by F. P. Spirit
The Heroes of
Ravenford
Book 2
Serpent Cult
F.P. Spirit
Revised Edition
Copyright @ 2016 F. P. Spirit
Cover Art by Jackson Tjota
Cover Design and Interior Formatting by S Professional Designs
Edited by Sandra Nguyen
ISBN-10: 0-9984715-1-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-9984715-1-8
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format.
Thanks to Tim for creating the world of Thac, and to Eric, Jeff, John, Mark and Matt for their roles in bringing the Heroes to life. Also, thanks to the rest of my friends and family who gave their time and support into the creation of this book.
The Heroes of Ravenford
Book 1 | Ruins on Stone Hill
Book 2 | Serpent Cult
Book 3 | Dark Monolith
Book 4 | Princess of Lanfor
Eastern Thac as it exists today, circa the 7th millennium of the 4th age. This current age, Laurentia, or the age of man, began over 7000 years ago at the end of the Third Demon War. During the first age, Hai’Valan, the world was primarily populated by ancient dragons of great power. The second age was the age of the Titans, the lords of elemental forces. The third age, Kitharra, saw the rise of the Fey races, including the elves. The end of each age was marked by a great war with the adversaries of all races, the Demons.
- Lady Lara Stealle, High Wizard of Penwick
Table Of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Titles in Series
Map of Thac
Knights and Dreams
Black Adders
Séance
The Lucky Coin
Sailing Ships and Golems
Cape Marlin
The Three Sisters
The Deserted Lighthouse
Crash and Burn
Demon
Angel of Mercy
Dark Plots Brewing
The Sunken Ships
Flying Blind
Diversion
Imposter
A Copper Dragon
Runaways
Assassins
Dark Magic
Stand In
Angel Tears
Maltar’s Journal
Plans for Breakfast
Old Friends
New Enemies
Stalker
Roadblock
Glowing Eyes in the Dark
Turning the Tables
Birthday Gala
Pomp and Circumstances
Party Crashers
Mage Fall
Books by F.P Spirit
About Author
Knights and Dreams
I need to step up my game if I’m going to keep up with you
It started out like any other day in the little seaport town of Ravenford. Farmers were up before dawn, tending to their fields. Fishermen were out on the bay, pulling in the first catch of the day. The smell of freshly-baked bread wafted on the breeze from the town bakery. Local inns welcomed those who were up for a morning meal or an early drink. The youngest children scurried about outside the temple, waiting for the basic schooling taught by the local priests. On the hill to the north, horns sounded as the guards of Ravenford Keep changed for the morning shift.
The day marched onward, as usual, until sometime around noon. The golden orb of the sun was now almost directly overhead. The first wave of fishermen were returning in from the bay, and the farmers were coming in from their fields. The town’s three inns prepared for the onslaught of hungry villagers. Suddenly, shouts rang out from the guardhouse at the southern edge of town.
“The heroes are back! The heroes are back!”
Lunches were left half-eaten, and boats poorly docked, while those within earshot scrambled to be the first to arrive at the south gate. The word spread like wildfire, and soon half of Ravenford was pressed in on each other, striving to get a good view of the heroes. The stories of their exploits had swept quickly across the little seaport town. They had first arrived in Ravenford a little over a month ago, escorting a caravan they had saved from bandits. It had been the first convoy from the west to reach the town in over three months. Within a week of their arrival, the gifted teens proved themselves again. Maltar, Ravenford’s master wizard, had commissioned them to clean out the old ruins southwest of town; the place had been crawling with monsters. The heroes dispatched the evil inhabitants, including a stone giant and a dark mage. Next, at the Baron’s request, they returned west and routed the rest of the orcs who had been ambushing caravans. Immediately afterwards, they slew a giant that was terrorizing the farmlands to the north. After a brief respite, the group set out to take care of some unfinished business back at the old ruins. Rumor had it another stone giant still roamed around up there. The heroic youths had gone to finish it off, and were now returning from their latest mission.
These young heroes were a strange sight to behold. At the head of the returning group rode the elven wizard, Glolindir, an unusually tall blond elf in purple robes with a black raven perched comfortably on his shoulder. Glo, as his companions called him, was rather talented with magic—in fact, he had become Maltar’s latest apprentice. Keeping pace with the elf was Aksel, the copper-haired young gnome cleric. He sat astride a riding dog next to his tall friend. Aksel’s white robes were decorated with the symbols of his gnomish goddess, the Soldenar. Showing a wisdom beyond his years, Aksel was the unlikely yet implicit leader of the group.
Behind the duo rode Brundon and Titan, two well-known town mercenaries. They contrasted each other like night and day. Brundon was a dark-haired man dressed from head to toe in brown leather. Titan was a flaxen-haired woman encased in heavy plate armor with a keen silvery sheen. Despite the apparent disparity, these two were the best of friends and quite the capable duo. What came next both awed and unnerved the crowd. Cries of disbelief were mixed with nervous murmurs. “What is it? Is it alive? Did they capture it? Can it get loose?”
