Free Awakening (Telindell Book 1) by Darren Lee Page A

in a deathly calm voice.
    Lian looked upon the elder, the hole in his chest gushing blood.
    Lian shook his head. “No… I didn’t do that…” he said, staring at Marrow’s wound and trembling.  “I didn’t want this to happen!”  The elder looked upon Lian in silence.  Lian closed his eyes. “I’m sorry!”
    The same dark hand that had pierced Marrow’s chest once again emerged from the wound.
    Lian screamed in horror as he watched Marrow being ripped to pieces once again. “No!”
    Lian looked to see Marrow’s body mangled on the ground, his cold dead eyes staring at him once more.  Glowing red eyes pierced the darkness where Marrow was standing.  Lian was terrified.  He turned and ran blindly into the darkness, knowing only that he had to get away.
    Voices began to echo through the darkness. “You killed me,” said Ebon.
    “Let me tell you of your mother,” said Eva.
    “I should have gutted you me’self,” said the hunter.
    “My son wasn’t enough.  You killed me and the entire village, boy.” said Alrad.
    Tears swelled in Lian’s eyes. “No!  I didn’t kill anybody!”
    Suddenly Lian was surrounded by flames.  He was back in the village.  Every hut and shack was burning.  Charred corpses littered the ground. Lian stood still and looked upon Dreathous.  The monster held Eva in the air by her throat.
    Lian stared on in horror. “No!” he shouted.
    Dreathous severed Eva’s head once again.  Her frail, lifeless body crashed to the ground.  Dreathous turned and slowly walked toward Lian.  Lian stepped back and felt a familiar furry rub against his hand.  Kane growled and snapped towards Dreathous.  He let out a spine-chilling howl that was followed by many more howls and growls.  Kane’s pack leapt forth from around Lian, attacking the monstrous Dreathous.  One by one, each wolf latched onto Dreathous with their razor sharp fangs.  One by one, he grabbed them and smashed them to the ground.  Each one let out a high pitched yap on impact, dying.  Lian was appalled.
    Lian looked down to Kane. “Come on, boy,” he said.  “We gotta get out of here!”
    Kane growled and stepped forward slowly, then charged Dreathous.
    Lian’s eyes widened. “No, Kane! No!”
    Kane leapt into the air towards Dreathous.  He snarled and cropped his ears back, determined to protect young Lian at any cost.  Dreathous reached forth his hands and caught Kane.  He gripped Kane’s front paws with his left hand and his hind paws with his right.  Kane let out a long high-pitched yap of pain.  Lian watched as Kane’s body began to separate in the middle.  Blood squirted as Kane’s intestines began to fall out.  Dreathous ripped Kane in two and dropped the wolf’s pieces on the ground.  Kane’s guts laid upon the ground, with his blood covered bones protruding from his skin.  Kane’s green eyes stared back at Lian, lifeless and haunting.
    Dreathous stepped toward Lian once again. “He will die,” said Dreathous, his voice echoing all around Lian.  “They all will die.  After you have witnessed every drop of blood in this world be shed, you too, will die.”
    Dreathous kept walking toward Lian, the red glow from his eyes becoming brighter.
    Lian turned and began to run. “Faster, Lian… Faster!” he thought.
    He ran through the darkness with no escape in sight.
    “Get the sword, Lian,” said Eva’s voice in his mind. “Get the sword…”
    Lian looked back at Dreathous.  He was getting closer with each step, no matter how fast Lian ran.  Dreathous reached his hand forward. To Lian, he seemed like a giant as his hand shadowed over him.  In the distance, Lian saw the sword floating vertically.  He could feel the sword’s allure with his entire body.  It was as if the sword was calling to him.  Lian approached the sword as Dreathous closed in.  He grabbed the sword and turned to face Dreathous.  As he began to draw the sword, the guard lifted from atop the sheath and a