by T. Norman
Where am I?
The last thing he could remember was sharp pain, followed by peace and calm. He let his eyes close to rest.
His eyes opened once more to find a candle burning brightly in the room. He raised his hand to cover his eyes as he scanned the room.
“Welcome back, Captain.” The woman was sitting at a table near him. He searched his mind for her name.
“Allison.” He remembered her name, though still wondered how he knew her. “Where am I? Who am I?” His thoughts continued to evade him.
“You’re safe, that’s all that matters. Your name is Zaren Kosoth, you’re the captain of King Stowen’s Royal Guard.” As Allison said the words, Zaren began to remember everything.
His eyes opened wide as he remembered what happened. “I died.”
Allison smiled at him. “Almost. When we found you we thought you were gone, but you were still holding on.”
Zaren continued to search his memories. “Who was the man in the hood?”
“That was Brother Greydel, I sent him immediately when we received word of the attack. He was able to heal you.”
Zaren rested his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts. He had many questions, still unsure of all that conspired.
“I’m sure you have more questions, and I will answer all of them in due time. As for now, you need your rest.” Allison stood to exit the room.
“Wait,” Zaren called out. “I just have one question before you go.” He sat up as best he could; he wanted to be looking at Allison when she answered his question. “Why did you save me?”
Allison looked Zaren directly in the eyes, trying to read the motivation behind his words. Her lips pursed in frustration. “I saved you because I still have need of your skills.” She turned without saying another word, leaving Zaren alone in the room.
Acknowledgements
This book wouldn’t have been possible without the love and support of my family and friends. I want to acknowledge first my daughter, Emmy Kate. Some day you are going to read this and realize how crazy your dad is. I want you to know that no matter what; your dreams can come true as long as you put your mind to it. I will always love and support you, wherever life’s endeavors takes you.
Next I want to thank my wife, Jordan, for putting up with the endless hours spent at the computer reading and writing. I want to thank her for encouraging me along this journey and believing in me every step of the way. This book would not be possible without her support and I owe everything I have and am to her.
I also want to thank my mother, Karla, for reading the first rough draft of this book and for patiently working through the story with me. I owe thanks as well to Patrick, Nate, and Drew for beat reading through the story and pushing the plot and characters into what they are today.
I also want to thank my editor Anne, at Inkstand Editorial, for the amazing work you put shaping my story into something beautiful. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication and your professionalism through this process.
Lastly, I want to thank you the reader. This has been one of the biggest endeavors of my life and simply having you reading these words mean it was all worth it. I hope to connect with you over social media and please feel free to share your thoughts in any of the available platforms.
Stay tuned for the next chapter
The Ascent Archives: Dead King’s War
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Table of Contents
The Ascent Archives:
Table of Contents
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
