"Maggie Furey - Shadowleague 1 - The Heart of Myrial" - читать интересную книгу автора (Furey Maggie)

Misfortune continued to dog them. This mission was going no better than
the lastтАФin fact it seemed to be heading rapidly for disaster. Veldan, Kaz,
and Aethon, the Seer of the Dragonfolk, had penetrated the Curtain
WallsтАФthe barriers of magical force that separated realm from realmтАФover
a month ago. They had been crossing this miserable excuse for a countryтАФ
and avoiding its population of ignorant, superstitious primitivesтАФever since.
Sometimes, it seemed that they were never going to make it through to the
other side, to reach their final destination. Worse than that, and a lot more
worrying, was the condition of VeldanтАЩs traveling companion, the Seer that
she had sworn to guard, nurture, and protect. It seemed increasingly doubtful
that he would survive this journey.
Aethon looked ghastly. He trudged along as though he barely had the
strength to put one foot before the other on the steep and stony track. It must
be a dreadful strain on the Dragon, she thought, to support and propel that
massive body, almost as long as a village street. His scaly body, once the
brilliant, glittering gold of the ring that Veldan wore on a chain around her
neck, was now the dull, pallid yellow-white of wheatstraw.
The LoremasterтАЩs heart was filled with dread and anguish at the thought of
losing the DragonтАФand not simply because of the urgency of her mission.
During this long, hard journey, Aethon had become very dear to her.
Because he was the Seer of the Dragonfolk, she had been expecting a
venerable creature: formal, imposing, and staid. Instead, she had found a
Dragon who was still fairly young as his species reckoned their span. He had
been delightful company for most of the journey, despite the heavy burdens
of his calling, and his humor, intelligence, and joy in life had shortened the
long hard miles. Once they had entered Callisiora, however, the weather had
deteriorated into this dank and dismal chill. Because they were forced to
keep to the wilderness to avoid the humans, the going became unremittingly
hard. Each day AethonтАЩs verve and spirit had been drained a little
moreтАФand the Loremaster had been unable to do anything but witness his
long, slow demise. Now, the Seer had reached the end of his endurance. He
had not spoken a word all day, either in the telepathic mode used by
Loremasters, or the normal mode of Dragon speech that consisted of
complex interwoven patterns of colored, moving light that mingled with
mellifluous and plangent sound. Veldan knew he was conserving his energy,
just to keep going.
тАЬHe donтАЩt look too promising, does he, Boss? I doubt, myself, heтАЩll make
it.тАЭ


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THE HEART OF MYRIAL - SHADOWLEAGUE 1 - MAGGIE FUREY

тАЬShhhh, Kaz,тАЭ Veldan chided, though she knew her partner was thinking in
their private mode, and there was no way that Aethon should be able to
тАЬoverhearтАЭ them.
тАЬWhat for? Poor deegтАЩs so far gone he wouldnтАЩt notice if you let off a
plasma cluster in his ear.тАЭ The slumbrous glow of KazтАЩs eyes took on a
wicked glitter.тАЬ Now thereтАЩs an ideaтАжтАЭ
тАЬA better idea than you realize.тАЭ Veldan had the pleasure of seeing the