Read Adventurers Wanted, Book 4: Sands of Nezza for Free Online

soldiers when I first arrived here—and don’t worry, they don’t remember talking to me,” Alex added quickly after seeing the concern on Savage’s face. “They seemed to think that Lazar might have magic of his own.”
    “Lazar—magic?” Savage laughed. “I’d bet my boots have more magic in them than Lazar has. He’s nothing but a greedy bully.” Savage paused. “But there is the old man . . .”
    “What old man?”
    “Magnus,” said Savage. “Not sure what name you wizardly types would give him—enchanter, magician, dark wizard, whatever. I’ve never seen him do anything really impressive, but he’s got his own magic, I’m sure of that.”
    “More than you might guess,” said Alex.
    “How’s that?” Savage questioned.
    “Unless there are other magical people in this land, I suspect Magnus has worked some fairly impressive magic at the great arch.”
    “Not many magical people in Nezza at all,” said Savage. “Magic is feared by almost everyone in this land, and all the old stories say that wizards are evil. I’d have to agree that Magnus is the source of any magic you’ve run into. What has he done?”
    “There’s an invisible barrier in front of the great arch,” said Alex. “It forces anyone entering this land to follow the main road, where the soldiers of Lord Bray are waiting.”
    “If this magic helps Bray, then it helps Lazar as well,” said Savage. “How did you manage to get around the barrier?”
    “I didn’t,” said Alex. “I did, however, use my own magic so that the soldiers couldn’t see me. It was after I’d slipped away from the main road that I managed to talk to a few of Bray’s soldiers and get what little information I could.”
    “Little enough, I’m sure,” said Savage. “Soldiers may know something of their lord and his business, and maybe something of what’s going on in the land as well, but mostly they think about where their next meal is coming from and if they’ll be sleeping in the rain or not.”
    “The soldiers did mention a prince named Rallian,” said Alex, fishing for more information.
    “A common enough subject these days,” said Savage. “He is, or rather he should have been, the lord of Karmus. He was just coming of age, and all at once he goes missing. No doubt his dear uncle Lazar has something to do with his sudden disappearance.”
    “Do you think the prince is dead?” Alex asked. “The soldiers I spoke to said they had been told he was on a quest.”
    “Hard to say,” Savage answered in a slow, thoughtful tone. “I think Lazar would be happy to get rid of any threat to his power, but . . .”
    “But?”
    “Rallian is from the line of the true king,” said Savage. “Killing people doesn’t bother Lazar, but killing a real prince is different. There are stories about what happens when royal blood is spilled. I’m sure Lazar would think twice before taking any chances.”
    “I suppose he would,” said Alex. “I only asked because I was curious. The soldier I spoke with seemed sad that Rallian was gone, and that seemed odd to me.”
    “Not so odd,” Savage replied. “The people of Nezza have been looking for a true king for a long time. They don’t talk about it much, but everyone seems to remember the good old days when there was one king in Nezza. Rallian was believed to be the best chance for the land to have one true king again, and now that he’s gone missing . . .”
    “The hopes of the people begin to fade,” Alex finished for him.
    “Yes,” said Savage. “I suspect the hope will return when another prince is found, but who knows when that will be?”
    “That might be a long time,” said Alex. “I understand that seven young lords have also vanished.”
    “Not exactly,” said Savage. “They haven’t been seen for some time, but nobody is really looking for them. If you ask me, the lords of the inner kingdoms know where their kinsmen are, and they don’t want to talk about