by David Green
“Come on,” Calene said, gripping Vettigan’s shoulder. “We’ve got work to do.”
As her friend sighed and turned away, she looked back at the empty space that had once been Solitude.
Goodbye, mother, Calene thought, forcing back tears. We’ll meet again, Raas and Janna willing.
She followed Vettigan, determined to find Brina, Kade and the truth, and left Solitude’s shadow behind her.
EPILOGUE
THE RETURN
Malek watched the battle from the tallest point of the Peaks of Eternity. The balcony built into the cliff face offered a commanding view of Solitude. Or it had.
A spectacular display of magic, he thought, thinking of the blaze of energy that had eradicated the fortress. These barbarians are capable of grand feats.
He turned and strode across the focus chamber, pausing by the Lodestone and gazing at the full, lush tree growing from it. He reached a hand out, then pulled away. It didn’t pulse with such life in his world, but Malek had witnessed what the source could do to those who didn’t respect it. The Lodestone didn’t like to be touched.
“In my world, you’re almost dead,” he told it. “In fact, using you to come here killed you. Imagine what we can do together now, with you so healthy. So vibrant and powerful. You still have so much to achieve before you serve your purpose.”
He made his way to the rear balcony. The white portal beacon reached down from the sky to touch the ground on the other side of the Peaks, spreading hundreds of feet wide. Its edges shimmered as his armies passed through and assembled on the cold and desolate plains. Hundreds of thousands of fighting men and women. His vanguard.
Magi toiled on the other side of the portal, where his home lay. He could see glimpses of it—the blood-red sky of a dying world. The magi assured him they had the time and the power to transport his people, his Emperor, to safety, but they’d been wrong before. Very wrong.
In aeons to come, a city would grow in the spot where his army assembled. A place that would become Malek’s city, the home of his Emperor. He gazed across the centuries and thought of the fires, floods and earthquakes that had devoured his world.
This Haltveldt is ripe for the taking, Malek thought, turning away and letting his gaze fall on the Lodestone. And once we’ve purged this continent, the world will be ours.
THE END.
David Green is a writer of dark fiction. Born in Manchester, UK and living in Galway, Ireland, David grew up with gloomy clouds above his head, and rain water at his feet, which has no doubt influenced his dark scribblings. David is the author of the Pushcart Prize nominated novelette Dead Man Walking, and is excited for his fantasy series, Empire of Ruin, debuting in June 2021 from Eerie River Publishing.
Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/y6ah8brp
www.twitter.com/davidgreenwrite
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COMING 2021
PATH OF WAR: EMPIRE OF RUIN BOOK TWO
The Banished have made their move, now Haltveldt answers back.
Reeling from the events at Solitude, Calene Alpenwood embarks on a journey to find meaning in all that she's seen, and discover the answers she so desperately seeks. Finding herself more alone than ever, Calene is trapped between doing what's right, and doing what needs to be done.
Meanwhile, Kade Besem continues his search for his son, Arlo, and the strange warrior-monk Tilo. His hunt takes him deep into Banished territory and into the jaws of danger.
Revelations are revealed, ancient secrets are uncovered and those who stand in the Empire's way can't hope to win when Haltveldt walks the Path of War.
www.eerieriverpublishing.com/empire-of-ruin
Also by David Green
Brand New Adventures with Nick Holleran Series
Nick Holleran, private detective, had seen it all.
Then he died and returned to life, realizing he understood a lot less than he thought. He saw Heaven, waiting above, but discovered there's no Hell below - the living reside there already, oblivious to the ghosts, demons, and fallen angels amongst us.
Taking cases to earn his way a ticket into Heaven and to discover the truth of the world surrounding him, a job falls into Holleran's lap that brings his past into the present, testing his new found virtues. Revenge is a sin, and sinners spend all their lives in Hell.
For Nick Holleran, work is Hell; but you can't keep a dead man down.
Dead Man Walking - Coming july 2021
the devil walks in blood - coming july 2021
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