The Balborite Curse (Book 4) by Kristian Alva Read Free Book Online Page B

I saved his saddlebags in case you wanted to check them yourself.”
    “No, that won’t be necessary. I have everything I need. Please lead the way.” Sela grabbed her dusty rucksack and flung it over her shoulder.
    “Before we go—are you hungry? The prisoner can wait, if you would prefer to rest a little and eat,” said Tallin.
    She shook her head. “I could certainly use a hot meal and a bath, but no... I’ll interrogate him first.”
    Tallin nodded. “Follow me, then. The smuggler is being held under guard in my private quarters. I kept him separated from the other prisoners, as you requested.”
    The two dragon riders left the ramparts together, walking into the castle through the rooftop entrance. Although he preferred sleeping outside in the desert, as Tallin’s official duties had increased, he stayed more often inside the city walls. He now had a permanent suite near the roof, with a giant open window so he and Duskeye could leave directly from their quarters.
    As the pair passed through the hallways, servants stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully. Two guards stood watch at the door to Tallin’s room. They opened it as Tallin and Sela approached, closing it firmly once the riders had passed inside.
    Sela looked around, taking in the room. It was the first time she had been inside Tallin’s new quarters. They were huge, spotless, and sparsely furnished. A sheepskin bedroll lay in one corner, tied neatly with a length of twine. There was a table in the center of the room, along with two wooden stools. A clay pitcher and bowl for washing sat on the ground. In one corner, there was a workbench with the beginnings of a rough wood carving. The floor underneath the bench was littered with shavings, but otherwise the space was immaculately clean.
    No pictures hung on the walls, and there were no draperies—none of the luxuries that were common throughout the rest of the keep. Due to his status, Tallin could have ordered anything he wanted to decorate his rooms, and the king’s finance ministers would have paid. Despite this, he chose to keep his rooms devoid of any ornament.
    Decades ago, in the midst of the Dragon Wars, Sela had discovered Tallin and Duskeye hiding in the desert, living an ascetic life. Tallin had joined the dragon riders willingly, and fought to protect Parthos during the war, but he never expressed desire for any spoils. He had always seemed content with so little… and had always preferred his solitude.
    In all the years he’d lived in Parthos, Tallin had never taken a mate, even though there were plenty of women who would have happily shared his bed. He was a handsome man, and his dwarvish blood kept him looking youthful. Sela wondered if he would ever accept a partner into his life. Tallin never discussed anything personal with her—he was intensely private and had always been so.
    She walked over to the bench and picked up the carving. It was the Sun Lion—a creature of legend. Under its right paw, there was a radiant globe. Under the other paw, a dragon’s egg. The back remained unfinished. The myth of the Sun Lion was an ancient legend, and one she had heard countless times when she was a child.
    Before the war, her extended family would gather by the fireside. The storytellers would come forward and tell their tales. Even the smallest children knew the legend of the Sun Lion.
    The great Sun Lion dwelt in the heavens, creating light by pushing the sun across the horizon with his mighty paw. In the evenings, the Sun Lion covered the sun disk with the blanket of the night sky. Then he would rest.
    At the beginning, mankind was happy and offered sacrifices and gifts to the Sun Lion. However, the races of Durn grew greedy and restless. They wanted more light than the sun could give, and they stopped worshipping the Sun Lion.
    The Sun Lion grew angry, so he covered the sun, and the land was left in total darkness for five days. People panicked in the endless night. Plants