Rise of the Red Harbinger Read Online Free PDF

brother nearing the camp.
    “Where were you?”
    “I couldn’t sleep; I’ve been walking around for the past few hours. Just trying to clear my head.” Bo’az’s eyes were red and bloodshot, his face pallid from tears.
    “You should have come; it was important to be there.”
    “For what? To watch him die? You really think he would’ve wanted us to see that?” Bo’az dropped down next to the fire, rubbing his hands together. He had looked as tired as Baltaszar felt. Baltaszar guessed that he must not have gotten any sleep at all.
    “He was our father. It would have made it easier for him.”
    “And what about for us? He was going to die no matter what. We couldn’t change that, and if we’d tried to, we would have died along with him. Going there would only have put our lives more at risk! We only have each other now, Tasz. We have to do whatever it takes to stay alive. And we have to be safe while doing it.”
    “Whatever it takes? Be safe? What does that mean? That you’re just going to stay in the forest for the rest of your life?” Anger grew within him again.
    “I don’t know, maybe for a while. It’s not safe for us in Haedon and we can’t trust anyone. We should stay here for at least a couple months before heading back into the town. Maybe then we can sneak back to the farm and hide out there for a little while.”
    Coward. You’re driven by fear and nothing else. “Go back there? What, by the light of Orijin, would we do that for? No matter how long we wait, we’ll never be welcome. Anyone who sees us will either kill us or find someone else who’ll kill us. And the farm? The farm will be destroyed by tomorrow, if it hasn’t been already.” Baltaszar stood and walked to look Bo’az directly in the eyes. “We can’t go back and we can’t stay here. We have to leave the mountains and forest and go somewhere else. Somewhere new. Our lives are going to be completely different now; we can’t expect to be able to do the same things as before.”
    “You’re saying to leave everything we know? Everything we’ve known our whole lives? For what? You’re even going to leave her behind? You’re an ass to do that, this isn’t her fault.”
    “She hasn’t wanted to speak to me or see me since all this started. I’m not leaving her behind because she’s made it clear that she’s not mine to leave. We have to start over now, whether you like it or not.” Baltaszar hung his head, unsure of whom he was trying to convince. “I’m going to rest today, make up for all the sleep I’ve lost in the past few weeks. Tomorrow we’re gone; staying here is not an option. Like you said, we need to stick together and look out for each other.”
    “I…I can’t. Tasz, we’ve never been outside of Haedon. We don’t know what the world is like. What if the stories are true and there’s nothing but forest out there? Maybe there’s a reason that father never took us anywhere else. Maybe it’s too dangerous out there for two seventeen year olds who don’t know anything but farming.”
    “Bo, if we go back into Haedon we’ll be killed. But if we go in the other direction, there’s a chance things could be better. I’d rather go where at least we have a chance of surviving.” Baltaszar returned to the tree and sat down, then took a deep breath. “Look, I spoke to someone when I went back for father’s body. There’s a town southeast, not far out of the forest. That’s where I’m going once I wake up.”
    “Spoke to someone? A town? What are you talking about? There’s nothing out there, Tasz. At least not for us.”
    “I’m going to sleep now. You should too. When I wake up later, I’ll wake you and we’ll pack. It’ll be better to leave at night, less chance we’ll be seen.”
    Bo’az continued to plead, “Why do you need to get away so bad? What’s so wrong with waiting a little while? And if you swear that everyone in Haedon hates us, why would you trust someone with advice