Timothy gave a sharp nod, eyes still twitching.
“Then we’ll hit them there,” said Mazael. “Sir Hagen! Get the men in line. Once the enemy is in sight, we’ll charge and ride them down.” With luck, the attackers would be focused on the gate, and would not spot Mazael’s horsemen until it was too late.
Hagen and Nathan bellowed orders, the knights and armsmen falling into a wide line. The horses moved forward at a trot, ready to leap into a gallop at Mazael’s command. Cravenlock Town came into sight, the rooftops rising above the thick stone wall surrounding the town. Lord Mitor, Mazael's predecessor and elder brother, had let the wall fall into disrepair. Mazael had ordered it rebuilt, despite the expense. He had also insisted that the town men's form a militia, training regularly, despite their grumbling.
He doubted anyone would grumble after this.
Torches blazed atop the fifteen foot wall. Militiamen fought atop the walls, wielding crossbows and spears. A dozen ladders had been flung against the wall, and Mazael saw dark-armored shapes scrambling up the ladders, spears and axes in hand.
The invaders.
Mazael took a look at them, a good look, and his eyes got wide.
The invaders were not bandits. Nor were they were Mazael's vassals, or Lord Richard's men.
They weren't even human.
Mazael had never seen creatures like them before.
They looked almost like men, albeit men with leathery, hairless gray skin and long, pointed ears. Their eyes were colorless, milky white, yet they seemed to have no difficulty seeing. The creatures wore greasy leathers, ragged furs, and black chain mail. Dozens of them lay dead below the gate, covered in black blood. Yet the creatures seemed to show neither fear nor pain, and flung themselves at the defenders with mad abandon, roaring and howling like beasts.
Lucan swore, very softly.
"What are they?" said Mazael.
"I had never thought to see them," said Lucan.
"Damn it, what are they?" said Mazael.
Lucan looked at Mazael, his eyes reflecting the firelight. "Malrags."
"Malrags?" said Mazael. "Malrags are a legend, like..."
"Like the Elderborn?" said Lucan. "Like the San-keth?"
Mazael growled. "Legend or not, they are still flesh and blood. Sir Hagen! Sir Aulus! Sound the charge..."
The air crackled, and a sudden gust of wind blew over the town's walls. Then a bolt of green lighting screamed down out of the cloudless sky, so bright that it filled the plains with ghostly light. It struck the arch over the gates with terrific force, blasting the stone and wood to glowing shreds. Smoking debris rained over the Malrags and the town militia alike, knocking them to the ground, and the horses whinnied and stamped in terror.
For a moment the battlefield remained motionless, the echoes from the lightning blast rumbling into silence.
Then the Malrags began racing for the ruined gate.
"The charge!" said Mazael, raising his lance. "Now!"
Sir Aulus lifted a horn to his lips and loosed a long blast, a thunder of a different sort rolling over the plain. Mazael put his boots to Challenger's sides, and the big horse surged forward with an excited snort. Behind him the knights' and armsmen's horses exploded into motion, the earth rumbling beneath steel-shod hooves.
The Malrags near the gate turned, beginning to form a line of spears, but it was too late. The Malrags were a disorganized mob, and the knights moved too fast. Mazael caught a brief glimpse of a Malrag at the forefront of the mob. The hands gripping the spear had six fingers, he noted, black veins throbbing and pulsing beneath the leathery gray skin. Then the Malrag disappeared beneath Challenger's hooves in a flash of black blood, even as Mazael drove his war lance through the face of another Malrag. He ripped the lance free and plunged it into another Malrag as Challenger thundered forward, his knights crashing into the Malrags around him. Horses screamed and stamped, men shouted, and the Malrags bellowed their bestial battle cries.
Mazael stabbed his lance into another Malrag, the heavy blade crunching past armor and sinking into the creature's neck. Yet the Malrag showed no fear, no sign of pain, even pulling itself up the lance shaft to claw at Mazael's arm. Mazael plunged the spear into the creature's chest again, and the Malrag toppled, wrenching the lance from Mazael's hand.
Challenger galloped through the Malrag mob, breaking free on the other side, below the ruined gates. Mazael wheeled the big horse around, drawing Lion from its scabbard with a metallic hiss. The ancient steel blade glimmered in the torchlight, seeming to flash and flicker.
And then Lion jolted in Mazael's hand. Power seemed to flow up Mazael's arm, and the light reflecting in the sword's blade turned blue. A halo of sapphire light crackled around the sword, and then the blade burst into raging azure flames. Lion had been forged long ago, by the great wizard-smiths of ancient Tristafel, created to destroy things of dark magic.
It seemed that the Malrags, whatever else they were, were also creatures of dark magic.
But this was the time for action, not musing upon the past. Mazael shouted, kicked Challenger into motion, and rode back into the fray, striking right and left with Lion. The Malrags had shown no fear of steel weapons, even of wounds and death, yet they flinched away from the blue flame raging around Lion. And Lion's blade seemed to sink deeper and harder into Malrag flesh, black Malrag blood sizzling and spitting against the sword. Mazael struck the arm from one Malrag, and the head from another, Lion blazing like an inferno in his fist. The Malrags reeled back, flinching from the azure flame, and Mazael's knights and armsmen fell upon them.
