Tested (The Life of Uktesh Book 1) Read Free Page B

your sword was bright while you were practicing.  Go, your father is dead, and if you go in there I will not stop you, but you will be killed as well.  The choice, such as it is, is up to you.”
    Uktesh silently nodded, A m I going to live?  I need to find my dad. He’ll know what to do.   “Thank you,” Uktesh got up and sprinted to the nearest house, and crouched in the shadows.  His eyes searched frantically. He could feel the sweat roll down the middle of his back.  He froze as a group of invaders ran past, only to be met by a group of Beletarians.  They slammed into each other, the invaders had an equal amount of men as the Beletarians. 
    Uktesh moved to join his countrymen, but his shirt caught on a broken section of the wall he had been leaning against, it effectively pinned him where he crouched as surely as if his feet were rooted in the ground.  By the time he’d freed himself the flurry of fighting was over and his countrymen stood victorious they lost half their numbers though, with the rest taking injuries.  Uktesh stood to walk over to them, when a volley of arrows flew in and killed all of them. Except one who was quickly cut down from a casually swung backhand, as an invader ran off into the smoke and fire.  Uktesh stood rooted once again, the casualness of the kill, the uncaring swing of the sword, left him only able to stare frozen, at the corpses.  Will I become just like them? I’m sure none of the attackers would spare me like Thulmann did. Once he was sure no one was around he sprinted to the next house that was not on fire, and quickly to the next, and on so until he could see the wreckage of his home.
    Uktesh ran hardly able to see where he was going, blinded as he was by tears. I will not panic, I will find my father and together we will leave this place, or fight side by side until we win or die.   “Well what do we have here?” a guttural voice said behind Uktesh.
    He turned to see a group of four invaders each wore a sneer directed at him, their eyes hard and unforgiving.  Uktesh didn’t know whether to try to run, fight with his sword, or try to kill all four of them with his bow.  He tried to affect the same calm he had when he had spoken with Thulmann.  He barked, “What you have before you, is your death,” he slid his hand to his sword hilt, and set his feet to attack. He crouched low, nearly bent in half, he slid his right foot even more behind his body and into a further open stance.  There he froze and glared at the invaders. His only hope was that they could not hear his heart as it hammered in his chest, or see the panic in his eyes.  Before they could attack a group of Beletarians crashed into them lead by Belial and Belario.  Taken by surprise and outnumbered they were quickly dispatched.
    “What kind of stance was that?” asked Belario, “were you bowing to them or fighting with them?”
    Suddenly all the rage, he had been able to hold back every time Belario had hurt a student and made fun of them, all the anger of not being able to find his dad, and the fear of nearly dying, rushed out of Uktesh and still in his half-bow, half-crouch position launched forward. He allowed his sword to move as it willed and it lead the way to instantaneously rest against Belario’s shoulder. The blade drew a small line of blood on his neck.  Uktesh looked into his eyes and when he saw fear reflected there, he pulled his sword back, and resheathed it.  “Do any of you know where my father is?”
    Belial said, “We saw him fighting over by the forest. He looked like he was searching for something.” His all too knowing eyes showed that he knew exactly what Ekir had been desperate to find.
    “Then that is where I must go. Thank you for your timely aid. May your blade sing true.” 
    Uktesh ran off towards the woods, and heard Belario mutter, “Did he just attack me in perfect?”
    Then he heard Belial’s answer, “Can’t be. It’s impossible, even for a