by Kyle J Cisco
Rise Of Darkness
Virgil Series: Book One
Kyle J Cisco
Subscribe Here
Copyright © 2017 Kyle J Cisco
All rights reserved.
ISBN:B073BX772M
Created with Vellum
In Memory Of
Joseph A Cisco
03/18/2011
Contents
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
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About The Author
1
Fire lit the room. Its flickering light embraced the far-flung corners of the cold stone walls. In the middle of the room, three initiates stood shoulder to shoulder. Their shadows danced as a slight draft from the stairway buffeted the torch flames. Virgil remembered the chill of the cold brick as he was led blindfolded down to the room in which he now stood. Dank air clung to Virgil’s skin like cold sweat.
A voice cut through the open doorway behind the initiates. “You are gathered here to receive your final trial. Whether you survive or fail, your worthiness will be determined.”
Footsteps tramped closer behind the initiates’ backs.
“On this night, you will see what it means to be a brother or sister of this Order. Who among you is worthy enough to receive this trial?”
The ceremony had begun. Now from the first to the last person in line, each initiate would stand state their name and discipline of study within the Order.
“I am Jack Penrose, fourth son of House Penrose. My discipline of study is Battle Brother.” Like Virgil, Jack hailed from the Kingdom of Novak. He stood half a head shorter than Virgil but was built like an ox.
“I am Natasha Romansky, lady of the Kingdom of Domstad. Discipline of study, Ranger.” Her voice rang out in graceful confidence.
She’s like a serpent, Virgil thought. Beautiful yet deadly. Cold sweat beaded on his brow; it was his turn.
“I am Virgil. I have no house. Discipline of study, Chaplain.” Virgil stepped forward, ignoring all the eyes staring at him now.
Once the introductions ceased, the initiates began reciting the oath that had been their mantra for the past four years in training and would bind them to their purpose for as long as the Order survived.
In unison, the words of the Oath of the Light reverberated through the room, echoing off the stone walls. This was the moment Virgil had longed for since he was a small boy, and he would not let his voice quaver as his baritone joined the others.
Through the light, we shall prevail;
through the light, hope shall not fail.
For as long as the light may remain,
forever shall we be evil’s bane.
With the completion of the oath, a hooded figure stepped into view. Virgil saw the familiar face but made no movement toward the man who lowered his hood to reveal his identity as Chaplain Rex Tamlin.
“Once you were but children. Now you stand at the brink of a new life, one that is sought by many but achieved by few. I have instructed you on the histories of our Order.” The elderly man paced the room, his voice sounding soft, almost strained.
“The Order was forged from the ashes of evil to become the beacon of safety throughout the realm of man.” Pointing at each one of them as he passed, he lingered on Virgil.
Virgil shifted uneasily as he met the gaze of the smaller man.
“I know you will bring prestige and honor to your houses as well as this sacred organization if you manage to survive.” He gestured to the edge of the room. “Now, weapons master, if you would introduce the final trial, please.”
Chaplain Rex moved from the front of the room, letting the larger weapons master take his place in front of the initiates. A giant of a man, Evon Krich stood clad in full plate armor, his shadow blackening out the wall behind him. A long-time veteran of the Order, he had an impressive number of battles and victories under his belt, including the one that had forced Krich into the Order. Some said he’d been stripped of his rank in the army he once commanded due to his brutality; others said he was betrayed. The truth is that no one could tell Virgil how the weapons master came to be in the Order, and the man spoke never a word about it.
His deep, gravelly voice growled like the wheels of a catapult. “You must have known this trial would be difficult when you saw me step forward to issue it. This time you will be using real weapons, not that fake training shit you’ve used thus far. You three have been chosen to investigate the ancient ruins in the depths of the caverns below the fortress. As you might have heard, initiates have gone missing down there. Something wicked and powerful haunts the caverns. Find it, kill it, and those who survive will be initiated as brothers.”
He ended his speech with his eyes on Natasha. If there was one person who thought women had no place on the front lines with the men, it was Evon Krich. But Natasha merely held his gaze. Virgil almost grinned to see the look of irritation flash across the huge man’s face.
Krich looked away.
“You will leave that cavern either a man or a corpse. Go get your weapons and line up on the left side of the room.”
The initiates snapped into action after hearing the command from Evon. Chaplain Rex stepped to the right and placed a hand against the wall. As he whispered an incantation, the stone began to melt down, revealing the dark passageway leading deep into the caverns below. Turning to face his pupils, Rex said, “Remember that the Light is inside each of you. Down in these caverns, you will need it to guide your steps.”
At the weapons rack, Virgil grabbed the flexible leather armor he always wore into combat, sacrificing defense for mobility. Next to the armor hung his battle-ax.
