The Lords of Valdeon Read Free Page B

Bloodied bodies were scattered everywhere. Some were Valdeonians loyal to their old king. The greater majority were men of other nations, those Leo hadn't disappointed. Julian hurried around them, turning his face away as the Dirge munched greedily upon the corpses. They hissed in warning as he passed.
    One of the Dirge was waiting for him at the top of a crumbling wall. He struggled up the mossy stone to join its floating visage. As it turned the hooded cowl toward him, gray-blue skin pulled taut over sharp bones in a hideous mockery of a grin. Black orbs took Julian in with calculating hunger. Then the Dirge turned away and pointed a thin finger to the ancient courtyard below. Leo knelt upon the stone floor directly beneath them. Gone was his carefully maintained uniform. The old king had allowed his gray hair to grow long, tying it back in the fashion of a commoner. The Crown of Sorrows, symbol of Valdeon's ruler, hovered upon his brow. Its magic had diminished to a weak glow.
    He had once feared the ranger kneeling before him. Now, the mighty Lion — one of the highest-ranking officers in their legion consisting of kings and other nobility — had been reduced to little more than a peasant. It was no easy thing to stand against the power of a ranger — especially the legendary Leo. Julian's contempt for his father gave him the strength to push aside the last of his fear.
    The old ranger’s eyes swept down to the oval ring on his left hand. He seemed to be contemplating the lion’s head etched in white within the stone. The Lion Ring flashed soft purple in the afternoon sun. Was it speaking to its human host? Julian's ring stirred in response. For one wild moment, he imagined his father would surrender. Then a dagger flashed in Leo's hand. His amber-flecked eyes ran across Julian's face. With a final cry of defiance, Leo brought the dagger down upon his left hand.
    The mighty roar of a lion shook the marsh, throwing them back. Julian fell to the ground, covering his ears. Beside him, the Dirge convulsed in agony. A band of energy within Julian’s mind — his bond with the Lion Ring — snapped, leaving him disoriented. Screaming, he pressed at the hot blood escaping from his nostrils. His stinging eyes stared at the Sarcion Ring pulsing upon his trembling finger. The mental link to the Lion Ring had been lost.
    Get up! You must find Leo before he disappears into the marsh. The Lion Ring’s life force has been drained. I can no longer track it now that the Jalora's power has left the stone!
    He tumbled down the ruined walls toward the courtyard. The Dirge waited for him at the base of the wall, spotless though they had spilled a great deal of blood that day. Their fury at the Jalora's unexpected attack was evident in the gnashing teeth and vicious sword thrusts into still corpses.
    Blood pooled on the ancient stone at their center. The heavy raindrops already mingled with the thickness of Leo's sacrifice. Soon any evidence of his escape would be washed away. The Dirge seemed to sense his intent. They sniffed at the muggy air. One of them brought its face close to the stone and snorted great gulps of air into its nostrils. Howling like a demonic bloodhound, it lurched forward. Julian hurriedly followed. Several drops of blood marked a trail leading toward the back of the ruins. He cursed when the Dirge pushed aside a loose stone. It was an opening to a hidden trail. Footprints led toward clumps of matted grass surrounding a large tributary. Bent reeds and muddied water revealed a boat had been hidden, waiting for Leo’s escape. His old quarry had tricked them again.
    Pounding impotently at the mud, he tried to reach out with the Sarcion once more. It was no use. He'd failed. Leo had disappeared and taken his ring with him. Something floated in the water beside the grass. He prodded it over with the tip of his sword. It was a human finger. A nasty-looking oval shape was burned into the skin. Leo had left a piece of