Return of the Dwarf King

by Charley Case

  Finn dropped to his knees, the pain overwhelming him. He saw Lithor’s feet step in close, and felt the tip of the dagger hook under his chin, making him look up into the one-eyed man’s face. Movement behind the Kashgar caught Finn’s eye, but he kept his focus on Lithor.

  “How dare you come onto my ship and kill my people? I told you what I would do if you came back. Looks like I’ll have to find someone else to kill in front of you since that fucking bitch went down like the helpless Peabrain she was.”

  Finn smiled up at him. He could taste the blood on his teeth and his strength was bleeding out of his chest, but it was all he could do to not laugh. He saw a flash of silver and gold behind the Kashgar.

  “That’s some bold talk for a one-eyed fat man,” Finn said, grinning at the confused look on Lithor’s face. “Oh, and just to be clear, Mila’s peaceful, not helpless.”

  “What the fuck is that supposed to—”

  Gram’s gold blade of sliced cleanly through Lithor’s neck, leaving his head on his shoulders, but no longer attached. Lithor’s mouth opened and closed a few times before he crumpled to the ground, his head rolling under the console.

  Finn smiled at Mila, her shoulders heaving and eyes wild. Her hoodie had a basketball-sized hole in the front, showing her taut belly covered in silver chainmail. She was sweating, her hair was coming out of its ponytail in all directions, and her makeup was smeared around her eyes, but she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

  Finn mustered every last scrap of strength and grit he had and lurched to his feet, scooping Mila up in his arms and diving through the door he had opened earlier. Penny was right on his heels and slapped the red button beside the center chair. The small door slid shut, and they rocketed away from the ship as the escape pod’s thrusters went to full burn.

  Finn looked through the small window and saw his mistreated companion, the Anthem, completely covered in small bubbles. As he watched, the bubbles began to expand as the ship went higher and higher. In one sudden move, they all contracted.

  The Anthem disappeared in a haze of red mist, then the sky lit up with fire.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Mila reclined in the corner of the couch in her customary lounging clothes: black tights and a baggy t-shirt. Star Wars: A New Hope was playing on the TV, but she wasn’t watching. She knew all the lines anyway. Instead, she watched Finn and Penny watching it, and smiled. They were enthralled, to say the least. Penny hadn’t taken a bite of popcorn in the last five minutes, which might have been a record for her.

  The Anthem had been destroyed in the early hours of Saturday, and after contacting Hermin with one of his cards, he had transported them back to Mila’s condo. Danica had been waiting for them, her medical bag open and ready just in case, which had turned out to be a good call. She had patched up Finn and Mila without comment, then ordered them some food and went out.

  Mila, Finn, and Penny fell asleep immediately, all tangled on the couch, and slept until late Sunday morning. Finn awoke first and made them all pancakes and coffee. They ate and joked and didn’t talk about what had happened over the last few days.

  Mila guessed Finn was giving her time to process the whole thing, and she appreciated that because once she slowed down, there was a lot to think about.

  That night, they’d finally sat down and talked.

  Mila understood that she could never go back to the way things were before Finn and Penny showed up at the Kum & Go. That would always be the moment she would think of as dividing Before and After. Before she knew about magic, and after. Before she believed in dragons, and after. Before she understood just how small the world was, how many lives were at stake, how many others there were out there, and after.

  And maybe one day, it would be the time before love…

  But she knew for sure that it was the time before she understood what family was, and after. Finn and Penny had put their lives on the line for her and asked nothing in return. That was what family did, and it was something she had forgotten as life became more hectic, and friends fell to the wayside.

  She called her mom that night and talked with her for over an hour, just to see how she was doing. It was nice.

  Monday morning, she had gone into work and told them that she was taking a year of sabbatical. They put up a fuss, but in the end, she got her way and told them she would still be around if anything important came up. She wasn’t planning on going anywhere in particular, but she had a feeling that she would be traveling quite a bit with Finn around.

  When she went into her office, she found a note from Jeff, this time written in English. He said that things had changed, and he begged her to not come looking for him. He believed in what the Dark Star was trying to achieve—a nation for Magicals.

  She wondered if he had been coerced to write it, but she guessed she would find out eventually.

  That was the main part of her talk with Penny and Finn: what to do about the Dark Star. In the end, they didn’t know what to do, only that something had to be done.

  Together, they decided it was a problem for a later time. Now was the time to relax and recuperate…and what better way to do that than sitting on the couch watching a movie marathon while eating their favorite junk food?

