The Chronicles of Lorrek Box Set

by Kelly Blanchard

  “You lie.” Rykeldan lowered his posture to get into Roskelem’s face. “And now you die.” He grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off his feet.

  “Papa!” Gremina tried to run to him, but Therth held her back.

  Roskelem’s eyes widened as he gasped for breath and clawed at Rykeldan’s hand at his throat.

  Rykeldan stared at him for a moment, watching him squirm, but with a sharp twist of his wrist, he snapped Roskelem’s neck, and he went limp. Gremina cried out.

  Rykeldan cast Roskelem’s body aside and turned to the others in the room, still full of fury. He noted potential targets—the thymords, for all the trouble they had caused him, and Lorrek, because he had stood in his path one too many times.

  He moved toward him, yet Anelm stepped in his path and lifted her hand, stopping him. She met his gaze with a fiery glare. “You will stand down.”

  “They wronged you. They wronged us!”

  Finally, Caleth had enough.

  Clenching his fist, he slammed it onto the armrest of his throne, and suddenly all the water that cascaded as waterfalls on either side of the stairs, and all the water that surrounded the landing of the throne erupted into towering flames. Everyone leapt back.

  Caleth rose to his feet and spoke with a thundering voice as he made his way down the dais. “Rykeldan of Kellirothen, you will stand down! I have let you avenge my sister for the wrong done to her by King Roskelem of Serhon, but now you will heed her command. You have no rule here—no right. The only claim you have is the Dragon Prophecy binding you to my sister, Therina, yet you forfeited that right when you broke that prophecy and bound yourself to another.”

  Now Caleth stood toe-to-toe with Rykeldan and was his equal in height. “By your madness the kelliphs were all but eliminated. We were scattered across the face of many worlds—this one is of them. My sister and I have established this kingdom on our own, and you have no right to it. If you do not wish to be immediately imprisoned by the thymords yet again or permanently killed, you will do as we command.”

  With that, Caleth made a fist again, and all the high flames surrounding them died immediately and returned to water. However, the black stone of the palace now glowed with pulsing white light of charged energy. Caleth glimpsed around to it then met Rykeldan’s gaze. “The stone has enough power to kill you—perhaps not permanently, but it will take you a long time to recover, and by that time you will be imprisoned by the thymords yet again. I control the Black Stone. At my command, it will release its power.” He flexed his fingers, showing how the pulsing light in the walls and floors responded. “Now...do I direct it to you? Or do you yield?”

  For once, Rykeldan stood uncertain. He sensed the enormous power flowing through the stone of the palace, and he had witnessed the trademark power of true-blooded kelliphs. Although Rykeldan deemed himself ruler of all kelliphs, he knew he was not at his strongest. A thousand years of imprisonment kept him disoriented. That would change, but for now, he bowed his head. “Your Majesty.”

  Seeing his submission, Caleth shared a look with Anelm. Did she think Rykeldan was truly submitting? When Anelm nodded, Caleth closed his eyes and willed all the power of the black stones to shoot upward into the sky and be discharged harmlessly.

  All in Athorim turned when they saw the brilliant light shoot straight up out of the palace, and they shielded their eyes.

  In Serhon, Kinnard, Aradin, and Dustal turned toward Athorim as an intense light shot into the heavens. They all shared a look and then a shrug. None of them had any idea what would have caused that, and they knew they were likely better off not knowing.

  In Nirrorm, Skelton stood back as Mordora embraced her brother. However, a flash of light caught his attention, and he moved to a window to look toward Athorim and saw a pillar of blazing light shooting up into the sky. He frowned as he sensed that light was full of magic.

  In Cuskelom, Erita stood on a balcony facing Athorim, and her breath hitched in her chest when she saw the brilliant light from Athorim, charged with magic. She immediately reached into her bond with Heldon to make sure he was well, and she let out a sigh of relief when the bond pulsed as strongly as ever. Withdrawing, she observed the light and wondered what it meant.

  In Talhon, villagers turned to Athorim and gasped in wonder when they saw the light.

  The towering buildings and intense traffic hindered everyone in Jechorm from seeing it.

