Tao nodded. “It’s a deal. Come on, let’s get busy.”
* * * * *
Once the decision was made, the Outlanders got to work.
A litter was quickly constructed with timber from some of the fallen buildings. Kastle was laid out respectfully before being tied down. The Outlanders retrieved their weapons and bound their wounds as best they could.
Tariq couldn’t help but take one of the cockatrice’s feathers as a keepsake. Tao talked with the remaining bandits while Calli handled the villagers. The idea was simple, they needed to join forces and either rebuild the town or relocate to a more defensible position. At first the villagers were hesitant but then reality sank in and the two groups of survivors joined forces.
Within an hour, the Outlanders were airborne.
Whitney had discovered that when she placed her hands on the griffs, she could almost feel their thoughts. Sanguine Bolt explained it as an empathic bond between them and the Sidhe. Whatever it was, it was wondrous. She spent time communing with each hippogriff but in the end it was obvious that the gryphon was the alpha and as such, positioned himself to be the faerie’s steed. With a simple thought, she directed it to carry Kastle’s corpse while everyone else rode on the hippogriffs. The Outlanders found that riding on the hippogriffs was much more enjoyable that riding on the wyverns. Their gait was almost exactly like a normal horse.
Callistra sat behind Tao with her arms wrapped around his waist and her head resting on his back as they headed north. It wasn’t long before they were over the water. In the distance the Outlanders could make out a large object on the horizon. It was hidden by the clouds but it was obviously their destination. As they got closer, the city itself became visible. There were numerous towers of crystal which sparkled in the sunlight and several dragons could be seen flying about. Tao couldn’t help but notice that this was the same viewpoint of the picture that dominated the DVD jewel case that the Lost Lands: Atlantis disk came in and almost exactly how he imagined it to look. He did notice one major variance. The dragons were not moving. Even as they came within a stone’s throw of one of the massive beasts, it hung motionless in midair. It was as if it was frozen in place.
A dozen of questions poured through Tao’s mind but he shunted them aside as the lead gryphon dove through the low flying clouds.
They were about to enter Atlantis.
Chapter 37
Sartael stepped out of the portal split seconds behind his newest recruit. Cozad had stopped moving the moment he arrived in the dark wizard’s spell chamber and looked around. The wizard knew the dark knight was well outside his comfort zone, no matter which mindset was in control at the moment. Sartael ignored the dreadknight’s discomfort and moved passed him. Throwing open the balcony doors, he gestured to the land below.
“Behold Cozad, your army.”
The dreadknight moved up beside him and gazed out. From their vantage point, he could see a multitude of soldiers training in three distinct areas. From this height, Cozad couldn’t tell what race the soldiers were but then, he really didn’t care. If they could fight and follow orders, he could lead them into battle. The mere sight of the vastness of the troops melted away any apprehension he might have felt moments before. Hoping to hide his excitement Cozad asked, “Is this the entire army?”
Sartael shook his head. “No, this is about one-third of them. You will meet your sub-commanders tomorrow.”
Cozad removed his helmet and tucked it under one arm. “I do not like to wait.”
Sartael turned and moved deeper into the tower.
The dreadknight followed. “What about Taote? He is a formidable opponent.”
“Let me ask you this, what is the anathema of a samurai?”
Cozad shook his head. “I have no idea.”
Sartael flashed him a Cheshire Cat grin but remained silent. As they approached the doorway at the end of the hallway, the double doors opened to reveal a large chamber. Dozens of warriors, male and female, tumbled and climbed their way through the deadly maze which filled the entire room. One misstep and the nearly naked warriors would fall to their death or be skewered by the many blades which populated the maze.
However, it was the warrior dressed in all black which captivated the dreadknight’s attention. He was calmly sitting in the lotus position in the middle of the room surrounded by all the bedlam. Realizing that he had company, the black garbed warrior stood up and clapped his hands twice loudly.
All around the chamber, the scantily clad warriors leapt off the platforms, no matter the height, to land gracefully all around the room. As soon as they landed, they dropped to their hands and knees, prostrating themselves before the black robed wizard.
The shinobi warrior moved forward to stand before his guests. Placing both hands by his side, he bowed. “You win battles by knowing the enemy’s timing…”
Sartael nodded his head in greeting. “Kano, I would like you to meet Cozad. He is my new general and will lead our armies to victory.”
Kano continued speaking as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “…and using a timing which the enemy does not expect.”
Sartael shook his head and turned to face Cozad. “Never mind him, he always talks like some sort of Chinese fortune cookie.”
Kano removed his mask and grinned. “The ninja are Japanese, not Chinese.”
Suddenly, an image of black clad assassins surrounding and attacking the samurai flashed through Cozad’s mind, even though he had no idea where they came from but with their influx came knowledge and he immediately understood what the wizard had in mind.
Deep inside Cozad’s psyche, Ed recognized the images as a mixture of several movies, ranging from the American Ninja in the early ‘80s to the Last Samurai. None of this helped him break free from the chains which bound him but now Ed had an idea what Sartael had planned.
Now, Ed just had to figure out a way to warn his friends.
Epilogue
Amanda came home early from work and expected to find Marvin sitting at the keyboard playing Lost Lands but he was nowhere to be found. The car was still in the driveway and the computer was still on.
She thought, “Maybe he went out for a run?”
Dismissing her concerns, Amanda quickly changed her clothes and began her nightly chores even though it was a Saturday and it was supposed to be ‘date night’ since the kids were at her mother’s house. It was unusual for her husband to run at this hour but then, she had been bugging him to get back in shape and she was home early. Closing the lid on the washing machine, she stared at the dirty dishes in the sink. She really didn’t want to wash them, at least not right now. Casting a glance into the next room, she could see her husband’s computer monitor. The image of their guild hall filled the screen and beckoned to her.
Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, Amanda sat down at his computer. It had been days since she had enough time to play Lost Lands. She normally played on her own laptop but didn’t want to take the time to boot it up. Logging off her husband’s account, she logged in her own avatar, Andraste. She was an Elven Warden; a hybrid class of healer and warrior from the Avalon Campaign. They could cast spells, wear armor, carry shields and wield nearly any type of one-handed weapon.
As the screen refocused, Amanda slipped on the headset and microphone but more than that, she couldn’t believe the graphics. They seemed so much more vibrant than any other time she had ever played. It was amazing. As she maneuvered her avatar around the guild hall, something was out of place. A huge glowing portal which seemed to beckon for her to enter.
“What in the name of the king is that?” came a familiar voice.
Amanda turned her avatar around to discover Marrok. The knight was resplendent in his silver armor. “I’m not sure. It was here when I logged in. What happened last night?”
Marrok shrugged. “We beat the dungeon and met some crazy wizard named Al Shaytan but I’m sure Marvin told you all about that.”
Amanda’s avatar automat
ically shook her head as she typed the emote command for no. “No. I had to work early and was asleep when you guys finished the raid. And I was gone before he woke up. We haven’t spoken since yesterday.”
John quickly filled her in on the particulars of the raid in the Tomb of Immortality and the offer of the red robed wizard. Amanda listened but continued to stare at the portal.
“Do you suppose that this has something to do with the wizard’s offer?”
Marrok shrugged. “I guess so. It wasn’t here when I logged out last night.”
“Where’s Pixi?”
Again he shrugged. “Don’t know. She was supposed to meet me here several hours ago. I’ve been downstairs crafting while I wait.”
“Marvin isn’t here. I’m guessing he went out for a run or something.” A mischievous thought filled Amanda’s mind. “Want to step through and find out what’s on the other side?”
Marrok grinned. “I have been tossing around that idea myself. Sure, let’s do it. What’s the worst that could happen? Besides if Whitney or Marvin log in, we can just use our Recall Stones to get back to the guild hall and group up.”
“Good point.” Amanda moved her avatar to the portal and stepped through.
John followed suit and the two friends found themselves standing before another portal. However, this one seemed different. It was a huge ebony archway that was filled with swirling smoke. Ivory letters marked the face of the arch which read: ‘Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here.’
No one else was around. Marrok immediately moved forward but Amanda held Andraste back. She absentmindedly chewed on a strand of hair before remarking, “I don’t know about this.”
Marrok paused and glanced back at her. “We can’t stop now.”
“But we don’t know where it leads.”
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
Amanda offered him a small smile. John was right. After all, it was only a game. What is the worst that could happen? Stepping up to the archway, she stepped into the swirling smoke.
If Marrok followed she didn’t know or care, because the world went black and her ears were filled with the roaring of the wind. Amanda felt her gut churning as the world began spinning incredibly fast, almost as if she was caught inside a tornado and then nothing.
To Be Continued…
Author’s Notes:
Sometimes the idea of a story hits me at the weirdest times.
One day at work, a buddy of mine and I were chatting about online gaming. He's a WoW addict -- ie World of Warcraft -- while at the time, I preferred playing EverQuest 2. We were comparing some of our adventures and the spark of a story emerged. Grabbing a pen and a notepad, I began writing and scribbled down about ten pages. Unfortunately, without more thought and planning the story went flat. But the spark was still there and several months later, it began to burn again. I happened to share the idea of this story to some online friends of mine. They were excited and intrigued by the storyline. That was nearly three years ago. I would work on it for a bit before moving it to the ‘back burner’ for more pressing stories.
If by chance you enjoyed this novel, please do a couple of things for me. One, take a moment and post a review on Amazon. It doesn’t have to be much, just your opinion on my novels. Believe it or not, reviews (good, bad or indifferent) help. Two, pass the word about my novels. As a self-published author, I rely on the oldest form of advertising….word of mouth.
Drew McCullough
February 2014
Author’s Bio
Drew and Felicia McCullough – circa 1996
Andrew was born in Munich, Germany while his father was stationed overseas with the US Army. Growing up a military brat, Drew became an avid reader with Fantasy, Science Fiction and Detective Thrillers being his favorite genres.
Drew served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1982-88 and began training in TaeKwonDo in 1985. In 1994 he moved to Louisville, Kentucky to open his own TKD studio and taught for 11 wonderful years where he met and married his wife, Felicia, and gained a great step-son, John Michael. In 2005, he closed his studio and switched careers.
He currently works as a Corrections Officer with Louisville Metro Corrections and writes in his spare time. Unable to live on the beach, he resides on a farm with his wife and animals: 5 cats, 3 dogs and 2 horses.
Novels by A.E. McCullough
Available on Amazon in print or eBook format
Tales of the Wolf Saga
The Coming of the Wolf
Enter the Wolf
Darkness Falls
Coming Soon
Grimstalker
The Last Spartan Series
The Last Spartan: Different Paths
The Last Spartan: DJ’s Mission
Coming Soon
The Last Spartan: The Great Hunt
The Lost Gamers Series
Lost Lands: the Game
Atlantis (Book 1)
Coming Soon
Lost Lands: the Game
Avalon (Book 2)
Copyright Information
Copyright © 2014 by Andrew McCullough
This book is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author, except by reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.
Cover Art by A.E. McCullough
Background image for the cover art – Autumn Moor Cold by Lvxion @ DeviantArt
First Edition: February 2014
www.aemccullough.com
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