Rage of a Demon King Read Online Free PDF Page A

of family and vows of faithfulness. “ ‘Friendly competitors’ would be a more accurate description. He has a stranglehold on trade to Kesh and seems reluctant to relinquish even a small part of it.”
    Calis came up to them and said, “Roo, will you excuse us a moment?”
    Rupert nodded, said, “Of course, Captain,” and walked over to the table to take advantage of the fare.
    Calis waited until they were out of earshot before he asked, “Erik, has Marshal William had a chance to talk to you today?”
    Erik shook his head. “No, Captain. I was busy getting back into the rhythm of things with Jadow . . . now that Bobby’s no longer here. . . .” He shrugged.
    “I understand.” Calis turned and motioned for the Knight-Marshal, who joined them. Calis looked at Erik. “You’ve got a choice.”
    William, a short, slender man whom Erik knew to be one of the best riders and swordsmen in the Kingdom despite his advancing age, said, “Calis and I have talked about you, youngster. With things . . . as they are, we have more opportunities than we have men with talent.”
    Erik knew what William had meant by “things as they are,” for he knew that a terrible army was massing across the sea and would be invading in less than two years’ time. “Choice?”
    “I’d like to offer you a staff position,” said William. “You’d hold the rank of Knight-Lieutenant in the Prince’s army, and I’d put you in charge of theKrondorian Heavy Lance. Your skill with horses—well, I can’t think of a better man for the job.”
    Erik glanced at Calis. “Sir?”
    “I’d like you to stay with the Crimson Eagles,” said Calis in a flat tone.
    “Then I’ll stay,” said Erik without hesitation. “I made a promise.”
    William smiled ruefully. “I thought as much, but I had to ask.”
    “Thank you for asking, m’lord,” said Erik. “I’m flattered.”
    William grinned at Calis. “You must use magic. He’s halfway to being the best tactician I’ve ever met—and if he keeps studying he will be the best—and you want to waste him as a bully sergeant.”
    Calis smiled slightly, an expression of wry amusement Erik had come to know well. The half-elven Captain said, “We have more need of bully sergeants to train soldiers right now than we do tacticians, Willy. Besides, my bully sergeants are not the same as yours.”
    William shrugged. “You’re right, of course, but when they come, each of us is going to want the best we can find at our side.”
    “I can’t argue that.”
    William left and Calis said, “Erik, thank you.”
    Erik repeated, “I made a promise.”
    “To Bobby?” asked Calis.
    Erik nodded.
    Calis’s expression darkened. “Well, knowing Bobby, I’d best tell you now, I need a sergeant major, not a nursemaid. You kept me alive once, Erik von Darkmoor, so consider your promise to Bobby de Loungville discharged in full. If it comes to a choicebetween my life and the survival of the Kingdom, I want you to make the right choice.”
    It took Erik a moment to comprehend what had just been said. “Sergeant Major?”
    “You’re taking Bobby’s place,” said Calis.
    “Jadow has been with you longer—” Erik began.
    “But you have the knack,” interrupted Calis. “Jadow doesn’t. He’ll do fine as a sergeant—you saw how the new men are shaping up—but promoting him any higher would put him in a situation where he would be a liability instead of an asset.” He studied Erik’ s face a moment. “William wasn’t overstating the case about your abilities as a tactician. We’ll need to work on your comprehension of strategy as well. You know what’s coming and you know that once the struggle begins, you may find yourself out there with hundreds of men looking to you to keep them alive. An ancient Isalani general called it the ‘fog of battle,’ and men who can keep other men alive while chaos erupts around them are rare.”
    Erik could only nod. He and the others around him