  Finally, the light dissipated, and Caleth allowed himself to loosen his fist and relax. He set his gaze upon Rykeldan. The power he had just released into the heavens above had the potential to wipe out an entire kingdom, and he had been ready to unleash it upon Rykeldan himself, although it would have had dire consequences for the others in the room.

  Gremina, who had rushed to her father’s body when it was cast aside by Rykeldan and had covered him when Caleth unleashed the flames, looked up with tears staining her face. She screamed at them, “Who are all of you?”

  Lorrek and the others stared at the two Athorians and Rykeldan for an answer. Lorrek recalled what Anelm had said about the single magic trait unique to kelliphs, which was changing one element into another. Watching Caleth change the water into fire caused Lorrek to realize, “You are a kelliph.” He fixed his eyes on Caleth and then on Anelm. “This is why you knew the history of the kelliphs so well. You are one of them.”

  Anelm nodded. “My first name was Therina. His was Perenden.” She glimpsed to Caleth, who nodded, allowing her to continue. “After the defeat of Rykeldan, the thymords scattered all the kelliphs far and wide to different worlds. The kelliph, by nature, cannot die unless we are killed. In addition to the multiple lives our old land of Kellirothen gave us each year, we were essentially immortal. However, since the kelliphs have been removed from Kellirothen, the younger generations do not possess extra lives. Due to breeding with humans, the younger generations now possess the ability to die of natural causes. However, my brother and I have always been rulers of Athorim since its founding. Over the centuries, we have changed our names and given the illusion we were altogether different people from our former selves. This was so our people would not view us as immortal and worship us as gods.”

  Lorrek furrowed his brows as he took all of this in. “Are the two of you the only true kelliphs of Athorim?”

  “Nay.” Anelm shook her head. “Most of the heads of the noble families are also true-blooded kelliphs though some of them have been tainted due to intermarriage with humans. Your magic is different from ours, but not for the reasons we’ve led everyone to believe.”

  This was a lot to take in. Lorrek wanted to understand even more, yet there were other issues that needed addressing first. He motioned to where Gremina held the body of her father. “Why did you allow Rykeldan to kill Roskelem?”

  Anelm took a deep breath and glanced at her brother for an answer.

  Caleth nodded as he returned to his throne. “King Roskelem did a heinous deed when he forced my sister to use tainted magic. He never fully understood the ramifications of his actions, and we could not move forward with the justice required by kelliph law since no one knew we were kelliph.” He shook his head and sat on his throne. “However, we knew Rykeldan would not be tied to such...traditions, so we allowed the events to take their present course.”

  “You knew he would kill my father, and yet you permitted my father to be brought up from the dungeon under the ruse of releasing him to me?” Gremina glared at the king of Athorim through hot tears. “You are a monster!”

  Caleth shook his head. “Your Highness, you insisted he be brought to you. I merely did as you requested. Had Rykeldan not arrived, I would have released him to you, but I was not about to stop justice from being served. Of course, I do not expect you to fully understand.”

  However, to everyone’s surprise, Gremina chuckled. It was a sad sound. She kissed her father’s forehead then rose to her feet and pulled back her shoulders as she met Caleth’s gaze firmly. “You know not what you’v
e done. You’ve doomed all those statues to remain as such! I was trying to release them. I was trying to return them to flesh. Without my father to give the command for the guardians of the spellbook to stand down, we cannot retrieve it, and therefore we cannot reverse the spell!”

  “Not quite,” Anelm spoke up—her eyes locked on Rykeldan. When he looked at her, she nodded. “You have done much wrong—”

  “I’ve only ever wanted to be with you, Therina! Yet you rejected me time and time again. You drove me into madness, and what is a madman to do with such power?”

  She locked eyes with him, unimpressed, and she stepped up to him. No longer did she appear to be the petite, quiet, fragile princess of Athorim. Now she stood tall and with fierce confidence. She measured her voice to speak calmly, but there was no mistaking her authority on this matter. “You broke the Dragon Prophecy. You knew the consequences, and yet you did so anyway because you could not wait for me. You alone are responsible for your madness. I am not bound to you. You have no hold over me. And here, in this place...” she gestured to their surroundings before meeting Rykeldan’s gaze once more. “You are not king, and you will do as we command. And then perhaps...” she paused as she made her way up the dais to sit on her throne beside her brother. Once seated, she went on, “Perhaps we could explore mending that broken Dragon Prophecy.”