Natasha donned her leather armor, grabbing the repeater crossbow she favored and her two long daggers. The last piece she put on was a pendant with the six-sided star of the Mother of Light used for harnessing one’s connection to the Light. Virgil knew Natasha did not have the magical connection to use the pendant in the way he could. Most likely she wore it as a sign of her faith, or perhaps as a good luck charm.
Meanwhile Jack pulled on his dented and scarred full-plate armor, hefting his great sword and slinging it into the sheath on his back. Then he picked up his broadsword and his equally damaged shield.
The portal into the cavern was complete. Darkness loomed beyond the gaping hole in the wall. Virgil doubted if his weak grasp on light magic would be enough to keep the way lit below their feet.
Chaplain Rex came up and placed a hand on Virgil’s shoulder. “All you have to do to harness the Light is to look within yourself. The connection is there. Just accept it.”
“Chaplain, is it possible I wasn’t born with the powers that you believe me to have?”
“There is Light within everyone, but few can harness it into the energy necessary to use the Light within them. I sense a great strength in you. You will not let your companions down. Good luck, Virgil. When you return, I shall call you my brother.”
Virgil nodded and joined his companions waiting at the mouth of the cavern. Taking the pendant into his hand, Virgil spoke the incantation Rex had taught him to
illuminate the pendant.
“Do not fear,” he said, more for his own courage than for friends. “My Light can guide us through this darkness. I will not lead us astray.”
“You’d better not,” said Natasha. Her short response made Virgil even more nervous than he had been.
Together they headed into the yawning mouth of the cavern, each step taking them farther away from the light until the light that emanated from the pendant Virgil wore was all they could see in the vast darkness beyond.
2
The overwhelming darkness of the cavern pressed in on the initiates. Able to sustain a glimmer of light, Virgil lead the way through the interweaving corridors of earth. The walls seemed to be made of compacted dirt interspersed with the skulls of fallen enemies. The group kept a steady pace moving through the winding passageways that snaked deeper into the core. Virgil’s unease grew as if hostile eyes gazed at them from just beyond the light of the orb.
“Shh . . . I hear something approaching from the left.”
The sound reached Virgil’s ears but was much closer now. Claws raking across the ground. The pace quickened.
Virgil’s eyes darted to where the sound was coming from, yet he could see nothing in the suffocating darkness.
Natasha drew her crossbow. Jack hefted his shield up, drawing his broadsword slowly from its sheath. Sweat concentrated on Virgil’s brow as the clawing noise drew ever closer. Holding the pendant high over his head, Virgil’s light stretched out into the black abyss of the corridor.
As the light reached out toward the bend, a blur of pale white streaked past the barrier of light. It was already upon them. The creature released a savage howl as it clobbered into Jack, knocking his feet out from under him, bearing its claws to scrape its way through the thick plate armor. A savage howl came from the creature as it fell from atop Jack, a bolt sticking out through the thing’s temple.
The pendant’s light began to flicker, and the light retreated to a dim glow.
Regaining his balance, Jack shoved the thing from his armor, saying, “Damned claws are poisoned. Watch the passage it came from, for dwellers do not hunt alone.”
Hearing the name, Virgil remembered the lessons from Chaplain Rex about the dangers of the underworld, especially the incursions from dweller elves in days gone by when those monsters preyed on the innocent villages of the Covenant of Man.
Virgil readied his battle-ax and eyed the shadows. He inched over toward the fallen adversary and inspected its corpse. The thing looked unnaturally white, so pale you could almost see through its skin to the muscles and blood vessels below. Its gnarled face looked similar to the ones Virgil had seen in his nightmares the night before.
This creature had no eyes but only two small holes in its face. It had two enormous pointed ears and a mouth filled with vicious teeth.
A howl echoed through the darkened corridor. Virgil swiveled as more howls joined the cacophony. Pale figures leaped from the shadows near the group. They were at least a dozen of them now. Virgil wasn’t sure of the true number, for the shadows of his companions and the creatures they now faced obstructed the dim light of Virgil’s pendant.
Virgil gripped his ax and charged forward into combat. He swung the double-edged blade in a savage cut at the nearest creature’s head. But the elf ducked the blow aimed at its head and jumped back in the nick of time. Remembering the famed martial skill of this ancient enemy, Virgil knew he’d need to redouble his efforts. Virgil could hear howling coming from enemies around him, which corresponded with the click of Natasha’s crossbow firing pointed death toward the other dwellers.
The beast slashed at Virgil’s chest, and he staggered a few paces back. Another click and a bolt flew past Virgil’s face, striking the foe in the left arm, just as it was poised to strike again. The thing screeched in agony from the bolt until, with one heavy strike, Virgil relieved the creature of its head. Virgil nodded his thanks to Natasha just as two more dwellers jumped from the shadows.
One landed on Natasha, knocking her down and trying to dig its claws into her unguarded neck. Virgil hurled his dagger, striking the dweller in the throat.
