Vitiosi Dei (Heritage of the Blood Book 2) by Brent Lee Markee Read Free Book Online Page A

and just part of the daily routine. He had woken up in this place what seemed like forever ago, unable to remember anything from before. The only thing on him was a worn set of clothing and a pair of blood red manacles.
                  As he left the cell where the workers slept at night, he grabbed his pick and joined the line that was being shackled together in order for them to work the mine. The Goblin that had woken him was moving to the corner of the cell, waking several of the other workers, quite a bit more pleasantly than he had been awoken, the boy noted.
                  Taking his place in the line of Goblin-kin, he noticed that he was almost as tall as the shortest of them now. He had tried communicating with them, but none of them seemed to want to talk to the boy who didn't know who he was, and who also had the ire of the foreman's toady. The only names he had were boy or tunnel rat, but everyone else was called tunnel rat at times as well, so he referred to himself as boy. He knew he didn't belong here, but he didn't know where it was that he did belong, either.
                  “It's New Beginnings up top,” the Grey Elf who regularly escorted the group down into the mines said to no one in particular. “You know what that means? It means it's a new day for digging, so get to it!” With that, he cracked his whip, and the line began to move forward. A steady clank, drag, clank were the only sounds that accompanied them into the darkness.
                  Happy Birthday , a strange voice said. The voice had been so clear that the boy looked around to see who was talking. It took him a few moments to realize that the voice that had nearly made him stumble had come from inside his head.
                  Birthday?! Who are you? Who am I? Hello!? If there had been anything else in his head with him it was gone now, or at least silent. He didn't have the time or energy to contemplate the idea that he was going crazy.

 
     
     
    Chapter 2
    The Institute
     
    Year: 3045 AGD
    New Beginnings
    Continent of Terroval
    Blade's Edge Mountains
    Village of Tranquility Mist
                 
                  “Are you ready?” the now familiarly gruff voice asked from across the room.
                  “I suppose I have to be,” Shawnrik replied.
                  “That you do,” Pedrial Lightfeather said with a slight chuckle. “Don't fear, though. You are a smart lad, and if anyone gives you a hard time, just punch them in the nose. That should dissuade any future problems.”
                  Punch them in the nose?! “Even if I were tall enough to hit some of them in the nose, I don't think that I'd like to get into a fight with any of them,” Shawnrik laughed.
                  “That is probably for the best, but I don't want you taking any guff from any of those boys at school...” The old Giant's laugh made a deep rumble in the back of his throat. With a wink, he added, “... nor from any of the girls, either.”
                  Shawnrik couldn't ever remember having blushed before, but he felt his face redden at his caretaker's comment. He wasn't sure why he was blushing exactly; he had never had to deal with girls before, but Shawnrik found that he became increasingly nervous around them nonetheless. “I'm just going there to study. Wherever there is.”
                  “Ha, I wondered when you'd get around to asking that question. I thought it might be about twenty minutes after you arrived at the Institute, as much as you talk.”
                  Shawnrik sighed. “I'm sorry I haven't been very companionable...”
                  “Think nothing of it, lad,” Pedrial said, waving his hands in the air as if pushing the thought away. “I have never liked people that talk too much, and you definitely do not fit into that