“What was it?” Urake waited for Emeck to regain speech as he watched the two groups of horsemen meet on the road.
“It was Skeln. I’ve never sensed him so strongly before. He is somewhere south in the mountains.” Urake found himself torn between wanting to find his son and protecting the last of his blood. He glanced up at the heavy woods behind him then back at the horse men. After seeing a flash of fire he made up his mind and pulled his bow loose as he broke into a run.
*****
Em’risi had been deep in her thoughts when the band of horsemen appeared over the crest of a small hill directly in front of them. Balinor had given her a warning glance before moving to the side of the road. They hoped that the horsemen were simply travelers trying to make Shienhin before they rested but this hope turned false when the horse men stopped at them and drew weapons. Em’risi realized that it had been a futile hope that a band of men traveling in the dead of the night should have an innocent purpose.
“Name yourselves!” The horsemen in the lead demanded of Balinor. The general had put a cloak over his armor but enough was visible to see that he was a knight even in the dim light.
“This is the King’s highway. You have no right to accost travelers.” Balinor fingered his great sword and eyed the black robed horsemen.
“We ride with orders to find some fugitives. Prove yourself and you can be on your way if you aren’t who we are looking for.” The rider edged sideways until he could look past Balinor at Em’risi who was hidden beneath her cloak’s hood.
“I am a knight escorting my lord’s daughter to his friend’s home.” Balinor still fingered his sword menacingly.
“He tells the truth but he is hiding something. I can’t tell what.” One of the other horsemen spoke up. Em’risi realized that in a way Balinor had been telling the truth. He just hadn’t told all of it. Right after the man spoke another one lifted his sword and it burst into flames. Em’risi was caught in surprise before she realized that her face was lit by the improvised lantern.
“She is the one we want. Tell us who you are working with, Balinor and we will make sure she doesn’t suffer.” Em’risi heard the knight growl like a bear when she realized that she could see the man’s light feeding the flames. She realized that the rest of the men had Gifts as well.
“She won’t be harmed unless it is over my dead body.” With a roar Balinor charged at the leader. He had almost reached the man when a flash of fire knocked him off his horse. Landing with a rattle or armor he rolled to his feet narrowly avoiding getting trampled by another horseman. Suddenly all the attacker’s horses started bucking becoming impossible to control. Em’risi glanced behind her and saw Aleest holding a hand toward the bolting rider less horses. She realized that Raos and Elmet were both still as could be during the chaos. She thought about fleeing but figured it wouldn't do any good in the face of these attackers.
Balinor was not harmed by the fall. His armor had been impervious to the fire bolt and his skill with his sword was more than enough to match the attackers that didn’t have the advantage of being mounted anymore. He traded blow for blow until they had managed to become organized. Now he was outnumbered and being attacked from all sides.
The area suddenly lit up as the pyromancer’s sword burst into flame again. Em’risi inhaled sharply as the man pointed his sword at her with a look of satisfaction. His look of satisfaction shifted to one of confusion as the flames subsided. In the last light shed by the pyromancer’s flames she saw him looking down at the arrow in his chest with an expression of pure bewilderment. Two of the other five men fell quickly after that with similar arrows.
With better odds Balinor felled one of his adversaries and began focusing on the remaining three. One more fell to the mysterious arrows just before Balinor smashed in the skull of another. The last remaining one dropped his weapon and placing his fingers on his temples focused on Balinor who inexplicable staggered back as if impacted by a blow. A dark figure flashed into the moonlight and in a whirl of motion slashed into the last attacker. The short blades were dripping with blood blackened to the same shade as the men’s cloaks in the poor light when the man fell to the ground.
“Halt and surrender your weapons!” Balinor held his great sword threateningly towards the newcomer.
“Now that is simply ungracious. We save your lives then you threaten us.” Initially the youth with the twin swords had frozen at Balinor’s command but now he retreated to the side of the speaker shrouded in the black cloak.
“I will not repeat myself. Surrender your weapons now or you won’t live to regret the choice.”
Em’risi would have spoken up but she was fascinated watching the two newcomer’s lights dance. She sensed that both men were powerfully Gifted and that neither felt any fear at Balinor’s warnings. One had a gray tint that surrounded him while the other was engulfed in a pulsating deep blue light. The gray one seemed to be notified at having killed another but he was fast coming to terms.
“Balinor, we mean no harm to you or the princess.” Balinor started when he was addressed by name.
“Surrender!” Balinor refused to back down. Em’risi was about to say something when she saw the younger one’s lights briefly touch the one in the black cloak.