  Heldon lowered his voice to whisper to Lorrek, “What is this Dragon Prophecy?”

  Lorrek replied in kind, “The kelliphs had one soulbound for their life. The Dragons would prophesy which kelliph was the soulbound of another. It is said if a kelliph seeks other than their soulbound, the Dragon Prophecy is broken, and the kelliph is cursed to madness.” That was the quickest way Lorrek could summarize what he understood the Dragon Prophecy to be, and he fixed his gaze on the events unfolding before them.

  Having stayed silent long enough, Draben, the thymord, cleared his throat. “I’m really sorry to interrupt this reunion, but if we’re seeing justice dealt, then Rykeldan needs to come back with us to answer for the wrongs he committed against our own people. It’s either that, or we confine him to the handblade.” He lifted his arm to show the gauntleted form of his handblade on his hand.

  Rykeldan turned to the thymords and glowered at them. “You will not imprison me once more. I will turn you into dust before I allow that to happen!” He lifted his hand and clenched it, and Lorrek stepped between Rykeldan and the thymords.

  “You will stand down. Much has changed since you were imprisoned in that bracelet.” As Lorrek said this, Radella reached out and touched his arm to keep him from doing something stupid.

  An unamused smirk crossed Rykeldan’s features, and he fixed his eyes upon Lorrek. “You think me to be foolish? Know you not what they have done—to the kelliphs, to the Dragons, and to many, many more? I may have been locked away in that bracelet, yet that does not mean I was oblivious!” Before Lorrek could respond, Rykeldan reached out his hand and grabbed the side of Lorrek’s face, transferring memories swiftly to him. Since Radella had her hand on Lorrek’s arm, the memories rushed through her mind as well.

  Both Lorrek and Radella stiffened, heads tilted back, eyes widened, and they could not make a sound or move as the memories overwhelmed them. They saw the battles with the kelliphs, the rise of the thymords, the forging of the handblades and the World Orbs, and how that power was used. They saw so many fall by the handblades—others enslaved.

  Finally, Rykeldan withdrew his hand, breaking the connection, and Lorrek and Radella stumbled forward, but caught each other and heaved.

  Vixen had stepped forward with blades unsheathed, but Theran barred his arm in front of her. Magic was involved, and the last thing he wanted was for Vixen to get caught in the crossfire.

  However, as soon as Lorrek was released, Vixen stepped around Theran and came to Lorrek’s side. Seeing he was well but disoriented, she nodded and turned her fury upon Rykeldan. “What did you do to them?”

  He raised his brows then smiled at her. “I showed them the truth.” With that, he stepped back.

  Vixen grumbled and moved to lunge for him, yet Lorrek grabbed her arm. When she shot him a sharp look, she saw he was still dazed but was coming around, and he shook his head.

  “No...” Then he blinked, clearing his vision, and he rose to his full height, turning to the thymords. “You came here under the guise of doing what was right, yet you have done so much wrong—more than even Rykeldan. You have no right to be here, so you will leave.”

  Reven stood her ground. “The thymords have already been punished for the wrong they have done. Why do you think the World Orbs and handblades were scattered from us? We have already paid that price. We have been given permission to reclaim what is ours.”

  Yet Lorrek shook his head and remained steadfast. “You. Have. No. Right. You have no claim. And you will leave. Now.”

  “You’re picking a fight with the wrong people!” Draben tried to step up to Lorrek, yet Reven held him back.

  She lowered her voice so only he would hear. “We can go and bring reinforcements.”

  “But you’ll just let them get away with this?” Draben moaned.

  She gave him a stern glare and spoke quietly, “We are outmatched here with three kelliphs, two magic users, and other unpredictable persons. We should go.” She tugged on Draben’s arm as she stepped back.

  He glared once more at Lorrek, who looked so much taller than he did a moment ago, but finally Draben relented with a reluctant sigh. He shot Lorrek another sharp look. “We’ll be back.”