“Now we’re even, foundling,” Natasha said as she heaved the limp corpse off her back.
Virgil nodded but said nothing while he and Jack fought the last of the opponents. The heavy broadsword struck the bladed claws of the dweller eliciting a howl of pain, and in reaction the thing kicked Jack, and he crashed to the cavern floor. Natasha somersaulted back to her feet, stowed her crossbow, and charged in with both knives slashing.
Virgil moved in between Jack and the second dweller. It snorted and charged Virgil full force. He raised his battle-ax. Standing his ground, his pendant glowed bright as he slashed out in a wide loop, catching the creature off guard. But it ducked and knocked the ax from his hands. Drawing his remaining dagger, Virgil drove it deep into the dweller’s shoulder. Howling, it lashed out and caught him in the chest with its claws, this time breaking through the leather but just missing his skin. Virgil returned with a savage punch that staggered the thing.
Charging forward shoulder down, Virgil slammed the dweller into the wall, its head hitting with a crack. Virgil snatched the dagger from the creature’s shoulder and drove it deep into its abdomen, yanking down. A thick, black sludge flowed from its shoulder and belly, its ears twitching as life faded. Blood covered Virgil’s hand, and with a quick jerk, he removed the dagger.
Something gurgled behind him. Jack! Turning franticly around, Virgil saw Natasha standing over the corpse of the dweller, its throat slashed, Jack still pushing himself up to his feet.
“No class told us how ugly these things were,” Virgil said as Natasha gave Jack a hand.
“Indeed. These are a feral sort, forgoing the use of civilized weapons for the more savage claws the weapons of their primal kin,” Jack said as he dusted himself off, clapped on his helm, and picked up his shield.
A howl echoed from deep within the cavern, notifying the group that it was time to get moving again before more enemies decided to test their skill upon their blades. Natasha fell behind Jack with Virgil bringing up the rear.
“Now follow me. Virgil, keep that light low. We’re going to be moving fast to get to a place that is more defensible.”
“Jack, since I’m bearing the light, shouldn’t I be in front?”
“As you wish, foundling.”
Virgil stretched out the chain, letting the pendant dangle. The darkness shrunk back into the recesses of the corridor, while the illumination revealed the path ahead.
“Let’s move. Sounds like their buddies are angry,” Virgil said, glancing at the dead dwellers littering the floor, “and we have an ancient evil to slay.”
But as they hurried through the passageways, the skitter of claws echoed louder, setting Virgil’s nerves on edge. Virgil quickened his pace though his legs grew stiff with exhaustion as they dashed through the narrow passageways. Desperate to outrun the dwellers, the group pushed the limits of their physical endurance. Gripping the handle of his dagger was Virgil’s only comfort as he knew his battle-ax would be much too unwieldy in the tight tunnel.
A flash of white blurred Virgil’s vision; he flinched away as a dweller jumped from an alcove. Jack had been following close behind and bashed the dweller into the wall with his shield and ran it through. Virgil felt a hint of disappointment for having missed the hidden enemy.
“Keep your head in the fight,” Jack said. “That would’ve been your end had I not been there.”
“I am in this fight, brother.”
“Meant no offense. We don’t need you dying down here, now do we?”
Virgil jerked his head toward the darkness behind them as another chorus of howls echoed from the depths of the vast underground network of tunnels. Racing off again, Virgil rounded the bend at the end of the small corridor and entered a vast underground hall.
As the pendant’s light flooded the room, Virgil noticed the stark differences between the narr
ow tunnels and the sprawling hall before them. Giant stone pillars lined the walls, each with a rusted brazier that sat a half a man’s height from the ground. Runes were carved into the stone, spiraling up the columns.
“In case you forgot in all the excitement, boys, we have an angry pack of dwellers on our asses.” Natasha gestured toward a room off to the side of the hall.
Virgil nodded in agreement as he shone the light over the entrance.
They entered what looked like a once mighty throne room. Virgil slammed the heavy wooden door. Natasha and Jack hurried to the door with old swords and other weapons which Virgil took and shoved across the old ornamented handles of the door to barricade it shut.
As Virgil made his way around the room, he sensed a presence in the room that seemed to respond to his movements. Braziers began to flicker to life with a deep purple flame. As the purple lights cast an eerie glow, Vigil could see that this was no throne room but an ancient shrine.
“This place is a refuge of evil,” he said as he angled the light of the pendant to the writing that adorned the base of the shrine. It read,
Those who enter never shall leave.
Those who hope, prepare to grieve.
Doom to the living and tomb for the dead.
The Darkness will feed on your everlasting dread.
The words sent a chill down Virgil’s spine, making the hair on his neck stand on end. The group moved throughout the room, searching for a second way out. Virgil’s curiosity brought him to the foot of the altar. He scanned the markings adorning the front of the altar and stopped at a sigil of a two-headed snake.
