The Weapon Takers Saga
Books 1-3
Jamie Edmundson
The Weapon Takers Saga
Books 1-3
Copyright © 2019 by Jamie Edmundson.
All rights reserved.
First Edition: 2019
Author website jamieedmundson.com
Cover: Streetlight Graphics
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Contents
Dramatis Personae
Map
Toric’s Dagger
1. Three Corpses
2. The Smell of Failure
3. Intruders
4. Toric’s Dagger
5. Leaving
6. A Miracle
7. Creatures That Come Out at Night
8. The Stand
9. Afflictions
10. Under the Influence
11. A Crown and a Hat
12. Trimming the Fat
13. The Boar Strikes
14. Ariella & Tivian
15. A Song for a King
16. The Imps
17. Three Coffins
18. An Audience with the Emperor
19. The Road to War
20. Secret Paths
21. A History Lesson
22. Good News
23. Dark Tidings
24. Swift Magic
25. The Temenos
26. Onella’s Temple
Bolivar’s Sword
Prologue
1. Strangers
2. Pursuit
3. To Protect and Serve
4. The Waves at the Shore
5. Of Wives and War
6. Two Towers
7. Friends and Enemies
8. Dogs and Dragons
9. In Arioc’s Chambers
10. Atop Burkhard Castle
11. Prisons
12. A Blessing
13. A Great Moot
14. A Cloth of Gold
15. In the Presence of Royalty
16. Gustav the Hawk
17. The Battle of Lindhafen
18. The Second Disciple
19. Siege
20. The Rock Walkers
21. Pentas the Wizard
22. Bolivar’s Sword
23. Samir Durg
24. The Tower of Diis
25. The Kill
26. Last Stand
The Jalakh Bow
Prologue
1. Cold Comfort
2. The Handmaid, The Duchess and The Queen
3. Coldeberg
4. It Takes an Assassin
5. The Battle of Simalek
6. Broken Vows
8. Manoeuvres
9. The Grass Sea
10. In Shadow
11. Halvia
12. Joined
13. To The Rock
14. Consummatum Est
15. Betrayal
16. Exodus
17. Comeback Kings
18. The Jalakh Bow
19. Beyond the Drang
20. The Gift
21. Revenge
22. Reappearance
23. Rescue
About
The Giants’ Spear
Prologue
Also by Jamie Edmundson
Dramatis Personae
South Magnians
Soren, a wizard
Belwynn, Soren’s sister
Herin, a mercenary
Clarin, Herin’s brother
Farred, a nobleman of Middian descent
Gyrmund, Farred’s friend, an explorer
Edgar, Prince of South Magnia
Leofwin, Edgar’s bodyguard
Brictwin, Edgar’s bodyguard
Ulf, an apprentice smith
Bareva, Ulf’s wife
Wulfgar, high-priest of Toric
Otha of Rystham, magnate, Wulfgar’s brother
Ealdnoth, Edgar’s court wizard
Wilchard, Edgar’s chief steward
Oslac, Mayor of Halsham
Harbyrt the Fat, Marshal of the North
Kenward, a sheriff
Aescmar, a magnate
Burstan, a captain in the army
Anulf, a soldier
Morlin, a soldier
Hallaf, an outlaw
Ragulf, a standard bearer
North Magnians
Elana, a priestess of Madria
Cerdda, Prince of North Magnia
Ashere, Cerdda’s younger brother
Mette, Cerdda’s mother
Elfled, Cerdda’s sister
Irmgard, Cerdda’s wife
Sherlin, an earl
Middians
Brock, a tribal chief
Frayne, a tribal chief
Cordentines
Vincente the Fox, a merchant
Loris, a reeve in Vincente’s town
Fulvio, a guard in the employ of Vincente
Glanna, King of Cordence
Rosmont, a Cordentine ambassador
Barissians
Dirk, a priest of Toric
Emeric, Duke of Barissia
Gervase Salvinus, a mercenary leader
Orlin, Emeric’s chamberlain
Urval, Orlin’s servant
Curtis, a soldier
Dom, a soldier
Bernard Hat, an innkeeper
Werner, a steward in Coldeberg
Heike, a steward in Coldeberg
Kellish
Moneva, a mercenary
Baldwin, Duke of Kelland, Emperor of Brasingia
Hannelore, Empress of Brasingia
Walter, Baldwin’s younger brother, Marshal of the Empire
Rainer, Baldwin’s chamberlain
Decker, Archbishop of Kelland
