The Lion of Eomar, Eric K, Hasler [top young adult novels .txt] 📗

was impressed with both the squeaklessness and the amount of control he managed to keep. “You are of wealth,” he said plainly, “you should know that this part of the city is dangerous.”

Her eyes never blinked as she gazed into his eyes, and moments went by before she finally spoke.

“I'm not from around here,” she said and smiled, “but you have proven Eomar to be less dangerous by your actions.” She stood up, looked toward the door and called, “Trayvr, Hendi, Coustin, come in here for a moment.”

The door opened and in walked the three men from the previous day. Bodwin shuddered, threw back the bed covers and jumped out of the bed.

“It's alright Bodwin,” she said loudly, “These are my friends!”

His eyes widened, his mouth bent into a snarling shape, “what” he shouted as he started to shake with rage.

The three men laughed, “Happens every time,” said Trayvr.

“Bodwin, my dear young man, please hear me out before you decide on whatever you are thinking,” she said smoothly as she walked over to the bed, replaced the covers, sat on the edge of the bed, exposing most of her breasts. He stood directly in front of her looking down at her head, while she stared straight at his crutch, which was almost impossible not to do since the bed was low and he was quite tall.

After a moment, she looked up and smiled at him in a reassuring way. “These three men are my trainers,” she said without blinking. “We enter every city throughout all of Thera doing exactly the same thing as we did yesterday.”

“So, you tricked me...” replied Bodwin struggling not to shout.

“In a way,” she said smoothly in that husky tone of hers. “We have been in Eomar for three days now, and we are not impressed with the amount of people who turn a blind eye to those who may be in trouble. We almost gave up! In fact, if you hadn't acted the way you did, we would have left Eomar today.” She smiled and winked her left eye.

'She never blinks,' he thought 'only winks one eye at a time. What's wrong with her eyes?'

Trayvr stepped towards the bed, “we are impressed with you Bodwin,” he said with a wide smile.

“Yes” said Hendi as he stepped closer towards them.

“We would like you to join us,” said Coustin as he approached the group.

“My friends would like to train you to help the people of Eomar. Train your ability to see the danger before it hits you in the back of the head, like yesterday,: she said smoothly.

“Why me?” saked Bodwin.

“That's a good question,” said Coustin who was attempting to swallow his amusement at the shocked look in Bodwin's eyes.

“Join us, we'll show you why” said Trayvr through what seemed to be a devious smile.

“You will get one of these outfits!” said Hendi with a big toothy grin, “I saw the way you looked at us in the alley.” He chuckled, “You know you want one!”

Trayvr shook his head, “you would think the outfit is all Hendi thinks of...” “That's not true,” snapped back Hendi, “I just wanted to add something to the conversation!”

Coustin's swallowing failed and he laughed out the words, “These two are always at each other's throats.”

“Men!” she said with a strength that seemed to shake the whole room. The three of them dropped their heads, “sorry,” they said in unison.

“Now Bodwin, because of your actions yesterday I suspect that there is a deeply engrained ability within you that allows you to see problems before they arise,” she said. “You have noticed something like this before, have you not?”

He thought about what had happened the night before last, 'maybe that was what the dizzy head thumping sensation was, those voices tormenting me,' but he pushed it aside with an outward chuckle, “you're crazy!” he said.

“That may very well be true,” she said smoothly through a broad smile, “but you will know the benefits of that craziness only if you join us.”

“What have you got to lose,” said Trayvr, “I never had the ability that she seems to think you have.” He scratched his forehead, “I think it would be great to see how fast you can climb; you can climb can't you?”

“At the very least you will have a place to live and food in your belly,” interrupted Coustin.

“Well,” she said interrupting the both of them, “if you decide to join us then your training starts today.”

'I have to get away from these idiots,' he thought 'but what if...' “I have to meet a friend when Dazbog reaches the highest point,” said Bodwin with his eyes suspiciously shifting between the four of them.

“What is a … Dazbog?” saked Hendi.

“One of their fake religions designed specifically to keep the rich powerful, and to stop the poor from murdering them,” said Coustin. “It's the same sort of thing in every city. It's kind of sad really!”

“That sounds a little primitive to me...” started Hendi before he was interrupted.

“Men!” she said smoothly but filled with the same amount of strength as before.

“Now Bodwin, Hendi will take you for a run to see how long you can last,” she said with sweetness oozing from her voice, “if you can't last long enough then you may go to see your friend.”

“You'll reward me for not being good enough?” Bodwin chuckled, 'these people are stupid, but... food and a place to sleep would be good,' he thought. “Alright, I'm in. But I'll need something to eat before we run!”

Looking at the four of them smiling at him he could not help but think that he may have gotten into something a little over his head. 'You're an idiot Bodwin,' he thought as he joined in with their contagious smiling.

