A Charge of Valor Read Free

violet light. The ball grew larger and larger, enveloping Andronicus as Argon continued walking forward, expressionless, getting closer and closer to Andronicus as he held out his palm.
    Andronicus curled up into a ball on the ground, as the light enveloped him.
    A gasp erupted from his men, but none dared approach. Either they were afraid, or Argon had cast some sort of spell to make them powerless.
    “ MAKE IT STOP!” Andronicus screamed, reaching up and grabbing his ears. “I BEG YOU!”
    “ You will do no further harm to the girl,” Argon said slowly.
    “ I will do no further harm to the girl!” Andronicus repeated, as if in a trance.
    “ You will release her now and allow her to return to her people.”
    “ I will release her now and allow her to return to her people!”
    “ You will give her people a chance to surrender.”
    “ I will give her people a chance to surrender!” Andronicus shrieked. “Please! I will do anything!”
    Argon breathed deep, then finally stopped. The light disappeared from his hand, as he slowly lowered his arm.
    Gwen looked up at him in shock; she had never seen Argon in action, and she could hardly comprehend his power. It was like watching the heavens open up.

    “ If we meet again, great Andronicus,” Argon said slowly, looking down as Andronicus lay there whimpering, “it will be on your way to the darkest realms of death.”

CHAPTER TWO
     
     
     
    Thor struggled, held firmly in place by the Empire soldiers, and watched helplessly as Durs, a man he once thought of as a brother, raised a sword to kill him.
    Thor shut his eyes and braced himself, knowing his time had come. He kicked himself for being so stupid, so trusting. They had set him up all along, a lamb led to slaughter. Even worse, as the leader, the other boys had looked to Thor for guidance. He had not only let himself down, he had let all the others down with him. His naiveté, his trusting nature, had endangered them all.
    As Thorgrin struggled, he tried with all he had to summon his power, to call it up from somewhere deep inside himself, just enough power to break free of his bonds, to fight back.
    Yet, try as he did, it would not come. His own strength was just not enough to break free of all the soldiers holding him down.
    Thor felt the wind caress his face as Durs lowered the sword, and braced himself for the imminent impact of steel. He was not ready to die. In his mind he saw Gwendolyn, in the Ring, waiting for him. He felt he had let her down, too.
    Thor heard a sudden noise of flesh meeting flesh, and opened his eyes and was surprised to see that he was still alive. Durs’ arm froze there, in mid-air, his wrist caught by the hand of a huge Empire soldier who towered over Durs—no easy feat, considering Durs’ size. He held Durs’ wrist just inches away from impaling Thor.
    Durs turned to the Empire soldier, surprise in his face.
    “ Our leader does not want them dead,” the soldier muttered darkly to Durs. “He wants them alive. As prisoners.”
    “ No one told us that,” Durs protested.
    “ The deal was that we would get to kill them!” Dross added.
    “ The terms of the deal have changed,” the soldier answered.
    “ You can’t do that!” Drake called out.
    “ Can’t we?” he answered darkly, turning to him. “We can do anything we want. In fact, you are now our prisoners, too.” The soldier smiled. “The more Legion we have for ransom, the better.”
    Durs looked back at the soldier, his face falling in outrage, and a moment later, chaos erupted as the three brothers were pounced upon by dozens of Empire soldiers, who tackled them down to the ground and bound their wrists.
    Thor took advantage of the chaos and turned and searched for Krohn, who he spotted just a few feet away, lurking in the shadows, loyally close to his side.
    “ Krohn, help me!” Thor screamed. “NOW!”
    Krohn leapt into action with a snarl, flying through the air, landing his fangs on the throat of the