  Lorrek said nothing but merely stared at them until they teleported away by means of the handblade. With that, he finally turned to the others and set his gaze upon Gremina. “Princess Gremina, my condolences for the loss of your father, but there is still the possibility your mother could be returned to you.”

  Gremina looked up at him confused, and Radella caught Lorrek’s line of thinking, so she motioned him to stay back as she approached the princess and crouched before her. She locked eyes with her. “The spellbook you mentioned—it contains the spell your father used to turn people to stone?”

  “Yes, but...can’t every magic user do that?” Gremina furrowed her brows in confusion.

  Lorrek spoke up, “He mispronounced a spell, and apparently that is how he learned and remembered it, so he never sought to correct it. Since none of us know exactly what spell he meant to use, we can’t reverse it.”

  “However,” Radella picked up where he left off. “If we could get our hands on that book, we can learn which one it was, and with the power of all of us, we have a good chance of reversing that spell and returning everyone, including your mother, back to flesh. Will you help us?” She offered Gremina her hand.

  Gremina shook her head and let out a dry laugh. “You don’t understand. The Guardians of the Spellbook are many, and they are fierce. They will not let anyone into the chamber where the book is. They will die first.”

  “Then we’ll simply have to kill them.” Theran shrugged, earning a chiding look from everyone.

  “Do you know where the book is?” Anelm spoke up.

  Gremina nodded as she rose to her feet. “Southern part of Serhon, in a castle that has been abandoned for years.”

  “Will you take us to it?”

  “What of his body?” Gremina gestured to her father’s body. “He should be properly buried.”

  “And so he shall be,” Caleth reassured her. “We will return his body to Serhon, and you will guide us to this spellbook. However, first...” He opened his hand toward her. “The Black Stone you claim to possess?” He lifted his eyes expectantly. “You will hand it over now.”

  Upon hearing this exchange, Rykeldan tilted his head in curiosity then looked to the princess. How did she get her hands on that?

  Gremina took in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. “I don’t have it with me.”

  Caleth stared at her. Of course she would not have it with her. That irked him, but he let out a
breath and nodded. “Very well. Pray your bandits do not place the stone on the ground, or they will be in for a huge surprise.” He then set his gaze upon Lorrek. “Prince Lorrek, you know the matter of the statues well. What is your recommendation?”

  Before replying, Lorrek closed his eyes and reached through the magic realm to locate the thieves, Mordora, and Skelton. Finding them separated, he furrowed his brows then opened his eyes. “My first suggestion is for everyone to refresh themselves here at Athorim. It has been a stressful past few days. A real meal, a bath, and sleep in an actual bed will do us well. Once we are refreshed, we may proceed from there.” He fixed his gaze on Gremina. “We will return your father’s body to your homeland, and you will retrieve the Black Stone of Athorim. King Heldon, you should return to Cuskelom. We do not know what play the thymords will make, and they may strike at Cuskelom.”

  However, Heldon shook his head and crossed his arms. “I’m not leaving—yet anyway. We need to talk.” He set his gaze upon Theran, Vixen, and Therth. “We will first talk as a family, and then I will leave, but not before then.”

  Although Lorrek was displeased with a direct command being dismissed, he sighed and nodded. He understood Heldon’s motives. “Very well.” He looked at Radella. “I need to speak with you as well. I have an errand for you.” And then he set his gaze upon Rykeldan before looking at Anelm and Caleth. “I know not what you wish to do with him.” He motioned to Rykeldan. “Though I believe he will be beneficial to our plans to reverse the statue spell.”

  Rykeldan scowled at Lorrek. “And why should I lend my power to help mere humans?”

  “Because!” Anelm spoke up, gaining Rykeldan’s undivided attention, and she gave him a stern stare. “You will do as I say.”

  He bowed to her, unable to resist her command. He wondered if it was because she was his soulbound that he was tied to her will, but if that was the case, how had she been able to ignore his commands and wishes all those years ago? He didn’t understand. Perhaps, after all this time, they could sit down and have a civil conversation on such matters because it was long overdue.