Otheris and the Serpents of Qhudrus Read Online Free PDF Page A

up.
    “Here! Take
this, you may find it more useful than that cucumber you carried!”
as she handed her sword to him.
    “Hmm!” he
exclaimed, “light and sharp! Where did you get this baby from?”
    “Forged in the
mountains of Ghunakog by the legendary Jheet of Sunthai himself,”
she replied.
    “Jheet of
Sunthai? The great blacksmith from the east who got killed by his
apprentice with a wooden sword?” he laughed, “I heard the
story!”
    “Did you? Well,
probably contrary to what you must have heard; after killing his
arch enemy Zugthak, the leader of his rivalled tribe, whom Jheet
believed ordered the killing of his entire clan. Jheet fled up the
mountains of Ghunakog. The rivalled clan known as the Oaturans made
several attempts to kill Jheet but failed. Well, actually his skin
was impenetrable to metal…that was wield by any man. He one day
welcomed a young orphaned girl into his house up the mountains, and
after some years she discovered his secret. Well, actually he
spilled the beans after he got drunk one night.”
    “Wait, are you
saying…” Otheris interrupted.
    “Why don’t you
let me finish? Well, he let his guard down and told her his deepest
kept secret of secrets. So, she killed him in his sleep…with a
wooden sword!” Thakina sighed, “The girl Jheet welcomed into his
home was actually Zugthak’s daughter!”
    “Hmm! Sounds
like good bedtime story for children!”
    “Whatever, but
if you deny this occurrence then the story of you killing the great
witch of Moughdug is but a fairy tale as well. I am hungry!” she
responded.
    “Ha! You wish!”
exclaimed Otheris, “I’ve got something in my small bag, my aunt
prepared some…”
    “Go get it
already!”
    “Okay! Okay!”
Otheris put the new sword into his sheath, left Thakina and moved
to his horse as Karim walked towards her.
    “You should
call your men back, this place is not a place to wander!” said
Thakina.
    “They’ll be
fine Princess Thakina!” Karim answered.
    “How many times
do we have to go through this Karim?” she said in a soft voice.
    “Forgive me
Princess Thakina! It is my duty to protect you!” he replied, “This
is how I am able to put the food on the table.”
    “Doesn’t
serving me also mean you should have respect for my words?” she
asked.
    “Yes it does
Princess Thakina! But my services to you require I constantly
remind my heart and my sword whom I live to protect and serve!” he
answered, “Is the young man an eyesore?”
    “No! He’s just
too stubborn, just like my father. Once I am away from my father’s
sight it’d please my heart if you’d all stop calling me princess!”
she said, “I know what the hearts of your men emit, this mission is
a failure without Otheris so you must protect him as much as you so
passionately-desire to shield me from harm.” she said.
    “Your wish is
my command princess Thakina!” answered Karim as he bowed.
    “Where we’re
headed is no place for men who put their trust in swords Karim!
Your men may need a special kind of knowledge if they intend to
face and defeat this particular enemy!”
    Karim smiled,
“We have faced men who terrorised great kings, encountered and have
killed lions so fierce the jungle…”
    “These are not
lions, they are no ordinary animal Karim! Your swords cannot save
you from their deception! They do not devour the flesh of men, they
raven destinies!” she said, “my father just wants you to protect us
along the way, when we reach the gates of Qhudrus you must stay
back and let us go in alone and if we return then you escort us
back to Moughdug!”
    “My instruction
is to protect you with my life and I cannot perform my duty with
you out of sight princess Thakina. The king did not utter such
thing to me. He said I should protect you with my life and bring
you back home without a scratch!” he replied.
    “Do not rub my
face with songs from the lips of my father!” she shouted, “if you
follow what my father told you