“But I have one.”
“It wasn’t destroyed in the blasts?”
“Oh, that smithy was destroyed, but that isn’t what I mean. The forge in the Aisl will be my home. I intend to continue serving as guildlord, and with that, I can connect to our clans better. Besides, I think I need to be there.”
Rsiran wasn’t sure that he could remain in the city after what he’d lost here. He could always visit, but would he ever feel safe?
“I… I can’t believe it,” his father said.
“Treat her well. Work hard.” Rsiran smiled. “You have a demanding guildlord, you know.”
His father nodded, “I know. But a great one as well.”
Rsiran Slid, leaving his father in the smithy.
He emerged in the Barth. It had also somehow survived. The old buildings nearest the shore might be among the oldest in the city, but they were among the stoutest as well. Brusus and Alyse sat talking quietly, the tavern otherwise slow. Both looked over as he emerged.
“Rsiran,” Alyse said warmly. “You look well.”
Rsiran smiled, glancing from Brusus to Alyse. “And you?”
“Besides Brusus playing with his new abilities?” she asked.
“They’ve come?” he asked.
Brusus laughed. “I don’t understand it, but after the attack… I’ve always been a decent Reader, but this is something else. I feel a connection in ways I can’t understand. Sort of like I know when I need to find those I care for.” He shrugged. “And I haven’t tested it nearly as much as your sister would have you believe. What of Jessa?”
“She… Sees… now. Not well, but it’s coming. Each day is stronger. That’s part of why I’m here.”
“And the other?” Alyse asked.
“Father is in his smithy,” he told her. “I’m sure he’d love to see you.”
“You… you gave it back to him?”
“It wasn’t really mine to give.” That wasn’t entirely true. As guildlord, he could make assignments, but it felt right. He turned to Brusus. There’s something more I need to do, and I’d like you to come with me.”
“What is it?”
Rsiran let out a deep breath. “Something for Haern.”
Brusus nodded. “When?”
“How about now?”
He glanced to Alyse, and she patted him on the hand. Brusus kissed her on the cheek and then stood, grabbing Rsiran’s arm.
They Slid, emerging on the rocks outside of Thyr. The Tower of Venass rose like a dark finger against the sky, a painful reminder of what they had been through. Shadows parted around the tower, reminding him of Carth. A part of him wondered what had become of her, and what she had done with his grandfather, but for the most part, he didn’t care. The man was gone.
“Why here?”
Rsiran stared at the tower. “Haern tried escaping the tower and failed. I think it’s time that we honor his memory.”
“In what way?”
Rsiran had thought about what needed to be done to fully recover from what Venass had done to those he cared about. He still hadn’t found the forgers, likely smiths with abilities no different from his. He suspected they were in the tower, but even if they weren’t, he intended to search until he found them.
“By destroying the tower.”
Brusus started to laugh, until he realized that Rsiran was serious. “How do you expect to destroy the tower? And why do you need me?”
“You’re here to watch, and celebrate. I’ll do the destroying.” He hesitated. There was another reason he wanted time with Brusus. “The council will allow the Forgotten to return, Brusus. It won’t happen quickly, but it will happen.”
Brusus swallowed and nodded. “Thank you.”
“Now. For the reason we’re here.” Rsiran unsheathed the sword that connected him to the Elder Trees. Now he understood that anything he forged in the Aisl smithy did the same, which was more reason for him to remain in the forest, not only for the crystals and the safety.
Drawing on the power of the Elder Trees, he pulled.
Venass had too much lorcith, and too much heartstone, to resist.
The tower began to buckle, and with a loud explosion, it fell, crumbling into ruins and leaving a cloud of dust that rose into the otherwise clear sky.
Rsiran sheathed his sword. Neither of them spoke.
After a while, Brusus chuckled. “You’re right. Haern would have loved that.”
“Venass is gone, Brusus.”
“For the most part.”
“There’s a part of me that doesn’t know what to do. I went from hiding my abilities, to battling the Forgotten and then Venass, and now to a place where I’m expected to have responsibilities.”
Brusus smiled. “You’ve come a long way, Rsiran. None of us would be where we are without you.”
“What do I do now?”
Brusus clapped him on the shoulder, and his eyes blazed a bright green, no longer hidden as they once had been. “Now? Now we are finally free to live as the Great Watcher intends.”
Rsiran stared at the ruins of Venass a moment longer, and then he took Brusus’s arm and they Slid.
I’m excited to share with you book 1 of a new series, The Lost Prophecy: The Threat of Madness, available now!
The arrival of the mysterious Magi, along with their near invincible guardians, signals a change. For Jakob, apprentice historian and son of a priest longing for adventure, it begins an opportunity.
When his home is attacked, Jakob ventures out with the his master, traveling alongside the Magi, beginning a journey that will take him far from home and everything he has ever known. As he travels, he gains surprising skill with the sword but begins to develop strange abilities, along with a growing fear that the madness which has claimed so many has come for him.
