Whill of Agora Trilogy: Book 01 - Whill of Agora Read Free

spoke of King Addakon of Arden with a mean tongue. King Addakon had come to rule after the death of his brother Aramonis not twenty years before. Within that year, the mountain range of the Ebony Mountains had been invaded and thousands of dwarves slaughtered. There had been many battles between the peoples of Agora and the Draggard. Abram said that a great war was coming, that Addakon would see to it. He suspected that Addakon would move to conquer all of Agora and make it one kingdom under himself. Already there was strife between the kingdoms. It was for these reasons that Whill and Abram seldom traveled within the realm of Uthen-Arden. If they were to travel to Shierdon or Isladon, it would be by water rather than land.
    They rode on; the hours passed. The rising sun brought small but welcome warmth to the world. Stopping only twice for the sake of the horse, and for only a few minutes, they made good time. Soon Fendale was in sight, as was the coast.
    “There it is,” said Abram with a smile. “The great coast city of Fendale.”
    Whill had not laid eyes on the city in eight years, but he remembered it well. Now he looked upon it with the same awe he had as a child. Fendale sat upon the northern coast of Eldalon, and a large stone wall thirty feet high surrounded its entire border. At Fendale’s center stood a great lighthouse seven stories high, the oldest standing building in Fendale. The lighthouse, called by the people “the Light of the West,” was also home to Rogus, Lord of Fendale. The thriving coast city was a main source of trade for most of Agora. Its wealth was very evident in its beauty. The exterior wall boasted ten magnificently crafted mermaid statues, each more than fifty feet high. They lay with fins curled, long flowing hair falling over their breasts, watching guard over the city. Four looked to the sea, while two looked in each opposite direction, north, east, and south. Within the eyes of each there sat a guard, and so the statues were called the Eyes of Fendale.
    The wall itself was as smooth as marble, with an arched overhang that went in a complete circle, making the wall inaccessible to ladders. The main gate stood twenty feet high and fifteen feet wide, made of oak five feet thick and covered in iron.
    The rear of the city was built on a cliff in such a way that the wall actually hung over the ocean. A large cave under the city acted as its harbor, with four points of entry capable of admitting the largest vessel. Each entry point had a massive iron gate that could be closed in seconds, effectively making the harbor inaccessible. Aside from being a port city, Fendale was also Eldalon’s main naval base, able to house more than two hundred warships.
    As they approached the main gate, which stood open, Whill marveled at the mermaid statues that loomed overhead. Already he could hear the crowd within. A soft buzz of activity emanated from the city.
    “This will be a night to remember,” he said with a grin.
    Abram nodded. “But do not forget, these are times of war, and a pair such as we may look slightly suspicious. Most outsiders coming to the celebration have done so in great numbers. It is not often men travel alone these days, so act naturally.”
    Whill laughed nervously. “I was acting naturally until that bit of advice, thank you.”
    “Don’t worry. I’ll do the talking.” He slapped Whill on the back.
    Upon reaching the gate, four guards on horseback approached Whill and Abram. They were fully armored, with swords at their sides and shields in hand.
    “What is your business?” asked the guard closest to them.
    “The celebration, of course,” answered Abram with a smile. “We also hope to sell these here hides.”
    The guard looked suspicious. “Not much of a cargo for traders.”
    “We are not traders, so to speak; we were actually attacked by these ten rascals last night. Luckily we escaped with our lives, though my horse was not so fortunate.”
    The guard looked