by Chris Miller
Dear Friend,
As you may recall, my first adventure in Solandria concluded with the scattering of my friends (the Codebearer Resistance), my failure to destroy the Shadow lord, Venator, and ultimately, in my unfortunate death through the uniting of the Bloodstone halves.
In other words I pretty much made a mess of things but hey, at least I recovered the Bloodstone.
Before I died Aviad came to my rescue and fulfilled the Bloodstone curse. Even though I still died,
I believe he saved me from a fate worse than
death itself.
Thank goodness, the Author chose to rewrite me. He promised to give me a new story and returned me to the City of Destiny in the realm of the Veil. I returned to my life as it was before and waited expectantly for another adventure to find me.
For three months I waited but still the Author was silent. It was the silence before a terrible storm, one that would change the story of Solandria and the Veil
forever.
Hunter Brown
This is the second book in The Codebearers Series™. The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any similarity to actual persons or events is coincidental.
The Codebearers Series™ 2: Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire
Published by Warner Press, Inc, Anderson, IN 46012
Warner Press and “WP” logo is a trademark of Warner Press, Inc
Copyright © 2009 by Christopher and Allan Miller
Cover Art and Illustrations © 2009 by Christopher and Allan Miller
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, photocopy, recording or any other method of storage—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1-59317-357-9
Editors: Karen Rhodes, Robin Fogle, Arthur Kelly
Creative Director: Curtis D. Corzine
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Miller, Christopher, 1976-
Hunter Brown and the consuming fire / The Miller Brothers. -- 1st ed.
p. cm. -- (The Codebearers series ; 2)
Summary: Armed with his Veritas sword and following the words of the
Author, Hunter returns to Solandria where, together with new friends Trista,
Rob, and Boojum, he races to save Hope and bolster the Resistance before the
brutal Xaul can reach her.
ISBN 978-1-59317-357-9 (alk. paper)
[1. Magic--Fiction. 2. Friendship--Fiction. 3. Space and time--Fiction. 4.
Books and reading--Fiction. 5. Adventure and adventurers--Fiction.] I.
Miller, Allan, 1978- II. Title.
PZ7.M61255Htx 2009
[Fic]--dc22
2009021968
Printed in Canada
2009 – First Edition
www.warnerpress.org
www.codebearers.com
The Codebearers Series™
Lumination Studios
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
No story is ever written once. Consuming Fire has been no exception.
From the first chapter to the last, (and all the rewrites in between),
we have benefitted from an intrepid team of editors (at
Warner Press) and encouragers (family, friends,
colleagues, and faithful readers) who dared to take this journey with
us. The book you are holding right now is a testament of their
dedication to us, for which we are truly humbled.
To our families - When we set off on this journey you cheered us on.
When we needed time to write you created space. When the road got
longer than any of us imagined you stuck by us. In short, you believed
in us and we know you still do. No amount of words could ever express
our full gratitude as husbands, fathers, and sons.
To our “family” at Warner Press - You consistently went above and beyond
your job descriptions to support us throughout. Thank you Regina, Karen,
Robin, Curt, Mike, Gwynne and the rest of the team, for your shared vision, your
excellence, and your hearts!
To the “real” Codebearers - It is always an honor to hear from readers
who enjoyed our book, and an even greater honor to have them volunteer
their time to help us. Wow! Special thanks to our Codebearers.com
moderators: BladeBearer, Ricki, Mike and active Web site members
agentmonkie17, Aatashan, Ashley, Aviad, Caption Thunder, Cypher,
Disarray, Glory90210, Luke, redwallgirl, rosmist, shelly, The Jelf,
TTUG, Zachary, zaylee, and Zeeb. You all have made the Codebearers.com
Web site a great place to hang out.
To all of the faithful readers of The Codebearers Series, we mean every
word of this book’s dedication to you. You rock!
Contents
Chapter 1
Reforging the Sword
Chapter 2
One of Those Days
Chapter 3
The Shadow’s Message
Chapter 4
Sheppard the Shrink
Chapter 5
A Guest Uninvited
Chapter 6
How to Keep a Secret
Chapter 7
A Dreadful Disappointment
Chapter 8
From Trouble to Terror
Chapter 9
The Flying Gondola
Chapter 10
Into the Thick of It
Chapter 11
The Calling
Chapter 12
Stone-Eyed Sterling
Chapter 13
Signs of Trouble
Chapter 14
The Difference of a Mark
Chapter 15
Snarks and Sparks
Chapter 16
Torpor
Chapter 17
Saris’ Council
Chapter 18
The Way of the Codebearer
Chapter 19
The Interpreter
Chapter 20
A Battle and a Betrayal
Chapter 21
Descent into Dolor
Chapter 22
Prisoner 4126
Chapter 23
Taking a Stand
Chapter 24
The Rescue
Chapter 25
Return to Sanctuary
Chapter 26
Finding Hope
Chapter 27
Playing with Fire
Chapter 28
To the Other Side of the Page
Chapter 1
Reforging the Sword
Like untamed fire the ghostly menace rushed across the rocky forest floor. For all his speed, the figure moved with surprising silence beneath the pale moonlight. Only the occasional crack of a twig underfoot or the gentle brush of his cloak against the underbrush betrayed his approach. To the untrained ear these sounds would simply be dismissed as the wind or the falling of autumn leaves. But no one was listening—no one would hear him coming. The thought emboldened his steps and he quickened his pace.
