The God in the Shadows (The Story at the Heart of the Void Book 1)

by TorVald, Nikolas

  The God in the Shadows

  Nikolas TorVald

  Copyright © 2017 by Nikolas TorVald

  All rights reserved.

  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 written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Foreword

  Prologue

  1. Slum Life

  2. The Dream

  3. New Friends

  4. Training a Thief

  5. A Day on the Job

  6. Shadow

  7. An Unwelcome Visitor

  8. The Academy of the Magi

  9. Revisiting a Monster

  10. A Díryen's treasure

  11. The Lord Governor of Redtower

  12. The Inquisitor

  13. Strange Occurrences

  14. The Power of Light and Dark

  15. Memory

  16. Ancarth the Black

  17. The Road to Mardule

  18. No Man’s Land

  19. Lord Gambril

  20. Crossing the Border

  21. The Mardulian Road

  22. The King’s Sacrifice

  23. Prisoner

  24. Returning to the Fold

  25. Into the Mountains

  26. Dreams of Darkness

  27. Journey through the Mountains

  28. Dark Dreams Return

  29. The Road to Dunehain

  30. Dunehain

  31. Selthraxadinian

  Promotional

  Foreword

  Hey Reader,

  I hope you enjoy the first installment of The Story at the Heart of the Void. If there are any typos I apologize and I will do my best to fix them if you email me.

  Until The Next Time,

  Nikolas TorVald

  Prologue

  Atlatraigan stepped into the dingy bar with a look of distaste disfiguring his otherwise perfect features. Brushing imagined dust from his rich blue suit with the silver gloves he wore at all times, he stepped farther into the low-ceilinged building. The air inside was damp and oppressively hot, a faint odor of sweat hung in the air and of the three patrons at the bar, two were passed out on the ground with vile looking drinks spilled around them. Ducking to avoid a light bulb hanging from a single wire, Atlatraigan headed towards the third patron. As he moved, the wooden floorboards groaned dangerously, as though they had been mostly eaten away by temritens, Galtinian’s particular brand of wood eating insect. Moving past half destroyed crates and the mostly broken center beam of the room, Atlatraigan stepped up to where the man was sitting.

  “Garnth? Yes?” he said in a pleasant voice, taking in the grotesque features of the creature sitting opposite him. Atop a massively built body, muscles twisting the form past anything that could be associated with a human, sat a huge head shaped almost like that of a rhino’s. Beady little eyes looked out from behind a long snout coming to an end with a large horn that was as tall as a man’s head. The man’s skin was a dark brown color and covered with a short bristly sort of fur, he wore a black t-shirt stretched almost till breaking and cargo pants faded until they looked like a single color. Black boots covered the man’s enormous feet.

  “Could be,” he replied with a sneer, “depends on who you are and what you want.”

  “I am from the council.” Atlatraigan lied, a kindly smile stretched across his face, “I understand that you recently apprehended the criminal Selthraxadinian Rothinunuss. Is this correct?”

  Garnth perked up at the mention of the council. He straightened, knees smashing into the bottom of the flimsy table so that it broke in two, although Garnth gave no sign of noticing anything had happened, “Yes sir, Garnth of the twelfth command, specialist in difficult arrests and assaults at your service!” he threw a quick salute to Atlatraigan.

  “And Selthraxadinian?” Atlatraigan prodded patiently.

  “Yes sir, I captured old Selth. Got him for ‘complicated acquisitions of rare objects’ as he would like it to be called.” Garnth gave a little laugh, then noticing Atlatraigan’s look quickly swallowed and said, “if you can believe it sir.”

  “Oh I have no trouble believing it.” Atlatraigan said calmly, although a hint of annoyance tinged his voice, “What I was actually wondering was where he was sent for his sentence. As this was not a major offense, the council has no records of it. A mistake we would like to rectify as Selthraxadinian is a person of interest to many of our benevolent rulers.”

  Garnth frowned, plucking at his teeth with a fingernail and Atlatraigan looked away in disgust. “Ah, as I recall he was sent off to Aulternanden. Don’t take my word for it, he could be somewhere else, but I’m pretty sure that was the place.” Garnth paused thoughtfully, then nodded his head and gave a small shrug, “Anything else I don’t really know. We don’t keep records of what happens to prisoners after they go off so I can’t really help you pinpoint where he is on the planet.”

  Atlatraigan scowled, disappointed. He had wanted an exact location, “What did you do to Selthraxadinian before sending him away?” he asked Garnth, staring down at his gloved hands with growing frustration plain on his face.

  Garnth shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “Well, sir, it was a bit unusual as I remember. I found Selthraxadinian half torn open on the ground during a regular patrol. Old thief was almost dead, so I took him back to the prison-center and beamed him off where he wanted to go quick as I could. Figured he could spend ninety years or so locked up in a mortal body and that would be that.” Garnth paused uncomfortably, then asked rapidly, as though afraid of the response, “Did I do something wrong sir? Cause I was just following protocol. So please don’t let the council be mad at me, sir. Please don’t, sir.”

