by Rick Brown
Eberon’s Sword
The Lost Kingdom of Alsselya
Book 3
By
Rick Brown
Book written and published by Rick Brown.
This book is purely fictional. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Book three of ‘The Lost Kingdom of Alsselya’.
Eberon’s Sword
1st Digital Addition
© 2019 by Rick Brown
Cover Art by: http://www.thecovercollection.com
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Acknowledgment
Once again, I wish to thank my father for his assistance with the writing of this book. His dedication to details will hopefully make this a pleasant read for everyone.
I also wish to thank Michael White and Aaron Ross. Not only are they my lifelong friends, they are fantastic editors who feel no need to flatter an author. In fact, I believe they take perverse pleasure in every mistake and mistype identified.
CONTENTS
Title Page
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Epilogue
Prologue
(300 Years in the past)
Orlik marched through the crowded hall, still covered with dust from his hard travels. There was no time to bathe before this audience with his father. His mind was in turmoil as he tried to find the right words. While it was his father Orlik was to address, he was still the king. It required the type of tact that Orlik had always lacked.
“Orlik,” called a woman’s voice from behind. Orlik froze mid-step. It was the one person he wanted to avoid. The one that might convince him not to do what he felt was right. Turning, he faced Lillia.
“You mustn’t do this,” she pled. “They’ve already made their decision. Ya won’t be able to change their minds.”
“Those be my friends being slaughtered out there,” Orlik explained, a pained expression on his face. “Our ancient allies, we can’t just leave ’em to die.”
Lillia took his hand. “They are already lost. Your father is right. This is not our fight.”
Orlik pulled back. “Ain’t it? We swore to help. We made an oath.”
"It ain't no oath, it's a death sentence. They haven't threatened no one else. They just want Alsselya," She argued. “Your father blessed our wedding. Are you willing to give up everything for that lost cause? Are you going to give up me?”
It was the one thing he couldn’t do. He groaned, knowing she was right. She was the one thing he could not lose. Sighing, he pulled her into a hug. “Aye, girlie. I’ll be good.”
She wiped away an unshed tear. “It’s probably over already, anyhow. Alsselya has so few soldiers left.”
His heart wrenched as she said it. “Aye, but good men. Cornelius still stands. There ain’t no better fighter than he.”
Lillia nodded, realizing any mention of Alsselya made it harder on Orlik. "So that's it? You're done, right? Why don't you come to dinner?" She said as she scrunched her nose, "After you bathe."
“Ha! Woman, do ya not know a warrior when ya smell one?” he said, breaking into a smile for the first time in days.
“Aye, and I know the smell of a troll too. You be closer to that,” she laughed.
“Alright, I’ll check in with the King. Let me father know I’m back.”
The King's audience chamber was full as Orlik entered. It was a massive cathedral carved from the stone. Giant granite columns lined the walk from the entrance to the throne. If one weren't aware they were buried miles within a mountain, it would seem they were in a beautiful above-ground palace.
Instead of marching up the hall as he had intended, Orlik turned to the side and joined the audience. His stomach still churned at this betrayal of his oath, but he could not give up the love of his life. With his shoulders drooping over his loss of honor, he found an empty spot beside a column. Leaning against it, he stopped to decide how to address his father.
Orlik was lost in thought when he was knocked from his reverie by the announcement of the Dommerian Ambassador. Looking up, he saw a tall, lithe man march down the long hall. Walking the red carpet that led to his father's throne.
Orlik pushed his way to the front of the audience as the ambassador finished his long walk. He watched as his father stood, something he never did for a visiting dignitary. “Ambassador Kenstel, allow me to welcome you to Olingard. Home of the dwarves.”
“Thank you, Fenlek,” The ambassador replied, drawing an angry murmur from the crowd of dwarves watching. It was an insult to address the King without his title.
Orlik looked to his father, expecting the explosion of anger that he himself felt. His father’s brows clenched, and his knuckles whitened as he grasped his sword. Then, instead of beheading the fool, as Orlik expected, his father released the sword. At first, he smiled, and then laughed away the insult.
“Well,” the King continued. “I hope this will be the beginning of a long friendship between our two kingdoms. We have much to trade. I’m sure both of our kingdoms will benefit from our treaty.”
“Treaty?” Orlik yelled out. “Why would we dwarves have a treaty with the likes of Dommeran?”
Everyone turned to look at the dwarf that interrupted the King. Orlik ducked under ropes that were separating the audience area from the throne.
“Orlik?” The King looked shocked. “When did you get back?”
“Just now, and just in the nick of time, it appears,” he said as he approached the dais. “Why are we talkin’ to this swine, when his people are killing our allies?”
“Orlik,” his father yelled. “Ya be outta line! This be a peace talk. We don’t be calling our guest swine!” The King turned to the ambassador, “My apologies for my son. He’s been away.”
