by Sam Ferguson
“No,” Erik said decisively. “I have considered what you said, and I cannot let you go through with your plans. But, you can join with me. As our fates are so intertwined, why not come with me? We could be a great force for good. I promise, I will not rest until we find a way to stop the Four Horsemen.”
Eldrik shook his head. “I have already found the correct way, but you are too blind to see it.” He snapped his fingers and the area around them lit up as if the sun was high in the sky. Lubbok, Rafe, and Lady Arkyn were lifted into the air and held by an invisible force. “Move to attack, and they will all die.”
“If I let you leave, then the Four Horsemen will come and kill us all anyway,” Erik replied evenly. “You are the Dark Sahale, and you must be stopped.”
A scream filled the air, stopping Erik in his tracks. He turned and saw Lady Arkyn’s face turning red as she struggled to claw at something around her neck.
“You see, I know you,” Eldrik said. “Your weakness will ever be your heart.”
“Eldrik, this is between you and me,” Erik said.
Eldrik smiled and without a word or a move of his hands, sent a spell at Erik that knocked the warrior to his knees. Erik struggled to push against the ground with his hands as something heavy forced him downward. “Erik, I have given my word to someone that I will not harm you. If I were to break my word, then I would lose a portion of my power.” Eldrik moved in close and the weight shifted off of Erik’s back as something else snaked around his body and raised him up to eye level with Eldrik. “You see, I knew your father, you real father. Before he gave me his powers, he made me swear that I would never harm you. Had I broken that oath say, a year or two ago, then likely the power of the wizard’s oath would have killed me, but I have found a way around it. Now, the worst that will happen to me is I will lose the portion of power that Dremathor gave me. But I will not die. So, believe me when I say the only thing keeping you and your pathetic friends alive is the simple fact that I respect you.”
Eldrik grinned. “Since you know of Dremathor, then I should warn you, he is not the only one I brought back.”
Erik narrowed his eyes on Eldrik and tried to fight the spell. “What have you done?”
“Do you recall a warlock by the name of Gondok’hr? Or did you know him better as Senator Bracken?”
Erik’s heart skipped a beat and jumped into his throat. Gondok’hr was the warlock responsible for his adopted father’s death. True, it had been Eldrik that had stabbed Trenton Lokton in an alleyway, but it was Gondok’hr, masquerading as Senator Bracken, that had arrested Trenton Lokton and had him tried before the senate tribunal. He had also led an assault against Kuldiga Academy, and Lokton Manor, and had personally killed Master Orres, the former head of Kuldiga Academy. Erik may have been able to come to terms with most of his enemies, but Gondok’hr was one that he had never stopped hating.
“I can see the anger in your eyes,” Eldrik said. “But it is true. Gondok’hr walks among the living once more, and he does my bidding.”
“Eldrik, this has gone too far already, you must stop.”
“No, it is you who must stop. Get in my way again, and I shall not let you escape. This is your only warning, Erik Lokton. Should we cross paths again, then I will destroy you, and everyone you love.” Eldrik glanced over to the three he held suspended in the air and a wicked, sly look came over his face. “This is so you will understand how serious I am.”
Erik tried to move and lash out at Eldrik, but the spell holding him was too strong. He was helpless as Eldrik turned toward the others. Erik tried to shout, but as he opened his mouth, a coil of energy filled it and gagged him. He tried to summon Silverfang, but he found that even that spell was blocked from his abilities.
Eldrik was in complete control.
He went to Lubbok first, and then to Rafe, and finally to Lady Arkyn. He raised his right hand slowly. Eldrik then snapped his fingers, and Lady Arkyn’s left leg was twisted around, breaking the bones in several places. She writhed in agony as Erik fought futilely against the spell holding him. Eldrik then turned to Rafe and pointed at the man’s wound in his arm where the spear had struck him. Rafe’s arm ripped open and the bandages failed to contain the amount of blood that rushed out. Then Eldrik moved to Lubbok. The orc had only anger and determination in his eyes as he watched the Dark Sahale approach. Eldrik turned and smiled at Erik.
