A Crown Of War (Book 4) Read Online Free PDF

ground hard, sending a plume of dust into the air.
    Whill unsheathed Adromida, as the Other shot his chains from his wrists. The glowing chains flew at Whill, and he parried them wide. The Other pulled back a glowing hand and shot a fireball at Whill, which exploded against his shield. Smoke and dust filled the air as the effects of the blast were taken by the wind. He whirled around looking for his doppelganger, but found only leveled trees, long dead.
    “ I am not your enemy!” Whill screamed into the wind as he turned in his search.
    “ You are your own worst enemy, Whill. Look at you, talking to yourself in the middle of Drindellia. You are insane and no longer fit to control our body.”
    Whill stopped looking for the Other, realizing there was nowhere to look but within. He turned his mind sight once again inward. The familiar web of lightning stretched out before him. He moved deeper into his mind, past thoughts that rode the lightning, farther than he knew existed.
    Far into the depths of his own consciousness, he delved, past the organized chaos of his thoughts and mental impulses. He went to a place within himself beyond the fabric of his being. Here was only light, harmony, tranquility, and peace. Here, he realized his true identity, his true self, one that had nothing to do with either the body or its worries. With him, he dragged the Other, and in the presence of the spirit that was Whill, his ego was humbled.
    “ This is what I am: infinite consciousness,” said Whill, as he floated with arms stretched, bathed in light. At his feet, the Other cowered from the brightness.
    “ This form, of which you are a part, that you call the self, is not your dominion. It is the host through which I experience this world. You seem to have forgotten your place, my friend.”
    The Other squinted up at the incarnation of Whill’s spirit with spiteful, blood-streaming eyes. “Destroy me and have done with it!” he screamed.
    The spirit of Whill raised a hand, and the Other was lifted to his feet. Before he was able to retaliate, Whill embraced him and held him still. The Other lashed out and struggled against the unmoving form of the spirit. The illusion of Whill melted away, and the Other floated up, arms outstretched, to be bathed in piercing light. The voice of Whill surrounded the Other.
    “ You carry a great burden my friend, and you must carry it no more.”
    The all-encompassing light hummed brighter with warmth, and the Other stopped his thrashing and began to glow with an inner light of his own. His chains shot out wide, only to be dissolved. His eyes cleared of blood, and his scars melted away. A smile that had never been worn crept across his face as he was born anew.
    Light and sound melded as Whill’s spirit spoke through the light coursing through the Other. “I release you, my friend, from all your earthly pain. No more shall the memories haunt you. Be at peace, and know you are loved.”
    Shimmering tears found smiling cheeks as the Other was bathed in light and love from the spirit of infinite consciousness. They shined brighter still, until the two were one.

Chapter Seven
Winterstar
     
     
    Dirk awoke after a few hours of rest and eagerly called Krentz and Chief from the spirit plane. They danced around each other as wisps and materialized before him. Chief bounded over to Fyrfrost and playfully barked and nipped at the dragon-hawk. Krentz solidified and offered Dirk a smile as she gained her bearings.
    The morning sun rose behind rolling clouds, causing them to glow with ambient light in the east. The mild day’s breeze carried the reminder that winter was on its way. Krentz approached Dirk and gave him a long, slow kiss.
    “ I have been thinking while I waited to be summoned back,” she said, taking Dirk’s hands in hers. Reading her eyes, he knew she had come to a decision, and her resolve was strong.
    “ I must make this right. The world around us falls to my father. It is in my power to