Karnov

by Matthew Knight

  The first light of dawn was colouring the eastern horizon as I strode to the rotting wooden fence where my steed Wrathmane was tethered. Glancing to the broad, rock-strewn trail which fronted the hut, I descried Asenthine and Merklethenon, their gaze fixed upon the rising sun. The ravaged carcasses of three sheep were strewn at the black elk’s feet and his great muzzle was bright with blood.

  “I do wish you’d keep that beast out of sight,” I growled. “If anybody chances to lay eyes upon it, we’ll have the militias of every duchy in the land hot on our heels.”

  Asenthine turned to face me, his eyes agleam in the dawn light. “Can she track the necromancer?”

  “Yes,” I replied.

  “Nesadomntha will not escape us,” the Alunai whispered gravely. “He shall fall, and when I have his head, I shall hunt down the acolytes of the slain Ghormanteia and put them to the sword. No vestige of that foul cult must remain. Such is my vow, Karnov.”

  “And it is a vow I share,” I replied. “Ghormanteia shall never rise again. His black soul was devoured by my enchantment and his remaining vassals shall be cut from the land like gangrenous flesh from a diseased limb.”

  Asenthine’s cold eyes remained fixed on me as he secured his rapier in its ornate scabbard. “Any who stand in my way will perish, human.”

  My hand moved imperceptibly closer to the icy hilt of my sword. “I believe we understand each other, Asenthine.”

  D’vartha then emerged swiftly from the shadowed hut, leaning upon her gnarled staff. “East!” she declared. “Nesadomntha has fled to his sanctum in the black necropolis which sprawls at the heart of Khefra Zuil. There he waits amongst the ancient pyramidal tombs of the great desert… in the Valley of the Deathless Kings!”

  “Can your power transport us to that distant realm, Karnov?” asked Asenthine tensely.

  “Let us find out,” I growled, preparing to drag my sword from its scabbard.

  “It would avail you naught!” exclaimed D’vartha. “The realm of Khefra Zuil is a nexus between the worlds of the living and the dead. It broods beneath the aegis of the Hieroglyphs of Neter-khertet, the power of which thwarts even the sorcery of the Cosmic Ice!”

  Asenthine and I exchanged pensive glances. Then, without a word, the Alunai swordsman deftly mounted the replete Merklethenon and wheeled the great elk on to the broad trail. Swiftly, I lifted D’vartha to Wrathmane’s back and climbed into the saddle. “Onwards, then!” I bellowed exultantly. “Once more into the embrace of battle to deal red ruin and searing slaughter unto the vile thralls of darkness!”

  And we rode east towards the rising sun.

  Perilous indeed was Karnov’s journey into the sand-flayed realms of the eastern pharaohs, but at length he and his steadfast companions stood resolutely before the great cyclopean sanctum of the mad necromancer Nesadomntha. The black horrors which they encountered in that desolate domain were myriad, and the vile secrets uncovered within the hoary catacombs of the Deathless Kings were enough to rend a man’s mind and sear his very soul. But that is another story…

  Afterword

  Eyes of the screech owl glow deep in the night

  Like skull-mounted candles ablaze

  A phantom-clad rider spreads eerie ghost-light

  His spectral sword raging in flames

  From out of their lairs vampire slave-girls return

  Eager mouths for their gift-bearing lord

  Among poison lichens and black lotus ferns

  They kneel as the lifeblood is poured

  I wrote these lines a few years ago for the opening verse of an Eternal Winter song entitled “In the Nightside of the Forest Black.” The lyrics were written simply to create a Gothic atmosphere, and had no specific meaning at the time.

  A year or two later, while organizing material for the Majestic Metal Records release Bloodmist At Dawn (a compilation album featuring heavy metal songs by bands of Sword and Sorcery authors), I began reading a book called Ghor, Kin-slayer. This novella, originally written in 1979, consisted of several fairly well-known fantasy writers taking an unfinished Robert E. Howard tale and running with it—each contributing a chapter where the previous author left off. While I liked the book, the most intriguing aspect of it to me was how each writer added their own unique touch to the story, and how they creatively dealt with the conflicts created by the author that preceded them.

  An idea struck me to organize a similar collaboration but on a smaller (and perhaps neater) scale. I presented it to my two friends and heavy metal fantasist brothers-in-arms, Byron A. Roberts and Howie K. Bentley. They were both genuinely excited and agreed on the spot to be a part of it. We were all ready to begin writing but there were two obstacles to overcome—what was the story going to be about, and what order would we go in? Eventually, I volunteered to go first and started brainstorming on some things to write about. I wanted to come up with a good beginning plot, and above all, a strong main character. I thought of an idea to do something with a ‘sword and sorcery meets Hammer Films’ kind of vibe. I started going through material I had previously written to see if I had something unfinished that might suffice. In my archives of old, handwritten drafts, I happened to come across the song lyrics for “Nightside” which I mentioned above. The opening lines jumped right out at me, and I instantly had a vision of a phantom-clad rider who fought vampires. I soon developed an idea for a main character, and an opening plot started materializing in my mind. Once I had written the first draft of Episode I, I passed it on to Howie who then began his installment. Once that was complete, he forwarded both Books onto Byron who had the task of penning the epic conclusion.

  When all was finalized, we were quite happy with the first story. We thought it was a great tale that flowed nicely, and very importantly—the ‘voice’ and style of each author shone through just as we were hoping. Since the three of us all agreed the story turned out well, we started throwing around ideas to have it published. We eventually decided that rather than submitting to various anthologies or magazines, it would be a good idea to write an additional episode in order to compile a full novel. We dove back into the world of Karnov head-first, and soon Karnov’s second adventure was underway.

  The result of this great collaboration has exceeded my wildest expectations, and I couldn’t be happier with the final product! When I read this epic, round-robin novel in its entirety, I am captivated by the amount of blood-fueled action, tragic drama, vibrant imagery, humor, unique, memorable characters, and clever, Screaming for Vengeance storyline that’s sure to please any fan of dark fantasy. I feel honored to have worked with these two brilliant authors, and I hope that all the readers of this book have enjoyed our creation as much as I do.

  By the Severed Head of Ghormanteia,

  Matthew Knight

  Summer, 2019

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