Gustav the Hawk, Archmage of the Empire
Inge, Gustav’s apprentice
Ancel, a priest
Lord Kass, a nobleman
Rotelegen
Ellard, Duke of Rotelegen
Adalheid, Duchess of Rotelegen
Jeremias, their son
Rudy, a prisoner in Samir Durg
Jurgen, a prisoner in Samir Durg
Veit, a scout
Other Brasingians
Arne, Duke of Luderia
Tobias, his son
Godfrey, Archbishop of Gotbeck
Coen, Duke of Thesse
Theodoric, a linen merchant from Thesse
Lord Emmett, a Thessian nobleman
Trevor, a Luderian woodsman
Guivergnais
Nicolas, King of Guivergne
Bastien, Duke of Morbaine
Russell, Bastien’s man
Kalinthians
Theron, Count of Erisina, Knight of Kalinth
Evander, Theron’s squire
Sebastian, Count of Melion, Knight of Kalinth
Alpin, Sebastian’s squire
Galenos, Grand Master of the Knights of Kalinth
Tycho, Knight of Kalinth, Theron’s friend
Remigius, Knight of Kalinth, Sebastian’s friend
Euthymius, Knight of Kalinth
Philon, Knight of Kalinth
Leontios, Knight of Kalinth
Coronos, Knight of Kalinth
Proteus, Knight of Kalinth
Nestor, a smith
Jonas, King of Kalinth
Irina, Queen of Kalinth
Straton, eldest son of Jonas
Dorian, second son of Jonas
Diodor
us, Count of Korenandi
Bemus, a disciple of Elana
Lyssa, a girl from Korkis
Haskans
Shira, Queen of Haskany
Koren, Shira’s uncle
Rimmon, a mage
Jalakhs
Bolormaa, elder of the Oligud tribe
Gansukh, warrior, Bolormaa’s son
Qadan, warrior
Persaleians
Pentas, a wizard
Mark, King of Persala
Cyprian, a prisoner in Samir Durg
Zared, a prisoner in Samir Durg
Duilio, soldier
Aulus, flamen of Ludovis
Ennius, flamen of Ludovis
Krykkers
Kaved, a mercenary
Rabigar, an exile
Torinac, chieftain of the Dramsen
Maragin, chieftain of the Grendals
Guremar, chieftain of the Plengas
Hakonin, chieftain of the Swarten
Jodivig, chieftain of the Dramsen
Crombec, chieftain of the Pecineg
Wracken, chieftain of the Binideq
Stenk, a young warrior
Porimin, an historian
Caladri
Tibor, King of the Blood Caladri
Lorant, Prince of the Blood Caladri
Hajna, Princess of the Blood Caladri
Szabolcs, a wise man
Gyuri, a carriage driver
Marika, a carriage attendant
Dora, a carriage attendant
Emese, a carriage attendant
Vida, a carriage attendant
Joska, a carriage attendant
Elek, a carriage attendant
Odon, elder of the Grand Caladri
Agoston, elder of the Grand Caladri
Dorottya, elder of the Grand Caladri
Kelemen, a regional governor
Ignac, a wizard
Dorjan, King of the Shadow Caladri
Sebo, a Sea Caladri captain
Darda, a Sea Caladri soldier
Isharites
Erkindrix, Lord of Ishari
Arioc, King of Haskany
Siavash, High Priest of Ishari
Nexodore, a wizard with a death mask
Ardashir, a member of the Council of Seven
Tirano, a wizard, serving Emeric of Barissia
Roshanak, a wizard, lieutenant of Shira
Mehrab, a wizard, lieutenant of Shira
Babak, Arioc’s servant
Harith, servant of Diis
Peroz, servant of Diis
Other
Vamak, a Dog-man
Tamir, a Barbarian chieftain
Sevald, a Vismarian leader
Gunnhild, a Vismarian
Kull, a Drobax
Toric’s Dagger
Book One of The Weapon Takers Saga
1
Three Corpses
TYPICAL, BELWYNN SAID, looking up as the sun disappeared behind thick clouds and the temperature dropped. Why did we have to do the walking through the heat of the afternoon?
Soren didn’t turn to look at Belwynn. The twins always spoke in their heads when they were alone. It had become second nature to them ever since childhood. Instead, he squinted up at the sky.
It’s going to rain soon. You wouldn’t have wanted to walk through that.
