by Rick Brown
Alsselya’s Heir
The Lost Kingdom of Alsselya
Book one
By
Rick Brown
Book written and published by Rick Brown.
This book is purely fictional. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Book one of ‘The Lost Kingdom of Alsselya’.
Alsselya’s Heir
2nd Digital Addition
© 2018 by Rick Brown
Cover Art by http://www.thecovercollection.com
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Special thanks to my family and their patience with my disappearing every night to selfishly write the story that was bouncing around in my head.
Also my great appreciation to Aaron Ross and Stacy Brown for their valuable story and grammar editing. Without their help this book would have a ridiculous number of errors. Any mistakes it may still contain are from my ignoring their good advice.
Chapter 1
(Lee)
Some nights are magical, filled with women and wine. Tonight was not one of those nights. Instead it was cold, rainy, and uncomfortable. Our wagon had pulled off the road for the night along the caravan trail. Since then, the skies have released a cold, wet drizzle making our lives miserable. I tugged my hood tighter as I tried to sleep on the quickly saturating ground. The wagon master and his son took refuge from the rain in their tent, leaving the space underneath his wagons available to us guards. The glassware that we guarded was a luxury item that would garner a nice profit in the wealthy city of Coneer. However, it did little to slow the rain from trickling through the wagon floorboards and locating every hole and tear in my worn out cloak.
By the gods! How can every drop find a way through? I wondered. Peering out from under my inadequate shelter into the night, I could see the campfire still flickering warmly from across the camp. It was drawing me to it like a moth to a candle. Surrendering to the inevitable, I crawled out from under the wagon and made my way to the fire. You could hear it sputter and hiss as it battled against the cold rain.
“You’re up early, Lee,” Barad announced as he approached from his guarding position in the shadows. He was my oldest friend. He and I had been through a lot together over the years. We were trained in the same guild and were both hired to serve in the military. Finally, we were coming home from the battlefield, soon to be done with our guild obligations. “You still have a couple of hours before your shift," he continued. "You should be asleep, dreaming about being, well, anywhere but here."
The two of us had hired out for guard duty to Master Doonen in Calvender. It didn't pay much, but it beat making the trip on our own coin.
“And miss this magical night?” I responded sarcastically, waving my hand to emphasize the rain. “Even through this mud, we should reach Coneer tomorrow. I’ll save my resting for when I can sleep in a real bed.”
We would be returning to the guild house for the first time in three years, completing our six-year commitments. The last three years we’ve spent on the Plains of Alynon, protecting the border with Dommeran. The Dommerian soldiers constantly tested our defenses. Many skirmishes and a few full battles had taken place over the years. In that time, I had made a name for myself as a fighter and strategist, earning the rank of Captain, which was as high as any non-noble could rise. Barad had served as my lieutenant, and we had made a formidable team.
I added more wood to the fire as Barad took a seat across from me, pulling the hood of his cloak tight. “Max does run a good chapter house. Good food, clean beds. I look forward to checking in tomorrow and getting treated to a night or two on the Guild,” Barad dreamed longingly as his breath steamed in the air. “Finally with the completion of our duty we can start making some real money. No more sleeping in the mud.”
I too was looking forward to a time when our profits would fill our own purses and not those of the guild. Now that our six years was up we could choose our jobs and keep most of the earnings. The stipends we were given now barely covered meals.
“With the experience we have, we’ll have our pick of jobs,” I replied as I casually poked the fire with a stick. “Maybe on the estate of some country lord with a bevy of pretty maids for the picking.”
“Ha! You would go crazy with boredom. No, we need some city job in a lively place. Maybe the head of a household guard?" I watched as his eyes glazed over. I'm sure dreaming of the nights he’d spend in the taverns. Funny how our dreams never included the tedious times spent on watch.
“Well,” I said as I stood. Throwing my stick into the fire. “Before you slide under the wagon and continue your dreams of barmaids, let me do a patrol around the camp.”
I walked away from the fire and into the surrounding trees. The rain had a dampening effect on all sound, allowing me to disappear into the shadows. Looking up, the tall pines obscured the sky from view. I stood for a moment letting my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Not much to adjust to really, I thought. Without the moon, it was VERY dark. Slowly, I started making my way around the camp. I winced as I brushed by a wet branch, causing another shower of cold water to fall down my back. We were just coming out of winter, and a cold rain has replaced the snow. The wet pine needles made no sound as I moved.
I paused as a feeling of caution came over me. In the years I spent in the Field’s of Alynon, I had developed a strong intuition, one that I had learned to heed. More than once it led me to the rear of an attacking force and away from the ambush they had laid.
I stood quietly in the rain, straining my eyes and ears for anything that would have triggered this feeling. I was only met by the trickling of the rain. Muttering a few elvish words I cast a spell of detect that my father taught me before he died. My elvish magic was worse than my human, which wasn’t all that strong either, but I could still cast a few useful spells. With my eyes closed, I could almost see the group of men ahead of me. Opening my eyes, I canceled the spell and crept forward.
