[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
elementals and prepared for the return of the wit ch.
Now is the time both must be forged into one cause and purpose to defeat the
Gul gotha and free our lands!
Er ril swung his eyes back to Bol s wrinkled face. How?
The wit ch and the Blood Diary must be joined.
And what then? Er ril asked bitterly. What have you foreseen?
Uncle Bol s next words were whispered, edged with smoke from his pipe. We
don t know. The Blood
Diary is a potent talisman. Even its function is shaded in doubts. Portents
swirl about it like a whirlpool, so violent that they become impossible to
read. Beyond the union of wit ch and book, nothing can be foretold. Some
foresee salvation, others destruction. But most signs somehow point at both.
If the future is so unclear, why chance bringing wit ch and Book together?
Because if we don t, the oracles are all unanimous on the fate of Alasea. The
land will continue following its dark path to a blackness that will swallow
not just Alasea, but this world and time itself. The wit ch and the Book must
be united!
Elena cowered in her chair. How could she possibly be this important? She
didn t want to bear such a burden.
Er ril seemed equally unsure. So where do I fit into all this?
You are the guardian of the Book, the eternal watcher. Now you must extend
your protection to include the wit ch. You must guard Elena and take her to
the Book.
Why risk the child? Why not let me fetch the Book alone and bring it here?
Uncle Bol shook his head. You will fail. It has been prophesied. For any hope
of success, the wit ch must be accompanied by the guardian and the three
elementals here tonight; that we know. But be warned, even this path is
shadowed, and success in reaching the Blood Diary is not assured. The journey
ahead is fraught with many dangers.
And I have no choice in this matter.
Have you ever? Does this life of useless wandering hold such attraction for
you?
Er ril lowered his head. I wish my own life back before I ever stepped into
that inn with Shorkan so long ago.
That cannot be. But perhaps on this path you will find a way back to the man
you once were.
Er ril continued to hang his head. Elena, even though terrified by her uncle s
Page 103
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
words, felt a twinge of sorrow for the swordsman. His very bones seemed bowed
down with exhaustion and the weight of years.
Make your choice, Er ril of Standi.
His words were whispered to the floor. I will take her to where I hid the
Book.
A loaGlen?
He raised his eyes. Is there nothing hidden from you?
Uncle Bol shrugged. I know only hints, he said softly. Words in books and
scrolls. I know nothing beyond this door.
The journey to A loa Glen is a long one. And the city is guarded by sorcery.
Before I can go there, I will need to retrieve the ward that unlocks the path
to the city. I hid it here in the ruins of the old school. Near the
Uncle Bol waved the tip of his pipe at Er ril. Do not tell me. The fewer who
know the better.
A long silence followed these words.
Elena squirmed in her seat. Her mind fought to absorb all she had heard, but
most of their words made no sense. Only one thing was clear. Her own fears
found voice, and she spoke, cracking the silence among them. I don t want to
be a wit ch.
Her uncle tried to smile at her in reassurance, but only succeeded in
quivering his mustache. The profound sadness in his eyes shocked her. But
instead of comforting her, Uncle Bol crossed in front of
Er ril, his back to her. Earlier you asked for proof of my words. He slipped
something from inside his vest. Do you recognize this, Er ril?
Elena could still see Er ril s face. His mouth dropped open, and words tumbled
out. That s Shorkan s!
Where did you find it?
Elena could not see what was proffered. She tilted her head, but her uncle s
back still blocked her view.
If you remember, her uncle said, Shorkan had given it to the boy on the
night of the Book s forging.
When you fled with the Book after slaying the child, we retrieved it. The boy
still had it clutched in his dead fingers.
What do you plan to do with it?
What I must.
Her uncle suddenly swung around and faced Elena. He held a dagger in his hand;
the black blade glinted in the firelight. Tears were in his eyes. I never
wanted to do this, Elena.
He grabbed her wrist and yanked her hand toward him. A small gasp slipped from
Elena s chest. What was he doing? She was too shocked to resist.
This is an ancient dagger used by the mages to consecrate the Blood Diary
during its forging. He dragged the blade s edge across her exposed palm.
Blood welled from the cut before the pain reached her eyes. A sharp cry
escaped her throat. She stared
in disbelief at the wound.
He pressed the hilt of the dagger into her bloody palm. As the blood soaked
the knife, the black blade burst forth with a single flash of white light. As
the radiance subsided, the dark blade now shone silver in the firelight.
Uncle Bol fell to his knees before her. Now it s a wit ch s dagger.
Er ril sat straight in his chair. His pipe had fallen to the floor from his
limp fingers, scattering smoldering tobacco across the pine planking. Though
he had sensed the truth in the old man s words, to see it happen before him
numbed his mind and limbs. Long ago, he had witnessed other initiates receive
their first cuts from the masters of the Order, christening them to their
magick. The same blinding light had marked their coming to power.
