by Levi Samuel
Raemus held off two orcs. The iron port was wide open. A few of the prisoners failed to make it into the hole, but it appeared most had succeeded. Lorena was nowhere to be seen. With any luck, she was halfway to the exit by now.
Charging, the warrior swung his morningstar. It caught one of the orcs by surprise, delivering a damaging, but sadly not fatal blow.
Inyalia chose her target. More orcs were running toward the sound of battle, and likely her explosion. She really should have considered that beforehand, but it was the best option to slow their approach. Releasing the string, she watched the wooden missile sink to the fletching. The orc collapsed in the street. She was down to four arrows, including her favorite.
A loud crash echoed from the college doors. The orcs had recovered and were battering at them.
Tylor inspected the shield. The wood and iron were beginning to separate. It wouldn’t hold much longer. Surveying their options, he counted five orcs across the street, running toward them. Inyalia had just felled one. The two between Vansin and Raemus would be dispatched any moment, and the horde behind the doors would be free after another hit. He had to buy them time to escape. Turning to Inyalia, he gently placed his hand upon the side of her face, drawing her attention to him. “Inyalia, this was not your fault. You followed your heart to save your brother, and you were right. He was alive. Remember that. You were right.”
“Tylor, what are you saying?”
He smiled and removed his hand. Tylor turned and flung his dwarven dagger. It flipped end over end, sinking to the hilt in the side of Vansin’s opponent’s head. Running down the stairs, he jumped, burying his other blade in Raemus’s target. Retracting both blades, he charged toward the approaching group. “Get out of here, now!”
Another crash echoed from the door. The band holding the shield together came free and a piece of wood split. It wouldn’t survive another impact.
“Tylor!” Inyalia launched an arrow into the orcs. She couldn’t see where it hit. Tylor was in her path. He swiped and swatted, spun and rolled. Nothing could be seen but a swath of blades and blood.
More orcs came around the corner. He was outnumbered twelve to one. Tylor ducked one of the wicked weapons, sinking both daggers into the brute. Abandoning them, he ripped the jagged sword from the creature’s hand and put it to work against the others.
“Come on, girly. We have to go before they get through.” Vansin pulled her toward the hole.
“No! We have to help him!” Tears spilled down her face. She fired at one of the new orcs, though it didn’t do any good. His sword sliced Tylor across the chest.
“You don’t want to see this.” Vansin begged, trying to pull her away.
Tylor was losing strength. His reflexes were slowing. Another sword swipe spun him around. His eyes met Inyalia’s.
She watched, helpless as a sword erupted from his chest. He winced, but his eyes never fell from her. Another sword impaled him, knocking him to his knees. She could see the tears in his eyes. Those tears were all that mattered. The orcs abandoning him were of no concern. The exploding doors behind her were irrelevant. Vansin and Raemus dragging her away didn’t matter. She had one focus, and that was the love of a man who’d given everything to protect her. She could hear his words, though he didn’t say them. It was all in his eyes. “Inyalia, I love you!” It was powerful, raw. And it meant everything. But it could never be. Not before. And not now. Her eyes locked on his, he smiled. A smile that remained when the orcish weapon severed his head from shoulder.
“No!” Inyalia screamed, struggling against her companions. Tylor disappeared from her sight. It wasn’t until she landed in the fetid water that she realized they’d thrown her into the sewer. And without help, there was no climbing out on her own.
Waiting for Vansin and Raemus to drop, Lorena slid the grate closed. Hearing it click into place, she snapped her wrist, reactivating the sealing ward. “We need to go. Most of the prisoners are already through. Gilea’s waiting on the other side.”
They ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Inyalia ran as well, but only because they were pulling her. She was numb, her senses dulled. She couldn’t even cry right now.
Loud crashes and hurried boots rushed overhead. Some of the orcs had managed to remove the iron covers, but they were too large to climb into the tunnels. Instead, they blindly fired, hoping to take out as many of the scurrying rats as they could.
