Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler Page 0,100

his back. The ugly man looked down in his face. “You made that very easy for me, thank you. Oh, I bet you are wondering what has happened to you, don’t worry you’re not going to die but you won’t be able to move for a few hours.”

Siro stood up and pulled an amulet from beneath his robe and clutched it in his hand. Kian could see he muttered a few words into it under his breath.

A figure appeared from nowhere, covered from head to toe in a black cloak cowl, pulled up so Kian could not see the face.

Siro bowed. “Master, it is done.”

The man spoke, his voice sounded as if he were being strangled. “I would have preferred if you had done this at night, Siro, you know the sunlight depresses me.”

“I’m sorry, Master, but I thought this would be a good time, he was alone and unarmed.”

The man walked over to Kian’s horse and drew the Half Elf’s sword from a scabbard that hung from the saddle. He looked at it then thrust it into the horse’s side. The beast reared and broke free, running back towards the farmhouse, blood pouring from the wound.

The cloaked figure walked back to where Kian lay, holding the sword by the middle of the blade. He held it above Kian and spoke a word. There was a flash in the palm of his black gloved hand and the sword shattered into pieces, tears of fury leaked from Kian’s eyes. Gildor’s sword was gone. Anger swelled within him but try as he might the swordsman could not move.

“You won’t be needing that,” the cloaked man said. “Siro, it’s time for you to come back. I have finally acquired everything we will need.”

“Very good, Master, I have been very eager to get started.”

“Take my hand, Siro.” The healer did as he was told, the cloaked man reached down and grabbed Kian by the hair, lifting his head and shoulders off the ground. All three disappeared without a sound.

It was dark and there was still no sign of him. They had found his dead horse a few hours ago lying in the grass not far from the farmhouse,, but no Kian. His clothing had been found, folded on a small tree stump, but the most disturbing discovery was the remains of his sword. No one could figure out how the Elven steel had shattered like that. K’xarr and Cromwell were still walking the banks of the creek, looking for any other sign of the Half Elf.

Endra was by far the better tracker of the group, she had tracked every kind of animal there was in Sorrack. She easily had found the two sets of tracks besides Kian’s on the bank of the creek, but the tracks led nowhere, it was if they had just vanished. Endra had a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, something strange happened here.

K’xarr came walking back and Cromwell waded across the creek from the other side, both of them looking very concerned. “There is just nothing, Endra,” K’xarr said.

Cromwell sloshed up out of the water holding his hand over his stitches. “I still think it’s strange we can’t find Siro either. You think maybe he had something to do with it?”

K’xarr looked downcast. “It is possible I suppose, but how would he have taken Kian?”

K’xarr looked to Endra. “I just don’t know where else to look. It’s dark, we aren’t going to find anything tonight.”

Endra grabbed his arm. “Please, we have to keep looking, he could be in trouble, he could need help, K’xarr. I won’t abandon him. Rhys is watching the children at the house, so I’m not going to stop looking.”

“Okay, we’ll keep going.”

Endra hugged K’xarr. It was all she could do not to cry. “Okay. Okay. Calm down, we’ll round up Rufio and Vandarus and start again.”

Cromwell looked out over the grasslands, the moon was full bathing everything in silver light. He owed Kian his life and Torans paid their debts. “Where could you be, my friend?” He said to the night.

The feeling was coming back to his limbs and he could move again if not for the chains holding him to the stone table. Kian’s head was still fuzzy, he knew one moment he was on the bank of the creek, the next he was inside a building of some kind. They didn’t raise his head when they arrived so he had seen little. When they arrived he was put directly on