The Ajoiner Realm (Defenders of Radiance Book 1)

by Rebekah Carroll

  “I seek... knowledge.”

  He told the truth—in a way—it lessened the embarrassment of his blunder in opening the book. Atax-zauul snarled at Cassidy. It looked like a freak attempt at a smile with his four toothy mandibles.

  “You seek to sate the appetite of curiosity. By what right am I to grant this gift unto you, a stranger in my home?” Atax-zauul asked.

  Cassidy noticed a ring of smaller tyuials forming around him and their gargantuan leader. He tried to ignore them and focus only on Atax-zauul, but that proved challenging with the other tyuials’ brittle howls that sounded like tormented screams.

  “...By right of challenge,” Cassidy said.

  He shifted as the tyuials started tightening their circle. He had no idea what he’d gotten himself into, but Atax-zauul didn’t need to know that.

  “Right of challenge?” Atax-zauul bellowed with a cruel sneer. “You have heart, little mortal, that much I will grant you. But you have not the prowess to perform such a claim.”

  The monsters surrounding Cassidy let out a chorus of bone chilling howls, as if they found Atax-zauul’s comment humorous.

  “I call your bluff,” Cassidy said, interrupting their merriment.

  Silence fell.

  “You will not last three minutes.”

  “I’m really good at wasting time.” Cassidy shrugged.

  His body trembled, but he wouldn’t back down. He didn’t know why he challenged the god of the Chaos Realm. His stupid mouth had a tendency to get him in trouble like that. He hadn’t been skewered yet, so maybe, this time, his mouth had saved him from instant death.

  With a deep growl, Atax-zauul turned and stomped back several paces.

  “Make yourself ready,” Atax-zauul said to Cassidy over his shoulder.

  Bow in hand, focus locked in place, Cassidy engaged the tyuial in a stare down. He saw it in the beast’s eyes. This would be the duel of ages, or the second he died. He tried not to let the latter thought soil his trousers.

  Atax-zauul paced to Cassidy’s left, leaving him to circle in the other direction. Cassidy dared Atax-zauul to attack first.

  The snarling creature leapt forward.

  Faster than a blink, Cassidy released an arrow at the tyuial. Atax-zauul didn’t even flinch as the arrow struck his head and flipped uselessly to the side. Atax-zauul rammed his fist into Cassidy’s stomach. He gasped and his legs buckled. The tyuial grabbed him by the collar and ripped him from his feet.

  He’s going to wear my corpse like a hat!

  Instead, Atax-zauul threw Cassidy twenty feet. Groaning as stinging pain racked his body, Cassidy crawled to his hands and knees.

  “You now realize the folly in your pathetic quest, do you not?” “I’m not finished yet.”

  “You will be soon enough.”

  He hadn’t even stood up when the terrain shifted. With a fierce boom, the ashy ground turned to dirt. The surrounding scene transformed into a dreary forest, and Atax-zauul was nowhere to be seen. From the ground, Cassidy heard a horrified scream calling his name, pleading for his help.

  “Vallerie!” Cassidy cried, scrambling to his feet.

  In the distance, Cassidy found Vallerie running among the trees, a pack of adrax closing in around her. Cassidy shot an arrow into the beast closest to Vallerie, sending it spiraling into the shadows from whence it came. As that adrax disappeared, another took its place. Before Cassidy released his next arrow, a second pack of adrax led by a red-faced chieftain appeared in front of Vallerie. She had nowhere to run.

  “Cassidy!” Vallerie shrieked.

  An eager adrax swung a club at Cassidy’s beloved wife. He shot it in the eye, killing the beast.

  “Cass!” Vallerie reached for him.

  As if released from a spellbound trance, the rest of the adrax attacked, encasing Vallerie in a shell of darkness.

  “Vallerie!” Cassidy screamed.

  “Struck a nerve, I see.” Atax-zauul’s voice appeared close by Cassidy’s side.

  Cassidy drew his bowstring to his cheek, but hesitated. He stood, watching. If he didn’t take this shot, he might lose her forever. Cassidy inhaled sharply and held his breath as he aimed. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself his beautiful wife wasn’t there, he couldn’t bring himself to release the arrow to end the illusion.

