The Well of Eternity

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Book: Read The Well of Eternity for Free Online
Authors: Richard A. Knaak
still being alive was a matter of shame, of failure to give his all as they had done. Since that time, he had waited and hoped for some opportunity to redeem himself. Redeem himself…and die.
    Now, perhaps, the fates had granted him that.
    “Get a move on!” he ordered Gaskal. “We can reach ’em before they get settled in!” Now he allowed himself a wide grin, one that his companion would read as typical orc enthusiasm. “And if they give us any trouble…we’ll make ’em think the entire Horde is on the rampage again!”
     
    If the island upon which they had landed seemed a dire place, the mountain pass in which they now descended simply felt wrong. That was the best word Rhonin could use to describe the sensations flowing through him. Whatever they sought…it should not be. It was as if the very fabric of reality had made some terrible error…
    The intensity of the feeling was such that the wizard, who had faced every conceivable nightmare, wanted the dragon to turn back. He said nothing, though, recalling how he had already revealed his uncertainties on the island. Korialstrasz might already regret summoning him.
    The crimson behemoth arched his wings as he dropped the final distance. His massive paws sank into the snow as he sought a stable landing area.
    Rhonin clutched the dragon’s neck tightly. He felt every vibration and hoped his grip would last. His pack bounced against his back, pummeling him.
    At last, Korialstrasz came to a halt. The reptilian visage turned the wizard’s way. “Are you well?”
    “As well—as well as I could be!” gasped Rhonin. He had made dragon flights before, but not for so long.
    Either Korialstrasz knew his passenger was still weary or the dragon himself also needed rest after such a monumental trek. “We shall remain here for a few hours. Gather our strength. I sense no change in the emanations I feel. We should have the time to recoup. It would be the wisest choice.”
    “I won’t be arguing with you,” Rhonin answered, sliding off.
    The wind blew harshly through the mountains and the high peaks left much shadow, but with the aid of some magic and an overhang, the wizard managed to keep warm enough. While he tried to stretch the kinks out of his body, Korialstrasz strode along the pass, scouting the area. The behemoth vanished some distance ahead as the path curved.
    Hood draping his head, Rhonin dozed. This time, his thoughts filled with good images…true images of Vereesa and the upcoming birth. The wizard smiled, thinking of his return.
    He woke at the sound of approach. To Rhonin’s surprise, it was not the dragon Korialstrasz who returned to him, but rather the cowled, robed figure of Krasus.
    In response to the human’s widening eyes, the dragon mage explained, “There are several unstable areas nearby. This form is less likely to cause them to collapse. I can always transform again should the need arise.”
    “Did you find anything?”
    The not-quite-elven face pursed. “I sense the Aspect of Time. He is here and yet he is not. I am disturbed by that.”
    “Should we start—”
    But before Rhonin could finish, a horrific yowl echoed harshly through the mountain chain. The sound set every nerve of the wizard on edge. Even Krasus looked perturbed.
    “What was that?” asked Rhonin.
    “I do not know.” The dragon mage drew himself up. “We should move on. Our goal lies not far away.”
    “We’re not flying?”
    “I sense that what we seek lies within a narrow passage between the next mountains. A dragon would not fit, but two small travelers would.”
    With Krasus leading, the pair headed northeast. Rhonin’s companion appeared unbothered by the cold, though the human had to enhance the protective spell on his clothes. Even then, he felt the chill of the land upon his face and fingers.
    Before long, they came upon the beginning of the passage Krasus had mentioned. Rhonin saw now what the other meant. The passage was little more than a cramped

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