“Yes, we are aware of Orlik’s activities,” the ambassador stated, frowning at the disrupting dwarf. “He has been working against my government. Orlik has been declared a criminal in Dommeran.”
The King’s frustration showed in his voice. “Easy what you say, Kenstel, that’s my son you speak of!”
“Your son is a fugitive of Dommeran. He is wanted for war crimes. I demand he be handed over to us for trial.”
“Ambassador, I’m sure something can be worked out. My son can stay here,” Orlik’s father stated.
The ambassador frowne
d. “Our High Priest won’t like that. This will be costly in the negotiations.”
“The negotiations!” Orlik yelled. “Why the hells are we negotiating with Dommeran?”
“Orlik, shut up!” the King ordered. “Ya don’t understand what you be doing.”
“Aye, I don’t understand this. I know we should be defending our allies, our friends. Not talkin’ to these demons. We can still have our honor. Send our army to help.”
“Guards! Take my son to his quarters! Now!” The King demanded.
“Father! Don’t do this!” He pleaded as the guards dragged him down the hall.
“Ya ignorant boy!” The King yelled as he entered Orlik’s room. “Are ya tryin’ to get us all killed?”
"They're still there, Father — our friends. We are turning our backs on them while they still breathe. How can we do this?"
"To save our people. That's how we do it. These are our people, not them Alsselyians," the King said as he sat down. "The Eberon family is gone, boy. There ain't no Alsselya without 'em."
“I can’t do it,” Orlik moaned. “I can’t be no part of this. I tried. I told Lillia I’d try, but I can’t.”
The King frowned, “You’ll do as you’re told. You’ll cost me dearly, but iffin’ you stay here, I can negotiate for your life.”
“Negotiate for me life!” Orlik roared. “Ya dealin’ with evil, and ya negotiating for my life? You would ask another kingdom for the privilege of keeping me alive, would ya? Since when do we dwarves take orders from Dommeran? Since when have ya been so weak?”
“Since they’ve proven they can crush us! Go on then, ya ingrate. I no longer offer me protection to ya. Leave Olingard and don’t ya come back! Throw ya life away defending them scraps of Alsselya that still live,” the King raged.
Orlik marched from the room, infuriated at the weakness the dwarves were showing. He was well on his way to leaving when he heard the call. “Orlik!” Turning he found his uncle running after him. “Orlik, stop.”
The dwarf stopped but still stomped around in a fury. "I heard what happened. Let's talk to ya father. I'm sure he'll hear your apology."
"Apology!" Orlik screamed. "It be he who should be apologizing. He's practically lickin' the Dommerian's boots. This ain't what dwarves do."
“Boy, it can’t be that way. We ain’t all gonna die for pride. We must save our kind.”
“Then you save them, I ain’t got the guts for this,” Orlik stated as he turned and strode away. “Hold, boy,” His uncle called as he walked up to him again. He took Orlik by the shoulders, a big grin on his face. “I’m proud of ya. If I were a younger dwarf, I’d be walking out with ya. Here,” he said as he removed his axe. “Take Slayer with ya. Make it live up to its name.”
Orlik smiled as he took the axe. “Thank ya, Uncle,” he said, giving him a hug. “I hope to be worthy of it.”
Letting go, he turned and walked away from his life, not once looking back.
(Present)
There was no concept of time, just endlessly floating in nothingness. I tried to remember what I was, a nothingness. No more. Nothing important. Voices could sometimes be heard. I tried to ignore them. To think meant pain. Best not to think. It was better just to not be.
Sometimes colors would flash in the void. I knew something was trying to communicate with me. I just wanted to be left alone. Tired… So very tired. I could feel a nagging, something left undone. As soon as I felt it, it melted away into the emptiness. Thinking wasn’t easy here, wherever here was. Just tired… Rest, forever rest.
The flashing returned, an angry red. It tried to call to me, but I had no way to move. How does one move in nothing? I tried to ignore it, but I had no eyes to close. No way to avoid its insistence to wake. What is wake? There was no awake here. Best to ignore it.
Voices again. Always voices. I couldn’t understand them. Not here. Here was safe. The voices meant nothing here. I felt a tug at the cries of one. One voice meant something. A girl. Just a girl. Voices meant nothing here. Why won’t the voices go away? Why won’t they let me rest?
Again, the red color flashed. Ordering me to come. How does one come? Still, it ordered. COME! Somehow, I thought to move. Pain! There is pain in thought. Don’t think. Just rest.
Again, the red color flashed. COME! It demanded. Again, I tried to move through the void. Thought… Thought makes me move. Move toward the calling.
The light changed to a gentle green. It welcomed me as it pulled. There was pain... Thought caused pain, but I had felt pain. Pain was not new. I was being called. I had to go. The green light welcomed, if I could reach it. Tired... but must reach it.
