The Lord Of Lightning (Book 3) by K.J. Hargan Read Free Book Online

Dark Lord?" Mudsang dangerously chirped with a hope of confrontation.
    "What do you want?" Ravensdred tiredly said, not willing to be drawn into another power struggle.
    "Our Dark Lord is almost ready to complete his great plan," Mudsang intoned. "Will his army be ready?"
    "We will be ready to move the army across the New Sea in two days," Ravensdred said between gritted teeth, hating having to answer to this religious jackass.
    "See that you are ready," Mudsang said with superiority.
    Then Mudsang began to tremble. His crown of red feathers shook. His black robe fell from his shoulders, revealing a muscled body covered with tattoos of mystic symbols. Mudsang shaved the fur from his body, a sight that repulsed Ravensdred.
    The garonds all about, working on the construction of the long boats, suddenly dropped to their knees in fearful reverence.
    A shadow fell over Mudsang until the image of Deifol Hroth completely covered his body. Mudsang opened his mouth and the Dark Lord spoke through him.
    "Ravensdred," Deifol Hroth said.
    "My Lord," Ravensdred said as he knelt.
    "Two days," Deifol Hroth said. "I need my army in two days."
    "They will be sailing up the River Syrenf in two days, as you have commanded," Ravensdred fearfully said.
    "I hope so, for your sake," Deifol Hroth said through the possessed mouth of Mudsang. "You still have the Sun Sword and the Moon Sword?"
    "They are safe with me, my Lord," Ravensdred answered.
    "Bring them when you come," Deifol Hroth commanded. "Reserve one sea worthy boat and a full crew for my High Priest. If he crosses the New Sea before or after the army it does not matter. Obey me."
    "I will, my Dark Lord," Ravensdred said bowing his head.
    The shadow left Mudsang, and he shook himself to recover from the possession.
    "You heard the orders of our Lord?" Mudsang demanded of Ravensdred.
    "Yes, yes," Ravensdred said with irritation.
    "I need a platoon of fifty warriors to help find the two human women who travel in the Far Grasslands," Mudsang demanded.
    "You still haven't found them?" Ravensdred said as a dig. Every garond knew of the two human women who were given the Ar, the sacred Stone of the Earth, who had eluded detection for the past three moonths.
    "The Dark One will lead me to them," Mudsang said.
    "I'm sure he will," Ravensdred sneered. "Klad!" Ravensdred turned to notice a gang of garonds gathered together and pointing out to the vast plain of waving grass to the east.
    Ravensdred strode up to see what the disturbance was.
    A beautiful hind stood still on the expanse of the Far Grasslands.
    "Why has no one killed that animal?" Ravensdred demanded.
    "Ravensdred!" The deer called, just out of bowshot.
    It was then that Baalenruud promised Ravensdred a weapon of immense power. Ravensdred thought of again facing the dark haired human boy with the elvish weapon, the paricale. He knew he had time to follow the hind into the Snowcloak Mountains, and be back for the launch of the invading garond forces.
     
    "How much further?" Ravensdred snarled at Baalenruud.
    "We are very close," the hind darkly lisped with dangerous delight.
    The trail was now little more than a rocky ledge high up above a jagged death on the rocks below. It would be generous to call the path the hind led a 'trail'. Baalenruud led Ravensdred along a rocky outcropping, a broken fragment of the heart of the mountain, two thirds of the way to the snowy peak. A glacier hung just overhead. If Baalenruud led any higher, they would come to the bottom lip of the hanging wall of ice.
    Ravensdred heard a human calling deep in the ravine, down on the valley floor, echoing up the canyons of stone. The call was answered by another human, then another.
    Wonderful, Ravensdred thought to himself, my waiting troops are about to be attacked.
    Ravensdred had come to the Snowcloak Mountains with a platoon of fifty garond warriors. He left his warriors at the base of the mountain to wait for him, knowing they would only slow him down.
    The