Evil Within

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "Actually," replied the Arin prince, "it is not nonsense at all. Jared learned from Orro that your family members are the only heirs to the throne of Vineland. You are descended from Ericson, the only son of King Eric of Vineland. He withheld that information because you possessed the Talent, and he felt that no ruler should be a Talent wielder. Your father is the new King of Vineland. That makes you a princess. Pretty despicable, isn't it?"

  Winona's mouth opened in shock, but Monte and Talot both grinned as they bowed low to the new princess.

  "Oh, stop that," Winona blushed. "I could never be a princess, could I?"

  "It happens even to the best of us at times," chuckled Prince Antion. "It is a dreadful condition, but I understand that it does have certain benefits, assuming your father does not disagree."

  "Disagree to what?" Winona asked coyly.

  "Our marriage," frowned Prince Antion. "Do you still refuse me?"

  "How can I say?" Winona shrugged playfully. "This princess has never been asked to marry anyone."

  Talot and Monte both laughed heartily as Prince Derri and Prince Umal arrived. Prince Antion winked at his friends and fell to his knees.

  "Will the Princess of Vineland consent to marry me?" Prince Antion asked formally.

  "She will," grinned Princess Winona.

  Talot grinned broadly and put his arm around Monte to lead him away from the stables as Prince Antion stood and embraced Princess Winona. Prince Umal and Prince Derri halted before they reached the happy couple.

  "I bet she brings her children personally to horse camp when the time comes," quipped Prince Umal.

  "She will not be the typical princess," agreed Prince Derri, "but she is well suited for our blood brother. At least he won't have to sneak out of the castle to go on an adventure. She will be right by his side."

  THE END

  Author's Website for maps and information. http://rstuttle.com

  Author's Facebook page for news and events. http://facebook.com/tuttlefantasy

  Email the author: richard@rstuttle.com

  Titles by Richard S. Tuttle

  Amica Saga (Current Series) (2013-2017 )

  Avenging Shadow

  Grim Gambit

  Night Stalker

  Blood Magic

  Lost City of the Ancients

  Return of the Mage Lords

  Blood Army

  Edge of Doom

  Targa Trilogy - (Alcea Collection) (1997)

  Origin Scroll

  Dark Quest

  Ancient Prophecy

  Sword of Heavens Series - (Alcea Collection) (1998-2003)

  Sapphire of the Fairies

  Unicorns' Opal

  Abuud: the One-Eyed God

  Dwarven Ruby

  Emerald of the Elves

  Dragons' Onyx

  Amethyst of the Gods

  Demonstone Chronicles - (Alcea Collection) (2006-2009)

  Knights of Alcea

  Final Voyage of the Remora

  Council of War

  Demonkin

  Heirs of the Enemy

  13 Day War

  Alutar: the Great Demon

  Forgotten Legacy - (Khadora Collection) (1998-2004)

  Young Lord of Khadora

  Star of Sakova

  Web of Deceit

  Aakuta: the Dark Mage

  Island of Darkness

  Elvangar

  Winged Warrior

  Army of the Dead

  Back

  The Amica Saga is an epic fantasy series based in the fictional land of Amica. It starts four hundred years after the end of the Great Mage Wars of Amica.

  Avenging Shadow starts the series with a young blacksmith in the small country of Kor. After a mysterious stranger's visit to his family's blacksmith shop, young Marcus is drawn into an adventure that will require him to become a rebel assassin.

  Grim Gambit, the second volume, opens with the discovery of the meaning of a secret message left in the hilt of the Sword of Articus four hundred years ago. Marcus and Antioch leave on a short visit to an ancient temple and find themselves embroiled in a vast conspiracy of rogue mages and slaves.

  Night Stalker, the third volume, begins where Grim Gambit left off. Antioch and Marcus sneak off during the victory celebration and head for the Riviera, but Antioch has a secret stop planned along the way, a destination so secret that its existence must be hidden from the world.