  “I yield! Just please stop,” Cassidy begged, voice cracking.

  Vallerie vanished, and all became still.

  “You have failed as I foretold. And so near to the end of three minutes—pity.”

  Cassidy lowered his bow and stood with his back to Atax-zauul, then collapsed to his knees, his trembling fingers touching Vallerie’s name on his bow.

  “Know this does not bring me pleasure, little mortal,” Atax-zauul said.

  Cassidy continued to stare at the space where his wife once stood. At least his last thoughts would be of her. He envisioned Vallerie’s smile lighting up his entire world one last time as Atax-zauul wound his giant hand around Cassidy’s neck.

  18

  W arren followed Paladin through the dark. The rough rock beneath his boots sliced into the thick soles and crunched louder under every footstep. In the distance, a soft humming pulsed to life.

  “Paladin,” Warren hissed.

  “What?”

  Warren shushed him and pointed at his ear. Paladin stood still for a moment, then grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him behind a rock. He coiled tight as a drum, waiting for the sound to pass. The tone of the humming shifted downward and grew louder as the creature approached. Still, he remained motionless. Slowly, the hum returned to its normal tone as it faded away, and Warren welcomed air back into his lungs, relieved.

  “That was too close.” Paladin guided him back to open ground.

  Warren nodded and sheathed his dagger. He didn’t want to think about what might have happened had they been found.

  “You’re not half as daft as you look, boy.” Paladin smirked.

  Warren scowled. A wisp of breath tickled his cheek. Nearly jumping out of his skin, he reached for a knife before remembering Paladin’s warning to not react to such temptations. He eased his fingers from the blade and kept journeying through the darkness. Several more times, wisps grazed his skin, but he forced himself to stay calm.

  Another cliff stretched before them. The other side was beyond what either of them could jump. Paladin mumbled the same incantation he’d used earlier to build a bridge. Warren eased his weight forward. Slow step, by slow step, he moved out onto the bridge.

  Almost five paces in, the tunnel shook.

  “Run!” Paladin shouted.

  Warren stumbled a few strides forward. Almost...

  Smash!

  The bridge shuddered and vanished. Warren threw himself forward, hoping by some small miracle the action would save him.

  It didn’t.

  His fingers grazed the cliff wall as he clawed for a hold on the stone face. A slight ledge slapped his palm. Using every bit of strength, he locked his fingers onto it. His body slammed into the wall and shooting pain consumed his shoulder as he held the ledge with all his might, but he failed to hold on for more than a few seconds. Again, he fell.

  “Are you still alive, boy?” Paladin grunted.

  Warren barely heard his voice. His vision was murky at best after striking his head on a rock. Light seared his eyes. He flinched, shielding his face with his hand. Blinking a few times, his eyesight cleared.

  “Yeah,” Warren groaned and sat up.

  His head and shoulder throbbed. Any other ache was mild in comparison.

  “You could’ve fooled me,” Paladin huffed.

  Warren winced at the loudness of his companion’s voice.

  “Do you mind not blinding me with your light?” Warren grumbled.

  The light dimmed enough for Warren to see Paladin. The man appeared unharmed. Of course, he was fine, he’d lived here for who knows how long.

  Warren stood, and a wave of nausea hit him. “How lo
ng will it take us to reach the book now?”

  “You’ve got to be out of your mind to think you can keep moving.” Paladin raised a bushy eyebrow at him.

  “Just tell me how long.”

  “With your injuries? A month.”

  “What?” Warren winced as he moved his head too fast.

  “Yes. Don’t bother whining about it, boy. I don’t like it any more than you,” Paladin huffed.

  He didn’t have a month to recover. The ground seemed to teeter beneath him, and his stomach roiled with a tsunami of nausea.

  Warren steadied himself against the cave wall. “There has to be a faster way.”

  “What did I say about whining, boy?”

  Warren’s fists clenched. “I won’t let my team die.”

  “Everyone dies! Stop trying to fight that.”

  Warren threw his fist into the side of the ravine. “What if your prince’s life was on the line? What would you do?”

