David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb by T.C. Crawford (tools of titans ebook .txt) 📕

my squad, but we have more soldiers back at the camp and others keep wandering in each day. I think we may have a chance to take back the kingdom and restore order, but it’s going to take a lot of work and it’s going to cost us heavily I fear.” He trailed off, thinking about the difficult times ahead.

“Well, whatever it takes, I’m with you” she said. “The Elders went to the palace as soon as they felt something was wrong, but I don’t know what came of them. And Tyrius last went to the palace to speak with the King just a few days ago. I’m afraid he’s been captured or worse. We have to save him before it’s too late.”

“The Elders went to see the King? We didn’t see them at the palace, maybe they were able to escape with Tyrius before it was too late, but from the reports we have it seems the King is being held in the lower dungeons. General Krauss doesn’t seem to be taking any chances with him.” Captain Ryan replied.

He started pacing back and forth troubled by the turn of events. When he came back, he stopped and looked more determined as if he had finally made up his mind on an important decision.

“We have to get back to camp before any more soldiers come through and see the empty wagon and dead lying around. They will be wondering what happened here and start looking for answers. We better get going.”

He moved off towards the two closest men at his side. “Lambert, Higgins. You two grab those bodies and get rid of them so any passing soldiers won’t see them. Take anything you can of use and set fire to the rest.”

“Yes, Sir!” they shouted in unison. They both saluted the caption with a fist to the heart before quickly starting off on their tasks.

“The rest of you move out. We need to get back to camp before nightfall or it’s going to be some hard trekking through these woods.”

He looked back at Erin as the others started off through the woods. They disappeared so quickly and moved so quietly that it was hard to imagine they were all there only moments before.

“Are you okay enough to walk? You look like you got a pretty good bump on your head there” he tenderly brushed aside her bangs to inspect the bruise on her forehead from when the soldiers had thrown her on the ground.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just a bump. Let’s get going. And Ryan…thanks again for rescuing me” she smiled, still relieved she wasn’t captive any longer.

He nodded and returned the smile in kind and they both started off into the woods after the company of soldiers before vanishing into the thickness of the green undergrowth.

Chapter XVI

David was the first to wake. The cool morning air sent goose bumps down his flesh, but it was a nice reprieve after the heat in the grassy field the day before. The air was crisp and fresh and filled David’s lungs with a coolness that helped shake off the sleep.

He slowly sat up and looked around to check on the others. Rex was still asleep, but he had managed to roll nearly ten feet off his bedroll and was now using a good-sized stone as a pillow. David chuckled quietly to himself, thinking that the barbarian could probably sleep on a thorn bush if he had to.

He looked across their makeshift camp to see Orin slowly twisting and turning apparently lost deep within a dream. He decided to get up and stretch his legs a little while he waited for the others to wake up.

While he slowly walked, he looked back towards the plains and the Mystic Mountain that was surrounded by the Outer Woods they had left only the day before. It seemed so far away, but the events of the previous day made the trek seem to go a lot faster. He supposed that anytime someone is fleeing for their life, time and distance seems to feel a little differently.

He marveled at how everything looked so peaceful in the early morning. The air was quiet and filled with a gentle mist that hovered above the plains and the tops of the forest. He could hear the occasional song of a bird in the distance, but other than that he felt pretty isolated on the foothills of the surrounding mountains. Alone was good after such a frightful flight, but he was eager to have the others wake so he wouldn’t have to deal with the haunting thoughts of Erin and what she may be going through.

He desperately wished he could help her now, but he knew they wouldn’t stand a chance without some reinforcements. He hoped that Rex could convince his people to help with their cause. After all, he couldn’t imagine citizens of the living world not wanting to help prevent an endless horde of flesh-eating demons from escaping the Dark Abyss, not to mention their leader, the Defiant One. Just the thought of what he may do to the world left David chilled to the bone, and it had nothing to do with the cool, mountain breeze.

He strained his eyes to see if he could see any sign of Eldergate or West Post, but the mist was too thick over the tops of the trees to reveal anything other than the upper reaches of the Mystic Mountain. He decided he would go back and see if the others had awoken.

Upon reaching the camp he saw that Rex and Orin were both awake and starting to gather their things for the march up the slopes towards Ravenfell. They turned to see him walking back towards the camp and motioned for him to do the same. When they all finished packing their gear and had a quick bite to eat, they set off up the slope, Rex leading the way.

“So, how long do you think