With a strange darkness rising in the north, and powers long thought lost beginning to return, the key to survival is discovering the answer to a lost prophecy. Only a few remain with the ability to find it, and they begin to suspect that Jakob has a pivotal role to play.
Want to learn about Galen during the events of Rise of the Elder? Check out Assassin’s End, book 3 of The Sighted Assassin:
After returning to Elaeavn from his exile, Galen is caught up in a fight he wants nothing to do with. When Lorst offers him a job that requires he leave the city, he gladly accepts as there’s no role for an assassin in his homeland.
The assignment brings him back into danger, and forces him to reconnect with a woman he’d left behind long ago, leaving him with mixed emotions and Cael with jealousy. Completing the job is only the beginning, and forces a discovery that even those who hired him hadn’t expected.
If he fails, the dangerous Hjan will gain the power of the crystal, but succeeding means that he’s brought deeper into something even his skills haven’t equipped him to face. Galen must use friends old and new to survive, but even that might not be enough to stop the Hjan.
Want to read more about Carth? Check out her beginning in Book 1 of The Shadow Accords trilogy: Shadow Blessed
The A'ras of Nyaesh have a terrifying reputation: skilled swordsmen, owners of powerful magic, and ruthless killers. When they kill her parents, Carth discovers her father has trained her for shadow magic she never knew she possessed.
She must use those skills to stay alive, discover a way to find answers, and avenge her parents if she can. Only the discovery of a greater threat than the A'ras forces her to risk herself for new friends and a home she never wanted but now can’t imagine losing.
Author’s Note
Thanks for sticking with me for Rsiran’s journey. In my mind, he began as the assassin in a novella I wrote for a writing workshop, now included in The Forgotten. In that initial draft, he was a cold and competent assassin named Rsiran, hired to kill Cael and Galen. I found myself thinking about how he would have reached the point in his life that he did in the novella. I renamed him Lorst to hide his identity, started on the Dark Ability, and if you�
�re reading this, you know the rest! He was a troubled character, wanting nothing more than a family, and I enjoyed helping him find the relationships he desired—and deserved. Through it all, I knew that in the end of the series, I would have to get him back together with Galen, and have enjoyed the twists it took getting there.
I’ve been asked whether there will be more stories in this world, and though I think Rsiran’s story is complete, there are others I’d eventually like to discover. I love hearing from fans, so let me know if you have any favorites you’d like to explore more. For now, you can read about Rsiran (The Dark Ability series), Galen (The Sighted Assassin), and Carth (The Shadow Accords).
Galen’s story will finish soon with Assassin’s End, a book with overlap of the events in Rise of the Elder. Everything with Galen has been building up to the point where he needs to decide what he wants for himself, and he needs to decide whether to be the assassin or the hero.
When I first wrote about Carth, I knew I’d have to visit her backstory. Shadow Blessed is the first of what will probably be 5 or 6 books, detailing her early years and the development of her network. After reading this book, you know how incredible Carth is, but it takes time, training, and experience to get her there. She’s proven to be one of my favorite characters to write.
Thanks again and keep reading!
DK Holmberg
[email protected]
About the Author
DK Holmberg currently lives in rural Minnesota where the winter cold and the summer mosquitoes keep him inside and writing.
Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed and how books are discovered. If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review at Amazon, even if it's only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated.
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For more information:
www.dkholmberg.com
Also by D.K. Holmberg
The Dark Ability
The Dark Ability
The Heartstone Blade
The Tower of Venass
Blood of the Watcher
The Shadowsteel Forge
The Guild Secret
Rise of the Elder
The Sighted Assassin
The Painted Girl (novella)
The Binders Game
The Forgotten
Assassin’s End
The Shadow Accords
Shadow Blessed
Shadow Cursed
Shadow Born
Shadow Lost
Shadow Cross
Shadow Found
The Lost Prophecy
The Threat of Madness
The Warrior Mage
Tower of the Gods
Twist of the Fibers
The Lost City
The Last Conclave
The Gift of Madness
The Great Betrayal
The Teralin Sword
Soldier Son
Soldier Sword
Soldier Sworn
Soldier Saved
The Endless War
Journey of Fire and Night
Darkness Rising
Endless Night
Summoner’s Bond
The Cloud Warrior Saga
Chased by Fire
Bound by Fire
Changed by Fire
Fortress of Fire
Forged in Fire
Serpent of Fire
Servant of Fire
Born of Fire
Broken of Fire
Light of Fire
Cycle of Fire
Others in the Cloud Warrior Series
Prelude to Fire
Chasing the Wind
Drowned by Water
Deceived by Water
Salvaged by Water
The Lost Garden
Keeper of the Forest
The Desolate Bond
Keeper of Light
The Painter Mage
Shifted Agony
Arcane Mark
Painter For Hire
Stolen Compass
Stone Dragon
Rise of the Elder Page 29