Novels by A.E. McCullough
Available on Amazon in print or eBook format
The Tales of the Wolf Series
The Coming of the Wolf (Book 1)
Enter the Wolf (Book 2)
Darkness Falls (Book 3)
Coming the spring of 2013
The Last Spartan Series
The Last Spartan: Different Paths
The Last Spartan: DJ’s Mission
The Last Spartan: The Great Hunt
Coming in the fall of 2013
Lost Lands: the Game
A different kind of fantasy novel.
Coming mid 2013
Enter the Wolf
Tales of the Wolf – Book 2
A.E. McCullough
Copyright © 2011 by Andrew McCullough
This book is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author, except by reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.
Cover Art & Layout by Phillip K. Aiken – [email protected]
Back Cover Photograph by Dreamstime®
First Edition: December 2011
Second Edition: January 2013
www.aemccullough.com
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Dedication
To my wife Felicia… thanks for everything.
I am a better person for having you in my life.
Marvin… thanks for always being there for me.
Everyone needs a friend like you.
ACKNOWLEDMENTS
A special thanks to Scott and Jody for being my
Alpha test readers. Your insights are greatly appreciated.
I also have to thank my Beta readers - Scott, Venus, Ed, Amanda, Nick and Tim…who found more mistakes and offered wonderful advice.
And lastly, a special thanks to all my coworkers at Louisville Metro Corrections. We do a thankless but necessary job. I am proud to stand beside you; guarding society from those who would break her laws.
Prologue
On a tiny island in the Sea of Torments stood a white marble building; it wasn’t flashy or ornate, just a simple round edifice that dominated the entire island. Its existence was completely unknown to the mortals who currently lived and died in the realm of Terreth since no mortal had set foot on the shores of this island in over a millennia. As a matter of fact, only one mortal had even visited the structure in that time and she had arrived via magic. After her brief visit, she had left the same way without ever knowing where the room was located.
The walls of the room were covered with shelves upon shelves of books. Since its construction was of a magical nature, if one stood inside and looked up, the shelves and the ceiling would be lost into the darkness. The whole building was in fact one large library. However, its most striking feature was the floor. It was covered in a large mosaic of the Dhyana, the ancient sign of the gods.
The symbol was as ancient as the land. Three teardrops of different colors were chasing each other while forming a circle. The three colors represented the creator gods of Terreth. The white teardrop represented Hyperion, the god of light. While the black teardrop stood for Nox, the goddess of darkness and lastly, the grey teardrop epitomized Terra, the goddess of balance. However, when the three creator gods of Terreth were lost in the first Godwar, the Dhyana came to represent their children.
In the middle of the mosaic where the three teardrops intersected, a portal of brilliant white light formed. Seconds later a majestic being stepped out of the light.
Aquilo, Master of the North Wind and eldest son of Hyperion, looked around the room. He was larger than any horse on Terreth. His heavily muscular frame was covered in a brilliant snow white coat with not a single blemish or scar marring its smooth surface. His mane and tail were silvery white and hung long, almost to the ground. His eyes were dark, like that of a typical horse but they held the glint of wisdom. On his chin was a silver-white beard that looked neatly combed. Of course, his most striking feature was his horn. Centered in the middle of his forehead, the two-foot long ivory horn was shaped in a perfect spiral ending in a sharp point.
Hearing the flapping of wings, he looked up and spied his sister as she entered the sacred chamber.
Cassandra was beautiful; there was no other way to describe her. She was only slightly smaller than her brother but her front half was that of an eagle and the back half was a lion.
Aquilo nodded his equine head in greetings. His snowy mane danced about in the wind generated by the griffin’s massive wings. “Hello Cassandra. It has been a long time.”
Landing gently, the griffin pawed the icy ground with her large talons. “Hello brother. I have been busy doing our father’s bidding.”
Whatever Aquilo was going to say was interrupted by a portal of black smoke which formed on the other side of the chamber. Neither of the two demi-gods were surprised when a small bat-winged creature with bumpy black skin stepped out of the smoke portal. The gargoyle looked around the room with a scowl.
Spying the siblings Jinx demanded, “What? Why have you summoned me?”
As Aquilo shook his equine head, his ivory horn glowed with an inner white light. “I did not call this meeting but I am happy to see you cousin.”
Cassandra shook her eagle head. “If you two didn’t call this meeting and I didn’t call it, who did? There are not many of us left.”
Suddenly, the image of a dragon with five heads appeared in the center of the grey teardrop. It encompassed the whole area and was only slightly transparent. As the five-headed dragon spoke, each one of the heads would take a turn talking. At first it was slightly disconcerting since they each had a different tone but the demi-gods quickly got used to it; however her voice sounded hollow as if travelling from a great distance. “I called the meeting.”
Aquilo bowed his head. “Dracos, it is good to see you.”
“I agree cousin; it is good to see you three.”
