Read Sunlord for Free Online

the race but the last time one had been seen was many
years ago. At the time the strange Currach had tried to teach the
tribe something he called the Religion. Capac remembered the
Currach had disappeared soon after in the forest, never to be seen
again.
    And now the Currach were back. Could it have
something to do with the Sunlords?
    Capac made his way to the Elder's hut and made
presence known. As a chief hunter he granted a high standing and
respect.
    "I, Capac Fletfod, have returned."
    All eyes turned towards him and the babble of voices
stopped. The voice of the Elder emerged from the confines of the
wicker hut constructed of bamboo-like reeds.
    "Capac, at last, come forward. I have need of your
council. All others leave now, go to your shelters, your monkey
chatter is a disgrace to the Eloprin race."
    The crowd slowly dissolved; the villagers moving
reluctantly but fast enough to avoid incurring the Elder's wraith.
They knew he needed space to think and if he wasn't given it some
heads would roll.
    Capac unslung his knife and the rifle and lay them on
the ground at the entrance to the hut, showing respect by not
carrying weapons into Elder's abode. He bowed his head, pulled
aside the leather door flap and ducked through. His Eloprin eyes
needed very little time to adjust to the dim light as he stood for
a moment surveying the room. A cooking fire in the centre of the
hut illuminated the interior with a flickering yellow light, the
air hot and stuffy. A wall of pots and baskets were stacked up
against the walls and various sacred emblems were piled
unceremoniously nearby. A movement caught his eye, and Capac
focused to see Elder sitting upon a weaved cane chair attending to
a prostrate form that lay in the sleeping furs.
    Capac raised a palm in greeting. The Elder returned
the gesture.
    "I have been expecting you. As you can see, we have a
visitor."
    Capac hunkered down and peered into the furs.
Contained within the folds was a very unusual creature. Its robes
were brightly coloured yellow and blue like those of a parrot, the
layer of mud on them doing little to cloak their gaudiness. It was
flabby and fleshy, a feverish sweat beading on its forehead.
    "Will it live?" he asked.
    The Elder rocked back on his heels. "Nobilor's
hunting party came back with him a few hours ago, and he was in a
bad state. Nobilor says he found the creature unconscious by a
water pool, and decided to bring him back. He was shivering
incredibly."
    "Swamp fever," put in Capac.
    The Elder nodded. "I wrapped his wounds and gave him
some O'lorl root and broth, but without the medicine man I don't
know what else will be of help."
    "How is Forneak developing? He was the medicine man's
apprentice, perhaps he could offer some advice."
    "I've seen him already. He had not finished his
training when the medicine man was killed. The boy was no help.
Here, he is stirring."
    The Currach mumbled in his feverish sleep, his hands
waving weakly to ward off unseen foes. As he rolled over Capac saw
one shoulder wrapped tightly in blood soaked hides.
    "Is that shoulder wound bad?" he gestured.
    "No, it is superficial. The fever is his worry; I've
seen members of their race fall to it. Pass me that pot, maybe I
can get him to take a little more broth."
    Capac grasped the wooden pot in question that hung
over the fire and passed to the Elder. The Elder forced a little of
the liquid between the lips of the Currach. Half a minute later he
put the ladle down and let the creature rest.
    "The only thing we can do now is to keep him warm and
wait."
    "What do you think it wants? Currach almost never
venture into the forest, and never alone. It must have been out
there for weeks."
    The Elder was silent in thought. "He is a mystery all
right. We shall see what he wants when he awakens, I suppose."
    Capac grunted. "Yes. That's if our village is still
standing."
    "You found some Sunlords?"
    Capac nodded. "Huso and I took them out and stole
their weapons, although I fear we may