  “Oh, man.” Finn pointed at the screen.

  Luke was checking out his lightsaber for the first time.

  “I really want one of those,” the dwarf gushed.

  Mila chuckled. “Everyone wants one of those.” She slipped her bare feet into his lap and smiled when he started rubbing her arch with his big thumb.

  Penny slipped off the back of the couch, a fresh box of Charleston Chews in her hands, and curled up on Mila’s lap. Keeping her eyes fixed on the screen, she reached into the box and handed one of the candies to Mila.

  “Thanks.”

  Penny puffed a smoke ring from one nostril and patted Mila’s leg affectionately before taking a bite of her chew.

  Mila put her arm behind her head and popped the chew in her mouth. She closed her eyes, content for the first time in a long time.

  Finn gently rubbed Mila’s foot, careful not to use too much pressure. He had to be careful with her. He saw that she had painted her toenails matte black, and really liked the color against her light brown skin. It hinted at the edge she kept hidden from most people, but he had seen plenty of it over the last few days. She was strong and smart and capable like no other woman he had ever met. She was more dwarf than most dwarves he knew. His people were supposed to be rulers and to have the ability to rule without the intent. Mila had that in spades.

  From the first moment he had seen her, he had been drawn to her. The whole time he was in the convenience store, he’d been hoping she would still be there when he left, and it turned out she had been going in to find him.

  He liked to say it was fate, but maybe there was more at work than some unseen hand. Mila was like a beacon that he couldn’t help but find in the dark. Like a black hole he couldn’t escape from.

  When he glanced at her, she had her eyes closed and a small smile on her face that warmed his core.

  He would need to protect her. There was more to her than met the eye. Unlike most people, she had a purpose in the universe—she was a fulcrum that would lever the world. He was the son of the dwarf king, but she was important. Maybe together, they could make a difference.

  He caught Penny looking at his hands, which were still methodically rubbing Mila’s small foot. She glanced up at him and smiled, a ring of smoke drifting from her nostril.

  He smiled and shrugged. She was right.

  She usually was.

  The Story Continues with Hunt Of The Dwarf King

  Available for pre-order at Amazon.

  Hell hath no fury? Wait, that’s not right.

  A pack of hell hounds are terrorizing the magical community, but does anyone know where they came from, or who has hold of their leash?

  Finn and Penny are asked to hunt the hounds down bef
ore anyone else gets hurt, but for a six five dwarf and a pint-sized dragon a pack of hell hounds might be a little above their pay grade.

  Join your favorite giant dwarf and snarky dragon as they start the hunt of a lifetime. They thought finding lost treasure was difficult, but at least the treasure didn't bite back.

  Grab a box of Charleston Chews and kick up your feet. This is one hunt you won’t want to miss.

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  Author Notes - Charley Case

  October 23, 2019

  Hello everyone!

  Thank you so much for reading this story, and if you are reading these notes, then a double thank you for taking the time.

  This book was made possible by my favorite two things in the entire universe; a funny idea between friends, and people that are willing to give you a chance.

  The funny idea came from a discussion between me and Martha about dwarves, and what they would be like in an urban fantasy setting. The idea of the short, stocky, bearded grumps we have all come to know and love felt a little ordinary for the universe Martha had created with Maggie Parker, so we wanted to do something different. I don’t remember which one of us thought of it first, but we asked ourselves “What if dwarves were really tall and handsome? And the rest of the magicals didn’t really like them because they were a bunch of bastards, so they just made up the whole short and ugly thing to piss them off?”

  It was a funny thought experiment, but the idea stuck in our heads. We started talking about what kinds of things he would like and do. We decided that John Wayne would become one of his heroes, and he would love to do weird things like melt Charleston Chews in his coffee, and not be able to get drunk without really strapping one on. The idea grew and grew, and we knew he had a story to tell, but he wouldn’t be alone. He needed a partner. A Chewbacca to his Han.

  And Penny, the blue dragon was born.

  We liked the idea of a “pet” that was smarter than its owner. She was the sensible one. The snarky one. And just like a tall dwarf, we liked the idea of a small dragon.

  There was just one person more needed. The one that would be able to tell Finn and Penny’s story from our perspective. Mila Winters. She’s smart, she’s tough, and she’s adaptable. And like all good heroines she has some secrets of her own to grow into.

  So, now we had a cast of good strong characters. All that was left was telling their story. A good long tale that would take us from the depths of space to the couch in Mila’s condo and everywhere in between. It’s a good tale that you, dear reader, have just begun, and I hope you are willing to take that long journey with us.

