“Who are you?” said Vhalqask.
The Red Maiden’s shriek of fury rose behind them.
“Shut up and run!” said Ridmark.
Vhalqask had the wit to listen, and together they sprinted from the Skull Trees and into the forest proper. Another furious scream rang out, and Ridmark risked a glance over his shoulder.
The Red Maiden was pursuing them.
She had changed form, casting aside her human guise for the form of a spiderling. The pincers still jutted from her jaw, gleaming with poison, the eight crimson eyes glaring with rage. Her arms had become longer, her fingers tipped with serrated claws. Her red robe had become form-fitting armor, plates of overlapping chitin that rasped against each other as she ran.
She was running fast, and Ridmark was not sure that he and Vhalqask could take her in a fight, especially if she brought her magic to bear. He needed to find some advantage, something that he could turn against her…
He felt the blood dripping from his nose and onto his mouth, and an idea came.
“This way!” he shouted, and Vhalqask followed as he sprinted to the east. They began to put distance between them and the Red Maiden, but the spiderling had inhuman stamina, and she would pursue them long after their own strength had failed.
A short time later the wide, gray expanse of the river came into sight.
“We are trapped!” said Vhalqask. “We cannot cross! The serpents will tear us apart.”
I know,” said Ridmark, wiping his hand across his nose and mouth. His palm came away wet with blood, and he smeared it across the end of his staff.
He stopped at the edge of the river and thrust the bloody end of the staff into the water.
At once the river rippled, the pale lengths of the serpents coming into sight.
The Red Maiden burst from the trees and stalked towards them, blue fire and shadow snarling around her talons. Vhalqask growled and yanked the battle axe from over his shoulder, holding the weapon before him.
“Ungrateful fools,” rasped the spiderling. “You both rejected my gifts. I could have given you joy beyond mortal understanding, and…”
“And then you would have eaten us,” said Ridmark, watching the water. The serpents swirled around the end of the staff. “I don’t think it was worth the trade.”
The Red Maiden strode towards him, raising her talons as she began a spell. As she did, the staff jerked in Ridmark’s hands as one of the serpents bit the weapon, drawn by his blood.
He reacted at once, yanking the staff from the water and spinning around, the startled serpent clinging to the weapon like a pale whip.
The serpent flew from the staff and struck the Red Maiden. The creature’s reaction was immediate, and the enraged serpent reared up and struck, plunging its fangs into her neck again and again. The spiderling screamed and with a flick of her talons she ripped off the serpent’s head. The white coils fell in a limp heap to the ground.
As they did, a strange, hungry expression came over her distorted face, a look of overwhelming lust and need.
A look of overwhelming thirst.
Mhralask had been right about the serpents’ venom.
With a hoarse cry, the Red Maiden ran to the water’s edge, scooping up handfuls of water and bringing them to her face. That was not enough, so she thrust her head into the water, drinking.
The serpents boiled up from the water, dozens of them, and coiled around her, pulling her into the river. The Red Maiden screamed once, and then she vanished beneath the surface of the river. For a while, the water churned as the serpents dragged their feast into the depths, and then the water turned smooth and still once more.
“By Qazalask,” rumbled Vhalqask. “By Qazalask and the other blood gods.”
Ridmark let out a shaking breath. “Let’s go. Your uncle is waiting. The sooner we are gone from here, the better.”
###
The barge bumped against the eastern bank, and Ridmark stepped off, giving the river a wary look. During the entire trip across the river, the serpents had bounced against the underside of the barge, though Mhralask had seemed undisturbed, his undead rowers keeping their steady pace.
“As promised,” announced Mhralask, Vhalqask standing at his side. “The other side of the river. Let it not be said that I do not keep my word.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” said Ridmark, taking a further step up the bank.
Mhralask considered him for a moment. “You truly mean to speak to the Elder Shamans?”
“I do,” said Ridmark.
“Why?” said Mhralask, baffled. “Why would you take such a risk?”
Ridmark decided to tell the truth. “The Frostborn are returning.”
Vhalqask laughed. “Your High King and Swordbearers killed all the Frostborn long ago.”
“Nevertheless,” said Ridmark. “The Frostborn are returning. I don’t know how or when, but they are. Perhaps the Elder Shamans will have the answers to my questions.”
“There have been…strange omens of late,” said Mhralask. He tapped his staff against the deck, the skull at its top rattling. “Dire omens, warning of some terrible catastrophe in the years to come. Nations falling and thrones shattering, and every kingdom warring against every other.”
“Perhaps the omens are true,” said Ridmark.
“Mmm,” said Mhralask. “Some advice, exiled knight. Go home. You are a young man. Find some woman of your kindred and sire a pack of brats upon her. That will give your restless heart a reason to put aside your quest. If you continue on this path, if you seek out the Elder Shamans, you will regret it. No one who goes to speak with them ever returns.”
“I cannot turn back,” said Ridmark.
“Ah,” said Mhralask. “I thought not. Very well. Continue traveling to the east. The city of the Elder Shamans is in the Lion Mountains, deep within the peaks.” He snapped his fingers, and his undead stirred around him. “May your God watch over you, human, for Qazalask surely will not, and the Elder Shamans shall gladly kill you in his name.”
The undead rowers went to work, turning the barge and rowing it back to the western side of the river.
Ridmark watched them go and then headed into the forest to the east.
The Frostborn were returning. He would either find the answer or die in his quest.
