by Sharon Gibbs
Resurrection
of an
Empire
The
Magic Within Series
‘Life is running out of time,and time can disappear in the blink of an eye.’
~Clarence Musat~
Resurrection
of an
Empire
Copyright © Sharon Gibbs 2015
Cover art and chapter heading illustrations by Lydia and Isaia. http://worldsbeyondart.com
Sharon Gibbs asserts the moral right
to be identified as the author of this work
ISBN-13:978-0-9944934-2-2
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are fictitious or used in a fictitious way. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-one
Chapter Fifty-two
Chapter Fifty-three
Chapter Fifty-four
Chapter Fifty-five
Chapter Fifty-six
Chapter Fifty-seven
Chapter Fifty-eight
Chapter Fifty-nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-one
Chapter Sixty-two
Epilogue
The Magic Within
Series
Prequel
~ Beginnings
Book 1
~ Bound to Survive
Book 2
~ Resurrection
of an Empire
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Chapter One
‘Hurry, Henry. We are running out of time.’ Soaked to the skin, rain trickled from Christopher’s dark hair onto his stained muddy shirt as he pleaded with his grandfather. ‘If we don’t act now, the Dark Lord’s forces will overrun our front line.’
Henry peered up at the gloom overhead and scoured the darkness searching for the strength he needed and, as the rain soaked his furrowed brow, he whispered, ‘And time can disappear in the blink of an eye. Forgive me, my love, for what I’m about to do.’ Tears brimmed in his lashes, threatening to overflow and he looked back to his grandson. ‘Hold your sword close, son.’ Henry wriggled his aged fingers and his voice caught in his throat as he cast the spell of the Unknowing to hide his only kin. ‘It is done. Go now.’
Concealed within the spell, Christopher slipped his sword into its leather sheath on his back and sped off. He skirted his army as they slashed at their enemy and passed by the evil creatures unseen.
Zute had conjured the bewitched army by raising a veil from the Underlands. Their enslaved souls were sucked from the shimmering wall into the spinning funnel of wind. Once inside, the souls were cocooned with decayed foliage and then thrust out into the realm to complete their master’s demands. Numbering in the thousands, the Dark Lord had collected them over the years of his imprisonment. His army of the Underlands had been boosted three fold by the pact Arnak had made long ago. These abominations drawn from the depths of their dark world were unaccustomed to their new forms. Their misshapen limbs inhibited their movements and they stumbled forward, growling, thrashing their arms to retain their balance.
Christopher sped forth past the endless sea of conjured death and as he raced forward he assessed his position. The Dark Lord stood alone on a knoll at the far end of the valley as he wielded his mighty axe with abandon. As Christopher raced on, his muscles strained beneath his sodden, muddied clothes hindering his movements, but he pushed himself to keep moving. Approaching the muddy knoll, he raced up the slippery slope and thrust his sword into Zute’s chest. Its razor sharp tip pierced the Dark Lord’s flesh and slid with ease between the bones of his ribcage. The heavy sword brooked no resistance as it sliced through tissue and muscle to sever Zute’s spine and protrude from his back.
Unseen, Christopher stood face to face with his opponent, his sword buried to its hilt in Zute’s warm flesh. Christopher watched as a wicked smile crept upon the Dark Lord’s face and a rumble rose from the depths of his chest. Zute thrust his head back, laughed his amusement and then released his power.
The force removed the spell cast over Christopher and thrust him back, ripping the steel from the Dark Lord’s chest and leaving a dry, gaping wound.
‘Did you think you were enough of a man to set me back upon my heels?’ Zute roared. ‘Did you think your sword, a sword made with magic, would be enough to destroy me? You’re a fool. My magic was born from the occult and your simple presence cannot destroy the darkness of the gift in my soul. I am as you are; one born with the gift, but thanks to your ancestors, I have become more. I’ve lived in a land where others would’ve perished. A land where the earth rumbled and darkness was my keeper. Your predecessors saw to my entrapment but they knew nothing about the place where they’d imprisoned me. In time, I was able to bend the realm to my will and create a new world. I manipulated the earth to open its fiery depths and release the magic from within. In my solitude I’ve waited and, from those who’ve dedicated themselves to me, I’ve returned.’