  Atlatraigan gave a small smile, “Don’t worry Garnth, you’ve done nothing wrong. In fact, you did everything perfectly. I was just hoping for some more details on what happened to Selthraxadinian. The council does like its records to be as accurate as possible.”

  Garnth nodded, leaning back and glancing around the entirety of the disgusting bar with relief, “Well, as you said, this was just a minor offense so Selth will pop up as his old self after he dies on Aulternanden. We’ll be sure to keep better records on him from now on too, sir.”

  Atlatraigan gave a slow sigh, “Yes, I suppose that will have to be good enough.” he smiled at him, “I just don’t know how I’m going to break the news to the council. They really wanted to get all the information on Selthraxadinian.”

  Garnth chuckled slightly, “No offense, sir. But I wouldn’t want to have to do that either.”

  Atlatraigan laughed as well and stood up. Garnth began to rise but he motioned him back to his seat. “No, please. I’ve already disturbed your night enough.” he leaned over the table and stuck out his hand, “You’ve been very helpful. Thank you.”

  A big smile broke out on Garnth’s face and he grabbed Atlatraigan’s offered hand in his grubby paw, shaking it with enthusiasm. Atlatraigan’s face turned to stone, and the hand gripping Garnth’s became as strong as a vice. The brute of a man looked up in confusion then tried to pull back but it was too late. Atlatraigan jerked the hand holding Garnth so that he stumbled towards him then smashed his other hand through Garnth’s chest, killing the man instantly.

  Looking down at his bloodied outfit in disgust, Atlatraigan walked over to the bar and peered over. A small man was trembling underneath the rough shod wood that passed for a counter in the filthy place.

&n
bsp; “Shot of tequila.” Atlatraigan ordered, smiling down at the man.

  With shaking hands, the bartender stood up and poured Atlatraigan’s drink. Putting it down on the bar he jerked back as though Atlatraigan were poisonous. “On the house,” he stammered out between trembling lips. His eyes jerked towards the dead body of Garnth, “and I didn’t hear nothing. Didn’t see nothing neither. Not me.”

  Atlatraigan smiled jovially at the man, “How kind.” he said. Tossing the drink down in one smooth motion, he stood and walked towards the entrance of the bar. Behind him he heard the bartender sigh with relief, sagging against the broken planks of the bar’s wall behind him. Pushing open the rotten wood that composed the door Atlatraigan let the green light of the planet’s sun bathe his face and breathed deeply, letting the cooler air outside wash away the disgusting feeling of having actually been inside the place. Then he trudged down the steps and nodded to his waiting group of thugs. They rushed in and soon the sound of screams drifted out from the still-open door to Atlatraigan’s ears. Flipping up a small silver device so that he could look at it, he quickly sent the information he had gained to the man waiting with a similar device in a different universe. Almost as soon as he had done that, the silver disc grew warm in his hands and the voice of his expected recipient played through his head, “Follow Selthraxadinian to Aulternanden and bring him to me. But try not to destroy the planet while you’re there. I’d prefer there to be as little damage to my Creation as possible.” the device Atlatraigan held grew hot and in a moment it had melted around his hands and was streaming down the alley, useless.

  Atlatraigan glared angrily at the small residue the device had left behind, the response had been typical. Turning, he stalked to where an alleyway cut across the small passage to the bar. He moved down it and with a furtive look around waved his hand in a complicated gesture over his head. Glowing red symbols appeared on the wall that he faced and then faded to be replaced by a burning portal, the screams of the damned drifting out to meet his ears. Atlatraigan looked away from the portal briefly and with another gesture sent a whisper of power to the bar he had just left, lighting it on fire and eliminating all witnesses to what had happened there. Then he stepped through the portal with a grim look on his face. Scouring all of Aulternanden for a single man was going to be immensely annoying.

  1

  Slum Life

  In The Beginning there was Chaos, and from Chaos came Order

  – Heresies from before the War of Order

  Sara huddled in the tiny shelter of broken wooden boards she had managed to rig together to keep the rain off her and Matt in the alleyway they lived in. It had been gray and damp in Redtower for almost a month now which meant that their lives were on a low trend. It was a little better for Matt, he was seventeen years old and could get odd jobs from people who needed an extra set of strong hands. Sara was only fourteen though, and she was small for her age. She had been living on the streets for five years now, ever since the yellow fever killed both her parents in the same season. Matt had found her right as one of the city’s pimps, a tiny, disgusting man, had been trying to lure her down an alley. Matt, small but possessing a wiry toughness, beat the man within an inch of his life then took Sara’s hand and brought her to his little alleyway home.

