Immortal Swordslinger 3

by Dante King

  Immortal Swordslinger (Book 3)

  Dante King

  Copyright © 2019 by Dante King

  All rights reserved.

  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 written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  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

  Want More Immortal Swordslinger?

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  “We approach Hyng’ohr, master,” Yono said from within the Depthless Dream Trident.

  The ship raced through the waves of the Low Sea, leaving behind a long white wake. We were sailing against the wind but the ship’s magic was indifferent to the effects of the weather. Its power came from the will of its crew, expressed through the well worn seahorse carvings at the stern. Human desire drove the wooden vessel toward the coastline to the west.

  “Earth Augmenters are a stubborn bunch,” Yono whispered. “You’ll find them difficult.”

  “The Swordslinger has triumphed wherever his feet have trod,” Nydarth countered.

  The two spirits within the Immense Blades had been bickering ever since we’d left the Diamond Coast. Despite their voices in my head, I couldn’t help but smile as I stood at the prow and drummed my fingers against the boat.

  The dock on the shore was quickly growing closer. Were the birds circling above it gulls like those from Earth? Or were they something stranger? Since I arrived in the Seven Realms, I’d encountered all manner of previously unimaginable creatures, from my half-ogre friend Kegohr to the monsters I’d slain for their magical cores. The mundane and yet fascinating creatures that lived along the coastline outside Qihin City just added to a thriving world of unfamiliar life. I met something new every step of the way. Sure, some of them wanted to kill me, but what was life without a bit of a challenge?

  “Hey, hey, hey.” Kegohr came to stand beside me. The wind tossed his braids and ruffled the fur on his gray-skinned shoulders. Back home, I was considered tall, but Kegohr towered a whole foot above me.

  I noticed a slight green tinge to the skin on his face. “How are you feeling?”

  Kegohr laid a hand on his stomach and groaned. “Better than I was. Though I ain’t ever getting used to all this rocking. I’ll be glad when we’re back on dry land.”

  “Is that why you’re at the front? So you can jump off a few seconds sooner?”

  “Only a little bit. Mostly, I wanted to see what was up ahead. This is the furthest I’ve ever been from home, you know?”

  “I get it, big guy.” I remembered the mission in the Himalayas before I was transported to this world. I’d traveled all over the globe, working on security assignments, but I’d never been anywhere so strange.

  Of course, I’d ended up somewhere far stranger when I fell off that mountainside and a magical sword transported me to this land of magic. Bewildered as I’d been at the time, I could now appreciate that Nydarth, the spirit of the sword hanging at my side, had saved my life. Of course, she’d brought me here for her own purposes, but I wasn’t going to complain. Without her, I never would have learned the magic of Augmenting or joined and then saved the Radiant Dragon Guild, never would have traveled with my friends from there to Qihin City and helped its ruler defeat Horix, the evil guildmaster. Being snatched away from my previous reality had a lot of positives.

  “Why don’t you practice your Augmenting?” I asked the half-ogre. “Take your mind off your belly until we get to dry land. We’ll be in Hyng’or soon.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good idea.” He opened his hand, closed his eyes, and summoned an ember between his fingers.

  “Just don’t burn up the boat,” I said as he settled into practicing the fundamentals of the Augmenter’s craft.

  Kegohr opened an eye and grunted.

  My other traveling companions gathered at the opposite side of the ship. Princess Kumi of the Qihin leaned over the rail with one arm swinging back and forth, catching the salt spray. She smiled as she sang to herself. The magical notes made a wave rise in tendrils to touch her, then fell away as the boat left it behind. A bikini-like top and split skirts revealed skin that glistened in the early summer sun. Black braids hung behind her, and the pastel seashells tying them together clattered in the wind.

  Vesma, petite even in leather body armor and loose pants, sat with her back against the side of the ship. Like most of the Augmenters I’d met at the Radiant Dragon Guild, she had pale skin, dark hair, narrow eyes, and a penchant for fire magic. But few of those other Augmenters could match her extraordinary athleticism or girl-next-door beauty.

  “Are we nearly there?” she asked with a small scowl.

  “Why?” I asked. “Aren’t you enjoying the trip?”

  “I’ll be happier when we can get on with our mission.” She rose and spun her long-bladed spear through the air, each stroke passing teasingly close to me. I wasn’t in any real danger, not with the spear in such skilled and affectionate hands, but I had to fight the instinct to raise my defenses.

  “We’ve almost reached the docks outside Hyng’ohr,” I said. “If the Cult of Unswerving Shadows is there, it won’t be for much longer.”

  Guildmaster Horix had belonged to the Cult of Unswerving Shadows, and he’d followed what was called the Straight Path. Now, Lord Ganyir of the Gonki Clan had requested help from my guildmaster, Xilarion, who sent us to investigate troubles between his clan and the Steadfast Horn Guild. Like back on Earth, I’d become somewhat of a special agent. But unlike Earth, I now wielded elemental powers and multiple Immense Blades.