“My associate tells me that you aren’t in your right mind. Something about you having suffered a severe mental attack. Looks like I'm going to have more fun than I had planned on.” Em’risi watched in stunned silence as the man threw back his cloak and drew a sword. Balinor was just making another demand for surrender when the man set upon him moving so fast he seemed a blur in the moonlight. Balinor only managed to block or counter a couple blows before finding himself disarmed. A moment later Balinor sank to the ground after a resounding blow to the side of his helmet.
“What was that for!?” Em’risi screamed at the man as he removed his weapon from Balinor's throat and sheathed the sword.
“My apologies, my lady. Emeck could explain it better but something about he being still affected by that cultist’s psionic attack. You probably would have been able to see it for yourself if you hadn’t been so preoccupied with us. Aleest, could you call back a couple of those horses? It would sure beat walking.”
“How do you know our names? Better yet who are you?” Em’risi was calming down after the battle adrenaline rush but she was still edgy considering her bodyguard was lying senseless on the ground.
“The Asgare at your service. Call me Urake if you would like. This is my close friend Emeck. He is an empath. You are also if I'm not mistaken. Aleest is similar but his gift is with animals.” As Urake finished speaking the two requested horses trotted up.
“The Asgare? Didn’t you try killing my father once?”
“No”
“I'm sure it was the Asgare that tried to kill him about fifteen years ago.”
“I was once engaged to eliminate a man that turned out to be your father but once realizing the error I didn’t kill his as I am sure you are well aware.”
"So you did try killing him."
"If I had tried, he would have been dead so no, I did not try killing the King." Urake's lights were disturbed but there was no threat present.
“Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” Em’risi could sense that she didn’t have anything to fear from this man but she had a puzzle to figure out.
“Last I checked my heart was still beating. People thinking I was dead worked very well until Reigns meddled where he had no business meddling.”
“Why do you want to help me after almost killing my father?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it matters!”
“It never ends! You're just like your mother when she was your age.” Urake’s exasperated statement nearly knocked Em’risi out of her saddle.
“You knew my mother?”
“I... My father was a retainer to her father when I was younger.”
“You’re lying!” Em’risi narrowed her eyes in a glare at Ur
ake.
“Emeck! She is better than you at getting past my defenses. How is she doing it?” Urake threw his hands in the air and turned to Emeck who was barely stifling laughter. “What is so funny?”
“She is able to see your emotions like they are lights where as I can feel them. It isn’t something that I know how to block.” Emeck sobered enough to respond to Urake’s question.
“How could you possibly know that and what is so funny?” Em’risi demanded.
“Probably because he saw through your own eyes. He says that you should ask Aleest what is so funny.” Urake stifled a chuckle before glaring at Emeck. Em’risi shocked as she was at the alleged transgression of her mind glanced over at Aleest and saw that he was shaking with silent mirth. Glancing back she saw that Emeck had a dead sober blank staring expression. She saw him squint an instant before her focus shifted to Urake. Realizing that she was squinting the same way she shook her head.
“Urake! You're really strong!” Emeck was staring at Urake now with an astonished look.
“Thanks for the compliment but I could still use some help with Balinor. He is heavier than he looks.”
“No I mean, you are Gifted.”
“I'm what?... What did you do to Em’risi?” Urake turned from trying to get Balinor up in the saddle. Emeck turned back and saw that if looks could kill he would have been bleeding from a dozen mortal wounds. Breaking into a fresh round of giggles he finally managed to gasp something out.
“Oh please stop it Aleest. You’re going to kill me!”
"I hope that he does. You should never presume to violate you queen in such a way again." Em'risi glanced regally between Emeck who was attempting to stifle his giggles and Urake who had a grim look of understanding in his eyes.
####
And so this book draws to a close. I will be working on the next one in the future. My first books were a mix of science fiction and fantasy but I have found it more enjoyable to write fantasy. Unfortunately there are a large number of people that have been studiously publishing their works and as such the chances of my tale bearing similarity to another’s grows. What started out three hundred thousand words ago as practice for a Writing 121 class that I haven’t yet taken has become an enjoyable pastime. Hopefully you enjoyed reading this tale as much as I enjoyed writing it. If so please leave a review. They are exceedingly hard to come by in my experience. Try one of my other books. Fate’s Web or Child of Time. They are both available for free in SmashWords.com but feel free to name a price if you want. I won’t argue with some extra income. Anyways, thanks for reading Chronicles of Den’dra: A land Torn. I will be working on the next one.
Resources
Fractions
Dragon Lords
Storm Queen, Ice King, Wind Claw, Tidal Caller and Night Soul, Forest Wing,
Stone Walker
Asgare
Urake - Skeln’s father, Asgare or Shadow Reaper. House Safrym.
