The Reluctant Mage: Book One in the Zandar Series Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: R. E. Donnellan
was that it Kuhn was not a person used to a peaceful existence .”
Chapter VI: Discovery
“Wake up!”
Marko rolled over to see his uncle’s smiling face. “No point in sleeping your life away. Besides you get to work the east corridor by yourself today.”
One of the things Marko could count on was a positive attitude from his uncle. But why does it have to be all the time?
For the past week, his job was to haul the debris from a new hallway the started. His uncle promised that he would take the lead in excavating today. He was looking forward to a change. If nothing else it was easier work than pulling carts of debris up to the surface.
After a quick breakfast of bread and berries, Marko grabbed his pick and shovel and headed down to the lower level. They had cleared out the western corridor a few weeks ago. There was not much to find. The corridor was perfectly straight with only a few rooms off of it.
The eastern corridor was more interesting. It somehow seemed older and was not as precise. Marko could see the chisel marks in the walls from the former occupants. The corridor itself was not straight. It curved to the left and then the right, with no apparent purpose. His uncle had cleared out about thirty feet so far. Fortunately, there was relatively little blocking Marko’s way. The stone rubble was about up to his waist.
Marko started moving the smaller rocks. No sense in tiring himself out early in the day. He often hummed to himself to pass time. He guessed it was a habit he picked up from his mother. He stopped when he realized that he was humming a song he never heard before. What was even more strange is that he swore he could hear the song in his head after he stopped.
I am finally going crazy in this place, he thought to himself.
As he moved more rocks out of the way, the song seemed to get louder. Wait, that was not true. The song was just as loud. It was getting clearer. Marko could not understand the words. It was like someone talking to him in a language he used to know but was now out of practice. What he did know is that the singer was a woman and exceptionally talented.
Marko moved the rocks with renewed interest. Something was there; he just had to find it. After about ten minutes and some small cuts later, the song just stopped. He brought his lantern just over the ledge of rocks and gasped.
A skeletal hand was lying on the ground holding a silver chain. He carefully climbed over the pile to get a better look. The chain actually held a small emblem with a green stone. The emblem looked like two birds facing back to back. Although the stone was not large, he realized that it reflected the light from his lantern beautifully. Marko finally blinked. How long was he starring at the gem?
The hand was upturned and opened. Very carefully, Marko took a part of the chain on the ground and picked it up. As soon as the emblem left the hand, there was a small popping sound. He looked down and the hand was gone. In its place was a pile of white ash.
This is getting stranger and stranger , he thought to himself. I better get out of here .
Marko found Uncle Kris walking in from the entrance to the cave. “A little early for lunch?” his uncle said with a smile.
“Uncle, you are not going to believe this! Look what I found!”
His uncle smile faded as his eyes shifted to the necklace Marko was holding out in his right hand.
“Where did you find that?”
“It was in a pile of rubble. Well, there was actually a hand holding it. A skeleton hand. It just kind of dissolved when I picked up the necklace….Do you know what it is?”
“Let me see it.” Marko’s uncle very carefully reached for the necklace by the chain. He held up his hands so that the pendant was at eye level. He spent several minutes looking at both the front and back.
“It is very beautiful. The gem is not from here, I can confirm that. I
Chapter VI: Discovery
“Wake up!”
Marko rolled over to see his uncle’s smiling face. “No point in sleeping your life away. Besides you get to work the east corridor by yourself today.”
One of the things Marko could count on was a positive attitude from his uncle. But why does it have to be all the time?
For the past week, his job was to haul the debris from a new hallway the started. His uncle promised that he would take the lead in excavating today. He was looking forward to a change. If nothing else it was easier work than pulling carts of debris up to the surface.
After a quick breakfast of bread and berries, Marko grabbed his pick and shovel and headed down to the lower level. They had cleared out the western corridor a few weeks ago. There was not much to find. The corridor was perfectly straight with only a few rooms off of it.
The eastern corridor was more interesting. It somehow seemed older and was not as precise. Marko could see the chisel marks in the walls from the former occupants. The corridor itself was not straight. It curved to the left and then the right, with no apparent purpose. His uncle had cleared out about thirty feet so far. Fortunately, there was relatively little blocking Marko’s way. The stone rubble was about up to his waist.
Marko started moving the smaller rocks. No sense in tiring himself out early in the day. He often hummed to himself to pass time. He guessed it was a habit he picked up from his mother. He stopped when he realized that he was humming a song he never heard before. What was even more strange is that he swore he could hear the song in his head after he stopped.
I am finally going crazy in this place, he thought to himself.
As he moved more rocks out of the way, the song seemed to get louder. Wait, that was not true. The song was just as loud. It was getting clearer. Marko could not understand the words. It was like someone talking to him in a language he used to know but was now out of practice. What he did know is that the singer was a woman and exceptionally talented.
Marko moved the rocks with renewed interest. Something was there; he just had to find it. After about ten minutes and some small cuts later, the song just stopped. He brought his lantern just over the ledge of rocks and gasped.
A skeletal hand was lying on the ground holding a silver chain. He carefully climbed over the pile to get a better look. The chain actually held a small emblem with a green stone. The emblem looked like two birds facing back to back. Although the stone was not large, he realized that it reflected the light from his lantern beautifully. Marko finally blinked. How long was he starring at the gem?
The hand was upturned and opened. Very carefully, Marko took a part of the chain on the ground and picked it up. As soon as the emblem left the hand, there was a small popping sound. He looked down and the hand was gone. In its place was a pile of white ash.
This is getting stranger and stranger , he thought to himself. I better get out of here .
Marko found Uncle Kris walking in from the entrance to the cave. “A little early for lunch?” his uncle said with a smile.
“Uncle, you are not going to believe this! Look what I found!”
His uncle smile faded as his eyes shifted to the necklace Marko was holding out in his right hand.
“Where did you find that?”
“It was in a pile of rubble. Well, there was actually a hand holding it. A skeleton hand. It just kind of dissolved when I picked up the necklace….Do you know what it is?”
“Let me see it.” Marko’s uncle very carefully reached for the necklace by the chain. He held up his hands so that the pendant was at eye level. He spent several minutes looking at both the front and back.
“It is very beautiful. The gem is not from here, I can confirm that. I
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