Inyalia saw the exit just ahead. They were nearly there, but it didn’t feel like a victory. She’d claimed her brother. But he clearly wasn’t himself. And it cost her more than she’d been prepared to pay. How could she have let this happen? Inyalia crawled through the tunnel, being urged forward by Raemus.
Reaching the other side, Gilea stood a short distance away. The crossbow was aimed at the top of the wall, firing as rapidly as he could load it. He was shouting, but Inyalia couldn’t hear what he said. There was a dull ringing that blocked out everything.
A flash of light caught Inyalia’s attention. She turned just as Lorena’s portal opened. Only a handful of prisoners remained in addition to their little band. Inyalia stared at the glowing orange ring, displaying the ranger’s stronghold just beyond. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go through. It would take her away from Tylor. Away from a love that could never be. Perhaps it would even take her away from herself.
Arrows planked the ground around her. Glancing back, she saw the orcs lining the parapets. Another group swarmed from the road. They were closing in. A part of her wanted them to come. At least then she wouldn’t feel so empty inside.
Shouting faces were all around her. Lorena, Gilea, Vansin, Raemus, all of them were trying to get her attention, but she couldn’t hear them. The ringing was too deafening.
A sudden and forceful shove launched her into the portal, solidifying her mistakes.
The story will continue in Fall of the Nightking
Be sure to stay up to date with the newest Eldarlands books at http://www.levisamuel.com
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Continue the Adventure
Heroes of Order Trilogy
Whispered schemes of an imprisoned god call the wicked Dreualfar from their subterranean lair. Like a plague, they spread across the surface, waging war where they can find it.
But when chaos ensues, a band of mercenaries step forward to restore order. Armed with a unique collection of skills, and a deeply knotted history, the Dreuslayers dive into shadow to confront the enemies of Dalmoura head-on.
What began as a simple job quickly escalates into a battle for the ages. Will good triumph over evil? Or will the Dreualfar succeed in releasing their dark master?
Find out in the first trilogy of the Eldarlands Saga.
Author’s Notes
In many ways this is both the first and last book I’ve written. Explaining the last is easy. It’s the most recent. But explaining the first is a bit more complicated.
I didn’t know it at the time, but the first book I ever wrote was never going to go anywhere. I learned a lot from it. It shaped the foundations of the writer I am today. It was the writing of that book that allowed me to connect with so many others in the entertainment industry and begin my quest down this often trying and exhilarating path of authorhood. It provided questions which I didn’t know to ask. Those questions gave answers that opened the doorway to some of my most influential resources. For that, I will always cherish my first book. But it would never be published. There were far too many mistakes.
This career choice has been packed full of mistakes. Many of them I didn’t recognize as such until I gained the experience to know otherwise. And while I strive to minimize them in the future, I’m sure I’ll continue to make a great many more.
My original concept for this book was a rework of my first. I knew I’d have to rewrite most of it, but I’d hoped to be able to salvage a fair amount. That wasn’t the case, though I’ll spare you the long and complex reasons as to why.
What matters is the story you hold here is entirely new, woven into my Eldarlands Saga. For me, this book is a new beginning, though not just as an entry point into the world I’ve created.
Throughout life we go through a number of changes. Some are physical. Our bodies age and change shape. Muscles come and go. Our sight and hearing alter for various reasons. But its our experiences that truly shape us. Sometimes a simple thought can make us question everything we know. I don’t plan to get too detailed on this as it’s a rather large rabbit hole to follow. But I will say that I’ve stumbled upon many of these questions during the writing of this book. They’ve shifted my mindset, allowing me to see things differently than I once did. Whether that had any impact on the story itself, I can’t say. I was simply writing a story that I believe people will enjoy, while expanding upon the world I’ve built. But the truth is, I’ve experienced many firsts with this book.
I started scheming this story some time ago, though I can’t remember exactly when. Some of my notes go back a few years. But I didn’t start writing it until May of 2018. With the rapid release of the Heroes of Order Trilogy from September to November, I’d planned to finish this and have it ready by December. As so often happens, life had other plans.