Skeln’den’hal - Dwarven sword, Ice Heart. Also known as Eld'or or Dark Soul.
Brounn - barkeep. Urake’s contact, Code named Gargoyle, half brother Rakyr
Fenar - Brounn’s agent, Rakyr’s wife, proprietress of the Golden Fountain inn from The Forks
Reigns
Reigns - head of the king’s council second only to the king, Chancellor
Enthack - Brest’s son. Under Captain in the employ of the Chancellor. Also working for Brounn.
Royals
King Illiad- King of the Braebach Empire, Crown and Oak Shield
Sir Balinor - General loyal to Illiad
Em'risi - Princess, Heir apparent, Auburn hair, Purplish eyes
Raos- Grey stallion
Elmet - Black stallion
Aleest- tamer, Em'risi’s groom
Ildroth - Lieutenant in the army, Balinor’s agent, Noble of House Inarack, Knight
Shadow Order
Crein - Current leader
Yer'entho dead dark elf, previous leader.
Elves
Essdra- captain of a unit of rangers
Lyrak - Ranger
Lepolis - Ranger
Varric - High councilman
Evenstar - High councilman
Dwarves Garoche
Kalsrod
Taric
Roild
Nayer - Roild’s mother
Bredyn - Roild’s father
Esteris - Roild’s betrothed
Sharan- Dwarven healer
Corom - dwarven council
Underheim- dwarven capital
Seeroth - Captain of the city guard
Dragons
Eld’or - legendary dragon lord attributed with saving the dragon race from extinction before his death. Known as Night Soul. Owner of Ice Heart.
Iradaemi - gray dragon of the Vaulwar
Ovesa - Dragon Elder, pale green
Rothlt - leader of the dragons elders, black
Setur - Blue dragon in the border patrols.
Zhel - reddish flightless dragon at dragon towers
Dragon’s Hamlet In Vaulwar mountains
Encer - burgomeister
Inadar - Dark black wavy.
Morden - died in storehouse fire. Torroth’s twin brother
Mytera - Inadar’s adopted mother
Selene
Torroth
Warton. Village on the border between the Garoche highlands and the Garoche lowlands
Brest - tracker for Urake
Brounn - barkeep. Urake’s contact, Code named Gargoyle
Rorale - Burgomeister
Turana - Tusul’s wife, Seamstress
Tusul - Cobbler, code named toy maker
Village home town In the Garoche mountains
Akeli - Blacksmith’s daughter 15
Darsay - Innkeeper
Emeck - blue eyed, dark hair. telepathic bandit in black woods
Mosn - Blacksmith’s son, Akeli’s brother 10
Redzyn - moderately wealthy old landowner, Manor
Rothac - Land owner, Manor
Skelceri
Peren - Nyet’s father, Shadow walker
Nyet
Cercha
Anan - deceased innkeeper and agent for Asgare
Alerad - town west of the Forks and north of the Draeld,
Morbur - double agent, Innkeeper of the Red Steed
Souther Braebach Army
Captain Kelhat - Captain in charge of patrol unit
Oseh army cook
Braebach Empire
Cercha - Moderate town by Lake Cerveza
Draeld Swamps - southern border of Braebach
Dragon Towers
Elder Forest - Elven land
Garoche - Mountainous region where home town is located. Eastern territory
Garoche Heights
Garoche Highlands
Garoche Lowlands
Midlands
Sand Sea
Shienhin Capital
Silent Seas - North boundary of the Den’dra continent. So named for the fact no one who ever sailed into them returned alive.
Skelceri - Cold Mists small village in Draeld Swamps
The Forks - A city at the confluence of two rivers.
Vaulwar Lowlands
Vaulwar mountains - Held by dragons Western border of Braebach
There were the dragons and their kin the shifters, the elves both dark and light, the dwarves masters of both stone and metal, the humans of the short lives, and the wraith and their ilk.
Reagents for potions
dragon’s tail = The dragon’s tail has the peculiar effect of inducing paralysis
steyr weed.= Steyr weed Is a sleeping agent.
Ancient Tongue
Cercha = Wide waters
Ceri = Water vapor, fog, mist
Cerveza = Wide river.
cha = water
Eclarion = Travel
encorum = deep or under
Enfar las = are we
eriache = evil ones
Gar'as = Dwarf
giansar = earth
limun = plots
noverum = not good, sorrow
Onwath = Mortality or Death.
Skel = cold
Skelceri = Cold Mists
Skeln = Every kind of cold
spawn = creation
veza = river
Wrathy = wraith