After a few moments, I heard the sound of muffled voices. Damn, I thought. Bandits. Slowly, I moved far enough away to signal Barad. I usually preferred a birdcall, but on a rainy night, I didn't think our bandits would have believed it was anything but a signal. Instead, I took a small stone and tossed it near him.
In the years of our shared service, we had used many systems to alert each other to danger. To Barad’s credit, he didn’t react to the stone and instead stood and stretched. Casually he made his way over to the wagon where a waxed tarp covered his bow.
Comfortable that he understood the situation I made my way back to the bandits. It was unfortunately common on these main highways for bandits and thieves to attack an unsuspecting camp. Then again, maybe it wasn’t that unfortunate. It kept me employed after all.
“So is that one going to bed?” I heard whispered as I approached. “And where did the big one go?”
“Doesn’t matter. It's just the two guards and those two merchants in the tent," said another voice. As I crept closer, I could see there were five bandits hiding behind a bush. "With Barry and Ganes on the other side, we will make short work of them."
So, a total of seven bandits. Looking them over made me feel much more comfortable. They wore tattered clothes and were barefoot. This was not a squad of trained warriors we might have faced at the border. These men wore rags and carried rusted swords. Maybe I could have gotten away with my birdcall after all. I doubt these fellows could have figured it out. These were dirty men that preyed on co
mmon merchants, and their farm boys turned guards.
As pathetic as they were, there was only one punishment for banditry. I slowly pulled my dagger out with my left hand and my sword with my right. In a fair fight, one on five would have been poor odds. Luckily battle has taught me not to fight fair.
With three strides I was directly behind them. Quickly, I shoved my dagger into the back of the biggest. He only made a grunt as he fell, but that was enough. The closest spun as he reached for his sword. He was too slow as my sword stabbed through his chest. Still, his life bought the time the others needed to realize they were under attack. One squealed and sprinted in the other direction. Too bad for him that it was into the camp. An arrow from Barad buried into his chest the moment he stepped into the clearing.
The other two took a braver stance. One had a sword and the other a dagger. With a step, I maneuvered the swordsman between myself and the man with the dagger. Blocking his overhand blow with my sword allowed me to get my dagger under his defenses and into his chest. With a shove I tossed the dying man into his comrade, dropping them into a heap.
I could hear the sounds of battle in camp as Barad fought the two bandits from the other side. It seemed they mistook the sounds of the slaughter on this side as the signal to raid. It only took a swift stab with my sword to take the last bandit as he attempted to wiggle out from under the dead swordsman. I trotted into camp to find Barad had already killed the two from the other side.
“What in the hells!” Doonen cursed as he and his son stumbled out of their tent. Doonen was as wide as he was tall. He and his son still dressed in their travel clothes. These were no soft city merchants. He and his teenage son both carried swords with them, and they handled them with familiarity. His eyes narrowed as he took in the three bodies lining the camp. “Three, eh? You boys ok?” He asked as his eyes ran over us.
Barad looked unharmed. He was slightly shorter than I was, but still had the broad shoulders of a man used to sword work. His hood had fallen during the fight, and his blond hair was matted down by the rain.
“Aye, we're fine,” I replied.
Doonen grunted in acknowledgment. Comfortable that his guards were unharmed, he looked over the scene. “They pay three silvers a piece for the bodies of bandits in Coneer. Five if they are wanted. Throw them in the back of the wagon, and you boys can collect the bounty. Just be careful of the glassware."
“Glad to hear it as there are four more bodies in the bushes,” I answered.
Doonen’s eyes widened. “Seven?!? Just the two of you? You came highly recommended out of Calvender, but I had no idea you were that skilled.”
“It worked out well that you were going the same way we were,” Barad responded. “Mind you, my friend Lee here is notoriously lucky in a fight. Always best to be on his side.”
Over the years my intuition had moved from something other soldiers teased about to one they followed without question. To be assigned to my squad increased your chances to survive the day. Also, I wasn’t aware of any other human that could cast elf magic. That came in handy on a dark night like tonight.
“Well I’m damn glad to have you boys,” Doonen replied. “The guards we usually get are competent enough, but they couldn’t have handled this. Gods, we’d all be dead!” It dawned on him as he looked over the carnage. “There’s no way I'll be able to go back to sleep now." He glanced at his son. "Prep the wagons. First sign of light through this cursed rain, and we are moving out." His son nodded and left to collect the horses. Barad and I started hefting the bodies and piling them in the back of the wagon. There would be no riding back there for us now, but at least we would get the bounties. That would be nice.
As morning came, the rain tapered off and Doonen, true to his word, started us off at first light. Barad and I were on foot, but luckily a wagon filled with glassware moved very slowly. We had no issues keeping up.
I looked over the bridge as we crossed the Raites River. With all the rain and ice melt the water was running high. As we neared the city, the land turned from forest to farmland. Coneer may not produce the finest wine, but it was plentiful. Because of that, the area near the highway had rows and rows of grape vines. Traveling another hour brought the walls of Coneer into view. None too soon since the bandit's bodies were starting to get a little rank.