My grandfather is currently 83 years old. His wife passed away in North Carolina a few years ago and he decided to return home to the little town in Arkansas where he grew up. I had a few memories there as a kid, visiting relatives and enjoying life as children so often do. But my experiences there later in life were somewhat limited.
Grandpa wanted to come home. So we built him a cabin. He moved in and was doing well for a while. But his time in solitude had an impact. Slowly, he began to slip away. He started spending every day between his bed and the TV. Hoping to get him active again, we build him a shop. We came to visit as often as possible and to keep him company, as well as help out around the place. But it wasn’t enough. We had our own lives and responsibilities to attend. And in our absence, Grandpa continued to withdraw.
Near the middle of November, we had to make a decision. His memory was failing. He’d forget to eat. And when he did, it was little more than cookies and milk. He quit showering and using soaps altogether. And on more than one occasion, he’d endangered himself. He could no longer remain unobserved. But the options were few.
My family holds freedom among the most valuable things in this world. Being trapped is one of the worst fates imaginable. It’s for that reason, among others that we knew he wouldn’t survive in a nursing home. There was no way we could do that to him. Additionally, both my mother and aunt were only a few short years away from retirement. It made no sense for either of them to give that up to take care of him fulltime. Though if no other option was available, either of them would gladly have done so.
It fell to my siblings and I. My youngest sister is getting married in May, conveniently the same weekend this book will release. And the other is nearly finished with her degree and looking at a future in Florida. My brother is autistic, which ruled him out. That left only me. Of us, I was the logical choice.
I’d spent the past ten years building my platform with the intention of surviving solely on my writing profits. At the time of writing this, it still hasn’t happened. But by accepting the mantle and moving to Arkansas to take care of my grandfather, I wouldn’t have to worry so much about making enough money to pay the rent. There was a bit more to consider than that but, it also gave me an opportunity. By being free of regular employment, without having to worry about survival, I would have more time to write and improve my craft. These are the exact things I’ve been striving to do, but they came in a manner I did not expect.
The last weekend of November, my daughter and I moved. It’s been a trying experience. Grandpa can be quite stubborn. But once the initial settling in happened, and a routine was established, it became much easier. My daughter’s grades have improved drastically. I don’t have to fight her to get up and go to school. And the freedom away from the city cannot be matched. Though I’ll admit I’ve found it difficult to focus on my writing. There are numerous distractions to contend with when you’re taking care of a ten-year-old girl. Add an 83-year-old man with dementia to the mix and you’ll be on your toes, or dragging them, pretty much every hour of every day.
Since our move, I haven’t pushed my career as hard as I would prefer. I need to push as hard as possible. I know I’m on borrowed time. Grandpa isn’t going to last forever. As difficult as it is to consider, one day I’m going to attempt to wake him for breakfast and he isn’t going to wake. I know this. I’m prepared for this. My only hope is I’ve made enough of an impact on enough people before that day comes to continue my existence here. If it weren’t for all the damn bugs I’d say its about perfect. I’ve found comfort in this place. And with any luck that comfort will translate into more books written, more fans obtained, and maybe, eventually, I’ll be able to get all these stories out of my head and onto paper. I look forward to seeing what new ideas appear once the old ones have blossomed.
That said, I hope you’ve enjoyed this book. It’s the result of many months of exhaustion and dedication. I literally made myself ill trying to get it finished on time. I rewrote many chapters many times over, all to make it the best book I can currently write. I felt love for the characters. I cursed their poor decisions. And I urged them on when all hope seemed lost. And now that the dominos are arranged, prepare yourself. They’re going to come crashing down in the next installment.
I ask but one favor. Whether you enjoyed this book or not, I hope you’ll consider leaving a review with any online retailer. Whether you give it one star or five, reviews tell me how I can improve my craft. They help other readers to decide if a book is worth their time. And in many cases, they’re one of the biggest contributing factors to any author’s success or failure.
Thank you for reading my work. I hope I’ve made a lifelong fan.
Levi Samuel
March 2019
