The Spell of Binding (Part One) by Glen Johnson Read Free Book Online Page A

passed though the runes rejoined to complete the shield. She was closely followed by Pramos, who seemed to want to walk along beside the female, while continually try ing to start up a conversation.
    But Minika was in no mood for chatter. She was exhausted because she had been up most of the night strengthening the spell over the village, and reconnecting unraveling links that could have become holes . Instead of sleep she had entered a deep trance like state, in order to recuperate from the amount of magic she had used. But the village would be fine for maybe a week. Hopefully she would be back before then.
    Behind her Droncin was walk ing with his chest so puffed up that he couldn’t see where he was walking, and almost tripped headlong into a ditch.
    Not far behind the dwarf followed the elf, who was walking with such a wobbling stance that he would have wa lked twice as far as the others by the time they reach their destination. He was also quietly mutter ing the rest of the rude dwarf barroom song to himself.
    *
    Before long the towns people became bored of watching them and moved off to do whatever they had been doing before this small change in their otherwise dull day. All except two figures, who were crouched down behind a large rock y outcrop to one side on a steep hill.
    “Masssster wassss right, t hey are up to ssssomething,” the first figure stated. “Now is ss the time to prove oursssselve ss s.” Slis turned to see why Qwat was so quiet .
    Qwat was busy shaking with excitement. So much so that Slis had to slither away from him, because Qwat had just wet himself.
     

Chapter Eight
    NOTHING SACRED
     
    S imeon walk slowly and purposefully down the long corridor. He was in no rus h. Time merged together when you reached a certain age , with m ore years behind you than what’s ahead. His long white robes dragged along the flagstone floor. He made a mental note to order his robes taken up by a few inches. His old bones were closing in, making him stoop more each month. Within a couple of year s he would be bent almost double; if they all lived that long. He would have done it himself, but sowing wasn’t his forte, not with his bad eyesight and weak , shaking hands. Magic could be used to heighten the length, but the robe had runes sown a round its hem, to protect the garment from dirt, wear ‘n’ tear, and more importantly, magic. The best way to make them last was to sow the runes on individually by hand with strengthened thread.
    Younger magi raced around him in a flurry of activity. His presence always made people jumpy ; made them work faster, trying to impress. But Simeon hadn’t been impressed with anything for as long as he could remember. The world was stagnant, like a room that had been closed to the fresh air for t o o many long years. A window needed to be thrown open, fresh air need ed to circulate this decayed world. He didn’t understand the creatures need to control all. They controlled everything outside the protective barriers. But he knew it was more complicated than that, it had nothing to do with space, belongings, food or water. It all came down to revenge.
    Eons ago mankind’s ancestors had imprisoned them, and now they wanted revenge, even though not one of the original magi was alive, only distant , watered down relatives. Wasn’t it an ancient mythical book called the Bible that had said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth ? A book that billions had followed, to what end? A God that didn’t protect them during the worst calamity since the supposed flood of Noah’s day. A vast group of followers who screamed out for protection and forgiveness as the weapons of science obliterated them from off the planet. It seemed ironic that the demons would call for a biblical eye for an eye, and he was amazed that their vengeance still burn t strong af ter so many thousands of years.
    Simeon was closing in on his destinat ion; a small room he studied in. It was nothing fancy, just a