The King's Ring (The Netherworld Gate Book 2) Read Free Page B

or no effect at all. Even to recall your spear to you will likely take some practice.”
    “Does anyone have natural ability then?”
    “Oh yes!” Phinean nodded. “Most elves who lived before the Mage Wars retained their abilities. There are also a few who continue to train, but you will be more likely to see masters of one art, rather than a mage who can perform several types of magic. It is too difficult to train in multiple disciplines out here. Even with that, magic itself is more rare now as well. The Mage Wars was a time when magic, and magic users, were almost entirely eradicated.”
    Jaleal nodded and then pointed to the road. “Well, shall we get on the trail? I imagine this Talon fellow has quite the lead on us so far.”
    Phinean nodded and the two turned for the road.
     

CHAPTER 2
     
    Murdok ducked into the entrance to the northwestern tower and beat the dust from his uniform. The arid, hot wind kicked up dust throughout Rasselin. It was one of the things he hated most about this city. He would much prefer the forests of Shinder, but in his hometown there was no work to be had. He heard steps echoing down from the stairs. He looked up to see Vernon, one of the other city guards, descending while shaking his head.
    “No need to go up,” Vernon said. “One of the regulars is up there, and he has assured me everything is under control.” Vernon rolled his eyes and twirled his finger next to his ear. “These army types are wound a bit too tight if you ask me.”
    Murdok chuckled and nodded. “I’ll just go on up and have a look for myself.”
    “They’ll order you out,” Vernon said with a sigh.
    Murdok shrugged and started up the stairs. He wasn’t concerned about the soldiers above. As far as he could tell, they were all supposed to be on the same side. He made his way to the top and started toward the rectangular wooden table on the far side of the tower. A bald-headed man looked up at him from the chair and grunted. Two others near the railing looked back as well.
    “We have the tower covered from here, citizen,” one of the guards said.
    Murdok nodded. “With respect, this is my post, and I will be joining you gentlemen for the duration of my shift.”
    The two men at the rail glanced to each other and then the bald man stood. He was large, roughly six and a half feet tall, with shoulders as wide as two men standing side by side. His waist was narrow, nestled between his barrel-like chest and his tree-trunk sized thighs.
    “With respect,” the bald man mocked, “if the guard was capable of doing its job, you would still be under Governor Gandle’s watch right now.” The two men at the railing laughed and turned their gazes back to the northern desert.
    Murdok bristled, but he quickly recovered and shrugged nonchalantly. “I wasn’t on his detail,” he said. “If I had been, he would still be alive.” He crossed the remaining distance to the table and took the chair from the bald man. He made a show of dragging it across the floor to the opposite side of the table where he wanted to sit while the mountainous man glared at him.
    “That’s my chair,” the man said roughly.
    Again, Murdok shrugged. “I have reports to complete,” Murdok said. He pointed to the brown book on the table next to the large man. “Hand me the daily log book, if you please,” he said.
    “Get it yerself,” the bald man grumbled. He turned and went to stand next to the other two men. Murdok could hear them whispering, and saw them occasionally glance back at him, but he held firm. He wasn’t about to let anyone run him out of his post. He reached across the table and took the log book in hand. He flipped through the previous reports. Normally he would find the notes left from the shift before his, but this time he found the notes had stopped a couple of days ago, about the time that General Tehrigg arrived into town. In fact, the last notes were Murdok’s own from his final shift before his two days