The Cor Chronicles: Volume 02 - Fire and Steel Read Online Free PDF

cough lightly now and again. Queen Erella knew that as autumn turned to winter and the cold deepened, Palius would continue to worsen. As she approached his bedside, she could see a slight black ring, a dark halo, wrapping his chest, and she knew there was nothing she could do for him. It was simply that his time approached, and she wondered if her path would always be so clear without his sharp mind at her disposal. She lightly sat on the bed next to him, and his eyes fluttered open.
    “My queen, what brings you here in the middle of the night? You give your subjects cause to gossip about us,” he said to her, sliding backward to sit up against the headboard.
    “My subjects,” Erella responded with a soft laugh, “know that my heart is Garod’s alone.”
    “It is true, but why did you not send for me? I would have come to you, as always.”
    Queen Erella looked away at the fire briefly before turning her gaze back to Palius. She was careful to keep her eyes on his face, and not the cloud she could see growing around his chest.
    “I needed the exercise, such as it was,” she answered him.
    “My queen is a true daughter of Garod, and as such, she is a terrible liar. What is amiss, Majesty?”
    She closed her eyes with a soft sigh, willing the memory of the dream back into the forefront of her mind. She related it completely, with every minute detail from start to finish. Palius listened impassively, and when she finished, he closed his eyes and tipped his head slightly to one side, pinching the bridge of his nose with his left hand. She waited patiently for a few moments before he opened his eyes and asked one simple question.
    “What does it mean?”
    “It means,” said Queen Erella of Aquis slowly, “that Dahken Cor has found what he was looking for in the Loszian Empire, and now he needs our help lest he be destroyed.”

2.
     
    Thom had been the commander of Aquis’ garrison force at Fort Haldon for nearly five months. He performed this duty half of every year, being one of Aquis most experienced garrison commanders. In late spring, he would leave his wife and children to keep his home safe from Loszian invaders, not that any had ever invaded since he began the duty twelve years ago, but he trusted few to do the job should the Loszians decide to. He grew tired, as his time for this year was nearly up, and he knew it would be any day that a message was brought to him detailing the departure of he and his men.
    When one of his soldiers woke him before dawn with a message brought by a rider, it was not what he expected. As ordered by the Queen Herself, he was to send a quick moving force through the mountains to the Loszian fort with all haste. They must arrive quickly and unseen. The force will wait until the right moment and then attack the Loszians at range. Unfortunately, the orders did not explain when the “right moment” would be, but only that it would be clear. The message contained one final piece of information; they would likely be saving the life of Dahken Cor, the strange man that passed his gates somewhat recently.
    To any other soldier, this set of orders would seem utterly ridiculous and impossible. Many lesser commanders would have griped, sending a message back to their superiors saying that such a mission could not be accomplished, and in so doing, they would have missed the window for its undertaking. But Thom was not a lesser commander. He was an experienced soldier, scout, ranger and scavenger, and above all else, he was a great patriot. If these orders indeed came from the Queen, he would risk his own life and the lives of everyone under his command in the execution of them.
    Commander Thom jumped to his feet and strode to the large table he kept in his quarters, upon which he unrolled the large and detailed map of the pass connecting Aquis and Losz through the Spine. He was a tall thin man, but strong, his body wiry from the rigors of archery. Approaching middle age, his straight