  “You sure are confident in yourself,” Kumi commented. “You really think that they’ll play nice and tell us who they are as soon as we land?”

  I shrugged and flashed her a smile. “It’d be nice.”

  The boat’s captain appeared and bowed to Kumi. His dark complexion, a long fin along the top of his head, and patches of scales running down his neck marked him as one of the Qihin Clan.

  “Your Highness,” he said to Kumi, “we will soon be at the Hyng’ohr Docks. I suggest that you and your companions make ready so that we can ensure swift disembarkment and be on our way.”

  “Of course,” she said. “Thank you, Captain Toulo.”

  We gathered our weapons and haversacks full of supplies and assembled near the front of the boat. I took special care with my weapons, the Sundered Heart Sword and the Depthless Dream Trident. They were spirit weapons, the homes of ancient and powerful dragon spirits who could lend me power and advice. It would have been better to lose all of my clothes and food overboard than to misplace either of them.

  The boat slowed as I caught my first real look at the Gonki Province. It was home to the clan of the same name, along with Steadfast Horn, an earth guild. At the water’s edge, docks of sandstone and sun-bleached wood played host to an assortment of craft from other clans. Familiar Qihin magic boats bobbed beside vast, black-painted sailing junks out of the south. Adobe huts and sto
rehouses lined the docks, some whitewashed, others sandblasted to a pale yellow-brown that matched the local dirt.

  “The outskirts of Hyng’ohr City,” Kumi explained.

  Past the docks stood the sandstone walls of Hyng’ohr proper. The city stretched back from the sea up one side of an arid valley, flanked by sharp peaks of rock. Halfway up a mountain, a colossal fortress with a domed central citadel loomed over the houses below.

  Our boat slid to a stop with only the gentlest knock against the docks. While the crew secured their vessel with thick ropes, I leaped onto the quay. The others followed, Kumi and Vesma stepping nimbly down as Kegohr landed with a thud. The human crew of a nearby fishing boat stared at the half-ogre with open curiosity. For a moment, I thought they were taken by his powerful build and tusked face. But then a pair of orcs gave him similar looks, and I remembered the kinds of reactions Wilds engendered. They were half-breeds, an intermingling of monstrous and civilized races. A pure-blooded ogre wouldn’t have drawn half the attention Kegohr did.

  If he noticed the looks he was getting, he didn’t acknowledge them.

  “Where to, chief?” he asked me.

  “I’d say we follow the huge city walls until we find a gate.” I pointed up a road to the mighty stone structure ahead.

  Kumi and Vesma trailed behind me as Kegohr and I pressed forward.

  “This is gonna be good,” he said as we walked. “See a new city, fight some new monsters.”

  He practically bounced along the road, with one hand holding his bag and the other gripping the massive mace over his shoulder. With all that energy and his long legs, the rest of us had to hurry to keep up.

  Kumi’s eyebrows drew together. “Doesn’t this place seem a little off to you?”

  “Off how?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Kumi answered. “Maybe it’s just the dryness getting to me.”

  “No guards at the dock,” Vesma observed as she scanned the area. “That’s odd. Even for a place this naturally defensible.”

  “I agree,” I said. “We should keep a look out for trouble.”

  As we ascended the road toward the city, I could make out more of Hyng’ohr and the surrounding area. Down the other side of the valley, a round tower stood on top of a natural pillar of rock and overlooked the sands below. Beyond it, fragments of a village were visible, half-buried in the waste of the desert. The wind carried the heat down the valley and straight into our faces as we followed Kegohr. I tasted dirt and felt grit scour my skin as a gust swirled the dirt around us.

  “You seen any places like this where you came from?” Kegohr asked me.

  “Not in real life. Though the valley looks like something out of a spaghetti western.”

  “A what now?”

  “It’s a sort of a story, about a lone hero fighting on the frontier.”

  “So, pretty much what would happen if we ran off and left you to get beaten up alone?” Vesma said.

  “People in westerns usually win the day.”

  “Shame you’re not in a western then.”

  I laughed as we continued up the road to Hyng’ohr City. We had the route to ourselves. It seemed as if the traders and fishermen we’d seen were using the docks as a stopping off point and a place to deal with each other rather than unload and transport goods into Hyng’ohr.

  “I read about the defenses of Hyng’ohr in Master Kyu’s books,” Vesma said. “Those gates are made from steelwood trees out of the northern provinces. One of the city’s original rulers had them brought down the coast. The wood was so hard that he had to have Augmenters use their magic to cut the planks because saws blunted before they could get through.”

  When we reached the city’s fortifications, there were guards on the battlements above and standing in front of the gates. All of them were dressed in a mix of yellows and browns over hardened leather breastplates and greaves. They carried two-handed weapons, including axes, maces, and hammers. None looked pleased to see guests arriving at the city’s inner fortifications.