He paused as Athena approached. ‘I see you recognise my queen.’ Zute laughed again. ‘My punishment for you and the others of your kind is to cast you all from this plane. To send you all to a tomb where you will forever walk the world of the dead, and from there you will watch as I punish your people and take what should have been mine.’ With that, Zute lifted his broad axe and unleashed his power. The sizzling blue bolts arced across the distance between the two men, and Christopher rolled to the side to escape the blast then scrambled to his feet. The D
ark Lord’s power was old and he’d had a thousand years to perfect it. The innocent magic of a new wizard could never be a match for this mad man’s.
Zute attacked again and this time his energy flared out and struck Christopher in the chest. It lifted the young wizard from the soil and thrust him through the air. He soared over the land, past his front line, where his army struggled to hold their enemy at bay and beyond the wizards towards the pass.
It was there in the boggy sludge where the water pooled off the mountains that Christopher’s body fell to the mire. His bones jarred as his frame crashed into the sludge. Pain encased him as Zute’s magic ripped through his body causing his heart to pound at an unnatural pace. Christopher raked at his chest and gasped for breath. Blood seeped from his injuries, staining his clothes. Exhausted, injured and inflicted with pain, Christopher’s heart slowed abnormally. Zute’s power flittered through the young wizard and finally the damage inflicted from the Dark Lord’s magic took its toll as his heart skipped a beat. His pulse slowed and he squirmed as blood seeped into his lungs. Gasping for breath, he sucked at the moist air. His mind wandered and his body quietened as his heart skipped another beat.
‘Christopher! Christopher!’ Elle screamed as she flew to his side. His skin waxed as the blue tint of death tainted his bloody mouth. She dropped to her knees, her hands shaking his body as she tried to rouse him.
‘Christopher. No, no. Help me!’ she screamed as fear slid up her spine and the darkness ahead moved ever closer. She called out again, hoping beyond hope that one of the wizards would arrive. ‘Christopher, my love, stay with me. Henry’s coming. Oh Christopher, Christopher. No!’ she wailed, and her voice crackled as she frantically tried to rouse him.
Henry saw Christopher torpedo through the air, and he used his magic to guide his grandson’s flight and slow his impact. But Henry’s magic was inflicted with the instability of their realm, and Christopher impacted the ground harder than Henry had hoped. He ran as fast as he could towards the place where his grandson landed and, ahead of him, he saw Elle rush across the shallow river to Christopher’s side. Her screams reverberated through the valley and Henry pushed himself on. ‘Hold on lad, I’m coming!’
Elle looked up as she heard the wizard’s call and, as if in a dream, she watched as Henry dashed across the plain and plunged through the watery muck between them. The seconds ticked by and it seemed he would never reach her. Pain rocketed through her soul as she shook her beloved and cried out his name. Blood trickled from Christopher’s mouth and, as Henry rushed to his side, the Dark Lord’s magic seeped from Christopher’s body and his heart became still.
‘Henry, help him!’ Elle screamed as her beloved’s eyes became lifeless.
The
Previous
Spring
Chapter Two
Athena stood in front of the altar she’d created to worship Lord Zute. She reached out and took the book from the shelf and held it securely in her hands. Tears ran down her cheeks, because she was now alone in this realm. Her brother, Arnak, who’d ruled the land, had been slain in battle by the ‘One’ they’d searched for. The ‘One’ told of in Prophecy—Christopher.
Athena opened the book. The page that lured her was marked with a raven’s feather, and she ran her fingers across the spell. It was the first step in her plan. She knew what she had to do. Her home, the Dome, required protection from the wizards of Canistar and, if her plan was to work, she would need help from the Dark Lord. Ultimately his resurrection would assure her success.
As Athena walked around the room her fingers caressed the words written and she thought back to the time, when as a young girl, she’d used her special abilities to entertain her brother. Now he was gone and she was devastated by his loss.
The spell she held contained the enchantment that when cast would provide protection, an impenetrable barrier that neither man nor creature could cross without becoming ensnared. Her own powers were weak and to cast her web she would need the full moon to call her Lord from the Underlands. She’d draw strength from Zute’s magic and then she’d be able to weave her power and prepare for the time when she’d bring him forth from his prison to once again walk the earth as he’d done a thousand years ago.
Chapter Three
From the mid-north, word had been sent out across the realm. The Keep once again belonged to the Wizards of Canistar. Long ago the village had supported the wizards and in return those who’d lived in the Keep had supported its people.
It had been a few weeks since Christopher and Elle had returned home to the mountain and the morning air no longer held the cold frostiness of winter. They sauntered around the gardens together as the sun warmed the earth.
