Free Dimwater's Demons by Sam Ferguson Page B

missed, and he had to duck behind a stalagmite to avoid the shade’s magical fire. As the fire roared around him, he reloaded the mini crossbow with the last bolt. The blood on the bolt burned his fingers, but he pushed the pain out of his mind.
    “In a fury of motion, Ravenel leapt to his feet. He dashed around the corner and ran straight for the shade. He swiped out with his axe for the creature’s head, but he missed the mark and barely sliced the creature’s left shoulder. The shade hissed and recoiled away, but not quickly enough. With his left hand Ravenel levelled the mini crossbow at the shade and fired. The bolt bit deep into the shade’s chest. He could hear bone cracking under the force of the shot. The shade’s skin and tissue sizzled and crackled as a small fire ignited on her chest. The shade howled and writhed in agony. Ravenel brought the axe back up and drove it into the shade’s neck, severing her head from her shoulders. The shade’s eyes rolled back into her head and smoke wafted up from the blistering neck hole.
    “Ravenel stepped back from the corpse and watched as a faint, green light emitted from the wounds. Within moments, flames shot out from the shade and the body was soon reduced to ash. His breathing eventually slowed and the ache in his side started to ease up. He replaced his axe, gathered his bow, and made his way to the mouth of the cave. When at last he emerged to the quiet forest, he fell to his knees, overcome with exhaustion.
    “He slid back to rest against the mouth of the cave for the night. As he slept, the cool night wind rejuvenated his body and soul. He woke with the first light of the sun and made his way back to Lirian with the good news. He was welcomed with a hero’s parade, and given a large ransom for his reward. As for Lirian and her people, they returned to the cave and collapsed the entrance, and were never bothered by garunda or shades again.”
    Leatherback let out a triumphant roar as Kyra closed the book.
    The young apprentice reached out and stroked Leatherback just behind the jaw. “So, all we need to do now is find a garunda beast. If we can find one, we can use its blood to make a poison for the shade. Then, we can kill it.”
    The dragon let out a throaty growl. “Talk later, priests coming.” He flicked out his tongue and his nostrils flared.
    Kyra knew better than to argue with him. He was always able to sense them before they arrived. She quickly slid the book back into her bag and pulled out a brown, leather-bound book of folk tales. The last thing she wanted was for the priests to catch on to what she was after. So, from that moment until they came to perform their examination, she read from the book of children’s stories.
     

Chapter 5
     
     
    Feberik walked toward the large door flanked by two large, stone gryphons that seemed eternally frozen in the moment just before flight. He stared at the large, iron ring which hung against the wood of the Headmaster’s door. The large man took in a breath before reaching for it. He thought back to what he had done at Caspen Manor, reliving the experience briefly in every smashing detail. Even then he had known he would be held accountable for his actions. It hadn’t seemed to matter then.
    Now, as he stared at the iron ring, he nodded his head, comfortable with the decision he had made at Caspen Manor, and prepared to take whatever was coming to him. He lifted his left hand and rapped on the door twice while his right hand reached out and pushed the door open.
    “Yes, yes, come in, Master Orres,” the headmaster called out from inside the chamber.
    Orres had not been summoned to the headmaster’s office, as would have normally been the case. Instead, he had been instructed to meet Headmaster Herion in a small library down the hall from the office. The room was perhaps only twenty feet deep and fifteen feet wide, with quite a large bit of space dedicated to tall, deep-shelved book cases. A small,