He was flying furiously towards the South in his imagination and he saw a giant, menacingly steaming volcano ahead of him. A cave on top of the mountain attracted him, like a magnet. As fast as it came, the dreamlike vision was gone in a matter of seconds.
“What happened, my champion?” the witch was caressing the captain’s face with concern.
“I saw images in my mind of a huge, steaming volcano, somewhere in the South and a cave on top of the mountain, where I felt I needed to go to,” Corwen was blinking confusedly as he regained consciousness.
“That’s an obvious sign, where we have to go captain,” the panther man said, frowning.
“Luckily there are not so many volcanoes in the South, as far as I know there are only two.”
Suddenly the ground began to shake and stones fell from the ceiling getting bigger and bigger, followed by soil flowing into the hall.
“Quick! Go outside before it buries us!” the elf shouted.
They did not need more encouragement, the group rushed towards the door. The priest/knight grabbed the parts of the glowing armor. He had not had enough time to put on. They were running as demons were chasing them. The aisles were closing down too, as they were buried with stones and dust filled the air.
Luckily, the traps did not work anymore, as the earthquake destroyed their mechanism. They just ran through them, back on the stairs to the upper floor of the crypt, where not a long ago they had an almost deadly battle with the servants of the Nozgold Empire.
When everybody got up to the top, the entrance was closed down by the rocks forever. The shatter covered the door completely and dust was flying everywhere. They were all coughing and gasping as they rushed to the surface, leaving the grave of the hero behind.
Stepping out from the domed crypt, they could finally draw breath. The sun was coming up on the East and painted the sky in orange and red colors. The constantly dark sky was covered with less cloud than usual and they could see the stars, blinking bluntly, except the comet that was glowing brightly with its long tail.
“That was close my friends!” the orc was gasping.
“I hope there will be no more surprises for today, it was enough for one day!” Everly took a deep breath, relieved.
“My master always said. Son, don’t count the chickens, until they are hatched!” the priest/knight said, sitting on the ground and putting on the rest of the full plate armor.
“Where to go now my champion?” the witch hugged Corwen.
The captain put his arms around her waist and kissed her, and then he turned to the others with a smile on his face.
“I think we should return to the iblorg village to relax and talk about our possibilities. I hold the key to the ancient relics, which could help the peaceful nations of the North to win the upcoming war,” he held up the crystal dragonhead.
“Our ancestors could not have said it better captain!” the elf tracker said with his hand on his bandaged wound.
They could not even catch a breath after the events of the last few minutes, when a bat winged woman struck at the company from the sky. She created a whirlwind with her wings as she landed among them as a predator bird. She grabbed the shoulder of her victim she had been following for days.
The thief girl was screaming with dread, as the creature grabbed her up with its strong arms and lifted her in the air. The little magic crossbow fell from her cloak to the ground, as she tried to escape from her squeeze, but the claws did not let her go.
The whole body of the attacker was covered in a strange, ebony colored armor made of a otherworldly metal. She had the face of a beautiful woman, but her eyes and lips were black. She had twisted horns sticking towards the sky. The dark braids of her hair ended in constantly twirling snakeheads.
Everybody was paralyzed, as they watched their young friend being lifted up by the creature. The elf got to his senses first and shot an arrow at the unknown attacker, but it bounced back from the back of her mail. Events evolved very fast and a few moment later, they were far up in the sky above the clouds.
“I can’t believe this! How could this happen? She just kidnapped her in front of our eyes,” Corwen cried out confusedly.
“For a moment I sensed the power of the goddess of agony and misery from the creature. I suspect it must have been her deputy. Every god has servants like this, weaker or more powerful, who can decide the outcome of a smaller battle,” DaMatta said, sighing.
“Then everything is lost, we could not protect Everly as we promised, damn it!” the captain smashed his fist into the ground angrily.
“Don’t give up hope yet Corwen, we still have some hope. I put a coin into Everly’s pocket, with magic signs on it and I can sense it however far she’s taken. I can also open a space gate to get closer to her,” the rour tried to drag his mates out of their desperation.
“Go and save poor Everly!” Tusk was shaking his fist with determination.
“We will do that, let’s go back to the iblorg village, collect our power and decide what to do next!” the captain suggested to the rour.
“And I will give this back to her personally,” Larianna picked up the magic weapon from the ground.