THE END
Thank you for reading THE SKULL TREES. If you liked the book, please consider leaving a review at your ebook site of choice. To receive immediate notification of new releases, sign up for my newsletter, or watch for news on my Facebook page.
Follow this link to read the next adventure for Ridmark and his companions in Frostborn: The Gray Knight.
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. They will kill anyone who stands in their way.
To defeat th
ese 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 for free. Mazael's adventures continue in Soul of Tyrants, Soul of Serpents, Soul of Dragons, Soul of Sorcery, Soul of Skulls, and Soul of Swords, along with the short stories The Wandering Knight, The Tournament Knight, and The Dragon's Shadow. Get the first three books bundled together in Demonsouled Omnibus One.
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 for free. Caina's adventures continue in Ghost in the Flames, Ghost in the Blood, Ghost in the Storm, Ghost in the Stone, Ghost in the Forge, Ghost in the Ashes, Ghost in the Mask, and Ghost in the Surge, along with the short stories Ghost Aria, Ghost Claws, Ghost Omens, The Fall of Kyrace, Ghost Thorns, Ghost Undying, Ghost Light, and Ghost Dagger, and the prequel novels Blade of the Ghosts and Champion of the Ghosts. Get the first three books bundled together in The Ghosts Omnibus One.
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, Ghost in the Maze, Ghost in the Hunt, Ghost in the Razor, Ghost in the Inferno, Ghost in the Seal, Ghost in the Throne, Ghost in the Pact, and Ghost in the Winds along with the short stories Ghost Sword, Ghost Price, Ghost Relics, Ghost Keeper, Ghost Nails, Ghost Lock, Ghost Arts, Ghost Vigil, Ghost Mimic, and Ghost Vessel.
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 for free. Rachelis's trials continue in The Assassins, The Blood Shaman, The High Demon, The Burning Child, The Outlaw Adept, The Black Paladin, and The Tomb of Baligant. Read the entire series in The Third Soul Omnibus One and The Third Soul Omnibus Two.
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, followed by Frostborn: The Gray Knight, Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife, Frostborn: The Undying Wizard, Frostborn: The Master Thief, Frostborn: The Iron Tower, Frostborn: The Dark Warden, Frostborn: The Gorgon Spirit, Frostborn: The Broken Mage, Frostborn: The World Gate, Frostborn: The High Lords, Frostborn: The False King, Frostborn: The Dwarven Prince, and Frostborn: Excalibur, and the prequel novel Frostborn: The Knight Quests along with the short stories The Orc's Tale, The Mage's Tale, The Thief's Tale, The Assassin's Tale, The Paladins's Tale, The Knight's Tale, The Soldier's Tale, and The Soldier's Tale. Read the first three books combined in Frostborn Omnibus One.
Mask of the Demonsouled Trilogy
MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK has prevailed over terrible foes and now rules the Grim Marches with firm justice. Yet ancient evils are stirring in the shadows, freed at last by Mazael's own hand. Unless Mazael fights with all his strength, the world will fall.
SIGALDRA is the last holdmistress of the Jutai nation, the final defender of her people. Now the darkness comes to devour the final remnant of Sigaldra's home and family. Even Sigaldra's courage may not be enough to turn aside the darkness.
Read Mask of Swords, Mask of Dragons, and Mask of Spells along with the short stories The Ransom Knight, The Bronze Knight, The Serpent Knight, and The Rune Knight.
The Tower of Endless Worlds
THOMAS WYCLIFFE just wants to finish his dissertation in peace and quiet. So when a man in a black robe appears in his closet, claiming to be the last of the Warlocks, Wycliffe figures it is a bad joke.
But he soon realizes the last of the Warlocks can give him power beyond imagining.
And all it will cost is his soul.
SIMON WESTER needs a job. Badly. So when a rich and powerful Senator offers him employment, he jumps at the chance. Sure, Simon expects to find some corruption, some shady deals.
He doesn't expect to find black magic.
LIAM MASTERE is a Knight of the Sacred Blade, defender of the mortal races. But can swords stand against guns? As bullets and bombs destroy his kingdom, Liam must risk everything to save his homeland's one chance of salvation.
By daring the horrors of the Tower of Endless Worlds…
Read The Tower of Endless Worlds for free. The saga of the Tower continues in A Knight of the Sacred Blade, A Wizard of the White Council, and The Destroyer of Worlds.
Cloak Games
In 2013, a gate to another world opened, and Elves used their magic to conquer Earth, crushing all resistance before them.
Three hundred years after the Conquest, the exiled Elven High Queen rules an orderly but stagnant Earth, with
humanity forced to fight in the High Queen’s war against the traitors on the Elven homeworld.
Nadia Moran doesn’t care about that. She doesn’t care about the High Queen, or the Rebels seeking to overthrow her. All she cares about is getting her baby brother the treatments he needs to recover from his potentially fatal disease…and those treatments have a steep price.
Fortunately, Nadia has magic of her own, and she’s a very, very good thief.
Unfortunately, the powerful Elven lord Morvilind has a hold on Nadia. If she doesn’t follow his commands, her brother is going to die.
Of course, given how dangerous Morvilind’s missions are, Nadia might not live long enough to see her brother’s death…
Read Cloak Games: Thief Trap, Cloak Games: Frost Fever, Cloak Games: Rebel Fist, Cloak Games: Shadow Jump, and Cloak Games: Shatter Stone, along with the short story Wraith Wolf.
About the Author
Standing over six feet tall, USA Today bestselling author Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair of a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works.
The Skull Trees Page 3