And what Ridmark and Calliande did not know was that the Warden had more than one plan underway to escape Urd Morlemoch.
He waited, using his magic to watch the flow of the world.
Years passed.
Many of the Warden’s warriors had been killed in the backlash of his duel with Ardrhythain. But his tribes of mutated orcs, who worshipped him as a god and called themselves the Devout, lived in cities in the Deeps beneath Urd Morlemoch and were safe from the lava. After about three years, the Devout had finished building a causeway to Urd Morlemoch, allowing them to attend their god once more. Valakoth, the First of the Devout, had been killed in the fighting, but following their custom the Devout elected a new First, a powerful wizard named Mhalkhor, and he came and vowed eternal service to the Warden again.
Still more time passed.
The Warden sent the Devout into the world to bring him objects he found interesting, or to spy on his enemies.
With his magic, he watched the patterns of destiny change and shift and take on a new form.
“It is almost time,” said the Warden one day, his blue coat stirring around his undead body in the cold wind that blew across Urd Morlemoch.
“My lord?” said Mhalkhor with a bow. Like all the Devout, he was hairless, with his skin more gray than green. Tumors grew on his temples, shining with a pale blue light. That was one of the mutations the Warden had induced in his orcs, which gave them all the ability to use dark magic.
“The dragons will soon return to this world,” said the Warden.
Mhalkhor waited for his lord to speak.
“There will be five Heralds of Ruin,” said the Warden. “And then I shall open the door that must never be opened.”
Mhalkhor bowed. “I do not understand your wisdom, my lord, but I await your will.”
Then, in the Year of Our Lord 1488, ten years after Ridmark and the Keeper escaped, a visitor arrived.
She moved with stealth, but the Devout spotted her long before she came to the lake of fire and the causeway.
“A human female, my lord,” said Mhalkhor. “She is skilled in both stealth and arms, and bears a weapon of dark magic. It seems she intends to enter Urd Morlemoch.”
“Let her come,” said the Warden. Bold adventurers sometimes came to Urd Morlemoch, seeking treasure or secrets or power. The Warden always let them enter, and then offered them a challenge, partly for his own amusement, partly to see if he could derive anything useful from the situation. If they survived, he let them depart.
If they didn’t…well, he could always use another undead servant.
Of late, there had been more visitors. Tales of Ridmark Arban’s escape from Urd Morlemoch had spread through Andomhaim, and bold fools had come hoping to emulate his feat. It never seemed to occur to them that Ridmark, now the Shield Knight, and the Keeper had excellent reasons for never returning to Urd Morlemoch.
The Warden watched as his new visitor crept into the citadel. She was skilled, and she evaded the Devout, sometimes killing them singly and hiding their bodies when she risked discovery. The Warden waited as she made her way into the citadel proper and began climbing.
With a flicker of amusement, he realized that she had come to seek him out.
Yes. This woman could be one of the five he had sought.
At last, the woman reached the highest tower of Urd Morlemoch and strode out to meet him.
The Warden regarded her with both the eyes of the flesh and the eyes of magic. She was young by the measure the humans, somewhere in her twenties. By the standards of humans, she would also have been beautiful, with thick black hair, cold blue eyes, a pretty face, and a lithe, strong body. The woman wore leather armor and a ragged cloak and carried a sword imbued with dark magic at her waist.
With the eyes of magic, the Warden beheld her past, the path she had walked through the tapestry of fate and causality. He saw blood and death and torment. A father she had revered, but who had regarded her as a tool. Foes she had crushed and murders she had committed for profit. A mentor she had tried to please, who she had come to fear and hate…
Interesting. This woman was a member of the Red Family of Cintarra, one of the Matriarch’s cult of assassins. The Warden wondered if the Matriarch had sent the girl to assassinate him, but the Matriarch wasn’t that stupid. No, the young woman had rebelled against the Matriarch and come here of her own will.
She saw the Warden waiting for her and could not control the flinch of fear that went across her face. The Warden watched as she mastered herself and strode towards him. He wondered if she would try to attack him, which would be entertaining because she had no weapon that could harm him.
Instead, she went to one knee before him.
“Lord Warden,” said the woman in the dark elven tongue. “I have come through great peril to speak with you, and I beg an audience.”
“You may speak,” said the Warden. “Name yourself.”
She gazed up at him with those icy blue eyes. “My name is Aeliana Carhaine, and I am the daughter of Tarrabus Carhaine, the rightful High King of Andomhaim, who was betrayed and murdered by his subjects.”
“Indeed,” said the Warden, keeping the growing pleasure from his face. Yes, she would indeed be one of his five Heralds…and she might be the one he had sought, the ultimate vessel for his purpose. “I am most impressed, Aeliana Carhaine of Andomhaim. I watched you avoid my guards and enter my fortress with great interest.” Surprise flickered in her eyes, but she kept it from her face. “Why have you sought me out? What does the daughter of a defeated king ask of me?”
