Gameplay Read Online Free PDF Page A

but his eyes were bright and intense.
    Bryl the old half-Sorcerer sat by himself, glancing around as if frightened by the shadows, the oppressive weight of rock around them. Tareah waited next to Vailret.
    In the silent hours before dawn, no one knew they had gone to the caves. They had much to discuss, in private, away from the villagers and—they hoped—away from the prying eyes of the Outsiders.
    Vailret coughed and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “We’ve got half a hilltop of rock over our heads to shield us. Maybe the Outsiders won’t be able to hear us here.”
    Bryl cringed at Vailret’s mention of the weight of the rock. Delrael looked at the low ceiling and nodded, but he kept his voice quiet anyway. “The Outsiders must not know anything about this. It’s something we have to decide.”
    He didn’t know where to begin. He had already told them in a brief whisper about the Earthspirits. At the same time, Tareah had burst out of the bath chamber, wrapped in a blanket but dripping onto the wooden floor. Wide-eyed, she held the glowing ruby Fire Stone in her hand.…
    “The Earthspirits promised to help us destroy Scartaris,” Delrael said. “We might have a good chance now, especially if Tareah has the Fire and Water Stones, and Bryl has the Air Stone.”
    Bryl fondled the Air Stone, the four-sided diamond that created illusions. Gairoth the ogre had used it to overthrow the Stronghold by making the other characters believe he commanded an indestructible army of other ogres.
    Tareah fumbled at her waist to undo the lashings of a small cloth purse. She drew out the sapphire Water Stone, shaped like a cubical six-sided die. For centuries it had been held by Tareah’s father, Sardun the Sentinel. At Vailret’s urging, Sardun had used the Water Stone to create the Barrier River; now, after Sardun’s death, Tareah took the Water Stone herself. She held it next to her new Fire Stone, blue fire in one hand, red fire in the other.
    Delrael smiled. “Scartaris is still there, and the Outsider David still wants to destroy us—but we can fight back now. This is our Game, too!”
    Vailret rubbed a finger along his lower lip. “We’ve got to be careful about this, though.”
    Delrael grimaced—he hated to hear his cousin say that.
    “Scartaris must know we’re trying to stop him. It’s rather hard to hide something like the Barrier River, you know. And when we confronted the Outsiders in that deserted Slac fortress, we learned all about each other’s intentions.”
    Bryl and Tareah muttered, and Delrael fidgeted in impatience. But Vailret looked at them. “We should assume that the Outsider David is already sending something to kill us, a monster or two. If he wants to end the Game so much, he won’t take any chances. He’ll come to get us directly—and the longer we sit here, the easier a target we make.”
    “Not unless he thinks it might liven up the Game,” Delrael said. “Remember what we’re here for. Rule #1—always have fun.”
    Vailret snorted. Bryl squirmed, nervous and trying to avoid the issue. Tareah put hands on her hips in an awkward, unsure gesture. “Well, what are we going to do?” she said.
    “First and most important, we have to make sure the Outsiders don’t learn about the Earthspirits and their involvement,” Delrael said immediately. “That could be our loaded dice.” He touched his silver belt, but he felt nothing unusual. “I have to carry them to Scartaris—but we need to make it look like we’re just going on a quest to find out more about our enemy.”
    “ We? ” Bryl said. “Who all is going on this quest? We just got back from one!”
    Delrael frowned at him. “We’re supposed to enjoy going on quests, Bryl. That’s what we were all created for. It’s just a game.”
    “This just might take the Outsiders by surprise.” Vailret smiled. “That’ll teach them to leave loopholes in the Rules!”
    “So are the four of us going on this quest?” Tareah