As I reached the light, suddenly everything changed. The pain stopped. Suddenly, I could think again. Think about what? I ‘looked’ around, if you can call it looking. There was nothing to see, just a green hue. Where was I… Who was I? The green light pulsed. What is it? What called me from the void?
I am nothing... Just thought.
My green friend flashed again. It felt happy. Hello, my friend, I thought out to the light. It blinked happily back. Why are we here? I asked.
Again, it flashed at me, yet somehow, I understood. To live? What does it mean, to live? I Wondered.
What are you? I asked. A series of people flashed through my mind, hundreds of them. Finally, it stopped at the last. Flashing the image at me. It was a tall man with dark hair. He somehow looked familiar.
My friend briefly flashed red in frustration. Flashing again the picture of this man.
That’s me, you say? Who am I? A torrent of memories filled my mind. So confusing to have so much thrust upon you at once. I started to review them, to figure out who I was… I was Lee.
Chapter 1
(Abigail)
“Here,” Brianna said as she entered Lee’s room carrying a plate, “I’ve brought you dinner.”
I stretched as I got up from my chair. “Thanks, Bri.” I took the plate and grabbed a hunk of the cheese.
“Is it time to give Lee some water?” She asked as she moved up next to the bed, standing over him.
I shook my head, “The nurse was just here. She gave him some broth and cleaned him up.”
Brianna sat on the side of Lee’s bed, once again touching Lee’s hand as it grasped Alynon’s Tear. It was the one thing that gave the doctors hope. That unbreakable grasp he had on the stone. It was the only sign that Lee was still with us.
It had been three weeks since he was attacked. Since then, he has been in the care of the doctors. There had been no physical response showing that he was aware of what was going on around him. No reactions to the tests the doctors had performed, but there was that grasp on the stone. No one could explain it.
For the first few days, he was kept at the hospital, but after I had annoyed the council with my constant pleading, they allowed us to move him to the tower. He hated being in the hospital. Here, he was amongst his friends.
Doctor Yorlin still visited, usually multiple times a day. Nurses would come by and take care of his personal needs.
For all intents and purposes, he was a healthy young man, just with no signs of life. The doctors believed it was the stone sustaining him. His muscles had not atrophied as expected. His heart still beats strong. There was nothing left but to wait and hope.
“So, what did you do today?” I asked as I took a bite of chicken.
Brianna smiled. “Lenux and I went back to the fletchers to get in some more practice. Those new bows are fun to shoot. While that fletcher is way overpriced, he does make a good arrow. So far, we haven’t had to replace any of the ones we’ve purchased from him.”
"I'm holding you to those lessons. I'd love to learn to shoot," I reminded her.
"I don't know why. With your magic you're unstoppable," she replied.
I frowned. “I don’t want to learn to kill. I like the idea of the focus. It’s an art, what you and Lenux do.”
Brianna shook her head. “These are troubled times. I don’t t
hink you can have a weapons skill that won’t be used in battle.”
I laughed. “Now you sound like Lee.”
Brianna looked at me with sympathy, “How about we go shoot tomorrow? We’ll let Barad take a turn with Lee.”
I looked at Lee in concern. I know the others were worried about me. I stay in with him even when it’s not my turn. I just feared something might happen while I’m not here.
Bri read my anxiety and relaxed. “Fine, we’ll do it some other time.”
“Thanks, Bri,” I said with a smile.
Brianna frowned as she looked at Lee. “Was his hand like that before?”
I glanced at the bed to see his hand hanging off the side. I tried to think of how he was positioned before. “I’m not sure. It must have been the nurse,” I said as I got up and set it back beside his body.
“Anything else going on?” I asked as I sat back down, tucking my legs under me as I continued to nibble at my dinner.
Brianna shrugged. “After he visited up here, Councilor Nenelin stayed a while with us downstairs. He mentioned the southern pass is open now. Once Lee gets better, it will be clear for us to travel.”
“Did he say how Zarcharus is doing?” I asked. I had been afraid to ask about the elf. While recovering the stone for Lee, I was forced to kill his father. Not that I would have changed my actions, but I felt sad for his son.
“Nenelin said he was ashamed of what happened. I don’t think he blames you,” she answered. The elves hold their elders in great esteem, especially those on the council. Many thought Councilor Belkor had dishonored the elves with his actions. I hoped that didn’t carry over to Zarcharus.
“Well, did you want me to cover a shift while you take a bath?” Brianna asked.
I shook my head, “Thanks, Whilhoit covered for me earlier. I’m fine. Really.”
“Ok. Well, good night,” Bri said, as she left the room.
I sighed as I stood to stretch. At least we weren’t in the hospital. Lee’s tower was much more inviting. I walked over and gazed out the window, watching the sun set over the mountains. Illiner truly was breathtakingly beautiful. I wondered what it was like in summer.
