The Gems of Raga-Tor (Elemental Legends Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

dark. A quick inspection of the odd destruction pattern told him this would give them plenty to wonder and worry about. With a firm, quick tug, he pulled the bolt and cloak from the door and disappeared into the shadows.
     
    Opening the door to the inn, the Black Mare by name, Eris tried to pass through the common room before any of his few acquaintances recognized him in his befouled condition.
    “There you are, Eris,” a bright-eyed girl said as she hurried across the half-empty room. He turned with a frown. “My!” she exclaimed and stepped back. “What happened? You’re soaked through, and you don’t smell very good either.”
    “Glad you noticed,” he said ungraciously. “Is my room prepared? Has the fire been started?”
    “Well, I — we’ve been real busy and I —”
    “Never mind your excuses. Go back to whatever you were doing,” he said annoyed, dismissing her.
    “But I could —”
    “I said never mind.” He gave her a look that sent shivers down her spine. “Blasted wench. What do I pay you for anyway? You can’t even warm a man’s bed without a whining fuss.”
    The girl flushed and rubbed her hands against her apron. Eris gave her no more thought and quickly ascended the stairs before anyone else stopped him. His wet boots creaked nearly as much as the wooden steps.
    Taking a key from his pouch, he thrust it into the lock and cursed as the rusty tumblers refused to slide back into their barrels. When the door finally opened, his room was dark, except for a slit of light filtering through a crack between the shutter and window frame .
    Beneath the window was an old, rusty-banded trunk, and opposite it was a bed that could hardly be called as such, but at least it wasn’t the floor. A rickety partition divided the room and a pair of equally old chairs sat next to it. Beyond the partition was an old, stained table that Eris never considered using, as it would likely collapse the moment it was touched. As far as accommodations went, it wasn’t much, but it was warm enough and the roof didn’t leak.
    Eris closed the door and slid the bolt into its slot. He let out a long sigh. Exhausted, more from fear than anything else, he slumped down on the edge of the bed and ran his hands through his damp hair.
    What a damnable night this has been .
    A bit of thieving to collect caravan pay illegally held from him and the other outriders would have required much less exertion than his supposedly pre-arranged and simple exchange. The next time he would consider letting his agent handle the transaction without him. Memories of the fiery explosion made him shiver and cold seeped deeper into him. At least his skin wasn’t burned and blistered as it easily could have been.
    After a while, he stood and stretched. He unbuckled his sword, tossed it onto the bed, and then knelt in front of the cold fireplace. He fumbled with flint and kindling. Sparks flashed in the blackness, but there was no hint of fire. He mumbled angrily to himself and was fast losing what little patience he had left. His stomach growled with an unhappy sound. He just wanted to be warm, dry and perhaps have a little wine to take the chill from his blood.
    “Fire is a useful tool don’t you think?” a voice said from somewhere in the dark room.
    Eris startled. His heart raced as a shaft of fear pierced him. Remaining crouched on the floor, he went for his sword, which lay on the bed, out of reach. With a whisper of movement, he spun around on all fours and faced the direction of the sound. His dark-violet eyes scoured the pink-tinged darkness for the source of the voice. The same damned voice as before. He was sure of it.
    He thought a shadow moved somewhere near the partition. He prepared to lunge across the room and tackle his assailant, when an enormous fire blazed into existence in the fireplace behind him.
    Agile as a mountain panther, fear twisting into terror in his gut, Eris sprang away from it and into the corner with his back