Qaliah drew a dagger and promptly dropped it on the floor. “I can take care of myself.” As she reached for the dagger, she fell out of her chair with a thud. The patrons of the meadery cheered and applauded. The fiendling jumped up with the dagger between her teeth and bowed with a flourish before returning to her seat.
In the morning, Delilah’s head pounded, and sunlight seared her eyes with its brilliance. Its warmth intensified the pounding in her head, and she managed only to grunt goodbyes to Tamera Ravenbrier and her family.
The throbbing had not improved by the time she arrived at the tower and climbed the steps ahead of Gisella and Alysha as they bade farewell to Qaliah. As she activated the moon gate, she heard the clopping of Moonsilver’s hooves on the stairs.
I can’t believe she’s bringing the horse. The archmage set the moons, making her way around the circle with deliberate, slow steps, as she activated the runes to access the portal to Rime Frost. The gate sprang open as Gisella, Alysha, and Moonsilver reached the top.
The Golden Slayer whistled in appreciation. “So, this is ancient drak magic, eh?”
“Still working after an age. Let’s see human buildings last that long.” She gestured to the moon gate. “Just hold onto each other, and you’ll be home in an instant.”
Alysha knelt before the archmage. “Once I’ve settled my sister, I’ll contact you and have you bring me back to Muncifer. I’ll teach you all that magic you missed out on.”
Delilah rubbed the base of her neck and nodded. “I’d appreciate that.”
Alysha stood. “We can’t have our archmage with gaps in her knowledge.” She winked. “We’ll be discreet, of course. In fact, I won’t even come to the university if you don’t need me to.”
The drak offered her hand to the Frost Queen. “I can live with that.”
“Good.” The Frost Queen bowed, touching her forehead to the back of Delilah’s hand. “It was an honor to fight beside you, Archmage. I look forward to seeing what you can do with that title.”
Holding Moonsilver’s reins, Gisella stepped up to the gate. She put her hand on the horse’s neck and turned to Delilah. “Good luck. Selene be with you. May she keep you strong, and may Anetha give you the wisdom to wield your power with fairness and grace.”
“Thanks for watching after Pancras for me.” Delilah smiled at her. “He doesn’t like to travel.”
Gisella laughed. “I noticed.”
Alysha wrapped her arm around her sister, and the three of them stepped through the gate. When the gate disappeared and the runes faded, Delilah activated them once more.
Time to go home, Deli-girl. You still need to find that dragon’s treasure Manless stole.
***
The cold air of Rime Frost hit Gisella like a glad hand slapping her on the back. Moonsilver snorted and stomped, tossing her head and whinnying. The slayer took in a deep breath, inhaling the air of home for the first time in years.
“Good to be back?” Alysha hugged her sister.
“It is. It truly is.” They led Moonsilver through the icy corridors and out to the stables. The sun hung lower in the sky in the Southern Watch than it appeared in Vlorey, and the wind blowing down from the mountains brought a bitter cold at which winters in Muncifer only hinted.
A boy clad in heavy furs took Moonsilver’s reins as the women entered the stable. Gisella helped him remove the tack and harness and carried her saddlebags to the castle with her sister.
“What became of Grímar?” In all the commotion surrounding her sister’s arrival in Vlorey, Gisella forgot to ask about her friend and sometimes lover.
Alysha threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, that fool. He was so terrified when he arrived with that note from Manless. I’m certain flying into a rage when I read the letter didn’t help. What tales they must tell about me!”
Gisella and Alysha strode toward the living quarters on the third level, ascending a spiral staircase enclosed in one of the towers. “I confess, I’d heard so many stories, I wasn’t sure myself how you would treat him.”
“My first impulse was to imprison him.”
“You didn’t. The Frost Marten’s Vaults?” A series of small cells that hung over the sea composed Rime Frost’s dungeon. The back half of each cell’s floor lay open to the sea. In ancient times, many prisoners flung themselves to their deaths rather than endure the harsh conditions for an extended period of time.
“Only for a day.” Alysha placed her hand on her chest. “I may be the Frost Queen, but my heart is not one of ice. Besides, we all grew up together; it would be rude.”
“Spare me.”
Alysha chuckled. “He’s around here somewhere. When I left with Yaamkyrsku, I told him to stick around through the winter, if he wanted. Despite what people think, Rime Frost is a damn sight warmer than walking to Haefstaad.
“You should hear the tales Yaamkyrsku tells of the Earth Dragon. I hope he was everything Yaamkyrsku expected. The world is changing, sister.” Alysha shook her head. “A drak archmage, the Firstborne awakening…”
The Golden Slayer heard many stories during her travels about the return of Firstborne dragons but remained somewhat skeptical. Yaamkyrsku was mentor and friend to Alysha, although Gisella considered him a relic of a bygone age. Perhaps I was too hasty in my judgment.
“Pity Manless felt compelled to kill the Fire Dragon.”
“Yes, I heard. The egg?” Gisella wouldn’t have been shocked to learn that Yaamkyrsku kept it for himself.
“Safe in the claws of Terrakaptis. Yaamkyrsku contacted me; he’s on his way back. I think I’ll let the draks stew a bit more before letting them know.” She chuckled. “I suppose he’s the egg’s uncle, eh? Do you think dragons observe the same familial relationships we do?”
“I wouldn’t know.” Gisella scratched her head as Alysha unlocked the door to her chambers. All was as she remembered it. A perpetual fire crackled in the hearth. The four-poster bed covered in fur blankets sat the far end of the room by the windows. Pine wardrobes and chests lined the walls. Reflected sunlight streamed through the stained glass which depicted a flight of dragons over craggy mountains. “Grímar stayed here? He didn’t have a horse?”