“I think we will need some reinforcement, if we want to rescue Everly,” the sorcerer nodded towards the motionless golem next to the exit. “I am able to control it. I just have to overwrite the sign and place the stamp of movement on it and it will follow my commands.”
The others looked at the panther man, astonished.
"If you can really make this dangerous creature your servant, do it!" Corwen nodded.
Al Sarran rushed to the golem and he was done writing up the signs on its body in less than an hour. He activated it with a command. The robust metal body made a creaking sound and was ready to obey its new master.
“Follow me my servant! We have a long and dangerous journey ahead of us,” the sorcerer commanded the creature.
The sun was up in the sky, when they reached the boats at the edge of the ruin town. They all sat in them, the priest/knight and the orc conducted them, with strong laps, leaving the unfriendly, foggy land behind.
The steel servant walked right into the water neck deep and followed its new master faithfully. The company was deep in their own thoughts, as they regarded the water surface. The captain was looking at the dragon headed jewelry, rolling it in his palm.
Where will this key lead us? What kind of dangers do we have to face? Poor Everly, we have to save her somehow, Corwen was puzzling.
Larianna put her head on his shoulder and held his hand. They were so close to succeed and everything went wrong. If they sacrifice the young girl and the goddess living in her gains human form, dreadful events worse than the upcoming war could take place, bringing endless misery to the habitants of Algaron.
*****
Zandurin was heading to the North with large flaps, clenching the young girl with her strong arms, who was unable to escape. She soon stopped trying, because she did not want to fall into the deep.
“What do you want from me you monster?” she asked with fear in her voice.
“I will take you intact to the monastery of the goddess of agony and misery for the command of high priestess Orzalla, so we could begin the ceremony,” the rich female voice replied.
“Will you sacrifice me?” she asked on a shaking voice.
“We will not sacrifice you little girl, we will wake the goddess living in you,” she explained.
“What will happen to me then?” she asked, confused.
“Your soul will hide in the background like now the soul of the goddess. You should be proud that she chose your body from thousands of people’s.” the winged creature replied.
Everly sighed and could not reply to the answer of her kidnapper. Thoughts were rushing through her head.
Will the captain and the group come to help? Will they arrive there in time or I can only rely on myself?
“I suggest you save your energy. The journey will take t
wo days and two nights to the monastery. I won’t stop anywhere, don’t even try. You cannot trick me! I know when someone is lying to me!” the deputy said, piercing the thief girl with her dark and cold look.
Everly was helplessly watching the swamp above them, bathing in the light of the rising sun. They were flying towards the North in a quick tempo. She could only hope for a miracle, to be able to get out of this life-threatening situation.
*****
Meanwhile in the ruined town on the upper and intact floor of the crypt, a body moved, it sat up, then got on his feet and walked into the corner. He got his head up from the floor, with his one arm and put it back on his neck.
“So much better now! The resurrecting tattoo really worked,” he said on a creaky voice, touching the signs around his eye.
“It is so strange to be a living dead. I don’t breathe and my heart is not beating. I cannot feel my arms and legs nor thirst and hunger, but I am still able to control my own body, as if I was alive. I only have to find my arm and I will sew it back together with my head.”
He looked around the room full of dead bodies and he soon found his missing arm. He sat in a corner, got out a slim and sharp bone and string made of animal tendons and began sewing back the injured body parts. He advanced with skilled stitches and was done in a few minutes.
“This is done,” he moved his head and arm. “Let’s see what I can do with the weapons.”
He picked up the hidden blades and rolled them with acrobatic movements. He did not lose any of his kills as a living dead. His turquoise eyes were burning furiously.
“Captain Venuri del Corwen, I will come after you and your mates, nobody can stop me! I will revenge my own death!” the shadow elf burst into a laugh.
He put his weapons back in their cases and rushed towards the exit. Mad fire was burning in his eyes fueled by one thing. Death…
End of Book One
###
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Glossary
Valor – highly ranked veteran assassin in the Empire's Assassin clan.
Night Blades − an assassin clan emerging all around the continent, they earned reputation by killing a prince a couple of decades ago.
Faceless − the most elite assassin clan around the continent, very few can survive the long indoctrination, whereby they become dreaded assassins.
Grandmaster Karundum − leader of the Faceless, one of the world’s most dangerous swordsman, initiate of the Shadow dance, a technique that only a half dozen know in the world.