‘How do you fair today, my love?’
‘All is well, my Wizard,’ Elle said as he took her by the hand and led her over to the stone bench, under an ancient oak tree. As she sat down, Christopher bent before her upon one knee.
‘My love, since our paths have crossed, I’ve had only you in my mind and in my heart. Yesterday I asked your father for his blessing. I know we’re already betrothed, but I never actually asked you to be my wife.’ Elle sat motionless upon the bench and looked into his eyes. Her thoughts drifted back to the day they’d first met. It had happened so quickly. Their lives had become entwined in the blink of an eye and she gazed at her beloved as he spoke the words she longed to hear.
‘Elle, my one and only. You fill me with happiness. Your strength and passion for life rejoice within my soul. I’d be honoured if you’d choose to join your life with mine. I’ll always try my hardest to support you, wherever our path takes us. Know that I love you and will cherish you always,’ he said as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small velvet pouch. He opened the sash and tipped into his palm a small shiny ring. He held it up before her and her eyes danced with delight. It was the most beautiful piece of jewellery Elle had ever seen. The plain band was forged of silver, and set into the crown, surrounded by a fine silver design, was an unusual green stone. As she looked at the gem, it seemed to swirl inside.
‘This ring is my promise to you. I give you my heart and no matter what happens, or where life takes us, I vow to you that I’ll always be there. Elle, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?’
‘Yes, Christopher. I will,’ she said, her voice betraying a tremor of happiness.
Christopher took hold of her hand and slipped the ring upon her finger. Tenderly he reached forward and wrapped his arms around her slight figure, drawing her close and, as his lips touched hers, she felt his passion roar.
‘Now you two, there’ll be plenty of time for that later,’ Henry said chuckling as he approached.
Henry was happy his grandson had fallen in love with this young lass. She was brave and strong, a good match for him. She’d yearned as he did, for the return of peace to the land, and she had believed in Christopher before she knew he existed.
‘Clarence would like to see you both.’
‘We’ll head over there now, grandfather,’ Christopher said as he offered his hand to Elle.
‘That’s an unusual bauble, Elle,’ Henry said with a twinkle in his eye. ‘Surely one of a kind.’
‘Thank you, Henry. It’s lovely,’ she said as she held out her hand to show off the fine adornment. She leant forward and kissed the wizard on the cheek. ‘You certainly know how to make a girl happy.’
A smile crept across Henry’s face while his cheeks took on a pinkish hue. Christopher had never seen his grandfather flustered before, and he whispered to Elle as they strolled off, ‘You never cease to amaze me. How did you know Henry made your ring?’
‘How many men do you know actually admire a woman’s betrothal ring?’
Christopher laughed and Elle dragged him up the stairs and in through the portal of the Keep.
Reaching the top of the stairs, the couple arrived at Clarence’s office. They knocked before entering and Clarence stared at Elle, amazed she’d recovered so soon after
her ordeal. Since their return home, they had both been diligent in their efforts to restore the Keep. Their activities in the village and their training seized most of their spare time. Every night he noticed how exhausted they were as they retired.
Clarence and Elle had a special bond. One that had formed many years ago when she’d first gone to work in the kitchen at the manor house in Canameer.
‘You look well, my dear,’ Clarence said as she walked over and kissed him on the cheek.
‘I feel well,’ she said and then took a seat upon the chaise near the hearth. Christopher, already seated, lifted an assortment of papers from the small table and flipped through them.
‘Argh yes,’ Clarence said. ‘I wanted you to both have a look at those. I found them in an old tea chest under the stairs. I thought you might like to choose some of the oaths for the Joining.’
‘Clarence, the ceremony is not until next spring,’ Elle said.
‘Well, one can never be too prepared, my dear.’
Clarence had been back at the Keep since the beginning of winter. When he and Henry had first arrived they’d searched through the Keep to see what remained.
Elle and Christopher had only been ensconced in the Keep for a few months now, but the time they’d spent together in The Dale had cemented their relationship. They’d travelled up to The Ridge just before the winter snow had set in and had spent time together in the wilderness. As the days passed they’d explored the land together, getting to know each other. They spoke as lovers do and discovered they both wanted the same things in life. Christopher understood her pain as she’d told him of her mother’s death, and she’d shared with him the arts of healing that her mother had taught her. He too knew that need to help others, and Elle had listened with her heart when he’d shared his family history.