The fire dragonhead fixated on the unicorn, the air dragonhead on the griffin while the water and earth dragonheads both stared at the gargoyle. The void dragonhead which was a black as midnight seemed to waver about and never fixate on any one spot.
Dracos continued. “Unfortunately, I cannot join you in person due to troubles in the Southern Empire but Terra would like to know more of what is going on in the Highlands.”
Jinx sneered. “And what has that have to do with me? Nox doesn’t answer to the likes of you.”
It was Cassandra the griffin who answered. “True…but you are pretending to serve one master while truly working for another. I wonder what Lalith would do to you if she found out somehow?”
If it was possible, the dark skin of the gargoyle turned grey as Jinx blanched. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Cassandra absentmindedly flapped her wings a few times. “Not I, but you can never tell what information might get leaked to the enemy. Remember our duty is to our parents, not to the usurpers.”
When the void dragonhead of Dracos spoke, its voice was deeper and hollower than its kith and kin. “Enough. My time here is limited. Cassandra, what do you know of the events?”
The majestic griffin bowed its eagle head briefly before beginning.
“As part of my sacred duties, I
have patrolled the skies above the Highlands and spied on its inhabitants. Luna’s children, the highlanders, are a brave and honorable race for the most part. But over the last few years I have noticed a slight change in their behavior. One faction has completely turned from Luna’s teachings and began acting in a more sinister manner.”
She pawed the floor absentmindedly with her talon. “I did a little investigating and discovered that one of the Arachne has escaped. It seems that the prophecy once foretold is approaching.”
All five of Dracos’ dragonheads nodded as they spoke in unison. “At last, it is time.”
Cassandra continued. “Yes, it seems that a young elf maiden by the name of Tatianna Amarth has been selected to be the Chosen One’s mother. I was forced to watch as she was raped by an evil Highlander named Blackfang. Although my heart ached to intervene, it was not my place to save her. But fate brought an honorable warrior to her rescue. Hawkeye is his name and although it turns out that he is Blackfang’s brother, they are nothing alike.”
Jinx snickered. “You aren’t kidding. Blackfang is an uncouth brute. I haven’t figured out why Clotho allows him to live.”
Dracos’ void dragonhead nodded. “Clotho…so, it’s not just any Arachne that has escaped but the Spinner herself. Interesting.”
Jinx whacked himself on the head for letting on to his cousins that he knew about the Spinner. He was sure that Dracos would come back to him.
Cassandra glared at her smaller cousin for a moment before continuing. “Once Tatianna was rescued, she and Hawkeye rejoined her twin brothers and a cantankerous dwarf and fled north in an effort to escape the clutches of the Dark Alliance. Unfortunately, Clotho has also recruited a powerful dark elf sorceress named Lalith.”
“She is delightfully wicked,” added Jinx.
“She nearly killed Tatianna as they crossed a river but was saved by the timely intervention of one of Gaul’s children. However, the party was now separated. The twins and the dwarf were captured and taken to the Halls of Halder, while Tatiana and Hawkeye continued north to Itasca.”
Dracos’ void dragonhead focused its attention on Jinx. “And?”
Jinx swallowed hard. “And what?”
“What happened next?”
Jinx considered lying but realized that was useless and counterproductive to his mother’s goals. “Blackfang and Lalith tortured the elves and the dwarf. But eventually they escaped with the help of one of your children.”
All five heads turned their attention on the gargoyle. “This Blackfang creature had one of my children enslaved? And you didn’t contact me?”
Jinx cringed. “It is not my place or my duty to alert you about the fate of your children.”
Dracos immediately calmed when she realized the truth of his cousin’s statement. “You are correct, please continue.”
Jinx swallowed once again. “Once the elves and the dwarf escaped, Blackfang sent his army north to Itasca. His plan is to destroy his brother and kill the Chosen One before it’s born.”
Aquilo finally entered the conversation.
“Blackfang might be an uncouth brute but he is crafty. Additionally, I think Clotho’s evil is influencing the wickedness in those of the unfaithful. One such creature by the name of Red Ferret would’ve killed Tatianna if I had not intervened.”
Now it was Aquilo’s turn to bear the brunt of Dracos’ gaze. However, as the eldest son of Hyperion it didn’t bother him as much as the child of Nox. Unfazed, the majestic white unicorn continued. “I know our pact was to watch and not meddle but I could not sit by and do nothing. If my father has a problem with my actions, I will answer to him when the time is appropriate. Until then, I will continue to do whatever I believe is necessary.”
Dracos asked, “What else have you done?”
“Nothing drastic, we just talked.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I whispered the true secret of magic in her sleep.”
“That isn’t all,” Cassandra added. “You brought her here so she could fathom the true depth of the prophecy. I don’t disagree with that; I believe it was our father’s wishes that she viewed the obelisks.”
Dracos nodded. “I agree. Terra would want the mother of the Chosen One to know the whole truth.”