“I ask nothing of you, Lord Warden,” said Aeliana. “Instead, I offer an alliance.”
“An alliance?” said the Warden. “Your impudence amuses me. What do you have to offer?”
“Vengeance,” said Aeliana. “I know that Ridmark Arban came here and escaped. Ridmark also betrayed and murdered my father.” Her eyes seemed to burn with hate. “Give me power, Lord Warden. Give me the power, and I shall take vengeance upon Ridmark Arban for what he has done to both of us.”
In truth, the Warden did not particularly care what happened to Ridmark and his wife. If the opportunity arose to kill them, he would take it, but individual humans were never a long-term problem. If the Warden simply waited another forty or fifty years, they would both be dead, and that would be that.
But this angry child had come into his fortress, and her hatred would give the Warden the tool he needed to free himself and subdue the cosmos to his will.
“Very well, Aeliana Carhaine,” said the Warden. “You shall have what you wish.”
Follow this link to continue reading DRAGONTIARNA: KNIGHTS (https://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=11387).
***
Other books by the author
The Demonsouled Saga
MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK is a wandering knight, fearless in battle and masterful with a sword.
Yet he has a dark secret. He is Demonsouled, the son of the ancient and cruel Old Demon, and his tainted blood grants him superhuman strength and speed. Yet with the power comes terrible, inhuman rage, and Mazael must struggle to keep the fury from devouring him.
But he dare not turn aside from the strength of his blood, for he will need it to face terrible foes.
The priests of the San-keth plot and scheme in the shadows, pulling lords and kingdoms upon their strings. The serpent priests desire to overthrow the realms of men and enslave humanity. Unless Mazael stops them, they shall force all nations to bow before the serpent god.
The Malrag hordes are coming, vast armies of terrible, inhuman beasts, filled with a lust for cruelty and torment. The Malrags care nothing for conquest or treasure, only slaughter. And the human realms are ripe for the harvest. Only a warrior of Mazael’s power can hope to defeat them.
The Dominiar Order and the Justiciar Order were once noble and respected, dedicated to fighting the powers of dark magic. Now they are corrupt and cynical, and scheme only for power and glory. Th
ey will kill anyone who stands in their way.
To defeat these foes, Mazael will need all the strength of his Demonsouled blood.
Yet he faces a far more terrible foe.
For centuries the Old Demon has manipulated kings and lords. Now he shall seize the power of the Demonsouled for himself, and become the a god of torment and tyranny.
Unless Mazael can stop him.
Read Demonsouled (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=880) for free. Mazael's adventures continue in Soul of Tyrants (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=911), Soul of Serpents (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1287), Soul of Dragons (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1727), Soul of Sorcery (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1845), Soul of Skulls (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=2808), and Soul of Swords (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3599), along with the short stories The Wandering Knight (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3073), The Tournament Knight (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3677), and The Dragon's Shadow (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=2635). Get the first three books bundled together in Demonsouled Omnibus One (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4442).
The Ghosts Series
Once CAINA AMALAS was the shy daughter of a minor nobleman, content to spend her days in her father’s library.
Then sorcery and murder and her mother’s treachery tore her life apart.
Now she is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, an elite agent of the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar. She is a master of disguise and infiltration, of stealth and the shadows.
And she will need all those skills to defend the Empire and stay alive.
Corrupt lords scheme and plot in the shadows, desiring to pull down the Emperor and rule the Empire for their own profit and glory. Slave traders lurk on the fringes of the Empire, ready to seize unwary commoners and sell them into servitude in distant lands. Yet both slave traders and cruel lords must beware the Ghosts.
The Magisterium, the Imperial brotherhood of sorcerers, believe themselves the rightful masters of the Empire. With their arcane sciences, they plan to overthrow the Empire and enslave the commoners, ruling all of mankind for their own benefit. Only the Ghosts stand in the path of their sinister plans.
And the Moroaica, the ancient sorceress of legend and terror, waits in the shadows, preparing to launch a war upon the gods themselves. She will make the gods pay for the suffering of mankind...even if she must destroy the world to do it.
Caina Amalas of the Ghosts opposes these mighty enemies, but the cost might be more than she can bear.
Read Child of the Ghosts (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1057) for free. Caina's adventures continue in Ghost in the Flames (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1265), Ghost in the Blood (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1383), Ghost in the Storm (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1931), Ghost in the Stone (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=2520), Ghost in the Forge (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3181), Ghost in the Ashes (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3932), Ghost in the Mask (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4231), and Ghost in the Surge (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4637), along with the short stories Ghost Aria (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3243), Ghost Claws (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3930), Ghost Omens (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4235), The Fall of Kyrace (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4258), Ghost Thorns (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4639), Ghost Undying (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4662), Ghost Light (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5653), and Ghost Dagger (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=2371), and the prequel novels Blade of the Ghosts (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6220) and Champion of the Ghosts (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6304). Get the first three books bundled together in The Ghosts Omnibus One (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4484).