Behind the four riders trudged a stone giant. Easily nine feet high, its broad shoulders were almost half as wide as its height. A great stony head sat squarely on its torso, inset with two eerily glowing eyes. The massive shoulders supported thick, grey arms that hung to its knees, ending in hands the size of boulders. Large, flat feet thudded on the paved streets of the little seaport town, the ground trembling with each step. Had the stone giant not been passively following the procession through town, the crowd might have broken and fled. The townsfolk remained gathered along the roadside, buzzing with noise as they watched the bizarre sight.
The stone giant was immediately followed by a solid wooden wagon with varnished brown sides and a green painted roof driven by Elladan Narmolanya, the elven bard. He had joined the heroic group in routing the bandits from the Bendenwoods. Elladan was a flamboyant character. Garbed almost exclusively in white, only his cloak and boots were dark in color. Tightly combed black hair accentuated his handsome young face, electric blue eyes, and a strong chin. With a voice that could charm the wings off an angel, the young bard had been an immediate hit at the Charging Minotaur, the
local inn where the heroes stayed. Seated in the wagon next to Elladan was a man also dressed in the brown leathers of a tracker. A thin mustache accented his rugged features, his face framed by long brown hair and a closely-cropped beard. More whispers sprang up amongst the crowd. “Who is that stranger? Where did they find him? Does he have anything to do with the stone giant? Is he a prisoner?”
The strange procession crossed over the wide stone bridge that spanned the Raven River and divided the town. More townsfolk joined the impromptu parade as they entered the busy market district. The same questions were murmured repeatedly. “How did they capture the stone giant? Who was the stranger with them? Where were the tall red warrior and the dark halfling?”
Once clear of the market district, the procession climbed the hill to Ravenford Keep. The whispering amongst the crowd was cut short when, a large red blur swooped out of the sky and strafed the riders. Cries of alarm sounded amongst the townsfolk. Shouts of “Red Dragon!” were heard here and there. Panic reigned until Elladan’s voice rang out, “No cause for alarm folks! It’s only Lloyd!”
The shouts and screams stopped, the townsfolk gazing uncertainly at each other. Before anyone could question the bard, the red object appeared overhead again. The crowd held its breath as the figure dove out of the sky toward them. This time it slowed and stopped, hovering a few feet above the riders. Clad in red leather armor, the flying figure was unmistakably Lloyd Stealle. A shock of tousled brown hair capped his handsome young face and two huge sword hilts peeked out from under his cloak.
Lloyd was quite well-known in Ravenford. The unassuming young noble had garnered the attention of Lady Andrella, the daughter of the baron and baroness of Ravenford and one of the most eligible bachelorettes in eastern Thac. According to the rumors around town, it was only a matter of time before the two would be married. Now the warrior had gained the power of flight. It seemed there was no end to what this young man could do. The modest noble scanned the crowd below. “Sorry, folks! Didn’t mean to scare anyone!”
The crowd began to cheer in response. A chant of “Heroes” broke out as the parade made its way up the hillside. It came to a halt when they reached the gate to the keep. At that point, the last member of the heroes appeared. Seth, the dark halfling, nimbly launched himself out of the covered wagon and landed lightly on the ground next to the stone giant. Clad all in black, rumor had it that the halfling was some kind of assassin. He was certainly agile enough. He could also disappear at the drop of a hat, only to appear out of the blue and scare the unwary. The townsfolk watched with awe as Seth patted the stone giant on the leg.
The chanting resumed once again until the guards led the heroes into the keep. All that remained was the stone giant, standing completely still in front of the gate. The crowd eyed him uncomfortably now that their protectors had disappeared.
The companions waited in the main hall of Ravenford Keep while the guards informed the baron of their arrival. Their ranks had swelled this time—aside from Aksel, Glo, Seth, Lloyd and Elladan, there was now Brundon, Titan, and even the stranger, Martan, with them. Most of them were used to the vastness of the hall by now. Brundon’s eyes swept the great room from top to bottom—the vaulted ceiling, large columns, balconies, plush red carpets, tapestries, and such. “Nice little place the Baron has here.”
Meanwhile, Martan gazed around wide-eyed, his jaw hanging open the entire time. Titan, in contrast, neither gazed around nor commented. Instead, she casually strode over to the large mural on the wall. Lloyd decided to follow her. He stood beside the tall warrior, noting the trace of a smile on her lips.
“It is impressive,” Lloyd said.
Titan nodded. “It is, isn’t it? This was always one of my favorite things about the keep.”
Lloyd raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been here before?”
Titan’s smile briefly widened. “Once or twice.”
Lloyd was now really curious, but before he could ask her about it, she changed the subject.
“See how well the artist depicts Ullarak?”
