The Trials Of Ashbarn ( Book 5) by Jeff Gunzel Read Free Book Online

to be doubted or underestimated. They dare to call you the ‘soulless’ and claim you have no place in our society. Well, I say damn them all. I would rather fight by your sides than an army of thousands. Forget who you once were. That long road of suffering and despair has led you to this moment. Your new lives start now, and the world will soon know who you are.” His wide, toothy grin returned. “The darkness is coming. This much we know for certain. And when it dares to enter the world of men and war is upon us...it will be met with the purest savagery ever seen. The mountains will shake, and gods themselves will look away, trembling with fear. The ‘soulless’ will no longer be ridiculed and scorned by society. They will be saviors...”
    A zek led Ilirra back up the steps. They hurried out the door, heading back towards the palace gate. Once able to gather her thoughts, Ilirra broke the silence. “By the gods, what did I just see? And why did you deem it so important that I witness it?” Azek marched on, ignoring her. “Answer me, damn you!”
    Azek stopped with a sigh and turned around. “It seems you lack the patience of a ten-year-old,” he said calmly. “So I suppose we will now have this conversation in the middle of the street, in the dead of night, no less.”
    She rolled her eyes at him.
    “ Yes, this is indeed much better than sipping tea in a warm room. Fine, so be it.”
    Her lips tightened , but she allowed him to continue.
    “ They call themselves ‘The Watchdogs’—a secret unit who train day and night under the tutelage of Morcel.”
    “I was under the impression you recently relieved him of his duties,” she said dryly.
    “So I did. But that mutual decision w as made in the best interest of—”
    “Then what the hell was that!” she interrupted, pointing back the way they came.
    He shrugged and looked off into the distance, clearly unshaken by her growing impatience. “Although the big man’s fighting prowess and weapon skills are nearly unmatched, he is too unpredictable to hold rank in my army. Too...chaotic and lawless to be trusted with such responsibility.”
    “Yet you’ve allowed him to take command of this elite team. T hese...‘Watchdogs.’”
    “I did nothing of the sort ,” he said, holding up his hands innocently. “Morcel is not enlisted anymore and no longer answers to me. I have no authority over him or the Watchdogs. They are vigilantes, not recognized by any branch of our army. They answer to no one.”
    “ And how many are there?” she said. “I saw perhaps two dozen or so.”
    “I’m not completel y sure. Fifty? One hundred, perhaps? He works with them in small groups. They take shifts, so I’ve never seen them all at once. And because they remain anonymous, even amongst themselves, it’s very hard to be certain.”
    “Why is that?” she said, sounding particularly interested . “If they are working as a team, why hide their identities? Especially from each other.”
    Azek crossed his arms. “I wondered the same thing at first,” he said, gazing back towards the worn-out structure. “It turns out that is also part of their discipline. They are taught to fight as a single unit and not to think of themselves as individuals. They hide their faces because their former identities no longer hold meaning. All that matters now is their loyalty to Morcel, and each other. Their old lives are dead.”
    “Their olds live s? What is that supposed to mea—” Her eyes bulged out. “The soulless,” she whispered. “No... It can’t be.”
    Azek’s smile widened. “Yes. ” He let the simple answer hang in the air.
    She hadn’ t made the connection until now. When the savage humans were no longer under Dragot’s control, they had been forced to adapt to modern society despite being fifth-generation men and women who knew nothing of the world outside of stone prisons. They couldn’t communicate, had no skills, and were nearly afraid of everything.