Deliverance Read Online Free PDF Page B

recruited
help from within the city,” replied the king.
    “So this is going to be an inside job?”
asked Perun.
    “Not just any inside job,” said Bogdan. He
took a pause and then said, “I have enlisted the help of one of the
city’s Elders.”
    “You mean you convinced one of the city’s
leaders to help you?” asked Blaze.
    “Actually, he came to me out of the blue and
told me about the artifact,” explained Bogdan. “He came to the
castle and offered to tell me how to get unimaginable power and
only asked for control of the city after I claimed it.”
    “So who is he?” asked Blaze.
    Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke and ashes
appeared and then faded as the shape of a man began to form. Once
he took complete shape, the man walked forward and approached the
throne.
    “Ah, speak of the devil, here he is now,”
said Bogdan. He then stood from the throne and said, “Welcome,
Saitar.”
    Saitar bowed before Bogdan. “Good evening,
my king.”
    “You may stand.” replied Bogdan, “So how are
things in the city?”
    “I am afraid there is a problem,” replied
Saitar as he stood up.
    Bogdan’s grin faded quickly into a frown. He
slowly walked down the steps beneath his throne, never taking his
eyes off of the elder. In a low, eerily steady voice, the king
said, “What kind of problem? You know how much I despise for a plan
to go astray.”
    “I-I . . .” Saitar stammered, “W-well, I
hear that some of your soldiers have revealed your plans.”
    “Yes, Saitar, I am quite aware of that.
However, it has been taken care of. The village was burned to the
ground and the villagers killed,” said Bogdan. He then stopped
smirking when a thought crossed his mind. “Wait a minute, how did
you know about that?”
    Saitar gulped. “There was someone from the
City of Magi who was traveling in the village at the time your
soldiers were there. He overheard what the soldiers said and left
before he was discovered to warn the city,” replied Saitar.
    “Well who the hell was it?” Bogdan
asked.
    “It was one of the other elders, my king;
Elder Bredewig, to be exact,” said Saitar.
    Bogdan stood as still as a statue for some
time. After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly approached a
small table and, without warning, grabbed it and threw it through a
nearby window. The window shattered and the table flew to the
ground below and smashed into pieces.
    “You mean to tell me that the mages know of
my attack? The whole mission could be compromised now! Surely now
they will build their defenses before the invasion!” Bogdan
bellowed.
    “I-I am afraid there is more, my king,” said
Saitar in a weak voice.
    “What else could possibly be wrong?” Bogdan
asked angrily. When Saitar began to speak again, his voice became
weak and frightened.
    “The high elder has contacted the rebel
group, Deliverance, and they have agreed to protect the city,” said
Saitar.
    To everyone’s surprise, Bogdan did not
become angrier; rather it seemed as though he became calmer. He
even managed a weak grin.
    “Yes . . .” he muttered.
    “Father, what do you have in mind?” asked
Blaze.
    Bogdan paced and stroked the sides of his
face. He kept muttering to himself, but eventually spoke. “Perhaps
this is not a bad thing,” he said.
    “I beg your pardon?” asked Saitar.
    “If I can plan the perfect strategy, perhaps
I can eliminate the leader of the rebels. Without their leader, the
rebels will surely fall. They have been a thorn in my side for
three years, so perhaps I can now make an example of those who try
to stand in my way,” explained Bogdan. He then asked Saitar, “Have
you met the leader?”
    “Yes I have, my king,” replied the elder,
“It is a young woman who goes by the name, ‘Crystal.’”
    Bogdan stopped in his tracks. “A woman?”
    “Yes, my king,” said Saitar.
    “You mean to tell me that a woman has caused
me this much trouble? I should have known! Women always cause
trouble when doing a man’s