Saving Olympus- the Dark Army

by R D Wolfe

  Darien nodded, accepting the answer as he looked back over the shimmering lake reflecting the evening sunlight.

  “Do you think we’ll make it, Rist?” Darien asked, genuinely concerned about what was to come. “Can we even complete the Cycle this time? With everything being so different, I mean.”

  Rist considered for a moment, and Darien turned to face the black hood, which had leaned over the railing to look out over the lake.

  “I do.” The voice was still icy, but Darien thought that maybe he was finally getting used to it. “Cyprin has already sent one army against us, and we defeated them. The difference in the Cycle has been removed, assuming he has no new surprises for us. From here, it should simply be a matter of completing the task that so many other before us have.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Darien nodded, “but something tells me there’s more surprises coming.”

  The two of them stood together silently, watching the city below. After several minutes, they heard a disturbance coming from the northern end of the city, obscured from their view. Worried, they quickly made their way down the tower and out of the castle.

  Evatra, Marenya, Oratrin, and Chorrun all stood in the grand entryway of the castle. Atreya stood with them, her small hand clutching Evatra’s. Darien hadn’t seen Evatra since they last spoke. The rest of the marauders had arrived the morning after their conversation in Darien’s quarters, and she had been busy keeping them in line. Totra-Dal was still alive and had moved into the makeshift hospital in the castle. He was still unconscious, and maintaining order between the lawless marauders, and the organized citizens proved to be a full-time job for Evatra.

  “What’s going on?” Darien asked, Rist following closely behind him.

  Evatra shot him a quick, subtle smile. He hadn’t revealed the depth of their relationship to any of the others. From her withdrawn demeanor, he guessed that she hadn’t, either.

  “It seems that the decision to wait has paid off,” Oratrin replied, turning towards the large doors of the castle. “The others are here.”

  Darien turned his attention to the closed castle doors, waiting to open to admit the two who had just entered the city. Darien could just make out a line of cheers coming from beyond the doors, growing ever louder. Darien looked at Rist, whose dark hood was turned in the direction of the new arrivals.

  Darien looked on, waiting for the other members of the Four to appear. Once they did, he knew they would begin their quest to gather the relics they needed before turning their attention to the east. Darien felt Evatra reaching out and clasping his hand. He wrapped his fingers through hers, drawing what peace he could from the touch. Before long, he would face Cyprin. A thought shot through his mind as he remembered what the wraith had told him back at the marauder camp.

  “You will come to face Cyprin on Mt. Olympus, though it will take longer than you expect.”

  Darien felt a hard resolve growing with him. The faces of those he had lost flashed before him. Torin, the marauders from the first raid, even Kort. He decided then that nothing would stop him from climbing Mount Olympus and forcing Cyprin to pay for the damage he had wrought in the world.

  I’m coming for you, Cyprin.

  Darien watched as the large doors opened. The other two members of the Four walked forward to join them, and start the next part of his adventure.

  Pronunciation Guide

  Aghemnon – AG-em-non

  Altruis – AL-tru-is

  Atreya – uh-TAY-uh

  Chorrun – CORE-uhn

  Cyprin – SIE-prin

  Darien – DARE-e-uhn

  Evatra – eh-VAHT-ra

  Evedra – eh-VED-ra

  Evindor – EV-in-dore

  Hiranor – HEER-in-ore

  Jodin – JO-din

  Kara – CAR-uh

  Laytri – LAY-tree

  Lotry – LO-tree

  Lystra – LIST-ruh

  Marenya – muh-REN-yuh

  Peronia – per-OH-nee-uh

  Ristvahkbain – RIST-vahk-bane

  Scillan – SILL-uhn

  Tahmer – TAH-mer

  Taitron – TAY-truhn

  Terrae – TARE-ay

  Torin – TORE-in

  Totra-Dal – TO-truh-dahl

  Whyn – WHIN

  Whytaren – WHI-tar-ehn

  Zanarchin – ZAN-ar-chin

  Author’s Note

  I began playing around with the idea for Saving Olympus in 2002, long before it ever made its way to the page in any serious way. I was twelve at the time, and shared the first chapter with family and friends, who all spoke highly of it, encouraging me to continue. For fifteen years or so, I ignored them, saying that "someday" I would eventually write Darien's story. In the past three years, I spent a lot of time re-working those original words, building the world of Olympus in my mind, and expanding it during long conversations with friends and family. It was a truly fun and wonderful process, and all involved have my thanks for their support.

  Finally seeing this book, out amongst the wider world and available for you, the reader, to enjoy is truly surreal. I've lived with most of these characters within myself for so long, and it's gratifying to let others see and engage with them as well. I write this author’s note, not to talk about myself, but let you know the origins of the story and to say that I hope you enjoyed the book. Please believe it was a labor of love, over nearly two decades of my life, and I intend to see Darien through to the end when he faces Cyprin, and he will face Cyprin, that much I 'll promise you.

  So for now, as I return to writing part two of this saga, I simply wanted to say thank you for reading this book that has been a part of me for so long. You have an almost infinite supply of books, stories, and authors to choose from. I'm truly honored that you chose to take time from your busy life, to engage with this story. I would love to hear from you, and answer questions you might have about the events of The Dark Army. Please reach out in the reviews section, at my website RDWolfeBooks.com, or follow any of my social media pages @RDWolfeBooks, on GoodReads, and on Amazon.

  I hope to see you there.

  Sincerely,

  About the Author

  R.D. Wolfe is a late twenties author living with his wife and son in Southern California. Born and raised there, he earned a degree in history before continuing to work in business. Afterwards, he pursued a career in agriculture, starting a small, urban farm before writing Saving Olympus: The Dark Army, launching his career as an author.