Into Oblivion (Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

him.
    “Erenoth,” he said. “You were an assassin once, correct?”
    Erenoth nodded.
    “Is that a common method of assassination?”
    Erenoth shook his head. “No,” he replied. “Assassination of kings is typically done with poison. Only very skilled assassins can infiltrate a castle and execute a king personally. I, myself, have done it, but very few others have. Why do you ask?”
    “I’m not sure,” Eamon said. “But how many others do you know of who could do this?”
    “I know Adolus, and his predecessors. His security would have prevented any attempts at entering the castle by normal means. His assassin would have had to be someone he knew and trusted, or someone skilled enough to actually climb the walls. Thyre’s towers are tall, and very far apart. Any assassin of Adolus would have had to have wings, or be in possession of magical tools.”
    Eamon nodded in agreement, still unsure as to what he was feeling. He looked back to the list, and the dates that were inscribed beside them.
    “What do these dates signify?” Eamon asked.
    “They are the dates of each country’s liberation.”
    “They are all very close together,” Eamon said. “The first three dates are within a week of each other. The rest are fairly random, within the last year. Why are the first three so close together?”
    “I do not know, my Lord,” Erenoth said. “But they all seem to involve assassinations by an unknown person or group.”
    “None of the known guilds have claimed credit?”
    “Not to anyone’s knowledge,” Erenoth said.
    Eamon rolled up the scroll, putting it under his arm. “Thank you, my friend,” he said to Erenoth. “This is valuable information, and very encouraging. The world is nearly prepared for the final battle. Tell me, has there been any word of Jadhav and his crew?”
    “None yet,” Erenoth said, sadly. “His fleet is concerned as well. They believe he may have lost his life when the Devourer appeared. The opening of the gate coincided with his interception of a Jindala vessel along the Southern Shore. They still seek him.”
    “Assist them in any way you can,” Eamon said.
    Erenoth bowed, returning to his dragon form. Without a word, he leaped upward and disappeared into the night.
    The King stared out over the falls in wonder. From what he had just learned, some unknown assassin was eliminating key figures on the mainland that stood in the way of liberation. If the various brotherhoods of assassins around the world were unaware, or uninvolved, in the deaths, than it was likely that it was a single assassin working on his own. On the other hand, perhaps a new brotherhood had arisen; one that stood in defiance of The Lifegiver.
    Either way, the prospect of a new ally was uplifting and would give the people of the world encouragement and hope.
    “Whoever you are,” Eamon said quietly. “May the Great Mother guide your hand.”

Chapter Three
     
    The dimensional shift was barely noticeable to Farouk. He was on Earth one second, and somewhere else the next. The only indications that anything had changed was the brief flash of light, and the new landscape that was spread out before him.
    He was in a forest, as before, but a very different forest. A very dead forest. Even in the dim light of the moon, the Druid could see that he was in a lifeless land. The trees that surrounded him were bare, ghostly skeletons; white beacons of death that jutted upward from the dry, dusty soil. Not even the remains of dead underbrush were present.
    He breathed deeply, noticing that the air seemed thin, lacking oxygen and moisture. There was no wind, no sound; no life at all. Even the sky was barren and cloudless.
    Farouk stepped forward, expecting the feel of harsh, crumbling ground under his feet. Instead, the soil was soft, and sifted away from his boots as he walked. The lack of even dead roots prevented the soil from clumping together and staying solid. It was now no more than dust. It would be