The Veredor Chronicles: Book 02 - The Journey West Read Free Page A

daze. He charged outside after the lindworm. The beast turned to face him and lifted its head high, attempting to intimidate him with its size. It then howled loud enough to wake the entire town. More guardsmen rushed down toward the scene of the battle, and they all looked with shock as Eben stepped forward defiantly.
    ‘ I am Eben, Champion of Ortaria. You will never take the Sword of Light from me!’
    The beast shriek ed and pounced, snapping out with its massive fangs. Eben jumped aside, dodging the ferocious bite, and in a single motion brought his blade down at the lindworm’s scaly neck. The beast fell to the ground and screamed in pain. Without delay Eben hewed down again; a moment later the hideous lindworm fell still and lifeless.
    Red and Stella walked over from the ruined inn and were followed closely by Cassiel.
    ‘How ma ny is that now?’ asked Red, a bewildered smile crossing his face.
    Eben looked across to his friends. ‘Three,’ he replied. ‘But I think they’re getting larger.’
    ‘No, this wyvern was of the lindworm variety,’ said Cassiel as he stared down at the dead beast. ‘Lindworms do not have wings, but they are larger and stronger than their flying cousins.’
    A group of a dozen Riverside guardsmen approached. ‘Who are you?’ asked their leader, who was a tall and skinny man with a thin gaunt face.
    ‘I’m Sir Red , and this is my wife Lady Stella. That’s Eben, Champion of Ortaria. Over there is Cassiel, the wizard.’
    All the guardsmen looked in awe from Eben to the dead lindworm. They stared at the lifeless beast in a stunned silence. Eben glanced back at the half demolished inn. The whole front wall had been knocked down, and the common room was completely ruined from the battle.
    ‘Maybe we won’t settle down here after all,’ said Red.
    **
    They sat beside a large brightly burning open fire with Earl Carlo of Riverside. They had been invited up to the palace after the battle. The Earl was a large man with a gentle demeanour and long dark hair. He was clothed in fine linen and was softly spoken.
    ‘I had no idea that you were in Riverside. If I had known I would have invited you to stay with me.’
    ‘We didn’t want to bother you,’ said Red, being polite.
    ‘It would have been an honour to have you as my guests,’ said Earl Carlo. ‘Stories of the four of you are being told everywhere. Your deeds are known by all, and I see from viewing the dead wyvern that everything they say is true.’ Eben nodded. ‘I’m sorry that we couldn’t provide you with more protection. The wyvern entered the town from the lake; it was simply impossible for the town guards to know the creature was coming.’
    ‘We dealt with the situation anyway,’ said Red.
    ‘ Yes, you did well,’ said the Earl. ‘All the people of Riverside have risen from their beds to have a look at the dead wyvern. No one really believed in such creatures until recently; now their existence is beyond doubt.’
    **
    They stayed that night in Earl Carlo’s palace. The next morning they rode west from Riverside along the highway through the Altus Forest. The day was warm and the sky blue. A soft breeze blew from the south. They rode briskly and around midday they stopped by a small crystal clear stream that ran through a glade beside the highway. Red prepared some buttered bread for lunch. They sat in the grass beside the stream and rested for a while.
    ‘ How did the lindworm find us?’ asked Stella.
    ‘ I don’t know,’ replied Cassiel. ‘However, I think it clearly came for Eben’s sword.’
    ‘The Skathean in Ancora said every servant of his master would be hunting me.’
    ‘Perhaps we a re not being careful enough travelling so openly through Ortaria,’ said Cassiel, his eyes uneasily scanning the edge of the forest.
    ‘I agree, we should try to be more cautious,’ said Eben. ‘Azagord said the master in the north wants to throw the Sword of Light through the Cosmic Gate. I think he