  “You know nothing of what you speak,” Paladin said over his shoulder.

  “Maybe I don’t. But I know there isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do, a distance I wouldn’t travel, a pain I wouldn’t endure for my team. I thought you understood that, or are you just the husk of the knight you used to be?”

  Paladin spun around and closed the gap between them. In a flash, his fist hurled toward Warren’s face. Warren moved to block the attack, but was too slow. Paladin’s knuckles cracked against his jaw. Before he fell over, Paladin caught his bad arm. As a scream shot from Warren’s throat, Paladin rammed his shoulder back in place. He collapsed to his knees, fighting for breath.

  Gold light radiated from Paladin’s hand and around Warren’s shoulder as the mage mumbled an incantation. Warmth poured into his arm and head, then the pain subsided. After several minutes, he reveled in the warmth of the spell. Paladin pulled his hand away, and the light and heat faded. Warren rolled his arm in a circle, feeling for any catches, but there were none.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “You want to get out of here? Start climbing.”

  Paladin found a handhold in the stone wall and hauled himself up.

  Warren stared at him for several seconds before following his lead. Whatever his reasons, Paladin had saved him again.

  Warren’s military training had included climbing, but he had never needed the skill. Several times, he had to remind himself to use his legs’ strength rather than his arms’.

  He glanced up and paused, watching his companion. Paladin weaved his way across the wall, finding imperceptible finger and toeholds in the stone. Warren exhaled against the wall and mirrored his movements awkwardly. Sweat trailed down his back.

  As he grabbed a handhold and pulled himself up, the stone cracked and fell away from the wall. Panic lurched through him as he grappled for a crack or groove. But before falling backward, he caught himself. He closed his eyes and let loose a breath. Paladin paused just long enough to ensure he had survived, then resumed climbing.

  Finally, Warren’s fingers slid over the deep ledge they’d attempted to reach earlier. As he stood to continue onward, Paladin stumbled forward and fell to his knees.

  “Paladin, are you all right?” Warren asked, kneeling by his side.

  His eyes were harrowed, and he clenched his teeth.

  “Mending magic is difficult to master,” he growled, fighting his way back to his feet.

  “You should rest,” Warren said.

  “We don’t have that kind of time.” Paladin swayed into the side of the cave.

  “You’re in no condition to continue. At least take a few minutes to recover some strength.”

  Paladin looked at him through weary eyes.

  “I thought you’d do anything for your team.”

  “I would, and I need your help to find the book and get back to them. You can’t do that if you can’t walk.”

  Paladin stared at him. For the first time, Warren glimpsed his true age, how exhausted he had become over the centuries.

  “You’re one persuasive devil, aren’t you, boy? Fine, we’ll rest here for fifteen minutes.” Paladin rested with his back against the wall and his legs crossed. He closed his eyes as though he were meditating, and his breaths slowed.

  Warren sat down on the other side of the cave and kept an eye and ear out for trouble. He would have liked to relax more but knew not to trust anything in the cave. Warren turned to the tunnel across the ravine. Its mouth bore jagged fangs. But none of it mattered. His thoughts were only for his team. Hopefully, they were having an easier time on their quests.

  As he looked to where he and Paladin had fallen, a sudden dread washed over him. They had come within seconds of dying.

  What if something happened to one of his friends? He’d never forgive himself. The council would kill them all if the retrieval of one of the books failed.

  Warren turned back to Paladin. His skin creased with wrinkles and ancient scars, and Warren wondered if one day he would look like that. Gray—apparently now white—hair already topped his head, and the strain of war lingered in his bones. How much longer would it take for him to grow too old to fight?

  Warren never imagined reaching an age where he couldn’t raise a blade, but looking at Paladin reminded him he was still mortal— they both were. Warren gazed at the arm Paladin had healed. Even after an exhausting climb, it showed no sign of injury.

  “Thank you for healing my shoulder.”

  Paladin’s eyes flicked open, blue light streamed from them.

  When he looked to Warren, the light faded, leaving his eyes alert. “We should continue. The tome knows we are here.” Paladin rose to his feet and walked into the shadows.

