Forest Fire (#2 The Legends of Regia) Read Online Free PDF Page A

the lab. Menjel was working and he hated being disturbed when he was in the lab. Rahaxeris wanted to grimace. Menjel looked like a butcher; blood spattered over his sleeves and apron. The excited light of new pain glinted in his ruby eyes. Whomever he had just been experimenting on was gone, leaving their blood on the operating table.
     
    Menjel was making notes furiously on a diagram. "Come here, Rah, and look at this," he said.
     
    Rahaxeris sighed at his use of an abbreviation for his name but said nothing. "What have you done?" He looked over Menjel's shoulder.
     
    "I've created a new way to inject thoughts. My latest test, on an elf, worked perfectly. The injected thought made him believe he itched all over. He began to scratch his skin but the harder he scratched the stronger the itch became. It took roughly an hour, but the test victim tore all of his skin off."
     
    "I see," Rahaxeris said approvingly. "Are you thinking of using this for interrogation or pre-death punishment?"
     
    "Both. However, I cannot recommend it for interrogation until I figure out how to stop the sensation before the victim kills themselves. Baal can work on that tomorrow."
     
    "Fine. Clean up. We have a meeting."
     
    "Yes, sir."
     
    ****
     
    Rune-dy meetings never lasted very long. None of the priests were verbose. Since there were only seven of them and only two departments, there was hardly ever anything they didn't know about each other's work. Rahaxeris was thankful for their lack of curiosity today.
     
    He sat at the end of the table with the heads of each department, Abshael and Cassian, closest to him. The senior levels, Menjel and Hezeron, were next, and then the assistants, Baal and Plixtz. Being the leader, Rahaxeris presided over every meeting.
     
    He addressed the priests. "New business. Philippe is dead at the hand of an unsanctioned, sacrificial messenger sent by Zefyre."
     
    Muttering erupted around the table.
     
    "She must die!" Cassian said sternly.
     
    Everyone nodded in agreement.
     
    "Yes, yes," Rahaxeris said unconcernedly. "That is of little concern. The real problem is the balance was disrupted by Philippe dying before we intended him to."
     
    "Zeren is weak. We can make him our puppet," Hezeron added.
     
    Rahaxeris smiled inside. Hezeron had handed him the perfect launching point. "Yes, Zeren is weak, but Christiana is not." He pulled the red-jeweled necklace from his robes and placed it on the table where everyone could see. "I want to exile her."
     
    "Why?" Menjel demanded. "She's no obstacle."
     
    "She's been trying to kill Forest."
     
    "Oh, well…" Menjel crossed his arms across his chest. "I thought we all agreed not to interfere with our little pet."
     
    Everyone at the table leaned in a little. All of them had watched Forest's progress since infancy. And they all had voted to allow her to live, even after they had collected all the data they wanted about her gifts. None of the other Halflings that had been created in that experiment were still alive.
     
    "Oh, let him do what he wants to Christiana," Plixtz sounded bored.
     
    "All in favor of exile for Christiana?"
     
    Everyone raised their hands.
     
    "Now, since our original plan has been ruined by Philippe's death, we must adapt. Once Christiana is gone, ripping the kingdom away from Zeren will be easy." Rahaxeris pulled the green-jeweled necklace from his robes and held it up for the priests to see. "I want to create a position of supreme judge for the new republic. A title only for those who cannot be bought or corrupted with power. The title of Hailemarris. "
     
    "Who do you have in mind for such a position?" Abshael asked.
     
    "No one yet," he lied.
     

Chapter Four
     
    A nervous sweat beaded on the face of the young male servant who received Rahaxeris into the entry hall of the Onyx Castle. Rahaxeris doubted the boy knew his actual identity but he obviously recognized him as a priest of the Rune-dy .
     
    "My sincerest apologies,