  Now for the second part; someone willing to give you a chance.

  Martha and I have become friends over the years, and it all started with a late night talk at a book conference in London. I hadn’t even finished my first book at the time, and didn’t really know anyone at the conference, but I happened to sit down next to Martha. Best seat choice ever!

  As you may know, most authors are odd at best, and me and Martha are no exception to that. We chatted a little, but we didn’t know each other at all and, at first, we struggled to find common ground.

  Then an angel in a black server’s uniform stepped in and changed everything.

  Martha, to the server: “I’ll have a Prosecco.”

  The young, and obviously not thinking, server: “We have skinny Prosecco…” he said, with a raised eyebrow.

  I thought I had seen a withering glance before, but I realized I had never seen a real withering glance until that very moment. Let me just say, Martha has the best one. Academy Award level wither. “How about just a Prosecco?”

  The server turned red and skittered away to get her a fully-leaded Prosecco.

  Me and Martha looked at one another and burst out laughing.

  From that moment on we became good friends. She mentored me when I was down, and we’ve had conversations about everything from writing to our place in this crazy universe we all live in. She’s taught me to believe in my abilities, and trust in the process.

  I can’t possibly repay her for her wisdom and guidance, but more than that I can’t thank her enough for believing in me.

  I’ve never met a more real person in my entire life.

  So, I don’t look at this book, and what we’ve created, as a business deal… it’s just a continuation, an evolution, of a friendship that will last for the rest of our lives.

  Thank you, dear reader, and thank you Martha.

  Charley Case

  Boise Idaho,

  October 2019

  Want to connect with me? Follow me on Facebook or join my Facebook group.

  Author Notes - Martha Carr

  October 25, 2019

  And the Universe expands! Big Welcome to Charley Case and his new series – The Adventures of Finnegan Dragonbender in the Terranavis Universe. I saw Charley’s rendition of the ‘Prosecco’ incident in his author notes.

  Tell me, who repeats a slightly older fetching woman’s drink order to her and adds the word ‘skinny’? Only the young or foolish.

  The other part of that story he didn’t mention is that we brainstormed the idea for a jean-shorts-wearing-raccoon who can’t resist the call of a Taco Bell dumpster that eventually became part of The Elemental’s Magic, Book 3 in The Adventures of Maggie Parker. It was a very productive night in London.

  Since then, Charley and his beautiful wife and animal vet, Kelly, have stayed at my house to attend a wedding here in Austin and Charley returned for a small author summit in my living room. It’s my clever way of getting people to come to me. I see the inside of way too many airports as it is.

  It’s given me a chance to do a lot of hanging out with the very tall, redheaded bearded and kindhearted man and I’ve learned a few things. He can get himself lost in a bar that granted had a few hallways but come on. He likes Coke mixed with red wine, called kalimotxo (pronounced calimocho), which means he’ll fit in here really well. He’s the kind of guy that if you called him in the middle of the night and you said you were in trouble – even trouble of your own making – he’d hesitate for a nice long pause and then get up and come and help you out. Then remind you about it for years to come and use parts of it in a story.

  Add on top that he has a really good sense of what matters in life and wants to write a really good story. Plus, he has that weird and wicked sense of humor that I really appreciate. A really good recipe for a collaborator.

  Also not a bad sprinter. In writer lingo, that’s what happens when two or more writers do nothing but write as fast as they can for a set amount of time. I often sprint with Charley for 30 minutes at a time with a short break in between. However, I also have more than a few books I’m juggling (the excuse part). Sooooo… when I forgot to call ‘time’ for a break and after 40 minutes Charley texted me, got no answer and gave up, going online briefly to see what was happening on Facebook (you should have been writing!) and saw me doing a Facebook Live reading… he laughed and joined in, saying hello.

  Best part is when the alarm on my phone went off during the live reading I wondered what that was for. And, when I noticed Charley had joined in, still didn’t remember. I’m telling you, this operation is big! Lots of moving parts! He’s such a nice guy, he still sprints with me and I’m still the timekeeper on occasion. I think of it as spiritual timekeeping. You occasionally will get to stop when I remember to tell you, which must be what was intended. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. Glad you all are here for this new and expanding universe! More adventures to follow.

  Other Books in The Terranavis Universe

  The Adventures of Maggie Parker Series

  The Witches of Pressler Street

&n
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  Other books by Charley Case

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