David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb T.C. Crawford (easy to read books for adults list .txt) 📖

They finally reached the grand staircase that split the castle in two, reaching the middle floor from the main floor of the entrance hall, and leading all the way up to the third and final floor.

They took the stairs up to the third floor where a large meeting room stood before the King’s private chambers. As they walked through the double doors, they could see the council had already been up and were in the middle of a heated discussion. Rex stood in the far corner, looking out one of the back windows, turning to greet his friends as they walked through the doors. The council members barely noticed their entrance.

“There you are you lazy goats!” he bellowed with a sheepish grin. He walked up to David and Orin, arms open wide, and gave them both a grizzly squeeze. David thought he felt his bones popping under the strength of the enormous arms around him.

“Hey, Rex, good to see you too.” said David carefully testing his now aching shoulders. He could see Orin grimace in pain beside him, shaking his fist at the large barbarian before whacking him on the back of his head.

Rex only laughed. Rex and Orin had grown extremely close over the past few days, and if David didn’t know better, he would have guessed they had been lifelong friends.

“Has there been any development with the council’s decision?” David asked eagerly.

Rex turned to look at the council with contempt in his eyes. “Nah, some of these men are too set in their ways, especially when it comes to sending our people off to another land to fight someone else’s war – at least, that’s how they keep framing it. They keep reminding me that our fathers created this haven separate from the other kingdoms so they could live in peace after their wars in the past. They don’t like the idea of going back to war” he said.

“Don’t they understand what’s happening down there? If the Northern Kingdom remains in the hands of General Krauss, he will soon aim to take control of the surrounding kingdoms too. No place will be safe, not even here. Not to mention, if he somehow succeeds in releasing the Defiant One from the Dark Abyss, the world as we know it will cease to exist!” David exclaimed.

“Don’t you think I tried to tell them that?” he replied, clearly frustrated with the whole political game.

“Can’t you do something about it…you’re their king, can’t you force their hand or something? It’s been days now and still there’s been no decision. What’s taking so long?” he asked, throwing his hands up in frustration. Erin was down there and for all he knew she needed their help. He had to get back to her.

“They have to come to a two-thirds vote or else they won’t allow our men to go. So far, we’ve gotten four of the nine members to vote in our favor. Taylor has been working day and night to convince the rest to agree, but so far, it’s been like hitting your head against a wall. They aren’t budging. They don’t want to be the ones responsible for sending our men to their deaths.” Rex moved back towards the window and gazed out at the lands beyond. “I don’t know what else to do short from killin’ them. But I can’t rule that way…” he trailed off.

“What if I talk to them? Maybe I can find a way to get them to understand the severity of the situation.” David suggested.

Rex laughed. “Good luck with that, boy. Have at it!” he gestured towards the table where the council sat discussing their points of view back and forth in an attempt to rally support of the others.

“Hey! Listen up. My guest has somethin’ he would like to say” bellowed Rex over the murmur of the council.

They all quickly turned and locked their gazes on David, apparently annoyed by the sudden interruption of their heated debate.

Suddenly David didn’t feel like talking so much.

“Well, boy, are you going to speak or are you just going to sit there with that dumb look on your face?” asked one of the council members impatiently.

The rest of the members erupted in a roar of laughter before Rex fixed his glare on them and they all quieted back down. David cleared his throat before beginning.

“My name is David Bishop. I am a friend of the King’s, but more importantly, I am a friend of those back in the Northern Kingdom.” he started confidently. “They are currently fighting for their lives against an imposing force of darkness that has suddenly and violently swept across their lands. The capital city was ambushed in a vicious attack that imprisoned their king and replaced him with a merciless ruler named General Krauss. My friend, Erin, who on many accounts has saved my life, is down there as we speak trying to fight her way into the capital to save the man who helped raised her since she was a small child.”

He looked around to make sure all of the members were keenly focused on him before he continued. Some of them seemed to be intent on what he was saying and were listening closely, while others appeared even more annoyed than they were at first and were privately whispering to each other, shaking their heads in frustration.

“This woman, who is alone out there risking her life, is standing up against incredible odds in order to attempt to rescue a man that she loves dearly while you men are sitting around a table talking about reasons why you can’t come to her aid and the aid of your neighbors.

“You call yourselves men? You say you have honor? Well prove it! Prove that you have the courage to stand up for what you believe in, to stand up and fight for the right for others to live as freely and as peacefully as you do now.

“Is that not a right that we