“So that you will know the extent of my powers,” he said. He slapped Lubbok in the stomach and the mighty orc fell to the ground. At first, Erik feared the orc was dead, but then he realized that Eldrik had given Lubbok a much worse curse. The green skin darkened to a deep tannish brown. Lubbok’s tusks disappeared and his head shape changed from its strong, square appearance to take on a smaller, rounder shape. Dark hair grew from the top of Lubbok’s head and his muscles shrank to roughly match Rafe’s size. The orcish clothes began to hang loose as Lubbok was fully transformed into a human, never able to return to his father again.
“Erik, do not follow me. Stay out of my way, and we can part as old friends. Follow me again, and I shall destroy you entirely.” Eldrik leapt into the air and turned into a dark cloud of smoke. Then, he was gone. The spells released all of them and Erik rushed over to Lady Arkyn.
“I’m coming,” he shouted.
She pointed to Rafe with a quivering hand. “Help him first,” she said through her tears.
Erik didn’t like the idea, but he knew she was right. He sprinted to Rafe and quickly went to work to stop the hemorrhaging. Before he had finished, Lubbok regained his consciousness and sat up to examine himself. He began to curse, but he no longer spoke orcish. Eldrik had even changed Lubbok’s language.
Lubbok looked to Erik with his once proud eyes filled with tears. “I am shamed,” he said.
Erik finished working with Rafe and then moved to help Lady Arkyn. He gently examined her leg, finding the femur broken in the middle, the tibia and fibia broken several inches below the knee, and the ankle entirely separated from its appropriate position. For the first time in a long while, Erik was overwhelmed. He wasn’t sure what to do. He sat back and held Lady Arkyn’s hand for a few moments, staring at her twisted leg and shaking his head while she cried.
“Here, let me help.”
A hand fell on Erik’s shoulder. He turned, expecting Lubbok, but saw instead a man in a white robe with a long, gray beard that fell to his waist. A pair of sparkling blue eyes sat behind a thin-rimmed pair of glasses. His hair was as long as his beard, but neatly groomed. He narrowed his eyes on Erik and the thick, white brows pinched in close together.
“Don’t tell me you don’t remember your own grandfather?!” Allun Rha said in a sour voice.
Allun Rha bent down and placed a hand on Lady Arkyn’s leg and a flash of white light wrapped her in a gentle embrace. Her leg was twisted back into place and the bones mended themselves, but without causing additional pain. Lady Arkyn looked up and smiled with teary eyes, but Allun Rha didn’t tarry with her. He moved to Rafe and healed the man’s arm wound.
Lastly, he walked to Lubbok and knelt before the transformed orc.
“I can change you back,” Allun Rha said. “But it will take a lot of my energy. Afterward, I will need to rest before I can help you further.”
Lubbok nodded eagerly. Allun Rha placed a hand on each of Lubbok’s shoulders. He spoke in a language Erik didn’t understand, and the two were caught up in a great cloud of gold and red smoke. Lightning streaked across the outside of the cloud and miniature thunder claps erupted from within. When the cloud cleared, Lubbok was smiling his big, proud grin and touching his green fingers to his tusks.
“I am whole again!” Lubbok exclaimed.
Erik approached Allun Rha and looked at him questioningly. “How did you know where to find me?”
“It took some doing,” Allun Rha said. “But I felt a disturbance in the energies back at my tower. I would have consulted with Hiasyntar’Kulai, but he was unavailable. They are working to d
ecipher the Infinium, and cannot be reached. You know better than I how extensive their caves are under the ground.”
Erik nodded. He had been in the deepest depths of the Ancient’s palace far in the east. If the dragons did not want to be disturbed, then no one would be able to bother them in the inner most chambers. “But, I thought you were supposed to stay in the tower and guard the way so that no one else could find the Palace of the Immortal Mystics?”
Allun Rha nodded and put a hand out on Erik’s shoulder to steady himself. “This seemed a bit more pressing, to be frank,” he said. “If you recall, I once asked you about Aparen, but you seemed not to know the name.”
