Read The War (Play to Live: Book #6) for Free Online Page B

were empty.
    His snake-like eyes passing over his surroundings, the creature accurately detected me amidst thousands of other sentient beings. With a smooth motion of its neck, it brought its 60-foot-long muzzle right up to my face.
    The vertical pupils found my gaze. I felt as though a steel sledgehammer slammed into my mind, trying to bend me to its will in order to acquire an obedient albeit a bit moronic slave.
    My defense against mental pressure came apart like a rotten rag. The power of the First Priest yielded to the power of the King of Kings. Out of all of my supporting forces, only the greedy pig remained standing. The little guy was cornered and wheezing, but he would still fight even the entire Pantheon of Light if that’s what it took to keep everything he owned.
    Me up against an age-old creature…One on one…
    The Basilisk made me feel like a speck of dust which had miraculously gotten noticed by the Lord. And as he stared at me, I was slowly reaching for my staff. I pictured myself slicing through the eyeball, holding on to the eyelid so as not to be swept away by the tons of turbid slush that would pour out. I would then make my way inside the ancient bean and cut the brain into thin slices…
    The King blinked, his upper lip twitching, then slowly looked away. "You are strong," His voice inside my head sounded like an alarm bell. "I acknowledge your right to personally address the King of Kings!"
    Blood poured out of my ears. Fortunately, my scarlet tears went conveniently unnoticed upon my crushed and mangled face. I’m gonna be all right, I thought, hearing the familiar healing spells behind my back…
    I forced the sensitivity of my perception to drop, mentally setting up a barrier between myself and the Basilisk. I then spat viscid drool with pieces of enamel on the sand. "Do you accept our agreement which permits me to utilize the basilisks up to three times each in battle and which upholds our non-aggression pact?"
    The yellow snake eyes narrowed, the diamond in the crown flashed. As far as I could tell, the King of Kings was enjoying these negotiations he was carrying on with a brave little ant.
    The skies rumbled warningly. As I breathed in the fresh air, I felt the invisible presence of the Fallen One. Thanks, Fallon!
    The basilisk turned one eye to the sky like a giant chameleon, then jerked his tail nervously, bringing down the ill-fated acacia grove along with the spies from both sides that had been playing hide-and-seek.
    "I accept…" was his reply. "On three conditions. First, you will resurrect all of my subjects which are currently under your dominion."
    I nodded. This condition I already knew.
    "Second; total losses among the Ancients can’t exceed two per every low-ranking specimen and one per every high-ranking one."
    Frowning, I nodded again. I didn’t remember ranks being involved, but I suppose there might have been some miscommunication because of how hard it is to hear through an eggshell.
    "Third; while our agreement lasts, you will revive any and all eggs that we ask you to."
    The King tensed up, one of his eyelids twitching. He must have thought that the twitch had gone unnoticed. Yeah, right, like that was possible when his continuously moving mountain of a frame suddenly froze and his six-foot-wide eye blinked. It sucks to be a giant. I could even hear both his hearts beating. His pulse grew quicker.
    Why did he suddenly get so nervous ? I wondered. What percent of the hatch actually turned into live offspring? Could this be the answer to the riddle of the disappearance of AlterWorld’s strongest monsters?
    I shook my head. "No, King. The third condition we shall discuss separately and in a more peaceful setting. It was not a part of our agreement as gods are our witnesses!"
    The skies rumbled affirmatively. The Basilisk King scowled and shot the sky an angry glare.
    I continued: "I will now resurrect two Wild Basilisks, then use the first battle right. Not far from here,