Dragon Stones (Book One in the Dragon Stone Saga) Read Online Free Page B

assassins command a high price because they
are all mageborn and highly skilled. They practice death magic,
foul magic. They are the most ruthless killers in all of Durn, and
they kill without remorse or regret. They simply work for the
highest bidder. Even though Balbor is not part of the emperor’s
kingdom, Vosper would be foolish to try and conquer it. Balbor is
the island of blackness, a place so full of wickedness that even
our greedy emperor does not desire it. He is satisfied to let them
be.”
    Just then, Elias’ stomach grumbled. His hand
flew to his midsection, embarrassed by the noise.
    “Listen to me, carrying on like a senile old
woman!” Carina laughed. “Of course, you are hungry. Check the stew.
It should be ready. Ladle yourself a bowl and bring me the marrow
bone. We will share it. Tonight, we do not go hungry.” They ate the
delicious stew and prepared for bed.
    That night, Elias dreamt of dragons, which
he had never seen, except in pictures. He was walking in the
forest, and he could see them silhouetted against the night sky.
Their scales glittered in the moonlight. One of the dragons touched
down right next to him, and reached out its clawed hand towards
him. Startled, Elias ran into the safety of the underbrush. The
dragon gave chase, bellowing in fury. He ran as fast as he could,
jumping over rocks and brush. His side burned. Eventually, he fell,
careening face-first into the damp earth, his breath coming in
ragged gasps. When he turned around, the dragon was gone. He was
alone in the forest. It was the first of many dreams that he would
have about dragons.

    ***

Chapter 2: The
Discovery
    Elias awoke before dawn and dressed himself
in the dark. Carina slept, her chest rising and falling gently.
Elias went to her bedside and tucked the quilt under her chin. She
looked pale.
    Last night, Carina had given Elias a list of
wild mushrooms to gather, so that was his task for today. Some of
the mushrooms were rare and would be difficult to find. He ate a
light breakfast, filled his waterskin, and packed his rucksack with
a chunk of cooked lamb and some bread. Then he left the cabin,
walking quickly.
    The sky was clear and the air was icy cold.
It had drizzled the night before, and everything was covered with a
thin layer of frost. Elias slipped his hands into his pockets and
continued to walk deeper into Darkmouth Forest. The walking soon
warmed him up, and it wasn't long before he was sweating underneath
his cloak. It was beautiful here—so peaceful. Other boys rarely
went so deep into the forest. Most hunted close to the forest’s
edge. Early on, Elias escaped the village bullies by coming here.
He knew how to navigate the forest, and he wasn’t scared to travel
farther than a day's walk. Elias had never found anything to fear
here. In fact, it was one of the places where he felt the most at
home.
    He knew, from Carina’s maps, that the
northern part of the forest ended at the Elburgian Mountains. The
longest he’d ever spent in the forest was two days, and he’d gotten
an earful from his grandmother when he returned.
    By mid-afternoon, he had reached a secluded
clearing that he knew well. There was a natural spring on the left,
surrounded by a circle of oak trees. On the right, there was a
mound of rotted logs. Every type of mushroom and fungus grew there,
fed by the moist air and decaying wood. Soon, Elias was gathering
tiny red-capped mushrooms and collecting them into a mesh bag,
being careful not to smash them in the process. They needed to be
kept intact until he got back to the cottage, where Carina would
sort and dry them. Even though he enjoyed being in the forest,
collecting mushrooms was a tedious business. It was too cold to
take a quick dip in the pond, but he could feel the sweat running
down his back as he bent down over and over to harvest the tiny
mushrooms.
    By the time he finished filling the bag, he
was tired and hungry.
    “I'll just eat my lunch,
and hurry back home,” he