Erik nodded, vaguely remembering what was said in their first and only encounter.
“Well, I have been trying to find out who became Aparen since that day. You see, it was supposed to be you, but something changed that.”
“And so you found Eldrik,” Erik finished dryly. “He was here.”
“Oh, I know. That is how I found you. I used my scrying table for years, but only found you when the two of you came into contact with each other. Only then was the disturbance in the magical essence great enough to show up at my tower. I came as quickly as I could.” Allun Rha looked around disappointedly. “But it appears I came too late to catch Aparen.”
“He wants to use the World Seed to gain enough power to fight the Four Horsemen,” Erik said.
“Yes, I know. That is what you were going to do, if your fate hadn’t been switched and Dremathor had been allowed to raise you.”
“So the things that I feel inside of me…”
“If you are asking if I can see a blight on your soul, you are wasting your breath. It is not what you are supposed to do that matters, boy. Only what you actually do is what decides who you are. As long as you are willing to stand on the right side of things, that is enough for me.” Allun Rha looked back toward the camp. “Have any food? I’m hungry.”
“Did we lose?” Rafe asked as he suddenly regained consciousness and pushed himself up. “All I remember is this wizard guy ripping my arm open after attacking Lady Arkyn.”
“I’m all right,” Lady Arkyn said.
Rafe shook his head and stood up. His eyes shot open wide as he saw Allun Rha. “Nope. We’re dead. I knew it! We lost and now we’re all dead. Hopefully Nagé will take us before Khefir comes for Lubbok.” Rafe put his hands in the air and glanced to Lubbok. “No offense.”
“You aren’t dead, though your head might have sustained some amount of injury that my magic failed to repair,” Allun Rha said.
“I don’t know who this ghost is, but tell him to bugger off!” Rafe shouted as he turned and walked back toward the camp. “I’m tired of ghosts, I’m tired of demons and magic, and all I want to do is take a hot bath and drink a bottle of ale. Anyone gets in my way, and I’ll…well I’ll slap them with my ghost-hands!”
Lubbok snorted and began to laugh. “I don’t understand them anymore!” he said in orcish.
Erik smiled and patted Lubbok on the shoulder. “Ready to continue on our journey?” Erik asked him. “We have ourselves a chase, and our quarry has a head start.”
“So we haven’t lost?” Lubbok said as he rose to his feet.
Erik shook his head. “We didn’t lose, brother. Not yet.”
“Well, then in Khullan’s name, let us go forward and strike our enemies down!”
EPILOGUE
Zefra sat alone in her chamber, idly running her brush through her hair and staring at a spot on the stone floor. Her thoughts drifted here and there for the most part, but no matter what she tried, they always seemed to return to Erik Lokton. The young man was impressive to say the least, but there was more to it than that. There was a fire in his heart. She rose up from her chair and moved to an oblong box of black stone near the foot of her bed. She set her brush down on the floor and opened the box. Inside was a book with golden leather binding. Zammin’s symbol was embossed in red on the front of the book. She gently ran her fingers along the symbol, wondering if she should have told Erik all that she knew.
No. That would have gone against the commandment they had received from Zammin. He was more than the founder of their society, she knew. He was a guardian of the world. To go against his wishes and instructions would put the world in great danger. There were not only dark forces upon the face of Terramyr, there were also the Watchers, those that would punish Zammin if he was caught interfering with Terramyr.
She sighed and closed the lid on the stone box.
“You did well,” a voice called from inside the room.
Zefra jumped to her feet and glanced toward her door. It was closed, with all the bolts securely in place. She turned on the stranger and was about to cast a spell, but then she saw who it was.
A man sat in her chair, with green robes over a red jerkin made from dragon skin. The black collar of the tunic underneath stood up around the stranger’s neck. On the collar was a red symbol that matched the symbol on the book. Across the table lay a great, silver spear, and at once she realized who was in her room.
Zefra dropped to her knees and placed a hand over her heart. “Forgive me, I didn’t expect you to come,” she said.
