Crowning Fantasy Book 1 Read Online Free PDF

young and didn't remember the river was far below them, too far to drink from. He edged along the bank closer to the falls, the water roaring in his ears. Spray covered the rocks along the bank making them slick. He picked his way carefully until he found a flat rock—half dry, half wet.
    Mina and Gumus licked water from small indents in the rock until they were full. In the cool air they bathed in the spray and then settled back on the dry half of the rock. Gumus hadn't seen any creatures stirring, but with morning only a few hours away they'd have to find a better hiding spot to spend the day.
    Gumus lay on his back. A half moon hung low and the night twinkled with the light from a million stars. Why had this happened to him? He squirmed feeling the flames at the fringes, threatening to engulf him. Killing the Magi Padda and fighting the poison had returned him almost to normal. Now it was back, reminding him of what his future had become.
    He searched his mind for Onyx Ay's concentrations and the mantra - Do no harm . It sounded distant and softer than before. Gumus watched Mina, curled up on his chest no doubt believing she was in the arms of a protector. Gumus knew she was in the arms of a monster.
    ***
    M ina slept in the heat of the day as Gumus Ay tramped through the rest of the wasteland of sunburned rocks to the final checkpoint before the Slat Galen. Gumus knew they were close since faded tufts of grass dotted the horizon in front of him.
    That morning Mina had gasped after looking at his face.
    "What's wrong?" Gumus asked.
    "Eyes change," Mina said.
    Gumus rubbed his eyes.
    "Yellow, orange, red."
    The color of fire. Gumus felt a dark swirl of doubt and anger seep into the marrow of his bones replacing the Do No Harm teachings so carefully instilled over the years.
    A solitary Sudawa sat in front of the guard shack with a sword draped across his lap. The entrance to the Slat Galen had been narrowed to a large single lane. A bright shine of green blossomed on the other side.
    There was nothing to do but pass directly in front of the Sudawa. Gumus eyed him while keeping his steady pace. The Sudawa righted his head first and then tilted his armor faceplate back to get a better look at who was approaching. A slight clang of armor announced the Sudawa was moving. Gumus watched as the Sudawa raised his hand for him to stop.
    Past this narrow road a different existence awaited. Gumus decided there was no reason to stop. The Sudawa must have sensed something amiss or realized he was seeing a Kertenkele on four feet instead of two. Gumus whispered, "Get ready to jump." He felt Mina tense in response.
    This was probably the most excitement the Sudawa had seen in a long while because he seemed to Gumus to be amused. "Halt!" When there was no response he shouted louder, "I said halt!" The rest of his muttering was lost as he picked up the pace to cut Gumus off before he reached the gate. "You dumb, rock breaking—"
    The rest of the sentence was lost as Gumus came up swinging. Mina leaped to one side as the Sudawa went sailing in the opposite direction. He landed with a loud metallic crash and didn't stir.
    Mina's jaw was slack with surprise at the sudden violence. Gumus held out his hand and noticed her hesitation before she returned to her seat on his back. Breaking into a trot they passed into Slat Galen. After the Kertenkele invaded the Padda's territory to mine for the Elyun, the Padda had retreated to this Galen through tunnels deep in the surrounding mountains. Vartalf also used this area to hunt and fish. Once they reached the wide open area Gumus stood up and swung Mina to his shoulders.
    "What do you see?"
    "Animals."
    "Padda or Vartalf?"
    "No."
    "What animals?"
    "Many wild. Flying, running, hopping."
    "How far can you see?"
    "Maybe ten miles."
    "Good."
    Every five or ten miles Gumus would stand up and let Mina scout the area. The Padda in Slat Galen were not like the weak Magi Padda he'd fought in Dohla. These were