Table of Contents
Book 1
Dedication
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
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
Book 2
Prologue
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
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
Book 3
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
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Epilogue
Synopsis
About The Author
Other works by Craig Halloran
THE DARKSLAYER: Box Set 1 Books 1-3
By Craig Halloran
Copyright © 2013 by Craig Halloran
Amazon Edition
TWO-TEN BOOK PRESS
P.O. Box 4215, Charleston, WV 25364
ISBN eBook: 978-1-1941208-19-9
THE DARKSLAYER is a registered trademark, #77670850
http://www.thedarkslayer.net
Cover Illustration by David Chen
Interior Illustrations by Randy Linbourn
Edited by Cherise Kelley
Map by Gillis Bjork
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, recorded, photocopied, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
Publisher’s Note
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Book 1
Dedication
To all of The Darkslayer fans worldwide.
“Oh, the silence, the pain-filled silence.” - Craig Halloran
Chapter
1
Stiff winds tore at the traveling cloaks of three lone figures marching into the setting suns of Bish. Every day was the same as the last. Hot. Miserable. Surrounded by dust devils and hungry vermin. Above, white clouds were scattered in long lines over the horizon. In front led a man bigger than the other two put together, pushing through the wind in great strides. The other two kept pace behind his broad back, heads down.
Melegal rubbed the sandy grit from his eyes. Spat dust from his mouth.
“It’s been over a week, Venir. How much farther to the alleged oasis? You said we’d be there a sunset ago.”
Venir kept going. Solemn. Boots crunching over the hard and dusty Outland ground. It had been this way mile after mile. Day after day. Venir hardly saying anything.
“Is anything going on inside that cavernous skull of yours?” Melegal tugged on Venir’s cloak. Venir jerked away. Melegal stopped in his tracks. “Will you stop, Lout!”
Venir didn’t. He kept going. His gait stiff. His footfalls determined.
“Pah!”
Melegal felt Haze’s hand wrap around his. Her lithe body pressed into his, trembling.
“I’m hungry,” she said. Her gaze held his. “Really hungry, and my feet burn like fire.”
“Ah,” he said, reaching under his robes. He placed in her hand a handful of nuts that the wizards, Fogle and Boon, had given them. “Have these.”
“Thanks,” Haze said, brushing her dark hair from her gray eyes. She nibbled them down. “Is there much left?”
“Enough, I think,” he said.
Haze’s eyes drifted over his shoulder and onto Venir.
“Your friend doesn’t seem right. Something’s missing.” She looked back. “I wish those other men were still here. The old one was interesting. Different, to say the least.”
Melegal didn’t know Fogle or Boon, but he agreed. The wizards, though odd, at least offered conversation. The pair had fire in their eyes, bright as gems. The kind of fire Venir used to have, but that was gone. In all his years, Melegal had never seen a man more sure of himself than Venir. But something had happened. That confidence was gone. He patted Haze on the rump and grabbed her hand. “I know. Come.” He shuffled back into step with Venir’s tracks.
Ahead, he noticed Venir’s easy gait was gone. One shoulder dipped lower than the other. Sometimes his fingers trembled a little. He just needs some grog to loosen him up. Oh, what I wouldn’t do for a taste of wine on my lips. This City of Three better be everything I expect and more. He glanced back at Haze. What was I thinking?
He wasn’t going to admit it, but his feet burned every bit as much as hers. No doubt he had blisters as big as his toes. Every discomforting step was a reminder that he’d had to leave Bone. His home. A great city under siege and fire. Swarme
d by evil. He could have stayed. Instead, he’d chosen to follow Venir. Two days into the journey, he regretted the decision. He didn’t even have any idea where in Bish he was. Like a giddy woman, he’d hopped into a black portal that twisted his guts out, only to find himself in the most discomforting blank and barren part of the world. After all I’ve been through, I still do something stupid. Wouldn’t be so bad if I had Quickster.
Haze pulled his arm.
“What!” he said, jerking his arm away.
“Easy now,” she said, pointing west.
“Sorry.” He rubbed her shoulder.
“What was that?” She was still pointing.
