The Reign Of Istar Read Online Free PDF

happened to the knight,
     perhaps had had a hand in it.
    The fight ... outside the inn ... No, Arryl couldn't believe something so monstrous, not
     even of Brother Gurim. The knight wondered about his belongings....
    MY ARMOR! Arryl was horrified that he could have gone so long without thinking of the
     armor passed down from his grandfather. “Master Arack!” he called.
    The dwarf glanced over his shoulder. “What do you want, Sir Knight?” he asked with a sneer.
    “My armor! What has become of it?” “The guard'll return it to ya, if it's decided ya should wear it in the arena! Now keep yer place!” The city guard DID have his belongings, then.
     Arryl was most concerned with the armor. Those who had seen him ride into Istar in full armor
     might have thought him an elegant, rich knight, but the truth was that, while the House of
     Tremaine was not poor, like so many of its cousins, it had learned to be frugal. He had
     been fortunate in that his grandfather's suit had fit him with very little alteration and
     had also borne the symbol of the order to which the young Tremaine had always aspired to
     join. Among many Houses of Solamnia, armor, when still serviceable, was a treasure to be
     handed down until the day when someone else might be able to don it.
    Of course, if such a suit did not fit, then a new one had to be put together. Some knights
     preferred new armor. Arryl considered it an honor to wear the armor of a noble ancestor.
    There was nothing he could do about his armor, save hope that someone in the city guard
     did not take a fancy to it.
    Raag's leering visage loomed before him. The ogre's rancid breath struck Arryl like one
     slap after another. “Knight!” Raag grinned, revealing sharp, yellowed teeth. “You come.”
    “Take these two as well,” Arack called, jabbing a thumb at the half-elf and the
     confused-looking boy, dressed in the sort of loose, colorful clothing worn by peasants in
     the villages far to the southwest of Istar. Arryl recalled hearing that those places were
     very relaxed in their worship of the gods. They were even said to worship the gods of
     neutrality, despite the Kingpriest's efforts to alter their thinking. Arryl wondered what
     sort of crime brought a mere boy, who couldn't be more than fourteen, to the arena and how
     the gawking boy was expected to take part in the Games.
    The Games at this time consisted of both live combat and tournament battle, with more of
     the former than the latter. The difference between the two was that “live” combat usually
     meant “live” death as well. Tournament battles were fought between gladiators of
     exceptional skill, who were too valuable to let themselves get killed, and generally ended
     when one of the men was disarmed. None of the prisoners were to be a part of those
     tournaments. The Games Arryl and his fellows had been chosen to play would be very, very real.
    Raag led them into the arena and out onto the field. The sound of two weapons ringing
     against one another was almost deafening. A group of fighters - obviously veteran
     gladiators - stood in a circle, cheering on two combatants. The battle sounds stirred
     something inside Arryl. He craned his head to see. It was evident from the frequency of
     the strikes that here were two opponents who not only fought with speed, but with skill.
    Despite the noise, someone noticed Raag's approach. It paid to notice the ogre before one
     became a temporary obstacle in his path. The gladiators gave way for the oncoming ogre.
     Arryl made a quick study of the men. Hardened fighters all, but lacking in the grace and
     elegance of a knight. If not for the arena, many of them would have ended up mercenaries
     or highwaymen. More than a few had probably worked as one or both during the course of
     their lives.
    Raag, gruff as ever, turned to Arryl and pointed at the duelist to the left.
    “Nelk. Arack say, you fight with Nelk.” Arryl