THE Knights of emerald , livre ebook

THE KNIGHTS OF EMERALD, BOOK 2 : THE DRAGONS OF THE DARK EMPEROR
by Anne Robillard © Wellan Inc. 2015
Illustrations © Wellan Inc. 2015


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ISBN: 978-2-924442-43-2



Ebook produced by
ANNE ROBILLARD



The K nights of E merald




Book 2

T HE D RAGONS OF THE D ARK E MPEROR






DIGITAL
C ROSS OF THE O RDER OF
THE K NIGHTS OF E MERALD
M AP OF E NKIDIEV
T HE O RDER of the
K nights of E merald



F irst G eneration



Knight Wellan of Emerald
Squire Cameron
W
Knight Bergeau of Emerald
Squire Curtis

Knight Chloe of Emerald
Squire Ariane

Knight Dempsey of Emerald
Squire Colville

Knight Falcon of Emerald
Squire Murray

Knight Jasson of Emerald
Squire Morgan

Knight Santo of Emerald
Squire Hettrick







S econd G eneration



Knight Bridgess of Emerald
Squire Swan

Knight Buchanan of Emerald
Squire Derek

Knight Kerns of Emerald
Squire Pencer

Knight Kevin of Emerald
Squire Milos

Knight Nogait of Emerald
Squire Corbin

Knight Wanda of Emerald
Squire Kagan

Knight Wimme of Emerald
Squire Brennan
1

I D UB T HEE K night

A fter five hundred years of peace, the vast continent of Enkidiev once again appealed to Amecareth, the lord of the insect-men and he coveted it for himself. In an attempt to annex more and more territory, the Black Emperor first sent out small raiding parties all along the coast. During the seven years following the first attack on Zenor, enemy forces carried out more and more forays against humans. The Knights of Emerald succeeded in turning back all of the invasion attempts, but they could not understand why the insect-men kept on using the same tactics against them, since all of their garrisons were systematically eliminated every time they landed on the continent.
When they returned to the Castle of Emerald during a much-deserved lull in the fighting, the Knights spoke about it with Abnar, the Immortal who, in the guise of an apprentice-wizard, was in charge, along with the wizard of Emerald, of educating the future Squires. They came to the conclusion, after a minute examination of a great number of battles, that the enemy persisted in his attack plan hoping that, after all these years, the Knights would slip up and would let them through. “ These creatures’ brains are probably so different from those of humans that they just can’t imagine any other way of conquering new territory ,” thought Wellan. While he continued to probe the coast using his magic senses, the mighty Knight decided to take advantage of several days let-up in order to bestow knighthood on the apprentices: Bridgess, Kerns, Wanda, Buchanan, Nogait, Wimme and Kevin.
After having served their masters faithfully over several years, the Squires could finally become Knights. A great banquet was organized in their honor in the palace hall. The newly-minted warriors would be treated to the best dishes the kingdom had to offer and taste the rich wines of the South. It was a joyful celebration and the young Squires sang, danced on the tables and retold the jokes they had heard during their many missions. They knew that this feast would be followed by many years of combat and sacrifice and they wanted to savor every second. However, in the midst of the laughter and song, Bridgess noticed that Wellan, her mentor, was not eating. He looked absently at his plate, lost in thought.
The great Knight was in love with a beautiful ghost – a lady who appeared to him mostly when the enemy was getting ready to attack the continent. Bridgess thought that a love like that was strange and must not be very satisfying since her former master was always overcome by sadness. So this evening she decided to cheer him up. She set down her wine glass, crossed the large, noisy hall and sat down beside him. Wellan raised his cold eyes and looked at Bridgess. He stared at her for a moment, then an admiring smile flitted across his lips. Just like him, she wore her blond hair a little below shoulder length and only tied it back when she was fighting. The young woman’s dark blue eyes commanded respect and her chiseled features gave her a princely beauty. This was no longer the little girl that had been entrusted to the leader of the Knights several years ago, but rather a lovely young woman with muscles of steel and a sharp mind.
“It bothers me to see you so sad, master,” she said.
“You can’t call me that anymore, Knight Bridgess,” Wellan reminded her, “especially since I’ll have a new Squire in a couple of days. And so will you.”
Bridgess slipped her fingers between Wellan’s and squeezed them gently while sending him a wave of calm. This was a technique that the Knights often used with their Squires when they felt that they were worried or frightened, but Bridgess always used it every time that Wellan’s heart was heavy.
“Call me Wellan and remember that we’re now on an equal footing.”
“Me, equal to the mighty leader of the Knights of Emerald?” said the young woman mockingly. “I very much doubt that.”
Wellan looked at her quietly and she felt him close his heart once again. He was the most powerful of all the Knights, the greatest strategist on the continent and the most miserable of men. He kissed Bridgess on the forehead and left the hall as discretely as a ghost.
He made his way through the palace and went to the wing where the Knights were housed. It was deserted and silent. He entered the room where he had spent so little time over the last few years and took off his green breastplate studded with precious gems in the shape of a cross. His armor suddenly seemed heavier. He removed his tunic and pants and tumbled into bed. Depressed, he turned his head towards the window and looked out at the stars. Somewhere, up there, in the realm of the dead, the queen he adored had forgotten him.
Drifting along in an ocean of sadness, Wellan did not feel Bridgess coming towards him. She glided quietly into his room and slipped into his bed causing him to jump in surprise. Before he could even react, she stretched out on him. Her eyes were no longer the eyes of a child; rather they were the eyes of a woman who could see into the darkest reaches of a man’s soul. Since she was wearing only her tunic, he felt the heat of her young body on his naked skin. Wellan had always behaved properly with her throughout all the years of apprenticeship and he had never encouraged her to do anything like this.
“I’ve come to offer you a deal, Wellan of Emerald,” she murmured in his ear. “Both of us feel the need to snuggle into the warm and tender arms of a companion, without really wanting to share his or her life. Why not relieve the tension in our bodies like this from time to time?”
“You’ve had too much to drink,” replied Wellan who, above all, was unwilling to take advantage of the situation.
“On the contrary, Sir Knight. My mind is perfectly clear and my offer makes sense.”
Bridgess’s lips brushed tenderly those of the Knight. Yielding to his overwhelming need for tenderness for a moment, Wellan let himself be kissed. Then he got a grip on himself. He took the young woman’s wrists and gently pushed her away.
“I know that you want it,” she whimpered.
“It would be dishonest for me to take advantage of the situation, Bridgess.”
“What situation?” she retorted. “I love you!”
“You’re drunk.”
He made her sit down in front of him and stroked her lovely face smiling sadly.
“In other circumstances, perhaps, but not this evening,” he said sternly.
He was the handsomest of all his companions and, even if he would not admit to the feelings he had for her, Bridgess would never stop loving him. She lowered her head and left the room without a backward glance.
In spite of the late hour, the palace was still teeming with life and the wizard Elund’s young students could not sleep. The children had not been allowed to participate in the festivities, but they heard the laughter and the singing of the new Knights and they thought about the day when it would be their turn to be dubbed Knights. The eldest of them would soon become Squires and they all dreamed of serving Wellan.
Kira was one of the candidates. While she was younger than her fellow classmates, her mastery of magic went way beyond theirs and she already knew the Code of Chivalry by heart. The only thing left was to learn how to ride a horse and wield a sword. Then she could finally avenge her parents who had died at the hands of the enemy. Everybody thought that Kira was the daughter of the Queen Fan of Shola and the wizard King Shill. Even though there had been Elves and Fairies among her ancestors, nothing could explain the little girl’s mauve skin and her four clawed fingers. Only Wellan, Elund and Abnar knew th