Melegal narrowed his eyes. Something hazy in the distance moved behind the cacti and bone trees. A dark shape against the sun. More than one wavering in the heat like a mirage. Something crept between his shoulder blades and tightened the muscles. He’d seen plenty of the Outlands. Sand spiders. Underlings crawling out of holes. Worms and insects bigger than horses that burst out of the ground. Give him a nice city any day.
“Uh … Venir,” he said, catching up to the big man. “Venir!” he hissed. “There’s something out there.”
Venir stopped and peered down at Melegal. His blue eyes now almost a dull shade of gray. He grunted. Eyed the horizon where Melegal pointed.
“Probably coyotes or some other desert vermin. Keep moving.”
“It’s not vermin. It looked like men. Don’t take me for a fool, Venir.”
“I’m not going to waste any time finding out whether I’m right or you’re wrong,” Venir said in a hard tone. “We need to keep moving. If something wanders too close, well, kill it.” He resumed his walk.
“You fat headed …” Melegal started, his voice trailing off. He’d gotten to know Venir plenty well over the years. The two of them usually bickered back and forth like old women. But now, the lout just shook his head and walked aside. Melegal peered over the horizon. Whatever was there, or at least what he’d thought was there, was gone. “Do you see anything?” he said to Haze.
“Not now,” she said, eyes darting side to side. “But there was something.”
Strange. On skinny tired legs, he followed Venir. Silent. Miserable. Bickering with himself. Haze fell in step behind him. She was resilient for a slender woman. Didn’t complain much either, if any at all. In most cases, the women he spent too much time with started bickering in the best of conditions, but he found Haze’s resolve refreshing.
Hours later but just minutes after the last sunset, Venir stopped in an Outland thicket of sorts. The tightly interwoven white limbs of the leafless Bone Trees jutted a dozen feet into the sky. Their bending branches made for an eerie howl in the wind. Venir cut a path through them into a small clearing. Then he hewed one of the smaller trees down with his axes. Minutes later, a fire burned with warm orange light. Melegal’s stomach groaned.
“Let me try and snare us something,” Haze said, sliding off her boots. “Ew.” She grimaced, peeling her sock off. Her feet were red, blistered and swollen.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Venir said, removing his hood. He shook his square jaw a little. “Just keep them on, or they’ll swell up so much you won’t be able to put them back on. You need to stay used to it.”
Haze wiggled her toes. “I was starting to think they weren’t even there.” She pulled out a thumb knife and slit open a blister. “Ah …”
“That won’t heal by morning. It’s gonna be dreadful tomorrow,” Venir said with a snort.
“Well maybe you should have said, ‘Don’t take your boots off’ earlier,” Haze said with disgust in her voice.
“Melegal should have told you,” Venir said, tossing on more kindling. He made himself comfortable away from the fire. A boulder of shadow in the darkness. Melegal could barely make out the blue in his eyes.
“She’ll be fine,” Venir, Melegal said, rubbing her leg. “No one ever died from a foot blister out here.”
“No, but plenty have lost a foot or leg because of it. Just make sure she sleeps with her boots on.”
“Sure,” Melegal said, looking away. “Sure.”
He checked Haze’s feet and spoke in a lower tone. “You’ll be alright. Just—”
“I’m fine,” Haze said. Her voice was cool when she said it. “It’s not like I haven’t had blisters before. It’s just been awhile.” She touched his hand. “You alright?”
“Never better,” he said with a straight face. “And don’t you worry. I’ll set the snares.”
“You haven’t caught anything yet,” Haze reminded him.
“You haven’t either.”
Haze chuckled. Melegal knew they weren’t likely to catch anything. He certainly didn’t have the knack for it. He’d probably perish before he ever bothered to learn.
“Let’s just let him do it,” he said softly. “Continue to act pitiful.”
With a chuckle they both scooted toward the fire. Haze stretched her limbs, yawned, lay down and closed her eyes.
“Let me know when you want to get those snares ready,” she said, yawing again.
Melegal covered her with a blanket. Seconds later she was snoring. He crawled over to the other side of the fire and faced Venir. Wanted to speak but hesitated. What am I afraid of? After all I’ve been through, I’m worried about him. He opted for a gentler approach.
“Vee, do you think we’ll be there tomorrow? We’ve barely enough to sustain us.”