  Blood Magic, the fourth volume, begins a few weeks after the end of Night Stalker. Marcus, Mari, Nigil, and Taraka head for the Northlands where a trap awaits them.

  Lost City of the Ancients, the fifth volume, begins a few weeks after the end of Blood Magic. With a horrendous war fast approaching, Marcus tries to find a way to unite the kings of Amica and prepare for the coming onslaught.

  Back

  When a mysterious stranger appears at his family's blacksmith shop, Marcus's life is turned upside down. The young blacksmith loses everything in a single day and is driven to become an assassin for the rebel army seeking to overthrow the corrupt government. Others rally around the Avenging Shadow, but each of them has a different motive for helping, and those motives could mean his death.

  Back

  What starts out as a short trip to a temple turns into a race to stay alive as Marcus and Antioch are pursued by a mage enforcer and bounty hunters. Prodded by a priest and a caravan warrior, Marcus finally accepts his fate as the Avenging Shadow and dives into a deep conspiracy that is enslaving the population of Grim and cornering the market for iron.

  Back

  Thefts, assassinations and political corruption rock the Amican Riviera as powerful rouge mages intent on world denomination quietly work their blood magic. The authorities seem incapable of stopping the crimes as the Avenging Shadow joined by old friends and new allies leaps into the fray but will it be enough to stem the rumblings of a resurgence of the ancient Mage Wars?

  Back

  Posing as a merchant's warrior, the Avenging Shadow sneaks into the Northlands to learn what the rogue mages have in store for Amica, but the enemy is waiting for him and seals the mountain pass that is his only path of escape.

  Back

  A terrible war is coming to Amica. Rogue mage lords control the north where armies are massing for a spring offensive; new breeds of mage beasts are ready to destroy everything in their path, and vile blood magic controls the masses. Only the Avenging Shadow and his band of ragtag followers have seen the truth. With time for preparations running out, Marcus sets out to form an Amican Alliance amongst the twenty-nine countries south of the Northern Wall, but he has no proof to present to the skeptical and capricious kings. When he enlists the help of the few kings who know him and believe in him, the rogue mages begin a campaign of intimidation and assassination to derail the efforts of the Avenging Shadow. The only path left open to Marcus is to reveal his identity to convince the kings, but that move makes him a target as the rogue mages of Lantana learn of his true identity.

  Back

  Over four hundred years ago, Terrus the Liberator ended the Mage Wars by banishing the mage lords to the island of Lantana. The world was at peace, but that era of peace has ended. Alfor and his rogue mages have seized control of the Northlands of Amica and are bringing about the return of the mage lords. As the world rushes to war, the Amican Alliance is faced with an ever-widening front in the north while Alfor tries to bring the mages of Lantana into the war as his allies. If all of the mages unite against Amica, the world is certainly doomed, but there is a single ray of hope standing in the way of that destruction. The Avenging Shadow wields the Sword of Articus, and he plans to take on Alfor and the mages, even if he must do so alone.

  Back

  As the battle lines are drawn, an awesome weapon is forged in the north, an army that will destroy the Alliance before the war has even begun. Join Marcus and his allies as they race to prepare for war. In this penultimate volume of the Amica Saga, they must face Alfor's plots and the fearsome machinations
of his nefarious rogue mage infiltrators, but the true danger lies in the coming Blood Army.

  Back

  Vastly outnumbered, the tiny armies of the Amican Alliance brace for the coming onslaught that will crush their world. As everyone teeters on the Edge of Doom, the Avenging Shadow bets everything on an unorthodox strategy to turn Alfor's strengths against him.

  Back

  Targa Trilogy

  The Targa Trilogy details the trials and perils of Alexander, Jenneva, and Oscar as these special, gifted youngsters take on the diabolical Sarac and his minions.

  Origin Scroll starts the series with three 15-year-olds who are thrust onto the world stage as the only hope to stop the evil Sarac.