Lloyd nodded. It was actually a very good likeness of a black dragon—quite menacing, in fact.
“And note how regal the baron looks in armor—as if he was a full-fledged knight.”
An armored figure sat astride a large warhorse on the opposite side of the mural. The figure brandished a large sword and shield.
“Yes, Baron Gryswold does look quite impressive.”
Titan fell silent, her eyes locked on the mural. Lloyd wondered once again when she had been here before, especially when Brundon apparently had not been. She seemed so intent that he decided to leave her alone. He backed away and rejoined the others.
Elladan nudged his head toward the blonde warrior. “Titan seems mesmerized by that mural.”
Lloyd merely nodded, peering at Brundon in hopes he could shed some light on the subject. The tracker wore a concerned expression, his eyes firmly fixed on Titan. “I’m not surprised.”
“Really? Why’s that?” Elladan asked.
Brundon appeared startled at first, but quickly recovered, his serious expression replaced with a thin smirk. “It’s always been a dream of hers to be an actual knight someday. Personally, I think it’s overrated—all that armor weighing you down.”
A knowing expression crossed Elladan’s face. “Everyone needs a dream. Without it, life would be too dull.”
“What’s yours, Brundon?” Seth asked with just a trace of sarcasm.
Brundon feigned humility. “Me? Oh, nothing too elaborate, just enough to keep me living comfortably through my old age, and maybe a good woman—or two.” His smirk widened as he added those last words.
A half smile crossed Elladan’s face. “Juggling more than one woman can be an interesting challenge”—his eyes fell on Titan—“depending on the women involved.”
Brundon followed Elladan’s gaze, the smirk fading from his lips. His expression grew concerned once more.
A faint smile crossed Lloyd’s lips. He was no expert at love, but despite all Brundon’s bluster, it was obvious he really only wanted one woman in his life.
Elladan turned to Lloyd. “What’s your dream, my friend?”
“My dream?” The question took Lloyd by surprise. He had a tendency to live in the moment, especially with all that had gone on these last few weeks. When he had left Penwick all those weeks ago, it was with the idea of making a name for himself like his father before him. “I guess you could say I want to be a protector of the people like my father. I want to defend those who cannot defend themselves and serve justice to those who would harm others.”
Elladan’s expression grew serious. “That’s a tall order there, my friend”—just as abruptly, a half smile crossed his lips—“but from what I’ve seen of your skill with those blades, I wouldn’t want to bet against you, either.”
The conversation might have continued, but the doors to the back hallway opened and Captain Gelpas strode through. Gelpas Ranblade was captain of the Ravenford guard, the town constable, and the baron’s right hand man. Nearly as tall as Lloyd, and only slightly broader in the shoulders, Gelpas was quite shrewd. His usually-stern expression made him appear grim, but his fair-minded approach to things made him well liked by all.
“The baron is in a meeting right now,” Gelpas informed them. “However, he has instructed me to meet with you all. There was something urgent you needed to discuss?”
Gelpas paused to look over the group. His keen eyes passed over Martan and Brundon, then came to rest on Titan. She returned his stare without flinching. Elladan introduced the newcomers.
“These are our comrades-in-arms, Brundon and Titan. They have been a great help to us on our missions thus far.”
Gelpas eyed the tracker. “Brundon,” he said with a slight nod. His eyes then returned to Titan.
“Delara,”
he said simply, his tone somewhat restrained.
“Father,” Titan responded, her voice equally tense.
Lloyd’s jaw nearly dropped. Father? Gelpas was Titan’s father?
Gelpas remained stiff. “It has been awhile, daughter. It is nice to see you in such good health.”
“It must be the company I keep,” she responded, her tone laced with sarcasm.
You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Lloyd stole a quick glance around the group. Glo had an eyebrow raised. Aksel’s hand was on his chin, a concerned expression on his face. Brundon appeared pensive. Even Elladan, normally unflappable, seemed surprised. Only Seth appeared to find the situation amusing, a thin smirk on his face.
Aksel cleared his throat. “Captain Gelpas, concerning the reason we are here...”
Gelpas turned away from his daughter, though he stilled appeared tense. “Yes, sorry.”
“This is Martan,” Aksel said, pointing to their nearly forgotten guest. “We rescued him from a group that may have had ill intent toward Ravenford. In exchange, he has provided us with valuable information about said group.”
“Is that so?” Gelpas eyed Martan intently.
Martan gazed back at the captain and responded in an even tone, “I think the good cleric here is being a bit too kind. I was hired out by the group in question to guide them here. Though never really a party to their plans, nonetheless, I was employed by them.”
Gelpas regarded Martan for a few moments before answering. “Well, then, I appreciate your honesty.” Gelpas faced Brundon and Titan once more. There was a distinct edge to his voice.
“I would like to thank both of you for your help in this matter, but I now need to question our guest. I’m sorry to say that my office is not big enough for everyone, so if you will excuse us.”