The Malrags broke and ran. The creatures did not seem to care about pain or injury, but they feared Lion's flame, and Mazael's men were more numerous and better armed. Dozens of them sprinted into the darkness around the town. But others turned and fell back through the ruined gate, vanishing into the streets of the town.
Damnation. They could go from house to house, killing. Or hide themselves in the cellars and attics, and strike out at will. For that matter, the ones fleeing from the town could band together, raid some of the smaller villages.
"Sir Hagen!" said Mazael. Hagen rode to Mazael's side, his sword and armor splattered with black Malrag blood. "Take seventy men. Try to hunt down as many of the fleeing Malrags as you can. I'll deal with things here." Hagen nodded. "Sir Nathan!" The old knight turned, greatsword in one hand. How he managed to use such a massive sword so effectively from horseback, Mazael had no idea. "Get the rest of the men together. We'll have to go from street to street, finish off the Malrags."
Sir Nathan shouted the commands, and Lucan spurred his horse to Mazael's side, that strange black staff laid across his saddle.
"My lord," said Lucan. "Listen to me. The ancient records about Malrags. Every Malrag warband has two leaders. A shaman, a spell caster. Probably the one that cast that lightning bolt upon the gate. And a chieftain, a war leader...a 'balekhan', in the Malrag tongue. The Malrags will not give up until both of them are dead."
"Then we'll simply have to kill them both," said Mazael. "You and Timothy can deal with the shaman, I trust?"
Lucan sneered. "Please."
Mazael nodded and turned Challenger toward the ruined gates. He rode into the town, his men following. Some of the militiamen followed, while Mazael ordered others to stay guard over the ruined gates and deal with any Malrags that returned. Hooves rang against the cobblestones, but Mazael saw no sign of any Malrags. Where had they all gone? He thought at least a hundred had made their way into the town.
Then he heard the sounds of fighting coming from the town square. Two major buildings sat on the town square. The Three Swords in, a four-story building of mortared stone and trimmed beams. And the town's church, a massive domed structure, dating from the old kingdom of Dracaryl. When the town was under attack, the women and children fled to the church...
The women and children.
The sounds of fighting grew louder.
Mazael cursed and kicked Challen
ger to a gallop, his knights and armsmen following.
Follow this link to continue reading Soul of Serpents.
I would like to thank Bob Neumann, Maria Poston, and Mark Moeller, all of whom read this book long before it had any chance of ever seeing the light of day.
Other books by the author
The Demonsouled Saga
MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK is a wandering knight, fearless in battle and masterful with a sword.
Yet he has a dark secret. He is Demonsouled, the son of the ancient and cruel Old Demon, and his tainted blood grants him superhuman strength and speed. Yet with the power comes terrible, inhuman rage, and Mazael must struggle to keep the fury from devouring him.
But he dare not turn aside from the strength of his blood, for he will need it to face terrible foes.
The priests of the San-keth plot and scheme in the shadows, pulling lords and kingdoms upon their strings. The serpent priests desire to overthrow the realms of men and enslave humanity. Unless Mazael stops them, they shall force all nations to bow before the serpent god.
The Malrag hordes are coming, vast armies of terrible, inhuman beasts, filled with a lust for cruelty and torment. The Malrags care nothing for conquest or treasure, only slaughter. And the human realms are ripe for the harvest. Only a warrior of Mazael’s power can hope to defeat them.
The Dominiar Order and the Justiciar Order were once noble and respected, dedicated to fighting the powers of dark magic. Now they are corrupt and cynical, and scheme only for power and glory. They will kill anyone who stands in their way.
To defeat these foes, Mazael will need all the strength of his Demonsouled blood.
Yet he faces a far more terrible foe.
For centuries the Old Demon has manipulated kings and lords. Now he shall seize the power of the Demonsouled for himself, and become the a god of torment and tyranny.
Unless Mazael can stop him.
Read Demonsouled for free. Mazael's adventures continue in Soul of Tyrants, Soul of Serpents, Soul of Dragons, Soul of Sorcery, Soul of Skulls, and Soul of Swords, along with the short stories The Wandering Knight, The Tournament Knight, and The Dragon's Shadow. Get the first three books bundled together in Demonsouled Omnibus One.
The Ghosts Series
Once CAINA AMALAS was the shy daughter of a minor nobleman, content to spend her days in her father’s library.
Then sorcery and murder and her mother’s treachery tore her life apart.
Now she is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, an elite agent of the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar. She is a master of disguise and infiltration, of stealth and the shadows.
And she will need all those skills to defend the Empire and stay alive.
Corrupt lords scheme and plot in the shadows, desiring to pull down the Emperor and rule the Empire for their own profit and glory. Slave traders lurk on the fringes of the Empire, ready to seize unwary commoners and sell them into servitude in distant lands. Yet both slave traders and cruel lords must beware the Ghosts.