  Dark Quest, the second volume, finds our young heroes challenged by Mordac, Sarac's assistant.

  Ancient Prophecy, the third and final volume in the series, forces our fearless trio to face a renewed and more powerful foe as Sarac is given new powers by the demon Alutar

  Back

  Origin Scroll

  The world is in peril. The Evil sorcerer, Sarac, seeks an ancient document entitled, the Origin Scroll. This ancient tome contains the knowledge to control the very existence of the Universes. Sarac will stop at nothing to obtain the Origin Scroll and the fate of the Universes rest with three unknown children.

  Alexander Tork, a fifteen-year-old boy, is an apprentice lumberman learning the trade from his father in a small nameless village in the frontier region of Targa.

  Oscar Dalek, a fifteen-year-old boy, lives with his widowed mother in a town on the Targa-Cordonia border. The family's survival rests with the boy's abilities to salvage whatever he can from the caravans crossing the border.

  Jenneva Roth, a fifteen-year-old girl who loves to read, lives with her aged uncle in western Targa. Unfortunately, her uncle's health is failing and she must travel across the country to live with relatives she has never seen.

  Origin Scroll by Richard S. Tuttle is a fantasy novel about three formerly insignificant young people who will meet and unite their special abilities to challenge the evil sorcerer, Sarac, before he destroys the Universes.

  Origin Scroll is the first volume of the Targa Trilogy. Dark Quest and Ancient Prophecy complete the Targa Trilogy.

  Back

  Dark Quest

  The world is in peril again as Mordac, Sarac's assistant gathers the forces of evil to free Sarac from his imprisonment. Mordac calls for a gathering of Black Devils and instructs them to obtain every book ever written. Plans to cause havoc and destruction are also undertaken to soften the world's armies in preparation of Sarac's return.

  Two especially devout followers of Sarac, Aurora and Dalgar, rise to prominence as nations topple and mayhem runs rampant. Armies stand poised to obliterate each other and thrones are stolen by magic and cunning.

  Follow the tales of our young trio as Alex is accused of assassinating the king and an arrest warrant is issued for Jenneva.

  Back

  Ancient Prophecy

  Ages ago, elves and dwarves unknowingly migrated between Universes via a Junction. Jenneva and Egam believe they have found a Junction and plan a trip with Alexander to test the theory and investigate the origins of the elves and dwarves. Because they believe that the perennial animosity between the two races is due to misunderstandings about their histories, the mages include the prince of elves and the prince of dwarves in the group.

  Trouble begins at the very start of the journey as Egam falters going through the Junction, awakening an old nemesis, the evil demon, Alutar. It appears that the excursion will not just clarify history, but also actually change it.

  As the group discovers they are trapped in the new Universe, the shocking truth of the real history of the races is overshadowed by impending doom as an ancient prophecy begins to unfold.

  Meanwhile, the evil sorcerer, Sarac, not only gains freedom from his imprisonment, but also gains the blessing of the evil demon, Alutar. With the blessing, Sarac is given new powers and is promised a reign of a thousand years.

  The race is on to prevent Sarac from unfettered control of the Universes, as our trio stands incapable of altering the prophecy of destruction.

  Back

  Sword of Heavens

  The Sword of Heavens is a seven volume series that follows the Targa Trilogy. The series starts 17 years after the end of the Targa Trilogy and features the Children of the Prophecy. To save the world from Sarac's evil grasp, these uninformed and ill-prepared youngsters must embark on a series of adventures to restore the ancient Sword of Heavens to its full mystical powers. Only a full restored Sword of Heavens wielded by a descendent of Sarac can end the reign of the Dark One.

  Each stone in the Sword of Heavens represents a race from one of the seven original universes and the stones are rare artifacts that will not be merely handed over to the Children. To accomplish their goal, the Children must learn the ancient arts of magic and warfare and become Masters to survive.