“Yaamkyrsku ate his horse.”
***
“Thank you.” Kale give a silver talon to the messenger bringing yet another letter from the archduke. He stopped reading them after the third one arrived. Apparently, someone at the Arcane University told Archduke Fyodar the archmage would return to this location, so all correspondence should go to Kale. He tossed the letter upon a pile of similar envelopes in a box they set aside just for her.
“Oh, I hope she returns soon.” Ori glanced up from the book he illuminated. “The archduke really wants her around when the Iron Giants come for the peace talks.”
Kale turned his attention to the puzzle box he constructed. “She’ll be back when she’s back. That moldy old Lich Queen doesn’t stand a chance against her and Pancras.”
Part of him wanted to be there, but that part of his life was a memory now. His life was here, in Muncifer, and the minotaur who requested this puzzle box for his daughter’s birthday paid good gold crowns for the gift. Kale bit his lip as he set the gear in place with his tweezers.
“Maris’s bloody spear, that hurts!” Kali’s cry broke Kale’s concentration. He set down his tools. Ori regarded him, his brow crinkled. Bright daylight flooded the shop, reflecting off the snow that covered the streets of the undercity.
Sliding off his stool, Kale whooped and then raced to their bedchamber. Kali sat on a pile of linens, cradling a black-and-orange speckled egg in her arms. She smiled at him. “Glad there was just one in there.”
Kale placed his hand on the still-warm egg and rested his head atop his mate’s. “You should have called me. I would have helped.”
She laughed. “How? Held my hand? Squeezed me until it popped out?”
Kali passed the egg to him and rolled out of their bed, dragging the soiled line
ns with her. She cleaned herself, still chuckling. “The real work begins now. You’re going to help keep it warm and safe. Think you’re up for it?”
The leathery, oblong spheroid felt heavy for its size. Kale held it up to the light, but the shell permitted no light through. “Yes, I am.”
Kali approached him and wrapped her arm around his waist. They held the egg between them. “We’re going to have to think of names. Boys, girls”—she tugged at one of his wings—“with those things, who knows? There might be a winged boggin in there!”
They laughed until the room trembled. Their eyes widened until Kale realized what had just occurred. The vibrations stopped, and they heard a voice call up from the cellar.
“I’m back!”
The sound of his sister’s voice made Kale’s heart leap. It felt as if she had been gone forever, although he knew it had not been quite that long. Did Pancras return with her?
Kali regarded her mate. His head turned toward the hallway, but then he faced her and smiled. “Ori can go meet her.” The answers would come soon enough. “I have to take care of my family right now.”
By Hans Cummings
The Foundation of Drak-Anor
Wings of Twilight
Iron Fist of the Oroqs
Scars of the Sundering
Malediction
Lament
Salvation
Burble's Big Day
The Zack Jackson Series
Zack Jackson & The Cult of Athos
Zack Jackson & The Cytherean Academy
Zack Jackson & The Hives of Valtra
Seven Galaxies (formerly published in the Sojourn Speculative Fiction anthologies)
Forgotten Dreams
The Pleasure Pools of Persiphia
Scars of the Sundering
Book 1 – Malediction
Book2 – Lament
Book 3 - Salvation
Hans Cummings
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by Hans Cummings
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.
Edited by Cynthia Shepp
https://cynthiashepp.wordpress.com/
Cover design by Eric Hubbel
http://hubbelcreative.deviantart.com/
Cover Art by Lily Yang
http://www.lilyyangart.com/
Heraldy by
Axel Löfving
Cartography by Anna B. Meyer
http://http://ghmaps.net/
World of Calliome Logo by Gwyneth Ravenscraft of G-Sharp Productions
http://www.g-sharpproductions.com/
Acknowledgements
For Tink, without whom this would not have been possible.
To Steven D. Russell and Randall Walker, your encouragement and enthusiasm was more helpful and inspirational than you can ever know. R.I.P, my friends.
Thanks to Michael R. Hicks, J.A. Konrath, Chuck Wendig, and Michael A. Stackpole for encouragement, advice, and inspiration. You all help give me the drive to make this possible.
Special thanks to Mike Wolff, Craig Majors, John Adamus, Lillian K, and the fine folk in the Writing Better, Faster, More community for all their encouragement and feedback.
Hans Cummings
Author/Publisher
Author of the fantasy duology: The Foundation of Drak-Anor: Wings of Twilight and Iron Fist of the Oroqs as well as the Zack Jackson science fiction series, Hans Cummings published his first novel in 2011. Two of his short stories appear in Fear the Boot’s Sojourn speculative fiction anthologies. He is Nuvo’s Best of Indy — Best Local Author Honoree 2014 – 2016.
Hans is a volunteer for the tabletop gaming industry ENnie Awards and maintains a gaming blog http://doctorstrangeroll.wordpress.com in addition to his writing blog http://vffpublishing.com.
Hans earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Indiana University in 2006. He grew up in Indiana, Germany, and Virginia and returned to Indiana when he was 21. He currently lives in Indianapolis with his wife. Hans’s hobbies include tabletop and computer gaming, cooking and smoking meat, and igniting young people’s curiosity and passion for science and exploration.
Learn more about this and other works by the author at: http://vffpublishing.com/
Use Twitter? Follow the author @hccummings
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Salvation (Scars of the Sundering Book 3) Page 39