“I cannot stay long,” he said. “The Watchers are very active of late. If they see me here, then my actions will be found out.”
Zefra nodded, but kept her gaze on the floor in an attempt to remain reverent.
“I am not a god, Zefra, stand up,” he said. “I came to speak with you about the man that was here.”
“Erik,” Zefra said with a nod as she rose to her feet once more. “What about him?”
“I think I would like you to talk with him again,” he said. “I want you to wait for him down on the shores where the Cliffs of Rontular end and the beaches begin. I have already visited the orc chief in the east. He will have three of his best warriors waiting for you.”
“I am unmarried,” Zefra said. “I am not permitted to be alone with others of the opposite sex without private sleeping quarters.”
“It’s all right,” he said. “The warriors are all female. They shall remain close to you and protect you.”
“What shall I tell Erik?” Zefra asked.
“Tell him everything,” he said. “Take the book with you, and work with him to understand it.”
“As you command,” Zefra said with a bow of her head.
“I must go now, but I will try to come to you again if I can.” He rose to his feet and took his spear in hand. “Zefra, the days ahead are going to be very dark. Your mission is of the utmost importance. This Erik may be the one I have been waiting for, do you understand?”
“I do,” she replied.
“Good. Then work with him, and tell him my true name, so he knows who I am.”
“I will, Reshem,” Zefra promised.
There was a flash of silver light, and the man was gone.
About the Author
Sam Ferguson is a fairly average guy.
That’s it.
No, really, that’s it.
Oh- you are actually reading this?
Well… the truth is that Sam is a very lucky guy. He juggles work in such a way that he makes sure to spend enough time with his loving wife and five sons. He is blessed to be writing full time now. In his spare time he is an avid powerlifter, and competes from time to time.
He spent nearly five years serving as a U.S. Diplomat and absolutely loved the experience, but decided to move back home. Outside of the U.S. he has lived in Latvia, Hungary, and Armenia. He speaks Russian, Hungarian, and Armenian. (He used to speak some Latvian too, but he has no one to practice with anymore…)
He has a large, happy dog.
He plays the Elder Scrolls series.
His favorite superhero is Wolverine, but Batman is a close second.
If the kids go to bed at a reasonable hour, he will cuddle up with his wife to watch Scrubs reruns, the Big Bang Theory, Castle, and Burn Notice.
See,
really just an average guy after all.
If you enjoyed this book, then join Sam Ferguson’s Facebook page, sign up for alerts on his Amazon page where we would encourage you to leave reviews on the books you have read, or you can follow Sam on his author blog:
www.talesfromterramyr.com/ and on his weight lifting blog: www.steeldads.blogspot.com
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See the full collection of Dragon Scale Books by visiting:
www.dragonscalebooks.com
Other Books by Sam Ferguson
The Sorceress of Aspenwood Series
The Dragon’s Champion Series
The Wealth of Kings
The Netherworld Gate Series
The Dragons of Kendualdern series
The Fur Trader
The Haymaker Adventures
Flight of the Krilo
The Lost City of Alfarin
Winter’s Ghost (Novella)
The Moon Dragon
The Beast of Blue Mountain
The Dwarves of Roegudok Hall comic Episode 1
Other Books by Dragon Scale Publishing
The Protector of Esparia by Lisa M. Wilson
Kingdom of Denall Series by Eric Buffington:
The Troven
Secrets at the Keep
The Changing
Tales of the NoWhere and NeverWhen by Jason Hauser
Codex of Light by E.P. Stein
Also available exclusively on the
Dragon Scale website:
Tharzule’s Tome of Wishes by Malinda Smiley
Orcs and Elves by Bethan Owen
About Terramyr
This book is a story from the world of Terramyr, a world which is part of a grand fantasy universe.* The world of Terramyr is rich in stories of adventure and magic, where struggles of the small and mighty alike are worthy of being told. Each story reflects a different point in time where the course of Terramyr’s history is affected; all paths leading to a moment when the life of Terramyr will be weighed in the cosmic balance.