The forest thinned sharply as he neared a canyon’s edge. The broad expanse between the figure and the far side
of the gulf was easily fifty feet but he showed no sign of slowing at the sight of it. Every hurried footstep brought him closer to the deadly gap. At the last possible moment, the figure leaped recklessly out over the gulf and into the massive expanse between it. Crossing his arms over his chest, he allowed instincts to kick in.
Like a gymnast he executed his motions with precision. Spinning and twisting through the air, he flew an unnatural distance toward the far side of the canyon wall, landing squarely against its side with both feet. His head jolted instantly away as he readied his counter jump. In a glance, he targeted a small cave ledge eighty feet down and launched himself back out over the expanse a second time. As planned, he landed safely on the rocky ledge below.
Gathering himself from the masterful leap, he rose slowly, reaching his full seven-foot stature. His timing couldn’t have been better. A small cadre of armed goblins hobbled its way down the narrow switchback trail that led to the ledge he now occupied. There were six, each of them dressed in modest armor, carrying crooked spears.
Obviously they were not expecting anyone, as their expressions ranged from confused to terrified. Raising their weapons, the six scurried over to guard the mouth of the cave from the unwelcome intruder.
To them, he was a giant—a ghostly sight dressed completely in white from head to toe. In stark contrast, his skin was as black as soot, which made his face appear invisible beneath the white hood. Only his gleaming silver eyes hovered there, floating brightly in the blackness. The thing that most marked his appearance, however, was a waist-wide belt and enormous stomach plate. It was embossed with the only splash of color on his otherwise monochromatic outfit, a crimson X.
“Who goes there!” the tallest of the guards commanded somewhat weakly. “This is a highly restricted area.”
Paying no mind, the stranger began walking straight for the entrance of the cave. He continued steadily forward with carefully paced steps until he was within inches of their trembling spears.
The leader of the guard cut to the front of their formation and toughened his voice, “I’m warning you, stranger! No one can pass beyond this point. It is forbidden!”
Again there was no response. The man stood in place as stoic as ever, daring them to attack with his daunting silence. This angered the guard even more.
“What are you, deaf? Didn’t you hear what I just said? Be gone or else…ack…” His tirade was cut dreadfully short as he grasped his neck in agony and keeled over. The others watched in disbelief as their leader writhed in pain from some unseen force. With a flash of movement the attacker vanished in the commotion.
“Stop…ack…him…!” were the final words that slipped past the dying guard’s lips before his body fell limp. The remaining goblins turned around in terror, unsure of where the killer had gone or even how he had killed. High above, the white and black assailant hung unnoticed from the ceiling of the cave like a spider, watching the confusion unfold below.
“He…he’s…vanished!” one said at last.
“It’s a phantom…!” the fattest shrieked nervously, toying with a stone medallion that hung around his neck.
“No,” the third scolded. “This one is real alright and he’s here somewhere, I’m sure of it.” Then he lowered his voice and commanded the troops in a half whisper. “Spread out and search the perimeter of the ledge. Gorgic, you stay to the center and remember, no matter what happens, protect the keystone.”
Gorgic, by far the roundest goblin of the bunch, nodded anxiously above his double-chin, clutching the medallion tightly in his hand. His eyes darted left and right as the others dispersed to examine the ledge.
Cautiously, the four began inching their way out toward the edge of the precipice, searching for the invisible threat. Their plan was horribly flawed and unknowingly provided an advantage to their attacker who had dropped back to the floor unnoticed. He slipped into the shadow of the cave and removed four tiny black daggers from his belt pouch. With pinpoint accuracy the attacker hurled the daggers at his foes, killing all four in the process. Only Gorgic remained, still fidgeting with the medallion. Watching as his companions fell, the last goblin panicked and scurried back toward the cave entrance in hopes of finding shelter. It was the wrong move.
The mysterious assassin appeared out of the shadow of the cave like a ghost, blocking Gorgic’s path. Sliding to a stop, the frightened goblin barely managed to hurl his spear at the man before slipping awkwardly onto his ample rump. In a shocking display of power, the intruder snatched the spear out of midair, only inches from his chest. Gorgic was stunned. Sitting up, Gorgic frantically scooted away from the man who now held his spear, turned against him.
“Stay away, Ph-ph-phantom!” the guard whimpered, trying his best to keep a safe distance from the ruthless attacker.
