Free The Archon's Apprentice by Neil Breault

answer. Since Raythrael has come into my possession, it has never taken a life. I hope that your time as Archon will continue to this legacy.”
    “I shall do my best to uphold your legacy,” said Mikol. He slid the sword back into the scabbard and strapped it on to his hip. He had worn several swords before but this was the first that felt like it belonged.  
    “I shall continue your studies tomorrow,” said Voletain. “I thought Omoni could teach you about the Wardens but it seems he has other ideas about what you need to learn. He has enough problems right now. Go now and get some sleep.”
    ***
    Mikol knew he could not sleep if he tried. He continued his wandering of the halls of Valefort. His hand never left Raythrael’s handle. He had no other thoughts besides the sword and what he was going to be able to do with it. His wandering took him near the courtyard again. The snow did not stop him from drawing the sword and executing his stances with renewed vigor. At the far end of the courtyard was a small garden with some trees. After looking around quickly for anyone watching him, he swung at the closest tree. The sword cut through like it was paper and Mikol struggled to keep his balance. He had not expected the sword to cleave through the tree so easily and had put too much strength in to the blow. He looked around again to make sure no one was there to have seen him stumble. He smirked to himself and moved in to more stances. His eyes never left the blade as he deftly went through his training regimen.  
    Midway through a complex set of maneuvers, Mikol faltered as a scream pierced the air. There was still no one in the courtyard and could not tell where the scream had come from. His head turned quickly to the left as a second scream came from the hallway. He darted down the hallway to investigate. As he reached the first intersection he saw the cause of the noise and backpedaled a few steps. At the end of the hallway stood a large hairless beast. The ambient light glistened off the beast’s skin, because it was wet or scaly, Mikol could not tell. He did not have long to study the beast, as it was holding a woman in its large, three-fingered claws. She was alive, for the moment, but her short, choked breaths punctuated the air. He could see that she was injured but not how badly. Mikol tightened his grip on Raythrael.
    Before he could rush headlong at the beast, something flew past his shoulder and hit the beast in the chest, exploding in a shower of colors. The beast bellowed out a roar, staring down the hallway towards Mikol and whoever had flung the spell. Mikol took another few steps back as the beast squared off. Mikol tensed with the beast’s movements; he could not read what the beast planned to do. With every step muscles rippled in the beast but not in any way Mikol had seen before. The beast focused on him, causing Mikol’s breath to catch in his throat. Four overly large reptilian eyes dominated the top of its head. Two were facing Mikol, but the other two were on either side of its head, and he could see them moving independently. Below its eyes was a row of openings that Mikol could only guess were nostrils, as they were moving like a dog’s nose as it sniffed the air. Rows and rows of dagger-like teeth were revealed as the beast opened it mouth for another roar. Saliva dripped off its tongue as it snaked out and licked the woman. The beast dropped the woman. Mikol could not tell if she was still alive but she did not move after she was dropped.
    Taking another step back, Mikol flinched as a hand came to rest on his shoulder. Ussan stood behind him and continued to draw runes in the air. With a terse command he coalesced the runes into a mesh that expanded to fill the hallway and moved to the beast. The beast tensed, waiting for the rune mesh to come, and snarled as it came closer. The mesh did not strike the beast but instead wrapped around the beast and coiled around its limbs. As the beast