“Good,” she said, “I'm sure you will miss your appointment with your friend.” She chuckled and said, “First though, we need to get you some clothes.”

“What's wrong with mine?” he asked.

She laughed, “Let's just say they weren't fit enough to burn. Coustin my dear, why don't you go see if you can... aquire some newish clothes for our new friend here,” she turned to Bodwin and simled, “He's very good at finding clothes,” then winked her right eye.

 

 

Darkness weighs heavy within The Dead Woods. The thick blanket of dead branches spraying out from dead trees bars the light of the moon from seeping through creating a depth to the blackness. A depth that is enhanced by the darkness of early morning stretched across the land, trying vainly to hold out against the inevitable raising of Dazbog's ugly golden head from the east. No hooting of owls can be heard. No sound of snapping twigs by animals wandering aimlessly through the blackness. No bugs creeping. Nothing grows in here, and so nothing comes here. The Dead Woods will remain forever a solitary place. Legend says that these woods used to be a thriving place with all sorts of birds and animals feeding off the woods prosperity, and that the original city of Eomar was built from the wood of trees that once grew here. But in the time of desolation this place was hit and punished hard by stray lightning bolts forking from the sky into the ground destroying the trees roots, electrifying the land, and killing every living thing. The only sound in these woods is a deep eerie rumbling hum, which according to the legend is the continued existence of the stray lightning beneath the ground slowly being released through the trees, continuously killing evey attempt that any plant life makes at regeneration.

The Dead Woods extend out towards the west from the Southern Pillar road up to the Misty Mountains, where the blackened trees have melded into the cliffs as if they were finally one in the same. Some of the trees are sticking out of the precipice, not as if they have grown that way, but as if the rock face had attempted to reclaim the woods and lost inspiration by the dead trees attempt to strangle the crag internally. This war like resemblance between the woods and the Misty Mountains eventually became a stalemate and as a result, they now work together. The cliffs help the Dead Woods with their eerie hum, creating an echoing effect that improves the sound creating a louder, electrified hum that has more of a likeness to rolling thunder. This menacingly loud, electric rumbling hum manages to terrify many travellers on the Southern Pillar road, who then produce haunting stories that nearly always make the traveller sound more heroic than the brown smelly stains in their trousers prove. In the middle of this war like stalemate, almost buried by blackened rock is a hole in the precipice about the size of a child in the middle of their tenth cycle. A tight squeeze for anyone older, but once through the gap there is a clearing inside big enough to fit twenty fully-grown people. The air within is stale and smells like electrically petrified wood and rock; the shape of this cave, the roundness, the depth and height of the ceiling creaters a quite stillness that has managed to block the magnified hum from entering. There is no way for light to enter, which creates a blackened darkness that is darker than dark should be. This blackened darkness is dry, cold, and oppressive; the type of coldness that only exists from the absence of both sunlight and life.

Sitting in the middle of this cave with her legs crossed, the palms of her hands on her knees, trying not to contemplate on the events of the previous day, and while fighting to control a comfortable cool shiver, she was finally entering into the peace so desperately needed. The consolation of darkness had always helped ease the pain. No matter what had happened to her, or anyone else, she knew that peace could be found in total blackness. Being unaware of how she knew this did not bother her; as long as everything is covered by blackness then nothing can distract her from looking through the mind's eye. Certain scenarios from the past, present, and future could be thought through bringing a truth to the reality that had just been witnessed. She smiled to herself, assured in the knowledge that Dazbog could never find her in this blackness.

 

“I hate sun worshippers,” she said seething with distain.

The sound of her voice echoing off the walls and slowly fading out brought back the security of the noiselessness. She raised her head towards the unseeable ceiling and closed her eyes relishing the serenity. The possibility of nothingness seeping into her and exposing the stupidity of that religion released her from the pain of watching two friends executed. She smiled at the fortune of finding this sanctuary and as the moments trickled by she let the silent serenity competely envelope her.

 

Luuuu... came a soft but deep sounding whisper out of the silence from her left. Spinning her head towards the sound, she sniffed twice. Smelling nothing she raised her head towards the ceiling, closed her eyes and smiled, 'idiot,' she thought.

...carrrr... another soft sounding whisper came out from the depth of silence from the right. Cocking her head in that direction, sniffing twice and smelling nothing, she raised her head up, closed her eyes 'must be a slight breeze' she thought.

...eeesss... came from behind in a softer yet deeper whisper. Her eyes stayed closed, and the smile on her face broadened.

...HA! exploded loudly out from the nothingness right in front of her. Her eyes opened wide, her head dropped facing downward, her smile released as her bottom jaw tightened.

“Who's there?” she asked softly in a steady trembling tone. There was no answer. She held her breath, her eyes darted left and right hoping that she might see a glinting, or something to give away the voices position. As the moments trickled by, she sat like that, not moving, and breathing only when she absolutely had to, until she had convinced herself