Stormwielder (The Sword of Light Trilogy Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

edge.
    Eric gazed back at the town. He had dreaded this moment, knew he shouldn’t look, but the pull of his conscience overwhelmed him. He needed to know, had to see what he had wrought.
    Oaksville stretched out beneath him, the dim remnants cast in grey by the light of the moon. In places the flames still burned but the rain had tamed the worst. From the wreckage rose the distant cries of the desperate and dying. A cloud of smoke hung low over the town, an embodiment of the evil that had cursed the place.
    With misty eyes he turned away. This was far worse than he could ever have imagined. Oaksville would never recover. He had been its doom; if evil had come to this place it was Eric who had brought it. He thought of the thousands of lives that had been shattered and swore he would somehow make things right.
    The rope went slack beside him. It was time.
    Eric grasped the rope tight in both hands and leaned back over the side. He closed his eyes, the fear rising up inside him and threatening to overwhelm him. His head throbbed. A dull wind brushed against him.
    He began to make his slow way down. His hands clung to the rope while his feet sought tiny cracks to support his weight. His arms burned already, unused to the strain and still exhausted from the climb up. Every movement seemed to knock another bruise or scrape. Inch by inch, he descended towards the ground.
    A sudden gust of wind knocked his feet from beneath him. He slammed face first into the hard stone, arms struggling to hold him. The metallic taste of blood ran across his tongue. He spat it out and looked down. 
    The rope trailed away beneath him, curling towards the ground far, far below. His vision swam, blurring and fading until it seemed his head must explode. The fear froze in his chest. He could not draw a single breath. The ice in his chest slowly spread to his arms and legs, freezing his entire body with fear.
    The wind came from nowhere, a sudden gale kissed with the deathly chill of the far north. It ripped at his wet clothing, sucking the little warmth remaining from his body. The temperature plummeted. Eric shivered and clung desperately to the rope. His teeth began to chatter.
    He sucked in a breath, using a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. Ice cracked and fell away into the darkness below. Eric stared at the bare stone of the wall, struggling to control himself. As he watched, the rain-soaked surface began to glisten, the freezing wind turning the water to ice.
    “ No ,” Eric whispered, fighting to control his terror.
    He closed his eyes and, struggled to slow his panicked breath, to calm his rampant fear. It was no use. He watched, helpless, as the creeping ice reached his feet first, then the rope. His boots slipped from the wall, leaving only his tenuous hold to keep him aloft.
    The rope grew colder in his hands. He clung tighter, gritting his teeth as the cold burned his skin. His eyes watered, tears freezing on his cheeks. Eric choked on the frozen air and pulled himself closer to the rope, bracing himself on the icy threads. He fought to hold on. He could not give up now, not when he was so close.
    It was impossible. Bit by bit the feeling in his fingers faded away, until, as if by a will of their own, they released his last hold on life. He fell away into the darkness. 
     
    ******************
     
    Gabriel hauled himself to his feet. His sight blurred and began to spin. He placed a hand against a wall to hold himself steady. The stone groaned, the sound an agony to his aching head. At least it would be over soon.
    He stood motionless, eyes closed, ready to embrace his death. His heart called for his family, for the comfort of their loving embrace. The makeshift roof gave another groan. Dust filled the air. A crash came from nearby as the first piece of wall gave way.
    Soon.
    His thoughts returned to the boy and the old man. Damn them! If only he could have reached the boy, he would have been able to rest in peace. But the