The Ghost Exile Series
Caina Amalas was a nightfighter of the Ghosts, the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar, and through her boldness and cunning saved the Empire and the world from sorcerous annihilation.
But the victory cost her everything.
Now she is exiled and alone in the city of Istarinmul, far from her home and friends. Yet a centuries-old darkness now stirs in Istarinmul, eager to devour the city and the world itself.
And Caina is the only one that stands in its way...
Read Ghost in the Cowl (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4903), Ghost in the Maze (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5090), Ghost in the Hunt (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5244), Ghost in the Razor (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5553), Ghost in the Inferno (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5759), Ghost in the Seal (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5924), Ghost in the Throne (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6145), Ghost in the Pact (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6629), and Ghost in the Winds (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6694) along with the short stories Ghost Sword (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4911), Ghost Price (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5105), Ghost Relics (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5265), Ghost Keeper (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5481), Ghost Nails (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5504), Ghost Lock (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5776), Ghost Arts (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5937), Ghost Vigil (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6153), Ghost Mimic (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6648), and Ghost Vessel (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=7028), and read the combined short stories in Exile of the Ghosts (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=7936).
The Ghost Night Series
Caina Amalas was once a deadly Ghost nightfighter, a spy and agent of the Emperor of Nighmar. Now she only wishes to live quietly with her husband.
But civil war grips the Empire, and Caina's skills are needed against the cruel sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order.
And Caina has a dangerous connection to the Umbarians.
For Caina's mother had many deadly secrets, secrets that might yet kill Caina herself...
Read Ghost in the Ring (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=7928), Ghost in the Glass (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=7954), Ghost in the Amulet (https://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=8895), and Ghost in the Tower (https://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=10346).
The Third Soul
RACHAELIS MORULAN is an Initiate of the Conclave, the powerful order of mighty mages. But to become a full Adept of the Conclave, she must first survive the Testing. Those who survive the Testing never speak of the trials they endured.
Those who fail the Testing are never seen again.
And now the Magisters of the Conclave have come to take Rachaelis to undertake the Testing. And there she shall face perils to both her body and her sanity.
And creatures that yearn to devour her soul.
If Rachaelis survives the Testing, she will face even more dangerous foes. The demons of the astral world watch the world of mortal men, desiring to rule it for themselves.
And some Adepts of the Conclave are eager to help them.
Read The Testing (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1538) for free. Rachelis's trials continue in The Assassins (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1540), The Blood Shaman (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1542), The High Demon (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1544), The Burning Child (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=2756), The Outlaw Adept (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3341), The Black Paladin (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3343), and The Tomb of Bal
igant (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3345). Read the entire series in The Third Soul Omnibus One (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4021) and The Third Soul Omnibus Two (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4061).
The Frostborn Series
A thousand years ago, the last grandson of Arthur Pendragon led the survivors of Britain through a magical gate to a new world, a world of magic and high elves, of orcs and kobolds and stranger, darker creatures. Now the descendants of the exiles rule a mighty kingdom, peaceful and prosperous under the rule of the High King.
But a shadow threatens to devour the kingdom.
RIDMARK ARBAN was once a Swordbearer, a knight of renown. Now he is a branded outcast, stripped of his sword, and despised as a traitor.
But he alone sees the danger to come. The Frostborn shall return, and unless they are stopped, they will cover all the world in ice and a neverending winter.
CALLIANDE awakens in the darkness, her memories gone, and creatures of terrible power hunting her.
For she alone holds the secret that can save the world…or destroy it utterly.
The secret of the Frostborn.
Read Frostborn: The First Quest (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4439), followed by Frostborn: The Gray Knight (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4069), Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4437), Frostborn: The Undying Wizard (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4776), Frostborn: The Master Thief (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5007), Frostborn: The Iron Tower (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5183), Frostborn: The Dark Warden (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5330), Frostborn: The Gorgon Spirit (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5330), Frostborn: The Broken Mage (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5860), Frostborn: The World Gate (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6028), Frostborn: The High Lords (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6403), Frostborn: The False King (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6865), Frostborn: The Dwarven Prince (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=7270), Frostborn: Excalibur (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=7414), Frostborn: The Dragon Knight (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=7549), and Frostborn: The Shadow Prison (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=7803), and the prequel novels Frostborn: The Knight Quests (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6384) and Frostborn: The Bone Quest (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=8069) along with the short stories The Orc's Tale (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5661), The Mage's Tale (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4784), The Thief's Tale (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5012), The Assassin's Tale (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5186), The Paladins's Tale (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5328), The Knight's Tale (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5865), The Soldier's Tale (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6045), and The Soldier's Tale (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6409). Read the first three books combined in Frostborn Omnibus One (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5671).
Malison: Dragon War Page 12