The Third Apprentice Read Free

the ring. “It’s hot in here,
isn’t it?” Beads of sweat had formed on her brow, and she was visibly
uncomfortable.
    “It does seem to be
getting warmer,” Taren agreed. The light was fading fast, but there was no
chill to accompany it. Instead, the air seemed to be getting denser.
    Djo finished
building the small fire and leaned back against the trunk of a tree. “We don’t
need the heat, but it might keep any night creatures away.” Though it was
unlikely there were any creatures in these woods, the fire was a sign of home.
Looking upon it gave them hope and calmed their nerves.
    Finally, the trio
fell asleep in the long dark of the forest. When they woke, it was still mostly
dark, and they were unsure how long they had actually slept.
    “We might as well
get moving,” Djo said as he kicked dirt over the smoldering remains of the
fire.
    Taren and Tissa
retrieved their packs, and once again the apprentices resumed their march. The
next few days went by slowly, with little conversation. Travel had proved
uneventful until the fourth day. As he walked ahead of the others, Djo did not
see the small branch that caught his foot. He fell hard, landing with his hands
out to his sides. The fingers of his left hand brushed lightly against the path
they were avoiding. Standing back on his feet, he brushed the dirt away from
his robe. Taren and Tissa stared at him, wondering if he knew he had touched
the path.
    “I only brushed
it,” he said, seeing the concerned looks on their faces. Both of them had fear
in their eyes, and he felt uneasy as well. Inside, he tried to convince himself
that nothing would come of his misstep. “Let’s get going.”
    Taren and Tissa
continued behind him until he stopped. Coming to his side, they stopped as
well.
    “Did you hear
something?” Djo asked.
    The other two shook
their heads. They stood for a moment longer, listening before continuing on
their way. After a few minutes, they stopped again. This time, an unmistakable
growl sounded from behind them.
    In unison, they
turned and saw a manlike creature, who appeared to be made of stone. He had a
wide set of wings similar to the wings of a bat. Crouched low to the ground, it
was clear the creature was ready to strike.
    “Run!” Djo shouted.
    The trio dashed
through the woods, hoping to outrun the creature whose heavy footsteps pursued
them. It grunted through its stone nostrils as it ran, its hot breath moving
closer and closer. With a swipe of its massive clawed hand, it grabbed Djo, who
had been closest to the path as they ran.
    Tissa slowed for a
second, but Taren grabbed her arm, forcing her to continue her flight. Without
looking back, they heard the cries of their companion. There was nothing they
could do. To their horror, the creature was not satisfied by taking the one who
had touched the path. It continued its pursuit of the remaining two
apprentices, gaining ground on them as they tired.
    Taren and Tissa struggled
for breath as they were forced to keep running. The trees grew denser, forcing
them to dodge around the massive trunks while avoiding tripping over spent
limbs. Tissa stumbled only a moment, but the creature was there to catch her.
As her scream pierced the air, a shiver went down Taren’s spine.
    The creature
continued to pursue Taren, its presence looming ever closer. Keep running,
keep running , he told himself. If his body gave out now, he would be dead
for sure. His only hope was to ignore the pain growing in the bones of his feet
and the pounding of his heart in his ears. Faster and faster he pushed himself
to run, but the creature continued to gain ground. Just when Taren thought he
was sure to die, he burst through the tree line and into the sunlight. He had escaped
The Barrens.

Chapter 2
     
    S tumbling out of the woods, Taren no longer
felt the hot breath of the stone beast on his neck. Daring to cease his flight,
he turned and peered between the trees. The beast was walking away, its back
turned to