized that he wasn’t a man at all, but rather an elf.
    Before Catriona could answer, Oddvar turned and spoke in his soft, whispery voice. “I believe they intended to speak with me.”
    The elf turned to look at Oddvar. His smile remained in place, but his voice took on a skeptical tone. “I mean no offense, friend, but you are a Theiwar, are you not? Unless I am mistaken, your people live in underground caverns and rarely venture into the light of day.”
    “Not all Theiwar are the same,” Oddvar said, his voice slightly louder now. “Are all elves?”
    The elf’s smile didn’t falter. “As I said, I meant no offense. But I can see that even in here, where there is little light, you wear your hood up to protect your sensitive eyes.”
    “So?” Oddvar challenged.
    “So these two seek a guide to lead them through the land to the north. There’s forest up there and the woods are hardly the sort of place your people frequent. While I, on the other hand, am Kagonesti, and my people have a deep affinity for the forest and the creatures that live there.”
    Oddvar frowned. “Are not Kagonesti elves generally dark-haired and possessed of brown skin?”
    The elf’s smile almost fell away, but he managed to maintain his good cheer, if barely.
    “I am half Kagonesti and half Silvanesti. It is my Silvanesti heritage that gives me my lighter colored skin and blond hair. But in all the ways that truly matter, in here—” the elf tapped his breastbone—“I am completely Kagonesti.”
    “So you are a
half-breed.”
Oddvar said this last word with a sneer.
    That was it for the elf’s smile. “Have a care, dwarf. Up to this point I have been civil to you. It would be a shame if our conversation were suddenly to become less than pleasant.”
    Oddvar’s large eyes glittered with anger, and his left hand disappeared beneath the counter, to grab his weapon, no doubt.
    “Hold, both of you,” Catriona said. “There is no need for this. We shall decide which of you to hire—if either.”
    The elf turned to face Catriona, his smile restored. “Of course, my lady. My name is Elidor, and I am entirely at your service.”
    Oddvar snorted but said nothing.
    “That matter can be decided quite simply,” Catriona said. “Which of you has had more experience traveling through the lands to the north?”
    Davyn decided he’d better say something. “More to the point, do either of you know the way to the Temple of the Holy Orders of the Stars?”
    Oddvar opened his mouth to answer, but Elidor jumped in before the dwarf could speak.
    “I not only know the route to the temple, I have been there,” the elf said. He looked at Davyn. “It is a beautiful place—tall glass spires, crystalline domes. The courtyard is paved with multicolored tiled mosaics and filled with an assortment of amazing foliage. It is a divine place in every sense of the word.”
    Catriona was nodding to herself, and Davyn knew he had to do something fast before Catriona gave Elidor the job.
    But just as Davyn was about to say something, he heard Nearra scream.

     
    Sindri had grown bored with the dead cat—thank the gods—and had turned his attention to a strange-looking mold growing on the side of a building when Nearra saw the minotaur stalking down the street toward them.
    She wasn’t certain the minotaur had seen them yet, but she was sure that it was the same one