  Shaking herself from the memory, Sara move out from under the boards and started carefully towards the entrance to the alley. Despite the late hour she was still able to make out where it met the narrow street just beyond. Matt was supposed to have been home hours ago, and he wasn’t usually late. Turning towards the shelter again to make sure that nothing of value could be seen, Sara decided to go out looking for him. The broken wood houses which separated the slums into streets and alleys looked like jagged teeth in the gray light, but she pushed the thought away and moved forward. Peering left and right from the entrance of the alley, careful not to let anyone see her anxious face, she took a cautious step outside. Suddenly, big, strong arms scooped her up from behind. Sara let out a startled yelp and tried to squirm free but the arms wouldn’t let go. She thought about shouting but that was more likely to draw down more unfavorable people than any real help. A laugh from the man holding her brought Sara’s terrified thoughts to a halt. Matt spun her around and put her down on the ground, still laughing. “I got you!” he teased as she stared sullenly up at him, arms crossed.

  Sara spun on her bare foot and stalked back towards her partial shelter, the shift which was all the clothing she had swirling around her, her dirty hair hanging limply halfway down her back. Matt hurried after her, he was dressed more nicely than Sara, in trousers and a rough shirt. He even kept his mop of brown hair clean since he needed to look nice to get jobs around the city; she just needed to be covered up. “Don’t be mad!” Matt called after her, “I didn’t mean anything by that!” he caught up to her and let a mischievous look gleam in his eyes, “Besides, I found a treat for tonight.”

  “What is it?” Sara asked, looking up curiously. Matt sometimes came back with ‘treats’ and they ranged in type greatly. Once he had brought back a giant spider that had scurried all around their alley, making Sara scream in terror as Matt stood to one side shaking with laugher. Another time he had brought back a whole loaf of wheat bread and the two of them had eaten like kings for a week. “Guess.” he said, still smiling with that devious look in his eyes.

  Sara punched him in the ribs, hard, and Matt doubled over in pain, “No! Tell me.” she demanded. Chuckling roughly Matt reached into his coat pocket and brought out two honey buns. Sara’s mouth dropped open. Honey buns cost ten coppers each; there was no way Matt had managed to get that much money together just to waste it on honey buns. He chuckled at the look on her face, “I helped the baker move the flour into his shop and he gave me these things as a bit of bonus pay. That’s why I was late,” he explained apologetically.

  Sara wouldn’t have cared if he had been away for another five hours, a honey bun was worth any wait. Looking at her ravenous eyes, Matt held one of the sweet pastries out to her and together they munched happily on the treats. The mix of sugar, bread, and sweet, syrupy honey exploded delightfully in her mouth and it wasn’t long before she had the sticky sweetness of it all over her face and hands. After finishing the honey buns Matt and Sara sat together in a content silence, licking the last of the pastries from their fingers and lips. Leaning up against the outside wall of one of the derelict houses which composed the alley Sara gave a contented sigh and looked over at Matt. He had a troubled look on his face. “What is it?” she asked for the second time in ten minutes, but this time there was genuine concern in her voice.

  “I’ve got news.” Matt said uncomfortably.

  Sara picked up on his tone instantly. They’d known each other for a long time now and neither could hide anything from the other. “What is it?” she asked again, worried, “Did you get conscripted to fight in the army?” the thought sent Sara’s heart dropping and put her stomach into painful knots. The war between Andin and Mardule had been going on since she was a baby and boys were getting picked up every day to fight in the Andian forces.

  “No, not that.” Matt said, looking over at her, “I’ve told you, Redtower doesn’t have to worry about the war as much as the other cities. We’re as far from the border as it’s possible to get so no one’s interested in us, at least not yet. It’s that I have to go out of the city for a week. I don’t want to, but the only job I’ve been offered that’s going to pay anything is one cutting lumber. So I’ve got to leave for a week to do that.” he finished lamely, looking over at Sara with concern.

  A frown creased her face, but otherwise nothing revealed how she felt. Just when Matt was starting to get uncomfortable with her silence she spoke up, “I guess it’s fine.” she paused for a moment, “We need the money, and I can make my own way for a week. I just won’t stray very far from the alley. I’ll eat the food we’ve hoarded since it’s going bad anyways and I won’t leave except for in the mornings when I have
to go begging.”

  Matt smiled but his face remained tight with concern, “Okay then. Good. I’ll leave in a few days and when I get back, everything will be better.” he tried forcing a happy tone into his words but Sara could hear the tension anyways. It worried her, besides which she didn’t want her only friend leaving her side for so long.

  But they needed this so, pushing down her feelings, Sara smiled up at Matt, trying to show that everything would be okay. Her eyes were clouding up though and instead of looking at his face she stared around the little alley they called home. There was a scrap of sail cloth that Sara had found lying on the ground and the boards over their heads of course. A blanket was settled on the ground underneath them and there was a crate set over the food they had stored away for bad times.

  Matt caught her face and turned it towards his, “I need to do this.” he said, “I’m sorry, but I do. I don’t want to, but if you and I are going to live when winter rolls through . . . then I need to do this.” he let go of Sara’s face and rolled onto his side, quickly falling into a deep sleep. She tried to follow suit, but worries kept flying through her head. What would happen if there was an accident outside the city and Matt didn’t come back? What if he found a job, or an apprenticeship and forgot all about her and the alley? Too many thoughts were running through her head, she couldn’t go to sleep. Rolling upright, Sara walked towards the mouth of the alley, needing the fresher air that could be found in the street.