Read The Lord Of Lightning (Book 3) for Free Online

Baalenruud was quiet for a moment of grief, then continued. "When the humans came to earth they killed Noveveanas, who also didn't come back."
    "And the last two were you and-?"
    "I don't know what happened to Woceaplean," Baalenruud said with wistfulness. "She just left. He may still live. I look for her sometimes. Not very much anymore. I have traveled so far looking for him. Traveled so far..."
    "If you found... your friend," Ravensdred asked, "Could you procreate? Bring more aesir into the world?"
    "I do not know if aesir can have offspring," Baalenruud turned to look at Ravensdred until the garond felt completely uncomfortable.
    "Some day I must try," the hind said, and then turned back to the trail. "Keep your eyes open for humans. They live in the Snowcloak Mountains."
    There were many humans in this land. The garonds avoided the eastern areas at all costs. The humans who moved through the Snowcloak Mountains were wild and uncivilized, sneaky and unpredictable, and best left to themselves.
    Ravensdred rubbed his great paw across his mouth. He would have to eat soon. He was beginning to feel the weakness that comes with hunger.
    Ravensdred was a garond. The race that lived mainly in the Far Grasslands. His face was ape-like. Most garonds were short and squat, yet muscular and stronger than any human. Ravensdred was unique in that he was taller than most garonds by two heads and slightly taller than most humans. His body was massive. His shoulders were twice as broad as any other garond.
    And, like all of his race, a fine, dark fur covered Ravensdred's body. But he was different from other garonds because of his intelligence. He could plan. He understood the appeal of the arts. And, he could speak the common language of the Weald. Whereas most ordinary garonds had trouble with their own language, depending on grunts and gestures to be understood.
    It was rumored that garonds had been created by the Great Parent to be the custodians of the earth. And it was true, all garonds had a strange connection to the natural realm. They seemed to simply, instinctively understand the flow of the environment, and the patterns of the animal world. They rarely suffered from lack of game, thirst, or exposure to the elements.
    But the Dark One had come, Deifol Hroth, the nine hundred year old human wizard, possessed of a strange demon. He started a new religion, turning the superstitious garonds to the worship of his evil presence, instead of the worship of the earth, the primal spirit of the animal and plant that had been their happy belief for millennia.
    Ravensdred feared Deifol Hroth. His power was real and dangerous. But, other than the Dark Lord of All Evil Magic, Ravensdred trusted only in his massive fists and the violence that they could provide. His strength had given him honor and glory. Ravensdred's god was the destruction he could visit on any living thing, a real and satisfying god.
    When he had been made commanding general of the garond armies, Ravensdred's first victory over humanity had been against the glafs. Driven near to extinction by wars with the Kingdom of Man to the north, the effort against Glafemen had been boring. The human warriors put up a good fight, but they were out numbered ten to one. Already badly beaten by their brother nation to the north, it was no war or campaign, merely a clean up assignment.
    Then he took his forces into Wealdland against the humans of Kipleth. It was a carefully organized sneak attack, designed to eradicate every woman, child and elderly person while the armies of Kipleth were away at war supporting the Northern Kingdom of Man against their age-old enemies, Reia.
    The thought of the raid into Kipleth left a sour taste in Ravensdred's mouth. It was a strategic maneuver. It was designed, by his Master, to break the nation of Kipleth, an easy target. And it had worked. But there was no glory in slaughter.
    No. It was his war against the Northern Kingdom of Man that filled him with