I smiled to myself as we came closer to the city. We encountered more and more travelers that nervously glanced our way. Well, more likely at the pile of bodies in the back of the wagon. Either way, we were never crowded on the road.
The wooden walls that lined Coneer grew more substantial as we neared. It was fortified, as most major cities were in Vaelin. As we neared the city gates, a guard approached and stopped us. "Master Doonen, you may not have noticed, but there are a number of dead bodies in the back of your wagon. Care to explain?”
“Hello, Gerred, just some bandits that attacked last night. My guards took care of them. Where do we turn them in for the bounty?"
“We’ll take them here and write you a receipt. Did you lose anyone?” Gerred asked as he looked at Barad and me.
“No, and I didn’t even get my sword wet. These two demons took out seven of them before I could get outta my blanket!” Doonen boasted as he looked at us.
Gerred took a greater interest in us now, taking in our uniforms. “You boys returning from the border?” I nodded back to him. “I have a cousin up there. Nasty bit of work those Dommerians.” He looked over the bandits again as his men removed them from the wagon. “Well, if I’ve counted up all the bits and pieces correctly, I agree you’ve got seven bodies,” He said handing the receipt to Doonen.
Doonen turned to us. “Would you like me to collect this and turn it in at the guild house with your pay?” I was about to agree when Barad stepped in and took the receipt.
“That’s ok Master, we’ll take care of it,” He said with a grin. Doonen winked at him as he turned back to the gate.
“Well then, once again I thank you boys for your service and our lives. My boy and I are in your debt. We are at the city as per our agreement. I consider your jobs complete. Goodbye boys.” With that, he flicked the reins and guided the horses into the city.
Barad approached me with a guilty smile that I knew all too well. “I reckon that the bounty on those bandits was above and beyond our standard guild duty. I figure this reward is ours.”
I arched my eyebrow at him. “It would be our hides if we took that reward and Max found out.” I watched Barad’s smile break. “But... if we collected it tomorrow when our service is up, he’d have no claim.”
He smiled then shrugged. “Not as fun if it’s legit, but fine. We’ll wait.”
Coneer was much as we left it. Most of the buildings were wooden with a few of the finer ones made of granite blocks from a nearby quarry. The streets bustled with traders bartering amongst one another. Their wagons rattling down the cobbled streets. The river set Coneer on the perfect trade route to the capital city of Vennean. Any goods traveling from the east would come through here and onto the river for transport to the coast.
The guild house was near the gate since that was where folks needing to hire guards and soldiers would go looking for them. It appeared more like an army post than a guild. That was necessary for training the young guild members. As we approached the gate, a young pimple-faced guardsman stepped from the guardhouse. Doing his best to look intimidating. His uniform was baggy, and the sword was well oversized for him. As he walked, it left a drag line in the dirt.
“Halt! What business do you have with the Fox Guild?” The boy asked.
Barad sighed. “How long have we been gone? This one looks straight from his momma’s teat.” This statement did nothing for the whelp’s confidence. “We aren’t here for guild business, we ARE guild business,” Barad explained cryptically. That just made the boy look more confused.
“Geddy!” A voice on the other side of the gate called out. “Quit wasting time and let them through.”
Th
e Whelp... I mean Geddy, opened the gate and stepped aside. Barad and I stepped through the gate and were met by a barrel-chested man with a balding head. Max had changed little over the last three years. He was still an intimidating man and could probably make the new recruits like Geddy wet themselves with a stern look.
“Well, you two are still alive, are ya?" Max turned to the yard of young guild members who were doing sword drills. "See boys! Do your drills, and some of you might come back!" Max Turned back to us in a more intimate voice. "So boys, six years? Good for you. And you're officers from military too! You’ll have them beating down our doors with offers!”
“Thanks, Max. It feels good to be back," I responded. And it did too. For years we were those doe-eyed kids learning to hold a sword. Wavering between wishing for adventure and hiding under our sheets for fear of the unknown. Guild members joined at thirteen and were given two years of training. Swordsmanship, guarding, and for those of us lucky enough to have the talent, magic. At fifteen, our six years of service started, and we were deemed well trained enough for advanced duty. For some, it was high-risk bodyguards, bounty hunters, or like us, military duty. Whatever needs the fox guild had, we would fulfill. Now at twenty-one, we were free men. We could still take jobs through the guild, at a much higher rate, or work independently.
The guild itself was wrapped around a large courtyard used for drilling the students. It was a four-storied wooden building that acted as the living space for the guild members as well as a place of business for the guild.
“Well, don’t just stand around here. Find a couple of journeyman’s rooms and make yourselves at home. Tomorrow Doonen should be here with your pay.” With that, Max turned his back to them and focused again on his students.
The journeyman rooms were nicer than the novice rooms they had lived in before. They were set-aside for any guild members that had graduated from service. It was a place to stay between jobs. As novices, we were forced to share rooms this size. This room looked out over the courtyard. There would be no oversleeping here, I whined to myself. The novices would be up early doing their drills just below me.