Eclipsing the Darkness (The Dragon Chronicles Book 5) Read Online Free Page A

intricate designs. He wore a round turban of golden silk, with a ruby centered on its crown. His face, friendly and wise, was adorned with a long beard, and a mustache that was curled at the tips. Both were impeccably trimmed.
    “Well met,” he said, waving his right hand.
    Tregar returned the gesture, still frozen as the ship walked its way up the shore to settle into the sand.
    “Am I seeing things?” he asked a soldier near him.
    “If you are, sire, then I am too,” the man replied. “In which case, I would suggest more ale.”
    “King Tregar, I assume,” the dark man said as he vaulted down to the sand. He was followed by five other men who disembarked in the same fashion. “I am Jadhav, the Raja of Pashir; the rightful one, of course.”
    Tregar held out his hand in greeting. “I am Tregar. It is a pleasure to meet you, Jadhav.”
    Tregar’s men gathered around Jadhav’s vessel, examining it and pounding on its surface. Jadhav chuckled as he watched. “This is my ship, the Videsh. One of them anyway.”
    “Quite a remarkable vessel,” Tregar said. “I have never seen anything like it.”
    “Indeed. Come, let us greet King Eamon and Prince Hamal.”
     
    Wrothgaar and Angen jumped into the water to tug the small boat onto shore as it reached a shallow enough depth. They were greeted by hundreds of soldiers that had gathered to witness their landing, and the eager men crowded the surf to assist in beaching the boats. Jadhav immediately appeared, accompanied by a well-dressed, but brutish-looking man of the west.
    “Eamon,” Jadhav began the introductions. “This is King Tr—“
    “Tregar!” Wrothgaar shouted, grabbing the man by the shoulders. Tregar returned the gesture with a wide smile.
    “Wrothgaar, my friend!” he said. “It is good to see you again. You made it off the island, I see.”
    “Ah yes,” Wrothgaar replied. “No thanks to you.”
    The two men chuckled, turning to Eamon.
    “King Eamon,” Tregar said, extending his hand in friendship. “It is an honor to meet the Onyx Dragon. It is you who inspired all of us to fight.”
    “Thank you,” Eamon said. “I am glad I could be an inspiration. There is someone else I want you to meet. Hamal!”
    The prince made his way through the crowd of men to the small group of nobles. Eamon beckoned him to join them, introducing him to Tregar.
    “This is Hamal of Khem,” he said. “The rightful heir to the throne. Hamal, this is King Tregar of Thyre.”
    Hamal and Tregar shook hands, acknowledging each other with a slight bow of their heads.
    “I heard of your mission to liberate the island prison,” Tregar said. “Very impressive. I had wanted to liberate that island for years, but for my father…”
    “It was Imbra’s wish,” Hamal said. “And the rewards were great. There were many good men imprisoned there.”
    Tregar nodded. “Yes, there were. Thank you for your bravery. You are a credit to your people.”
    Hamal smiled. “I thank you for your words,” he said. “And I thank you for not condemning my countrymen for the actions of an insane demon.”
    “With any luck,” Tregar said. “When they are free, they will be good men once again.”
    “Has Cannuck arrived?” Ulrich said, approaching the group. “He owes me a flagon of ale.”
    Tregar laughed. “Cannuck is in the mead hall. I will take you all to him.”
    Ulrich winked at Wrothgaar, who smiled knowingly. “Of course he’s in the mead hall. He knew I was coming.”
     
    Cannuck sat amongst a group of men around a large fire that raged in the open aired mead hall. He and a few other high-ranking warriors were seated on large kegs that were arranged in a semicircle. All around them, the warriors of the north, and of Thyre, listened to their tales and laughed out loud at their jests.
    It was a pleasant atmosphere of brotherhood and camaraderie that warmed the hearts of the new group of men that entered. All around, men of different lands talked and laughed with