Without so much as a word the ghostly menace stepped forward. With each advance the guard was forced closer to the edge of the pit until at last he could move no further without falling. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as a few stray pebbles slipped off the edge and dropped down into the blackness below. He was out of options.
“Wh-who are you?” Gorgic asked. “What do you want?”
When at last the stranger spoke, it was with a strained whispery voice that sounded only half alive. “I am Xaul. I want the keystone.”
“K-k-keystone?” the goblin stammered. “What keys-s-stone?”
Xaul was in no mood for games.
“Listen, grub, I’ll make this easy on you. Either give me the keystone medallion so you can live, or I will kill you and take it from you.”
Sweat ran down Gorgic’s brow as he pondered his choice. Neither option sounded entirely fair to the unlucky goblin, but he had sworn on his life as a Shadow guard that no one would take the keystone. It was his mortal duty to protect it. Even if he failed and lived, he would likely be killed at the hands of his own commanders. Or worse yet, he’d face a fate worse than death from the dread Lord Sceleris, the serpent master the Shadow served. No, for Gorgic, failure was not an option.
Suddenly an idea came to mind.
“If you come a step closer, I-I-I’ll…I’ll jump. Yes, that’s what I’ll do! Then you’ll never get the keystone.”
For a moment Xaul paused, taken aback by the goblin’s bold plan. He needed the keystone; without it he would never pass the first gate. Gorgic swallowed hard and glanced over the edge again. His eyes were full of fear; he was bluffing. It was time to take action before Gorgic could convince himself to jump.
“Suit yourself!” Xaul scowled, jamming the spear forcefully into the ground between the goblin’s legs. A small crack in the ledge began to grow on either side of the spear, accompanied by the dreadful sound of cracking clay and shifting stone. The ledge was crumbling. Within seconds the surface gave way beneath the goblin’s weight and fell into the abyss.
Gorgic scrambled to save himself but there was nothing to hold onto. Xaul reached out and caught hold of the medallion flailing around Gorgic’s neck. Dangling over the ledge, the fat goblin hung by his neck, choking from the keystone’s leather cord. Gorgic clutched the cord in desperation to keep himself from falling and to relieve the tension that threatened to choke the life from him.
Xaul pulled him up until Gorgic was able to grab hold of the now shortened ledge. Then, pulling out a knife, Xaul severed the leather cord, retrieving the keystone for himself.
“You should have taken the first option!” Xaul exclaimed, glancing down at the struggling Gorgic who could barely hold his own weight. Turning on his heel, Xaul left the goblin dangling helplessly above the chasm and marched into the mouth of the cave. He needn’t concern himself with killing this worthless grub. Gravity would soon take care of him.
The cavern was not terribly deep; Xaul reached its end within a few hundred feet. Nestled in the back wall was a narrow stone slab—a door. It bore no markings of consequence, no handle or do
orknob. In fact, few would recognize it as a door at all. Xaul knew better—he had been here once before.
Gripping the keystone in his palm, Xaul held it out toward the door and pressed gently. Magically, the door repelled the keystone like a reverse magnet. Gliding the device around the outer edge of the door line, Xaul listened until a subtle clunk was heard. The door had unlocked.
Tucking the keystone into his belt, Xaul slammed his shoulder into the stone slab. The hinges were stiff with disuse, but after much effort the rock door finally groaned opened, revealing a long, dark, cobweb-laced tunnel on the other side. Shutting the door for safety, Xaul found himself concealed in a tunnel of blackness. His eyes adjusted quickly as his nocturnal vision kicked in. That was what made him an excellent assassin; he could see when others couldn’t.
With careful movements he made his way through the maze of unmarked tunnels ahead, even though some were only slightly wider than footpaths carved between cold rock walls. Eventually, Xaul caught the distant sound of clanging metal—a hammer and anvil.
Compelled by the unsettling tone, Xaul approached, letting the eerie notes guide him through the blackness. Soon, a flicker of firelight reflected off the far end of the tunnel walls ahead. As he neared, a peculiar vile-smelling odor filled the air. The ground and walls began to grow visibly blacker even as the light intensified.
The tunnel opened into a large circular room. The room itself was in a state of disarray. The walls were coated in thick black soot that gave off a horrible odor. Apart from the haphazardly organized spread of tools on a small wooden table, it was downright messy—the den of a blacksmith. Several crates full of wrought iron bars were scattered across the room, and a roaring fire pit commanded the majority of the far wall, billowing smoke up and out of the room through a hole in the ceiling. The only comforts in the room were a grimy chair, a basin of water and an overturned cot.
“Hello, Xaul,” a low and rumbling voice beckoned from the center of the room. There, standing over an iron pedestal, was the forger himself—a hunch-backed troll well along in years, but still very strong. The troll’s back was turned to the doorway but he had sensed Xaul’s presence nonetheless. “I always knew you would come back! How long has it been, ten years?”