The boulder shrugged its shoulders. Shifted a little.
Exhausted, Melegal felt his temper rise. Impudent oaf! He was used to Venir being moody, but that was usually due to the drinking. This was different. Stark. Offensive. Not knowing where he stood with Venir left him uneasy. He didn’t want to make small talk either. That was for women.
“Venir, when in Bone are we going to get there?” he said, quietly, but not holding back his anger.
Venir rose to his feet and grabbed his axes. The dwarven blades shown like fire in the light, dangling loose at Venir’s sides. “Tomorrow,” he said, walking away. “I’ll take first watch.”
Melegal’s keen eyes followed Venir until the darkness swallowed him.
Arsehole.
He leaned back against the tree, listening to the fire pop. The Bone Tree wood burned slowly, and grey smoke rather than white rolled from the logs and drifted into the air. The smell was different than most other wood, which Venir had told him critters found offensive. So far he’d been right. Still, the images of those distant figures Haze had spotted earlier in the day troubled him. The way they moved was different. Unnatural. I wonder what happened to Chongo? Venir’s giant two headed dog had always kept them safe while they slept. Perhaps that was what bothered Venir, but he hadn’t asked. He squirmed and shifted. Rubbed the dark grey cap on his head. I’ll never lose you again.
He covered a yawn, then stretched out his arms. He was still confident that if something was out there, Venir would kill it. But what would happen if that something got Venir first? Tomorrow then. It better be so or I might kill him. He drifted off to sleep.
Melegal felt the whole world shaking. His eyes popped open. His wrist bracers were pointed at Venir’s nose.
The man squeezed his shoulder, looked him dead in the eye, and said, “Your turn.” He turned and tossed some sticks on the fire and lay down in the dirt.
Melegal’s stiff limbs ached as he rose. They felt tight as bowstrings. He shuffled by the fire on feet that felt like they walked on broken glass. Oh for a bed and a pillow. The first hour, ears alert, he watched the clouds drift beneath the moons like ghosts. The second hour he checked Haze and enjoyed a faint aroma. Is that coffee? I’d kill for some. The third hour, lids heavy as iron gates, he slept.
He woke up with his face in the dirt, gasping. He popped up into a sitting position, ey
es blurry. The thicket was washed in bright light. The campfire smoldered. Venir lay still as a rock. The hairs on Melegal’s neck stood on end. Strange tracks were in the dirt. Something had been dragged away.
“Haze!”
Chapter
2
The Magi Roost. Once it had been a hive where the Magi slipped from their towers to play games and sip wine. Once it had hosted the prettiest faces in all the City of Three. Once it had been solemn, aesthetic, and filled with quiet energy. Once the barmaids and barkeeps had smiled all the time and oversized stone hearths had roared with fire. The chandeliers had twinkled with crystal. The black mahogany furniture had shone. The smoke had been misty, yet fragrant. The conversation quiet and interesting.
Georgio churned his mop in the bucket and swabbed the floor. Side to side he went, wiping up spilt wine and crushed food. There was something in the corner that he couldn’t identify, rank as a rotting onion.
“Ew,” he muttered, pinching his nose.
Nearby, Nikkel bussed the tables, his wiry arms glistening from his sleeveless jerkin. He hummed a tune. Low. Sad. Behind him, Brak and Billip draped a fat drunkard’s arms over their shoulders and hauled him out the front door. Billip came back in, dusting his hands off then cracking his knuckles. Brak was right behind him, looming over his shoulder like a goon, his big face complacent.
“That’s the last one,” Billip said. “Let’s put our backs into this so we can get some rest. I’ve a feeling we’re gonna have another long night ahead of us.”
Georgio’s stomach growled.
“Can we get some breakfast first? I’m starving.”
“We eat when the work’s finished, Georgio. Do you always have to ask for it before it comes?” Billip made his way behind the bar. Pointed to the fireplaces. “Scoop out the ashes, Brak. And you, Georgio. You know the food’s coming. It always does. They haven’t even started cooking yet.”
Georgio rubbed his tummy. He caught Brak eyeing him. His sullen eyes were hopeful.
The Darkslayer: Series 2, Box Set #1, Books 1 - 3 (Bish and Bone) Page 1