Belwynn came close to making an irritable retort, but controlled herself. Was that a spot of rain? They walked on a bit. A drop landed on her cheek.
That was the trouble with her brother. He was always right.
As they approached the outskirts of the town, the spots of rain turned into a steady drizzle.
For all the wealth that’s supposedly here, commented Belwynn, I see a lot of poverty.
Small wooden huts with sunken floors were scattered about in an irregular pattern. They looked soaked through already, as if they hadn’t dried out from the last shower. Pitiful wisps of smoke could be seen emerging from the thatched roofs. They all had their doors open, and Belwynn peered in as she walked past. Babies crying. Women sewing. One woman was brewing beer, the pungent smell of hops emanating from the house. There were no men around — they presumably worked in town. Most of the houses had animals and small garden plots outside, as if the owners couldn’t decide between living like peasants or like townsfolk. Some kids played outside in the rain, splashing through the mud. They got an earful from a tough-looking matron for running through her garden. But, in truth, it was impossible to tell where the mud ended and the garden began.
They continued into the centre of Vincente’s town, where the homes were more substantial. The people they passed looked them up and down suspiciously. They were strangers, so it was to be expected. The resemblance was unmistakeable, too. Both tall and slim, they shared the same soft features, the same blonde hair typical of the Magnians. But Belwynn sensed more tension here than was normal. People who were out seemed keen to get on with their business and get in. Not just because of the rain. There was no chatting or laughter, like back home in Magnia.
Arriving in the market square, Soren looked around, squinting up at the shop signs.
Is that it? asked Belwynn, pointing over to an inn on the opposite side of the square. The Three Tuns, she added, reading the faded lettering on the sign; it bore a picture of three wooden casks, the kind that held wine. The front of the inn wasn’t much to look at: old planks of wood that would soon need replacing, no windows, a narrow entrance.
Yes, that’s it, agreed Soren, and led them over.
Belwynn had never mentioned it, but she was sure her brother’s eyesight was deteriorating. Too many late nights reading old manuscripts had taken their toll.
It didn’t look much on the outside, but inside, the Three Tuns was a substantial building, with a large open plan hall downstairs and rooms for guests on the top floor. It wasn’t busy, though. A few groups of travellers had arranged themselves near the fire, and the smell of roasted meat set Belwynn’s stomach rumbling. Soren was peering in that direction, but Belwynn was already looking into the shadowy, mostly empty recesses of the hall.
Sure enough, a figure emerged from a secluded table and headed towards them. He was tall and muscular, with dark hair and eyes above a sneering mouth.
‘Took you long enough to get here,’ Herin spat out.
He led them away from the inviting fire to his isolated table.
He sat down, fingers drumming on the table top. Belwynn and Soren joined him, shrugging off their packs.
‘I’ve already ordered food,’ he said in an accusatory tone.
Belwynn knew him well enough by now to ignore his rudeness.
‘Clarin’s here?’ she asked.
‘In the privy,’ Herin replied. ‘I swear, all he does is eat and shit.’
‘Why don’t you go over the plan?’ asked Soren, in the tight voice he used when he was annoyed.
‘There is a treasure room in the upstairs part of the building,’ Herin began, keeping his voice down and looking around the inn for eavesdroppers. ‘It holds chests full of coin and other valuables. There is a lock on the door that requires keys held by three different people, including one by Vincente himself. But we’ve got Soren to bypass that. So the main problem is neutralising the guards outside the room without drawing attention, then getting out quickly, and without being seen.’
‘And we have help with that?’ asked Soren.
‘Hey!’ came a booming voice from across the hall.
Striding over came Clarin, Herin’s younger brother. Younger, but bigger. He was only slightly taller than Herin, but he had a massive chest, tree-trunk legs, and bulging arms. He had a mop of sandy hair and an altogether friendlier expression on his face.
‘Good to see you both!’ he exclaimed as he arrived at the table.
Belwynn and Soren both stood up to each receive a massive bear hug.
‘Keep the noise down, you great idiot!’ demanded Herin in a hissed whisper.
But it was water off a duck’s
back to Clarin, who took a seat with a beaming smile on his face.
‘Journey reasonable, was it?’ he asked them.
‘Yes, no complaints,’ replied Belwynn.
Soren raised an eyebrow at that.
‘I was asking about the help we’ll get inside Vincente’s house,’ said her brother, attempting to return to business.
‘Two sellswords in there will help us,’ explained Herin. ‘We each get a one-sixth share.’
‘How trustworthy are they?’