Jinx smirked. “Truth is irrelevant. Itasca will be overrun and the Highlanders scattered. Although when I left my mistress’ chambers neither Tatianna nor Hawkeye had been killed or captured but they are vastly outnumbered. It is only a matter of time until they are both dead.”
Dracos shook his void dragonhead. “No…that we cannot allow.”
Cassandra asked, “So Terra wished us to activily get involved?”
“I cannot speak for my mother but I suspect that she does not want the Spinner to be victorious. She hasn’t forgotten what she and her children did to her, of that I am sure.”
Jinx leaned forward. “You have placed me in a precarious position.”
Aquilo shook his equine head. “No cousin that was your own doing. We are just reminding you of your duty to the Dhyana.”
Jinx shrugged. “So true. I will not forsake my mother, no matter what you three think. It is her will that I am doing.”
Dracos said, “I will inform Terra of all that has transpired. I pray that these mortals are lucky. The Archane are devious and malicious.”
Jinx cocked his head to one side as if listening to a voice only he could hear. “I must go. My mistress is looking for me.” Snapping his fingers, a cloud of black smoke appeared. Jinx stepped inside and poof…he was gone.
Dracos spoke once more before she faded away. “The One must be allowed the gather the Nine. Do what you must to ensure this.”
Once more the children of Hyperion were alone. Aquilo turned to his sister and said, “I don’t trust Jinx, never have and never will.”
The mighty griffin flapped her wings several times. “I trust that he will always act in whatever manner serves him best at the moment. He is much like his mother in that aspect.”
“That is a wise way at looking at him. I will ponder on that.” Touching his ivory horn to the mosaic floor, the white portal of light reappeared. “Take care sister. I don’t think that our activites will stay unnoticed by the Arachne for much longer. They are bound to act against us soon.”
“I agree.” Cassandra held out her left talon and Aquilo touched it ever so gently with his horn. “Farewell brother, until we meet again.”
“Farewell.” Aquilo stepped into the portal and disappeared.
Now that everyone was gone, Cassandra took one last look around the library and launched herself into the darkness.
Chapter 1
Hawkeye took stock of his situation. He was wet, tired, alone and slightly wounded. Not to mention that he was trapped underground with a gnomish patrol nearby. In a nutshell, things could be better.
Thinking back to the attack on Itasca, he replayed the events over and over in his mind, trying to see if there could’ve been a different outcome. With his limited number of warriors, the oncoming winter and the overwhelming soldiers of the Dark Alliance, he didn’t see any way it could’ve gone different; other than him not being trapped underground with enemies nearby.
Keeping his back close to the rocky wall of the tunnel, Hawkeye peeked around the bend and didn’t see anything.
Of course, the luminescent lichen which illuminated the tunnels wasn’t bright enough to cast shadows.
This was both good and bad. Good in that it wouldn’t give away his position as he moved through the tunnels. Bad in the fact it wouldn’t alert him to the gnomish patrol either. Moving with extra care, he began his journey.
Not exactly sure of his path, he followed the most lighted passageways and tried to choose those paths that lead up. He also kept his ears open for the tale-tell sounds of his enemies.
* * * * *
Kang stared at the back of his patrol leader and imagined sliding his dagger into it.
While he was con
sidered young by gnomish standards, only being fifty and just barely of age, Kang knew that he had more experience on patrols than the fool leading their unit. There were five warriors in their patrol, all nicely grouped together. Draks, the battleleader of their milita and leader of this patrol, wanted everyone close enough so he could keep an eye on them and give commands.
Never mind, that they didn’t have a forward scout. Or that Draks’ voice echoed in the tunnels. Or that the other three warriors seemed to be as noisy as their foolish leader and just chatted away as they moved through the tunnels.
Kang did his very best to lag slightly behind. If they ran into any number of beasts which inhabited the underground, he was determined not to be its prime target.
Kang shrugged his shoulders. They were on a fool’s mission anyway. For some reason, Blackfang had sent numerous patrols into the underground around the dormant volcano that the barbarians had turned into a village. He had only met Blackfang and a few of his followers but even then Kang hated the fur wearing barbarians with a passion. It was their fault that his cousins were dead.
They had lived in Iraim of the Thousand Pillars, the capital city of the gnomes, when the barbarian butchers raided and razed it to the ground. His clan lived in one of the outlying caverns an hour run from the capital. By the time their militia had organized and traversed the winding tunnels to the big city; there wasn’t a soul alive. All the outlying clans had banned together and swore a blood oath to put the butchers to the sword.
However, after serving with the Alliance over the last year Kang had his doubts about Hawkeye and his people. Nothing he had seen had led him into believing that they were the ones responsible for the destruction of Iraim. But the Dark Alliance….that was a different beast. They were a blood thirsty group and nothing short of eradication of Hawkeye’s people would satisfy their thirst.
Tales of the Wolf: Book 02 - Enter the Wolf Page 1
