by Jack Conner
The Shadow regarded him. “You were born.”
Baleron wavered, and darkness overcame him.
With the prince passed out, Ghrozm stooped and retrieved the still-twitching left hand from the platform. He lifted the bloody thing up for his Master’s inspection.
“What shall be done with it, my Lord?”
“Hold it high.”
Ghrozm complied, trembling.
Gilgaroth closed his blazing eyes and turned inward, looking within himself to Illistriv. The First resided within his father, the distant Lorg-jilaad drifting through the Nether far away.
Gilgaroth had formed Illistriv during Omkarcharoth, the War of Light and Dark. Later he’d used its energies to forge his form of flesh when he birthed himself into the mortal plane, thus Illistriv was bound to his corporeal form, even if it in truth existed on a different level of being entirely. The gateway to the Second Hell was his very maw, and because the Second Hell and he were so thusly fused its flames blazed from his throat and lit his eyes.
It is said, and it is true, that Gilgaroth existed always in two places at once, if not more, looking both inwards and outwards with his terrible eyes of flame. For always in addition to commanding the forces of Oslog he lorded over Illistriv, too, sitting on his ethereal throne, overseeing the torments of his prisoners and the pleasures of his faithful servants.
Rauglir, newly arrived in Illistriv after having the body he possessed rendered unusable by the Archmage Logran Belefard, was enjoying himself in a mock-corporeal form, chasing maidens through a garden in his favored shape, the wolf. He chose the shape not just because it suited him but also to honor his Lord, who was the Father of Wolves, among other things.
Rauglir looked up when he felt his Master’s presence, and ceased his pursuit of the half-naked maidens—to kill or otherwise, it was unclear.
“My Lord,” he said in his usual half-growl.
“It is time for your next labor.”
Though frustrated by the brevity of his leisure time, Rauglir merely bowed. “Of course.”
“I give you leave of Illistriv.” One could not leave without Gilgaroth’s permission.
Rauglir discorporated and followed the Dark One’s inner self to the Gates of Hell, where he slipped through those terrible jaws, between the wicked fangs and Beyond—into the world of the living.
In wraith form, Rauglir flew about Gilgaroth’s head, circling, waiting for his Master’s bidding. It was not long in coming. The Dark One directed him towards the severed hand of Baleron and aided him in slipping inside the small fleshy morsel.
“I told him I needed his spirit whole,” mused the Lord of Oslog. “And so it shall be. But it will have a rider.”
In his huge black temple, the Dark One opened his terrible maw and laughed. Flames from his throat scorched the walls.
THE END OF PART TWO OF THE WAR OF THE BLACK TOWER
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Thank you for reading The War of the Black Tower: Part Two. Please leave a review wherever you found it and earn my eternal gratitude. In fact, to encourage you to leave a review, if you like the novel and review it, I’ll gift you a copy of the sequel. This offer is good for the first thirty reviews. Just email me at the following address after you leave the review.
Did you spot any flaws? Typos? Let me know at [email protected] .
The War of the Black Tower: Part Three, the conclusion of the trilogy, is now available.
You can find Part Three here ...
... in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IIUC5G6
... in the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IIUC5G6
Turn the page for a complete listing of my books:
BOOKS BY JACK CONNER
Song of the Broken World, an epic fantasy series
The War of the Moonstone: Part One . . .
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GZX6OLU
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GZX6OLU
The War of the Moonstone: Part Two . . .
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IIXU54C
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IIXU54C
The War of the Moonstone: Omnibus Edition . . .
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J17DSE8
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J17DSE8
War of the Black Tower: Part One:
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I49CR50
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00I49CR50
War of the Black Tower: Part Two:
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IITSESA
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IITSESA
War of the Black Tower: Part Three
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IIUC5G6
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IIUC5G6
War of the Black Tower: Omnibus Edition
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J0TLSYO
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J0TLSYO
Other Books
Nightmare City: A Post-Steam Lovecraft Adventure: Part One
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HZOTUIC
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HZOTUIC
Nightmare City: A Post-Steam Lovecraft Adventure: Part Two
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00II6AOFY
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00II6AOFY
Nightmare City: A Post-Steam Lovecraft Adventure: Omnibus Edition
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J190EC0
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J190EC0
City of Shadows: The Rubies of Master Lo: A Dystopian/Steampunk/Supernatural Adventure Novella (that takes place in the same world as Nightmare City)
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J2H8NCY
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J2H8NCY
Empire of the Worm: A Tale of Sword and Sorcery and Supernatural Horror: Part One
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007MB7BRU
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007MB7BRU
Empire of the Worm: A Tale of Sword and Sorcery and Supernatural Horror: Part Two
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IJIOGRI
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IJIOGRI
Empire of the Worm: A Tale of Sword and Sorcery and Supernatural Horror: Omnibus Edition
. . . in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J19FMGS
. . . in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J19FMGS