Tides of Faith: Travail of The Dark Mage Book Two by Brian S. Pratt Read Free Book Online Page A

had them sing to entice the earth spirits into
appearing. Soon, her voice, soft and quiet, began singing the same
lullaby they had sung on her uncle’s home world.
    Minutes ticked by and no earth spirit
deigned to make an appearance. When her knees grew sore and her
teeth set to chattering, she decided to give up and return to bed.
Of course, insistent yawning had added its voice to the chorus
urging her back to the welcoming warmth of her covers.
    She hopped back in bed and snuggled in
deeply. “You can have the food, Little Brothers,” she whispered as
consciousness gradually drifted away. In the morning, the carrot
and tuber were gone.
     
     
     
     

Chapter Four
     
     
     
    Father Tullin arrived late the
following morning looking the worse for wear. He entered Miko’s
study and made proper obeisance, though his bow was slightly off
kilter.
    “Wild night?”
    “Yes, as a matter of fact, it
was.”
    Miko motioned for his man to sit and
be comfortable. “You really go all out for us, don’t
you?”
    Cracking a grin, Father Tullin nodded.
“Whatever is required.”
    From a pitcher, Miko poured a glass of
water and scooted it across the table. “Here.”
    “Thank you.” He drank the liquid and
asked for another.
    “Did you speak with Tinok?”
    After draining the second glassful, he
shook his head. “He never showed. Potbelly was quite mad. Seems he
had arranged a match with an out of town favorite. Tinok not
showing cost him a hundred gold, or so he claims.”
    Miko cast his priest a questioning
look as he held up the pitcher.
    Father Tullin shook his head. “Any
more and it’s going to come back up.” He worked to get his stomach
under control before continuing. “They did as you suggested and
their false Dark Mage made an appearance. It appeared to work. By
the end of the second match, most rumors had been
silenced.”
    “That will only work for the Pit
crowd, but at least it is something.”
    “True.”
    “We are leaving in three days. Make
that two, now.”
    “We? You’re going with
them?”
    Miko nodded. “I plan to take Fathers
Vickor and Keller with me. Kip too I suppose. He is in this and we
cannot risk leaving him behind. We will head down to see Illan,
then make our way into the Empire.”
    Father Tullin frowned. “I don’t like
it. Why do you have to go?”
    Silence hung in the air for several
seconds before Miko responded. “There is a matter that requires my
attention.”
    It was Tullin’s turn to grow quiet.
“There’s something else. Not sure if it means anything.”
    “What?”
    “Well, I heard a couple of the
fighters talking about a body found near the Pits four days
ago.”
    “Four?”
    Father Tullin nodded. “Bodies found in
the vicinity aren’t unusual enough to cause men to talk about
unless it was one of them.” He paused a moment as he glanced toward
his superior.
    Miko nodded for him to
continue.
    “It wasn’t the identity of the man
they had been discussing, though it did come up. No, it was the
manner in which the body had been found that aroused conversation.
Twin cuts to the chest, one on either side of the heart.
Apparently, the cuts were delivered in a very precise manner,
something one doesn’t see in combat.”
    “Knives?” Miko asked, afraid to know
the truth.
    Father Tullin shook his head. “They
believed the wounds were caused by a sword’s blade. I thought you
might be interested, so I asked a few question to see if I could
discover the man’s identity.”
    He paused momentarily, then leaned
closer. “He was a priest.”
    Miko’s eyes widened. “A priest?
Whose?”
    “T’Lea’s.”
    T’Lea, god of assassins,
his name was used to frighten children into doing their parent’s
bidding. If you don’t do your chores,
T’Lea will send one of his Aega’s after you. Aegas were created from the darkest souls that had been
delivered into T’Lea’s realm. Only those who never performed an act
of good, who instead had dedicated their lives to