Shadow Seed Read Online Free PDF Page A

attention to the surroundings as his
team gathered around him.
    Thomas picked up a pebble and tossed it into
the water. “With all due respect, I don't believe it was necessary
for you to resign your post. I could have led this assignment.”
    Keeping his eyes on the thicket ahead, Arthur
whispered. “I don't doubt your ability. Maybe one day you'll be a
Preceptor and understand.”
    “Boring would be the word,” Thomas said,
speaking as he would anywhere else. “I can't believe the Marshal
allowed it, not with the fine job you did on Sara.”
    Arthur looked hard at Thomas for a moment
before concentrating back on the forest. “You know, you talk an
awful lot, and loudly, too. As far as Sara is concerned, she can
take better care of herself more than most men I know.”
    Richard sniffed the air. “Is it me, or does
it smell kind of odd?”
    Jacob inhaled deeply and almost choked. “What
is that, brimstone?”
    “Pelasgians,” Arthur said, staring in the
direction the smell was coming from.
    “Wow,” William said, with a hint of sarcasm.
“How many are there?”
    Arthur wasn’t amused. “Shut up, nitwit.
Vesuvians said it could be a sign. Tread carefully now.”
    Moving as quiet as possible, they soon
discovered a small Pelasgian camp. Three Corinthians, two Centaurs,
a Minotaur and a Satyr were either cooking or sharpening their
blades.
    Arthur looked back at William. “We're
outnumbered, so somebody is going to show off. Let's see if you're
as fast as your wits. Nail one, then turn back the way we
came.”
    As William equipped his bow, the rest of the
squad fell back, staggering themselves as they hid in trees and
bushes.
    After waiting a short time, William took aim
and fired. The arrow struck a Centaur dead in the chest, and
alerted the camp.
    William stood, giving his position away. “I'm
so good it's pitiful!” he shouted, before taking off like a
frightened gazelle.
    The Pelasgians roared after William.
    Running through the bush, a Corinthian at the
rear didn't know what hit him when Jacob slit his throat from
behind with a dagger.
    Richard waited for the last moment to spring
a simple trip wire made of vine, and the timing couldn't have been
better as the last two Corinthians fell flat on their stomachs. He
jumped out and used his equinox to impale the one with no armor in
the back. The other Corinthian tackled him and both wrestled on the
ground for a brief moment, until Richard managed to free one hand
and use a talon to stab his foe through the eye.
    Thomas watched from a tree as William dashed
by, with the Minotaur in hot pursuit followed by the Satyr. When
the Centaur came by, he jumped down landing on the back and snapped
the Pelasgian's neck with his hands.
    When Arthur spotted William, he grew
concerned seeing the Minotaur and the Satyr.
    As Arthur jumped out from around a tree
swinging his equinox, the Satyr was nimble enough to avoid it with
only a cut to the arm.
    Grunting in anger, the Satyr lunged with his
spear.
    Arthur was barely able to dodge the attack as
he spun and thrust his equinox into the creature's chest.
    William glanced back and found the Minotaur
too close for comfort. There was no way he could fire off another
shot. He grabbed his halo and spun around, swinging the weapon in a
downward arc, but the Minotaur caught his wrist and easily tossed
him aside.
    Landing with a thud, William scrambled
backwards on his hands and feet as the Minotaur closed in for the
kill.
    “No!” Arthur cried, as he leapt through the
air and slammed both of his talons into the back of the Minotaur's
neck, impaling it several times until the creature fell over
dead.
    The rest of the men quickly caught up as
William got back to his feet.
    “Are you okay?” Thomas asked. “I thought I
heard you scream.”
    Arthur was a little winded, and his chest was
covered in blood. “Yeah, I thought the boy here was about to steal
my kill.”
    William laughed, grateful for the rescue.
Though at the same time,