The Magisterium, the Imperial brotherhood of sorcerers, believe themselves the rightful masters of the Empire. With their arcane sciences, they plan to overthrow the Empire and enslave the commoners, ruling all of mankind for their own benefit. Only the Ghosts stand in the path of their sinister plans.
And the Moroaica, the ancient sorceress of legend and terror, waits in the shadows, preparing to launch a war upon the gods themselves. She will make the gods pay for the suffering of mankind...even if she must destroy the world to do it.
Caina Amalas of the Ghosts opposes these mighty enemies, but the cost might be more than she can bear.
Read Child of the Ghosts for free. Caina's adventures continue in Ghost in the Flames, Ghost in the Blood, Ghost in the Storm, Ghost in the Stone, Ghost in the Forge, Ghost in the Ashes, Ghost in the Mask, and Ghost in the Surge, along with the short stories Ghost Aria, Ghost Claws, Ghost Omens, The Fall of Kyrace, Ghost Thorns, Ghost Undying and Ghost Dagger. Get the first three books bundled together in The Ghosts Omnibus One.
The Third Soul
RACHAELIS MORULAN is an Initiate of the Conclave, the powerful order of mighty mages. But to become a full Adept of the Conclave, she must first survive the Testing. Those who survive the Testing never speak of the trials they endured.
Those who fail the Testing are never seen again.
And now the Magisters of the Conclave have come to take Rachaelis to undertake the Testing. And there she shall face perils to both her body and her sanity.
And creatures that yearn to devour her soul.
If Rachaelis survives the Testing, she will face even more dangerous foes. The demons of the astral world watch the world of mortal men, desiring to rule it for themselves.
And some Adepts of the Conclave are eager to help them.
Read The Testing for free. Rachelis's trials continue in The Assassins, The Blood Shaman, The High Demon, The Burning Child, The Outlaw Adept, The Black Paladin, and The Tomb of Baligant. Read the entire series in The Third Soul Omnibus One and The Third Soul Omnibus Two.
The Frostborn Series
A thousand years ago, the last grandson of Arthur Pendragon led the survivors of Britain through a magical gate to a new world, a world of magic and high elves, of orcs and kobolds and stranger, darker creatures. Now the descendants of the exiles rule a mighty kingdom, peaceful and prosperous under the rule of the High King.
But a shadow threatens to devour the kingdom.
RIDMARK ARBAN was once a Swordbearer, a knight of renown. Now he is a branded outcast, stripped of his sword, and despised as a traitor.
But he alone sees the danger to come. The Frostborn shall return, and unless they are stopped, they will cover all the world in ice and a neverending winter.
CALLIANDE awakens in the darkness, her memories gone, and creatures of terrible power hunting her.
For she alone holds the secret that can save the world…or destroy it utterly.
The secret of the Frostborn.
Read Frostborn: The First Quest, followed by Frostborn: The Gray Knight, Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife, and Frostborn: The Undying Wizard, along with the short stories The Orc's Tale and The Mage's Tale.
The Tower of Endless Worlds
THOMAS WYCLIFFE just wants to finish his dissertation in peace and quiet. So when a man in a black robe appears in his closet, claiming to be the last of the Warlocks, Wycliffe figures it is a bad joke.
But he soon realizes the last of the Warlocks can give him power beyond imagining.
And all it will cost is his soul.
SIMON WESTER needs a job. Badly. So when a rich and powerful Senator offers him employment, he jumps at the chance. Sure, Simon expects to find some corruption, some shady deals.
He doesn't expect to find black magic.
LIAM MASTERE is a Knight of the Sacred Blade, defender of the mortal races. But can swords stand against guns? As bullets and bombs destroy his kingdom, Liam must risk everything to save his homeland's one chance of salvation.
By daring the horrors of the Tower of Endless Worlds…
Read The Tower of Endless Worlds for free. The saga of the Tower continues in A Knight of the Sacred Blade, A Wizard of the White Council, and The Destroyer of Worlds.
About the Author
Standing over six feet tall, Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works.
Visit his website at:
http://www.jonathanmoeller.com
Visit his technology blog at:
http://www.computerbeginnersguides.com
Contact him at:
jmcontact@jona
thanmoeller.com
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Table of Contents
Book Description
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Soul of Serpents Bonus Chapter
Other books by the author
About the Author
SOUL OF SERPENTS
Jonathan Moeller
Description
A story ten years in the making, here at last is the triumphant third book of the "Demonsouled" series.
Mazael, now Lord of Castle Cravenlock, faces his darkest challenge yet. A horde of inhuman fiends has descended upon the Grim Marches, slaying and killing. The priests of the serpent god lurk in the shadows, scheming vengeance upon Mazael...and upon his family.
But both the fiends and the priests of the serpent god serve another master, one who plots to seize the throne of the heavens itself, a foe that even Mazael's skill and valor may not be able to defeat...
Demonsouled Omnibus One Page 76
