Rise of the Citadel (The Search for the Brights Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

to like licking your boots.”
    Alexander bowed
again and turned to leave the tent.
      “Guards, take
Alexander into custody!” the king shouted.
    It was too late.
The Wizard already had released his sash and taken flight into the air. He
watched as Bowie held his black hat on his head. The guards scrambled to find
arrows and shackles but they were too late Alexander was a small spot in the
sky, unrecognisable as a man.
     
     
     
    **********
     
     
     
    Bowie watched as
the wizard circled the camp in the air, he wasn't sure if it was the one who
had given him his wind magic bead. He watched closely as he circled three times
and then started to descend into the massive camp. At least the camp seemed
massive to Bowie; he had grown up in a town with less than a fraction of the
people in his army’s camp. Bowie pushed through the Black Hats that had just
caught up with the head of the camp. His men were the back of the camp,
everyone knew that they were new recruits by the hats they wore, the hats they
had wanted to wear because of his instruction. Black wide brimmed hats curled
up in the front, a green feather in each to display rank amongst the Black
Hats. Bowie’s own had three gold stripes showing his most recent promotion to
sergeant, it fit snugly over his long, red, braided hair.
    When Bowie’s men
finally marched into camp the sun was rising and the front of the army was
beginning to pack up for another day’s march. It had been that way for the last
few days, sleeping during the day and catching up at night. They were the new
recruits, so they got to march in all of the horse manure, mud, and ruts left
by the others.
      Pushing
through the more senior soldiers was harder to do than he had thought. They had
no respect for his rank as he was still new to the army. He figured that most
of the soldiers only saw the black hat and paid no attention to the shield pin
on his shoulder marking him as armor bearer. It should have told everyone he
was dangerous or useful, or at least to respect him. His black hat, he
supposed, spoke louder than the small pin.
    The whole reason
he needed to talk to the wind wizard circling the camp was that he had no idea
how to use his wind magic. He had trained a very small amount with an earth
ring Kilen let him use while traveling, but that was nothing like using the
wind. He kept it in a small pocket he had sewed into his wrist guard where the
tiny magic imbued bead would touch his skin. He needed to talk to the wizard so
he could at least learn to teach himself how to use it.
      He pushed
through the army that now gaped upward at the wizard floating around with wind
catching his large robe. Bowie saw him go out of sight as he lowered himself
into a ring of armored soldiers. A gust of wind from behind and from in front
sent chaos into the army’s ranks. A loud crash of men in armor hitting the
ground was followed by a loud commotion of men trying to regain their comrades
to keep up with the wizard. Bowie followed the commotion as best he could and
when it stopped he found himself near one of the King’s tents. Alexander had
already disappeared inside. He decided he would wait outside for the wizard to
exit.
      Bowie took a
seat on an unoccupied stump near the tent. He saw a large man sharpening a
sword nearby and recognized Chit from his home town of Humbridge. Chit had been
chosen as the King’s Champion, for reasons Bowie could only speculate. His only
thought was that another man from his hometown, his friend Kilen, was being
trained as a weapon bearer. Kilen and Chit did not get along, but then Chit
didn’t get along with anyone from Humbridge. Bowie thought that perhaps the
King wanted to see Kilen’s sword taken from him, and that Chit would be the
perfect opponent to face the much smaller Kilen.
      Chit now
stayed near the King at all times, he was like a dog feeding on his master’s
scraps. He served no purpose other than to punish and intimidate. He now sat
outside