  “What do you want?” the leading guard asked as we approached. He stood in front of the barred gates with a group of other guards. Like the others, he wore a turban of yellow cloth. A metal star on the front of the headpiece marked him as the commanding officer.

  I smiled as best I could and kept my hands well away from the sword at my side and the trident on my back. There was no sense in giving offense when none was needed. Whatever they thought of us, these guards were our way into the city, and a little politeness would get us further than challenging their surly demeanor.

  “Honored gate captain.” I bowed my head to the one who had addressed us. “We are Augmenters from neighboring provinces.”

  “Get out of here. Scram. You’re not wanted here, understand?”

  Vesma took a step forward, a steely gleam in her eyes. “I demand to see Lord Ganyir.”

  “Ganyir?” The guard captain’s laughter was harsh and exaggerated but not as forced as those of the men around him who played along with their leader’s mood. “I thought you guildies would be after Tahlis?” He spat as he said the name. “Neither Ganyir nor Tahlis are friends of Hyng’ohr.” Before we could respond, he snarled. “Get the hells out of my face.”

  “We are traveling disciples of the Radiant Dragon Guild,” Vesma implored. “Under imperial law, all cities under the dominion of Emperor Talekon are obliged to open their doors to us and offer hospitality.”

  The captain narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. “Listen, girly. We’re a long way from the heartland here. Sure, the Treaty of Blades stands, but sometimes, we have to deal with the rules the way we see fit. And right now, that way is keeping travelers out of our city. Understand?”

  He brought his hammer around. Vesma’s hand slid toward her spear.

  “We come from a border province too,” Kumi said. “We understand that life can be hard. That’s part of why we’re here, to see how we can help your local guild, as well as to learn from its wisdom.”

  “All I see here is a bunch of armed strangers with no respect for our rules,” the captain said. “You said you were looking for Ganyir, right? Well, I suppose killing you three would mean doing Hyng’ohr a service. Ain’t that right, lads?” the captain asked the men behind him.

  “Yes, Sir,” his guards replied.

  They drew their weapons and advanced on us.

  It was a terrible way to start our visit to Hyng’ohr, setting ourselves at odds with the local authorities from day one. But they were breaking the Emperor’s code that safeguarded disciples of the guilds. It was treason. I drew the Sundered Heart Sword and prepared to fight.

  Kegohr and I stood firm in the middle of the road, our weapons raised. Vesma stood off to one side, ready to spring in and seize opportunities. Behind us, Kumi chanted and swayed to draw water out of a thin stream that trickled by the road and turn it into a healing, invigorating flow.

  I’d expected a cautious, defensive approach from the city guards, but I’d been wrong. They charged straight at us and used their speed to add momentum as they swung their heavy, two-handed weapons. I ducked beneath a blow that would have caved my skull in, stepped back to avoid another, and parried a third. Sparks flew and a judder ran up my arms as the captain’s hammer slammed into my sword with incredible force.

  “Ouch,” Nydarth’s voice said in my head, her thoughts flowing straight from the sword into me. “That was quite the hit. Of course, I know that you can do better, my sweet man.”

  I took a swing at the captain, but he dodged out of the way with surprising speed. Like the rest of the guards, he was well-built, but that didn’t mean he was some sluggish strongman. He swung his hammer around in a massive overhead stroke, and I leaped back. The hammer’s head smacked into the ground and sent stones and dirt flying.

  Vesma was hopping in and out among the guards. She lashed at them with her spear as she passed, but the length of their weapons and the power of their blows kept her from getting in close.
Gashes appeared in the guards’ leather armor, and blood trickled from shallow wounds, but they showed no signs of slowing.

  Kegohr slammed his skull into a guard and swept the legs out from another with a broad sweep of his mace.

  A guard roared as he charged at me, heedless of any danger he was putting himself in. Again, I had to leap away or risk being knocked flat and crushed. As the guard recovered from his strike, I caught him with the tip of the Sundered Heart. Blood sprayed from a gap in the side of his armor, and he howled in pain. A moment later, he turned back to face me and raised his weapon above his head. Another guard charged in and robbed me of the opportunity to finish him. I slid back to avoid having my leg broken by a bronze war club and sent an Untamed Torch after him. The fireball crashed into his leather breastplate and broiled him from the inside out.

  “Vesma, Kumi!” I called out. “Can you draw some of them off?”

  “I’ll try.” Kumi drew a pair of butterfly knives from sheaths on her back and darted forward to get inside the reach of the guards. She flowed between them like a river as her blades danced in a spiraling motion. A knot of guards took the bait and turned to attack the princess.

  Vesma continued her darting attacks as she followed Kumi and moved away from Kegohr. Another pack of guards split off from the main group to chase Vesma down. Her spear ignited in a torrent of fire as dust swirled around her feet.

  Kegohr covered me from the front as I called on the power inside me and tapped into my supply of Vigor. At my command, clouds of ash appeared around the divided guards. They began to cough and gasp as the ash flooded their mouths and lungs. They flailed, and their weapons found nothing but empty space.