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Land of Dragon 64
Chapter 7 Lasgol reached the first trees of the forest and stopped. He touched the trunk of one of the rare snow-white oaks with his gloved hand. The bark, the roots, the branches, the leaves— everything seemed to indicate it was a regular oak tree and in good health—everything but for a small detail. The oak was white in its entirety, from its roots to the leaves. He looked at it with great interest, wondering how such a thing was possible. He raised his gaze and saw that the rest of the trees in that place had the same characteristics as the oak that had caught his eye.He remembered studying Albus Forest in one of the tomes of Nature at the Shelter, albeit in passing. He sifted through his memory, searching for what the tome said about this strange variety of oak. It was a unique species and indigenous of Norghana. For some reason the scholars could not fathom, this variety of oak was pure white a
Land of Dragon 65
Chapter 8 They followed the Magi for a while longer until they arrived at the center of the forest and stopped. The place was unmistakable since there was a tall block of ice—a long square, a frozen monolith. It was surrounded by the mist. For some strange reason the mist did not cover it but seemed to emanate from it, falling off its frozen body and then dispersing around it.Funny, that block of ice is very peculiar. Magic come from block.That’s even more interesting. Then it’s no sorcerer, mage, or anyone similar who’s causing the mist.Live in forest.That sounds very complicated to me. Complicated, yes. Possible, yes.Hmmm, it might be, indeed. We’ve already had one similar experience.Yes. Dragon Orb in ice.Lasgol nodded.But that’s not Drakonian magic, is it? Not be.Well, that puts me at ease. The last thing we need is
Land of Dragon 66
Chapter 9 Lasgol and Egil were waiting for Nilsa by the barracks, watching the soldiers training. Today, both the soldiers and the training were different, which had caught the attention of the two friends. Instead of the castle soldiers training, as usual, it was the Invincible of the Ice who were practicing, and that was something worth watching.In the middle of the bailey, about a hundred Invincibles were exercising with sword and shield. They were wearing their usual gear: white winged helmets, cloaks, bedrolls, and shields. What drew the most attention though was how they wielded the sword. The Invincibles did not use war axes like most of the Norghanian infantry, but broad swords, short and doubled edged. They were similar to those used by the Erenal Army but slightly broader. The exercises of attacking, blocking, and counterattacking they were practicing had everyone spellbound.“The
Land of Dragon 67
Chapter 10 Lasgol was saying goodbye to his comrades at the Tower of the Rangers with a broken heart. He knew he had to continue the search for Dergha-Sho-Blaska, that it was imperative to destroy the great Immortal Dragon before he attacked and demolished Norghana. But he felt bad having to leave his friends, especially Astrid, the woman he loved so much. It was going to be difficult, but the life of a Ranger was hard and required sacrifice. They all knew that and accepted it.He had been away from his friends on several occasions now, and he was used to it. But this time, he had the strange feeling that he was not going to see them for a long time. He did not know why he felt this way, but he did. He was only going to follow a lead and see where it took him. But he had the feeling that the journey would be long and difficult, and thinking about it made his stomach turn, and that was never a good si
Land of Dragon 68
Chapter 11 The Panthers were talking to a Specialist in front of the Tower of the Rangers. They had stepped aside so no one could hear what they were saying. They were in a small, enclosed circle with their backs to the surrounding world.“I don’t agree with this at all,” Viggo was shaking his head and folding his arms over his chest.“Yes, you do. It’s what’s best for the Royal Eagles,” Ingrid replied.“Don’t be silly. We have to report before the Queen at once. We don’t have time for your jealousy,” Nilsa snapped at Viggo.“I’m not jealous of Captain Fantastic. The thing is, we don’t need him at all. I don’t understand why you’re asking him to join us again.”“If there’s no consensus in the group, I’d rather not join you. I don’t want to be a nuisance. I’m sure you’ll find another Specialist who’ll be pleased to help you,” Molak protested with a wave of his hand.
Land of Dragon 69
Chapter 12 Lasgol sat with his face to the morning breeze and started working on repairing his inner bridge, as he did every morning he could. He always felt better when he was able to follow an evening of magical training with a morning of bridge repair. It gave him a feeling of well-being, of doing what he should, and that with work he would earn the reward someday. When because of external reasons he could not do one or even both practices, he felt bad. He knew it was the law of life, the life of the Path of the Ranger, but even so, he felt he was not doing what he should.Camu and Ona were watching the surroundings of the hollow. They were both aware of what Lasgol was doing, and they let him be so he could concentrate and work in peace. Since Lasgol had to concentrate hard, with his eyes shut, he was very vulnerable to possible attacks, so the two of them looked after him. There was nothing wors
Land of Dragon 70
Chapter 13 Lasgol started panting. Rowing in these conditions was turning out to be quite difficult. No matter how hard he tried to maintain his course and a steady rhythm, he was not managing very well. He tried harder and used more strength, but the results did not improve much. They were going forward, yes, but the barge was zigzagging as if it were captained by a drunken sailor.River big, Camu messaged.Yeah, I’m also impressed by how strong the Utla’s currents are.Ona growled twice. She was not at all happy to be there.The barge gave a sudden lurch and Lasgol almost lost an oar. He was able to keep a hold on it, but he had been close to losing it. If he lost an oar, things would get really complicated.Don’t move. I’m having trouble rowing in the direction we need to go.Not move, Camu messaged.Ona, stiff and with her tail puffed up, was
Land of Dragon 71
Chapter 14 Raner was waiting for the Panthers in front of the Tower of the Rangers. Four Royal Rangers were with him. One of them was Kol, whom Nilsa recognized at once and nodded at unobtrusively, smiling, while the Panthers formed a line before the First Ranger. Kol returned the nod, also unobtrusively, and smiled at her, which made Nilsa blush. Kol was the handsome Mage Hunter who tried to court her every time he had a chance. All of a sudden the training did not seem so bad— perhaps it was even becoming interesting. She bowed her head slightly and eyed Kol, who caught her glance and returned it with a playful smile.Most of the Royal Castle’s inhabitants were sleeping, with the exception of the soldiers on duty at the towers, battlements, corridors, and doors. Those on night watch had not been relieved yet. The rest of the soldiers, servants, nobles, and the Royal Family had not opened their eyes