Nature's Peril Part 1 (The Nature Mage Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

is that we are in this together, but we cannot know the spirits’ will for certain until they return. When that happens, we will consult with them and all will become clear.”
    “There’s no time to wait!” Voltan started, but Hephistole raised his hand to quiet him.
    “ Rimulth speaks wisely,” he said. “I won’t lie to you – I have deep reservations about sending young magicians into peril. I would be comforted by the spirits’ wisdom.” Gaspi listened to the chancellor’s words and felt a twinge of uncertainty. Heppy didn’t just seem convinced by Rimulth’s words; he seemed relieved. Gaspi wasn’t used to Hephistole acting with anything other than strength of mind and will, but in that moment he seemed weak, maybe even fearful.
    “ What’s under the cloth?” Baard asked, interrupting Gaspi’s thoughts.
    “That’s what I meant by making sure you are fully equipped,” Voltan said, stepping over to the far corner of the weapons rack and taking hold of the top corner of the cloth. “Ever since the attack on Helioport, we have been busy enchanting weaponry and armour. If this quest is to go ahead, then you will get first choice of the magically enhanced items.” Voltan pulled the cloth loose and let it go. He moved along the length of the rack, loosening the cloth at several spots, and as the last fold fell to the ground, the full gleaming array was revealed.
    “Please, take a look,” Voltan said, “but please, magicians, don’t try to activate any of the enchantments. We don’t need a whole load of spells going off at once!”
    Taurnil stepped out from among the group, approaching the items with something akin to religious devotion. Gaspi couldn’t help feeling curious, and followed his friend to the rack. There was a wide array of weaponry: swords and spears, axes and knives, and several bows - each accompanied by a quiver of arrows. Pieces of armour hung alongside the weaponry – chain mail vests, coifs, sturdy combat boots, and even a few pieces of plate mail.
    Taurnil was busy admiring the weapons, but Gaspi’s attention was caught by something else altogether. At the far end of the rack there was a section of shelving – three tiers of plain wood – and each shelf was covered with smaller items, several of which winked and gleamed at him from across the room. He wove through the group, unable to resist the lure of what had to be enchanted objects, and wasn’t disappointed by what he found. There must have been fifty separate items arrayed on the shelves, the smallest of which was a plain silver ring and the largest of which was a slender coil of slippery rope. There were items of jewellery, silver amulets, bejewelled belts, and even crude stone carvings, all of which would be imbued with hidden powers. Reaching out with his senses, Gaspi tried to identify the specific enchantments, but to no avail. Not that he was surprised! Hiding enchantment was one of the first things Professor Worrick had taught them to do in their first year at the college. Unless you hid the enchantment, magical objects gave off a distinct glow, and the nature of the enchantment could be detected by someone with the right knowledge. If you wanted to keep your enchantments secret, you could add an extra layer to the enchantment which obscured the natural glow along with any tell-tale arcane signatures that might otherwise give away the nature of the spell-work itself. Gaspi looked at the objects hungrily and reached out for the silver ring.
    “Try it on,” Hephistole said, right in his ear. Gaspi hadn’t seen the chancellor approach, and jumped like a startled rabbit! The ring fell out of his hand and bounced off the stone floor with a quiet metallic ping. Gaspi bent down and scooped it up before it had stopped rolling
    “You surprised me,” he said reproachfully.
    “Sorry,” Hephistole responded, smiling faintly. “I see you’ve found our treasure trove.”
    “Yeah,” Gaspi answered, his irritation