Elena was a wit ch! [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
elementals and prepared for the return of the wit ch.
Now is the time both must be forged into one cause and purpose to defeat the
Gul gotha and free our lands!
Er ril swung his eyes back to Bol s wrinkled face. How?
The wit ch and the Blood Diary must be joined.
And what then? Er ril asked bitterly. What have you foreseen?
Uncle Bol s next words were whispered, edged with smoke from his pipe. We
don t know. The Blood
Diary is a potent talisman. Even its function is shaded in doubts. Portents
swirl about it like a whirlpool, so violent that they become impossible to
read. Beyond the union of wit ch and book, nothing can be foretold. Some
foresee salvation, others destruction. But most signs somehow point at both.
If the future is so unclear, why chance bringing wit ch and Book together?
Because if we don t, the oracles are all unanimous on the fate of Alasea. The
land will continue following its dark path to a blackness that will swallow
not just Alasea, but this world and time itself. The wit ch and the Book must
be united!
Elena cowered in her chair. How could she possibly be this important? She
didn t want to bear such a burden.
Er ril seemed equally unsure. So where do I fit into all this?
You are the guardian of the Book, the eternal watcher. Now you must extend
your protection to include the wit ch. You must guard Elena and take her to
the Book.
Why risk the child? Why not let me fetch the Book alone and bring it here?
Uncle Bol shook his head. You will fail. It has been prophesied. For any hope
of success, the wit ch must be accompanied by the guardian and the three
elementals here tonight; that we know. But be warned, even this path is
shadowed, and success in reaching the Blood Diary is not assured. The journey
ahead is fraught with many dangers.
And I have no choice in this matter.
Have you ever? Does this life of useless wandering hold such attraction for
you?
Er ril lowered his head. I wish my own life back before I ever stepped into
that inn with Shorkan so long ago.
That cannot be. But perhaps on this path you will find a way back to the man
you once were.
Er ril continued to hang his head. Elena, even though terrified by her uncle s
Page 103
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
words, felt a twinge of sorrow for the swordsman. His very bones seemed bowed
down with exhaustion and the weight of years.
Make your choice, Er ril of Standi.
His words were whispered to the floor. I will take her to where I hid the
Book.
A loaGlen?
He raised his eyes. Is there nothing hidden from you?
Uncle Bol shrugged. I know only hints, he said softly. Words in books and
scrolls. I know nothing beyond this door.
The journey to A loa Glen is a long one. And the city is guarded by sorcery.
Before I can go there, I will need to retrieve the ward that unlocks the path
to the city. I hid it here in the ruins of the old school. Near the
Uncle Bol waved the tip of his pipe at Er ril. Do not tell me. The fewer who
know the better.
A long silence followed these words.
Elena squirmed in her seat. Her mind fought to absorb all she had heard, but
most of their words made no sense. Only one thing was clear. Her own fears
found voice, and she spoke, cracking the silence among them. I don t want to
be a wit ch.
Her uncle tried to smile at her in reassurance, but only succeeded in
quivering his mustache. The profound sadness in his eyes shocked her. But
instead of comforting her, Uncle Bol crossed in front of
Er ril, his back to her. Earlier you asked for proof of my words. He slipped
something from inside his vest. Do you recognize this, Er ril?
Elena could still see Er ril s face. His mouth dropped open, and words tumbled
out. That s Shorkan s!
Where did you find it?
Elena could not see what was proffered. She tilted her head, but her uncle s
back still blocked her view.
If you remember, her uncle said, Shorkan had given it to the boy on the
night of the Book s forging.
When you fled with the Book after slaying the child, we retrieved it. The boy
still had it clutched in his dead fingers.
What do you plan to do with it?
What I must.
Her uncle suddenly swung around and faced Elena. He held a dagger in his hand;
the black blade glinted in the firelight. Tears were in his eyes. I never
wanted to do this, Elena.
He grabbed her wrist and yanked her hand toward him. A small gasp slipped from
Elena s chest. What was he doing? She was too shocked to resist.
This is an ancient dagger used by the mages to consecrate the Blood Diary
during its forging. He dragged the blade s edge across her exposed palm.
Blood welled from the cut before the pain reached her eyes. A sharp cry
escaped her throat. She stared
in disbelief at the wound.
He pressed the hilt of the dagger into her bloody palm. As the blood soaked
the knife, the black blade burst forth with a single flash of white light. As
the radiance subsided, the dark blade now shone silver in the firelight.
Uncle Bol fell to his knees before her. Now it s a wit ch s dagger.
Er ril sat straight in his chair. His pipe had fallen to the floor from his
limp fingers, scattering smoldering tobacco across the pine planking. Though
he had sensed the truth in the old man s words, to see it happen before him
numbed his mind and limbs. Long ago, he had witnessed other initiates receive
their first cuts from the masters of the Order, christening them to their
magick. The same blinding light had marked their coming to power.
Elena was a wit ch! [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]