TWO HEADS TWO SPIKES (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga) by Jason Paul Rice Read Free Book Online

entered. Ali-Ster was confused when they walked into a normal looking room constructed of stone. Penrose Ellsworth tugged on a certain rock in the wall and a door opened.
    What the hells is going on? An alley in the dungeons ?
    Ali-Ster did not want to go any further but his father shoved him through the door. He had served four years in the war and didn’t scare easily, but this raised his heartbeat. They went down a stone stair case. Penrose illuminated the path with a burning torch. Ali-Ster knew they were beyond the dungeons at this point; he had never been this far underground and they were still plunging. It got cold at a rapid pace as they descended even farther. Ali-Ster was behind his father and Penrose so he could barely see. He brushed his hand along the wall and sensed solid ice.
    “Right here, Penrose,” said the excited King as he took the torch from him. “Ali-Ster, it is time.”
    Ali-Ster did not want to go with his father. He had heard too many stories about the dead from some of the toughest men he knew. They were haunted by the men that they killed until it drove them mad. He could feel the cold dead air surrounding him like he was wounded prey. The King fumbled with a few keys as they arrived at a locked door. The King finally looked at Ali-Ster with a huge smile.
    “Are you ready my boy?”
    “I suppose I am,” Ali-Ster nervously responded.
    The door creaked loudly as King Ali-Stanley gently pushed it open. The atrocious smell hit Ali-Ster first. He had been around a lot of foul smelling battle sites but this really made his eyes burn and tear up. His father started lighting various torches that were set up around the room.
    What in the hells is this ? Are we in a frozen hell ?
    Ali-Ster saw marble altars spread around the room. Regally resting atop the altars were what appeared to be charred corpses.
    Death is part of life .
    They were laid out on their backs with hands folded over their hearts. Most of the altars had great swords penetrating them. The swords were just deep enough in the shrines to stand at attention. They were beautifully adorned with impressive gems and golden hilts. The swords appeared stuck in the marble near the midsection of each body.
    “Have they been burned to death?” an astonished Ali-Ster inquired.
    “No my son, what you see is a preservation of the body and soul for eternity. This ensures that the body will never erode and shall be around forever. Do you realize who these people are?” asked the King who seemed to be enjoying himself.
    Ali-Ster took a closer glance at the resting spots that featured all seven Gods marvelously carved into each one of them. He also saw names etched into them.
    “They are Wamhoffs?” asked a confused Ali-Ster.
    “They are all family ancestors who shared the royal blood line. These are some of the greatest Wamhoff kings of all time. I am sure you have heard stories of the Raging Fox, King Ali-Sander Wamhoff.”
    King Ali-Sander Wamhoff’s altar housed all the Gods and had an angry looking red fox engraved on it.
    “And none of us would be here if it had not been for King Ali-Dus Wamhoff,” his father reminded him.
    King Ali-Dus Wamhoff had a giant war ship carved on his altar.
    “Is that truly him? But he died almost four-hundred years ago,” Ali-Ster pondered.
    “That is where you are wrong, young one. He died more than four-hundred years ago. When I said forever, that is what I meant. And soon I shall join my family in the Alley to the Heavens for all of eternity.”

THE WARRIOR PRINCESS
 
LEIMUR
    He stood directly in front of her. Again, she was face-to-face with the man who had violated her. The Princess thrust her ice-hardened sword through the man’s midsection.
    It did no damage. No blood spilled.
    She stroked again, gliding the steel straight through the well-dressed man’s neck.
    No blood again? Head still intact ?
    The Princess started swinging wildly with reckless rage at her familiar foe.
    Why can’t I kill