  The seven volumes of the series are:

  Sapphire of the Fairies

  Unicorns' Opal

  Abuud: the One-Eyed God

  Dwarven Ruby

  Emerald of the Elves

  Dragons' Onyx

  Amethyst of the Gods

  Back

  Sapphire of the Fairies

  Seventeen years have passed since the end of the Targa Trilogy and the Children of the Ancient Prophecy have avoided detection, until now.

  The Children have fled and the evil forces of Sarac are in hot pursuit. Gathered by a pair of gypsies, three boys and two girls join forces to wield the ancient Sword of Heavens, the only artifact that can defeat Sarac. The sword, however, must be restored before it can be used properly.

  Not knowing whom they can trust, the Children embark on an adventure to seek the Sapphire of the Fairies as their first step towards restoring the Sword of Heavens.

  Sarac and his forces of evil are alerted to the beginning of the prophecy and the existence of the Children, but nobody knows which two of the youngsters are the Children of the Prophecy, not even the Children themselves.

  Back

  Unicorns' Opal

  Placing the Sapphire of the Fairies in the Sword of Heavens cleared the skies over Cordonia. The end of the Darkness in that part of the world has alerted Sarac to the location of the Children and his evil minions are converging on the Rangers.

  The Sword of Heavens has pointed the way to the Unicorns' Opal, but the Children must stay one step ahead of the forces of evil to complete their task.

  Follow the adventure of the Children of the Ancient Prophecy as confusion, doubt, and betrayal infiltrate their ranks and threaten to bring an end to the hopes of the world.

  Back

  Abuud: the One-Eyed God

  While the Children of the Ancient Prophecy seek the Diamond of Edona, the Dark One's forces are mobilizing to preserve his evil grip on the world. Goblins are massed to begin the campaign of destroying those pledged to the heir. In Tagaret, the Contest of Power threatens to prevent the heir from assuming the throne of Alcea. Meanwhile, a death squad, called Sarac's Ravens, is sent out to destroy Alex, Jenneva, and the heir. Unwittingly helping Sarac, is a prophet for the god Abuud, who feels destined to control the world.

  The search for the Diamond of Edona suddenly becomes deadlier as the Children are split up by multiple threats. Follow the adventure of the Children of the Ancient Prophecy as the mysterious Master Khatama, the charismatic prophet Azmet, and the unseen Stafa Rakech take part in molding the Ancient Prophecy towards their desired goals.

  Back

  Dwarven Ruby

  Before the Prince of Alcea can secure the Dwarven Ruby for the Sword of Heavens, he must first find an ancient magical shield created by dwarven magicians eons ago. The shield was carried into battle against the goblins, but the dwarves that carried it have never been heard from again. Meanwhile, the mysteriously senile Mage entices some of the Children of the Ancient Prophecy to join him in wh
at may be a suicide attack of the Imperial Palace of Emperor Hanchi.

  The Contest of Power reaches a critical stage in Tagaret, and gypsy rebels must determine what the Ancient Prophecy means to them. Discover a world of might, magic, and intrigue as the search for the fourth gem of the Sword of Heavens brings danger to a new level.

  Back

  Emerald of the Elves

  Although Queen Marta has secured the throne in Tagaret, the city is still not safe for Prince Arik. Remnants of the Council still seek to end the monarchy, and the city is riddled with agents of the Dark One. Even though it has long been expected, the march northward of the army of Lanoir sends shivers down the spines of everyone paying attention. As the forces of Abuud, Sarac, and Emperor Hanchi begin to converge on Tagaret, Prince Arik is forced to make a giant step towards his destiny to rule Alcea.

  Sarac's Ravens continue to track the Alcea Rangers and battle with them becomes assured. The search for the Emerald of the Elves is complicated by an elven queen who does not wish the Ancient Prophecy to be completed, and a failure of the Sword of Heavens to locate the gem. The quest to fulfill the Ancient Prophecy becomes more dangerous than ever as the battles begin to take their toll on the Alcea Rangers.>