Shadow dance – a secret fighting style that only a few initiate know from the Faceless. The user of the style is able to step in and out of shadows, and travel between them.
Luniar – a very rare and valuable magic metal. Mined in Tamaria, the dwarves underground empire. There are four different variations. The least valuable is the blue lunair, then the red after the moon, and lastly the ancient silver luniar, which is the strongest and hardest among magical metals.
Star metal − only mined in the Nozgold Empire, in small quantities. It is a very rare magical material, the continent’s most resistant and valuable precious metal. The colour of the metal looks like basalt.
Demigod Vulgron – child of Morguld, the god of death and destruction and a common woman. He is the head of the Nozgold Empire for centuries now.
Flaming Palm witch order – belongs to one of the few orders on the continent, which serves the good cause. They rather heal and help who is in trouble, than cursing and intrigues.
Hatchet of Geidon − an ancient dwarf relic. With it the nation living underground fought countless victorious battle.
Terwaldian steel – metal mined south of the continent and mostly found in Terwaldia. It is famous for its resistance. They make superb weapons and armours from it.
Kyrion, Goddess of agony and misery – a goddess forgotten thousand years ago, with only a handful of believers left. She gathers strength from the misery of young men, but the inquisition destroyed the order. There is only one monastery left, hidden up North in the mountains where a few are still praying to the goddess.
Varranian firewater – produced in North of the continent and famous for its high alcohol percentage and luscious taste.
Clan of the Blood Drinkers – notorious orc clan with the best warriors. The orc and goblins have a deep respect toward the clan members.
Inner Circle sorcerer order – a famous order founded south of the continent where they train the young, talented in magic. All races can be found inside the walls.
Ertonfell – a fighting school found in Horeldien, the elven realm, where they train outstanding warriors and scouts.
Three Shields fighting school – founded by the members of the Northern Dukedom. The most famous school in the North with several hundred years of history. It has given many talented swordsmen to the world.
Elloro – a rare wood, which from the elves make the best bows with magical procedures, around Algaron. The bow made from it has a special ability. Only the person who the bow was made for can draw it. In others’ hand it is useless.
Father of all trees – the elven traditions say the huge ancient tree, which lives here, is the first tree, which wriggled out of the ground, at the beginning of time. The tree is guarded heavily day and night; they won’t let strangers near it. Sometimes the elven leaders seek the tree for advice, as it is able to speak on its own unique way.
Illvars – sages and leaders of the elven nation. There are less than a dozen members, who are the oldest and most experienced elves.
Ferron language – the first settlers of Algaron spoke this language several thousand years ago. Now days only few knows this language, mostly scholars.
Black Tower sorcerer order – the Nozgold Empire’s most famous sorcerer order, where from countless magicians, trained in the dark arts, came out.
Valinor – goddess of nature. Many healers and hunters pray to her, when they roam the wilderness, in order to protect them from danger.
Staff of Arwald – a long lived, famous sorcerer's staff, which was able to banish demons back to the outer dimensions. The staff disappeared when the sorcerer died, but they talk about its powers until these days.
Drum of Growalda – famous magic war-drum, which if played in the right rhythm, kills all fear in orcs and goblins.
Teidron fighting style – one of the Faceless's attack form, where they synchronise their attack with clockwork precision, and strike the adversary simultaneously, leaving the opponent unable to parry incoming attacks.
Iltor – dwarves’ god of vengeance. The underground warriors often pray to him.
Big Wolf Spirit – god of the goblins and orcs, but scholars say it is just a powerful entity from one of the outer dimensions. They believe they descend from him, and always pray to him.
The battle of the Geldron Valley – the united nation defeated the demon armies in this final battle. Thanks to Orender Teroldo and his incredibly powerful weapons, they managed to roust out the demon lords and lock down the gates of the outer dimensions.
About The Author
Xaiver Morden lives in Hungary. He was born in 1983. Role playing games had a great impact on him when he was a teenager. This is why he started writing. He wrote his first novel in fantasy genre. He likes the sci-fi and the fantasy too. His favorite hobbies are body-building, and playing billiard.
Other Books By Xaiver Morden
Please visit your favorite ebook retailer to discover other books by Xaiver Morden.
Legend of Fire and Ice Series
The Comet Appears - Book One
Reptilian Series
City of the Reptilians - Book One
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