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

long…my king.” Rex’s uncle fixed his eyes on his nephew one last time and smiled before slipping away into the infinite depth of death.

The soldiers all looked around at each other, stunned by what they had just witnessed, unsure of whether or not to attack or stand down, some grabbing their weapons, others already unsheathing them.

“Stand down!” shouted the commander of the men. “Your King has died in mortal combat against a rightful challenger and heir to the throne. You will lower your weapons at once!” he shouted again, defiantly.

Immediately all of the soldiers came to their senses and released their grip on their weapons. The sound of metal clinking on the floor resounded throughout the courtyard as each soldier fell to one knee in a deep bow of respect to their new and rightful king.

“Long live King Reximus Kane!” they chanted, as Rex walked over to his friends.

“Are you two alright?” he asked, walking over to his friends, and seeing the look of horror on their faces.

“I’m okay, how about you Orin?” asked David, snapping out of it, relieved his friend was still alive.

“Yeah, I’m okay too. I was just about to fry that guy had you taken any longer!” replied Orin jokingly with a smile.

David and Rex chuckled at the old mage.

“You’re a real nutcase, you know that don’t you?” replied Rex with a smile.

The smile quickly faded as he considered the death of his uncle, his king, by his hands. He walked over to where he lay and closed his eyes with his fingers.

“Rest in peace, uncle. I’m sorry it had to come to this.” he said somberly. “I want his body cleaned up and dressed in the royal colors. Tomorrow we will have a ceremony in honor of our fallen king” he said to the nearby soldiers.

“Yes, sir!” they shouted in unison, and immediately began carrying the King’s body away to be cleaned and dressed.

“The rest of you, get this mess cleaned up.” ordered Rex to the remaining soldiers.

He turned to address his people, still crowded around silently, not knowing how to react to what they just witnessed.

“My people…” he started, his voice booming loud throughout the yard. “Tonight, you witnessed the tragic fall of a great man. He was too blinded to see the truth of what we came here to warn him of – that our world is in danger of being annihilated by an enemy yet unseen, but very real. I will not stand by and let our world be destroyed by monsters!” he shouted, the crowd hanging on his every word.

“Together, with your help, we can take back the throne for our northern neighbor and put an end to the tyrannical rule of his manic general, effectively stopping this threat from ever reaching our borders. But, in order to do this, I need your help, and it will require a heavy sacrifice – the lives of some of our brethren – to make this happen. What do you say? ARE YOU WITH ME?” he screamed as he thrust his axe high into the air.

The crowd exploded in applause and cheers, shouts ringing out of “Reximus the Great” and “Long live King Reximus”!

When the crowds finally cleared out and the companions were once again alone, they sat in the waiting room they had eaten in earlier that day and talked for hours, telling stories and laughing at Orin’s jokes, before finally retiring to their respective bed chambers.

David was led to his chamber by one of the stewards that worked within the castle.

The room was nicely decorated with some elaborate paintings and a couple of highly decorative bronze bordered mirrors along the outer walls. In the center was a large wooden canopy bed with intricately carved posts and a finely woven silky comforter that David felt would certainly keep him warm no matter the season.

He was provided clean clothes so his travelers cloak could be cleaned and hung to dry overnight, so he quickly changed into some silky pajamas before climbing into the oversized bed. He marveled at how soft it felt and how it seemed to mold around his aching body. The pillow was equally as comfortable, and in no time at all, David found himself drifting off to sleep.

Chapter XVIII

Erin and Captain Ryan reached the outskirts of the camp just before the last of the light from the setting sun finally left the sky and gave in to the coming night.

The walk through the woods had been long and hard and she was beyond exhaustion, but when they arrived at the compound it comforted her to know that she was finally in a safe place and that there were others who were loyal to the rightful king. She longed for David and her friends, but for the time being she knew that her place was here. She had to find a way to get to the castle and save Tyrius… if he was even still alive.

The thought of what may be happening to her dear friend filled her with fear. He had been the only father-figure she had ever known. He took her in when she was a young girl and, with her mother’s permission, trained her as his apprentice, teaching her everything he knew apart from magic – since the Elders were the only ones of the race of Man who possessed the gift, and they only passed it on to a select few of their choosing when they were dying – something that only occurred every few hundred years from what Tyrius had once explained.

Despite her courageous spirit, Erin was just a simple girl who was eager to learn all she could about the world around her, and willing to go through rigorous training if it meant preparing her for a life that would be meaningful and helpful to others. That is why she was so thankful for Tyrius – he gave her otherwise mundane life a purpose. She had always looked forward to