  A cold pit burrowed in Warren’s stomach. Paladin spoke about the book as though it was intelligent.

  “How?” Warren asked, as he followed close behind.

  “It created this entire cavern to protect itself. It shouldn’t surprise you that it knows our every move.”

  “How can something like that know anything? It’s a book.”

  “That thing is one of the most powerful magical artifacts in existence. It has the ability to create life, or at least pull life from different realms. When it created this cave, it did more than tear a hole through the mountain; it created miles of complex tunnels to hide within and set up sentries to protect it. If you don’t believe it has a mind of its own, then you’re a fool,” Paladin said.

  Warren swallowed. If all the tomes were as powerful as this one, then Illithium would become the most powerful city in the Ajoiner Realm. If the Dsyniict Council could control them. The fact that the book was trying to kill him and Paladin, and had intelligence, left him wary of its intentions. If the books fell into the hands of the Darkness...Warren didn’t want to imagine the devastation that would cause.

  “The other books...are they as powerful as this one?” Warren asked.

  “I only know of the one’s existence. If they are associated with it, I imagine so. This council you spoke of will require a way to contain their power. Otherwise...” He didn’t have to finish.

  If the council failed, the book might destroy the entire city, or the whole swamp with the combined power of all five. They claimed one already, they must have some idea what they were getting into. Warren shook his head. It wasn’t his place to decide the fate of the tomes; he just needed to get them and get back to his original mission. The desolated remnants of Fortitude came to his mind. He had his own city to save.

  The shifting of loose rock tumbled to his left. Warren squinted in that direction, but only blank shadows stared back. Facing Paladin, he pressed on. Footsteps softly crunched behind him. He threw a glance over his shoulder, but saw nothing. He turned back, and the light steps continued. At times, Warren almost couldn’t hear their quiet pitter patter. Warren slowed his pace to listen.

  “It’s called a Pä-anaton,” Paladin said over his shoulder. “It takes the form of a child. Ever lurking in the darkness, it draws its victims away from safety, th
en slices them open to feast on their organs. Ignore it and stay close to the light.”

  Warren followed Paladin a little closer. A second being scuttled off into the darkness on his right, but Warren ignored it. Not long after, a third Pä-anaton began following him with the first. The three closed in on Warren. Soon, they were almost close enough to step on his heels.

  An earth-shaking roar cut through the cave. Warren barely heard the Pä-anatons’ screech as they scurried away. The cave stilled.

  “What was that?” Warren asked.

  Paladin’s expression was grave. “Something I pray we do not meet.”

  With that ominous thought, he continued ahead. For hours they traversed deeper into the cavern. The entire time, Warren couldn’t get the howl out of his head. What kind of monster could shake the earth with its voice?

  Another roar left his ears ringing.

  “Get back,” Paladin ordered.

  Warren turned back up the shaft but slipped on the trembling ground. The steep nature of the tunnel left him skidding down rough stone. In seconds, he passed Paladin’s light and tumbled into the darkness.

  He grunted as he lifted himself to his feet and squinted into the dark, exhausted. The maw he fell into seemed bigger than the tunnel, but Warren didn’t know how big the space was. The cavern reeked of rotting corpse and fecal matter, similar to the way battlefields always smelled.

  Something crunched.

  The darkness prevented Warren from identifying the noise, but the stench of dead flesh sent him backing toward the tunnel.

  Before Warren ran, it released a baneful howl. He clapped his hands over his ears and stumbled on the shaking ground. Light from Paladin’s phoenix reached Warren as the man entered the opening and lit enough space for Warren to identify the creature. He had heard stories from deep miners of behemoth mole-like creatures with hulking shoulders and charcoal scales—a Waasunt. Its face had neither skin nor any perceivable muscle and its spine tore through its back and thick tail.

  The Waasnut romped forward, smashing its head into Warren’s chest. Warren crashed into the ground, bruising his ribs and losing his breath. By the time he worked his way to his hands and knees, Paladin had woven spells through the air, disorienting the Waasunt as he readied to strike its front leg. The creature shrieked and kicked Paladin into the cave wall.