Blurb
Always a meticulous planner, Darrak Hunter leads a dull life
until his dreams become plagued with visions of a peculiar and distant
world. Waking up to a brilliant purple sun looming ominously in the
sky, Darrak is met by a mysterious violet-eyed sorcerer who whisks him away
from the struggling Earth.
Thrown
into the clutches of a foreign world where magic is reality and not all is as
it seems, Darrak embarks on a journey where he is forced to come to terms with
his past and do what he can to shape the future. Accompanied by a
talented swordswoman, a prince, and a beautiful young sorceress, he must
overcome cunning plots of treachery and betrayal to discover the strength to
stand against a destructive black magic and an enemy who is a master at deception.
Excerpt
Mionee suppressed a shiver as she
dismally followed the soldier through the dark hallways. The moment that she
had materialized outside the entrance to the Dréyan castle, she had immediately
regretted her decision to Travel with such great haste. Having only been in
Dréyan once when she was a small child, she had forgotten how frigid the
southern country was. The vastness of the surrounding mountains allowed little
sunlight to enter the valley where the country lay, and cold formidable air
penetrated the land.
When inside the castle, visitors were not allowed to forget the
dreariness of the outside. Constructed of heavy black stone from the Norath
Mountains, the castle was built more like a fortress than a home. It was three
levels of solid rock except for narrow slits on the top level, designed to let
in what little sunlight the land was fortunate to receive. The hallways and
rooms, lit only by occasional wall torches, were tremendously cramped, and the
furnishings were dark and solemn.
Mionee became increasingly depressed the longer she followed the
soldier through the meandering hallways, and she was extremely grateful when he
came to a sudden stop in front of a large wooden door ornately carved with the
Denthald coat of arms. He knocked once, quickly opened the door, and wordlessly
waved her through. Mionee jumped as the door slammed shut behind her, and she
found herself standing in a room more spacious than the others she had seen,
but not much warmer.
“Ah, milady, it is wonderful to see you!” King Denthald exclaimed as
he stood to greet the princess who blushed as he affectionately kissed her
hand. “That is quite a stunning gown,” he said with obvious admiration.
“Unfortunately, we do not see much besides wool and fur in these parts.
Practical, but not flattering to the figure,” he winked.
Mionee giggled softly. She felt quite bashful, which was a stark
contrast to her usually confident and outgoing demeanor. “I forgot how much
colder it is in this country than in Mystandia,” she replied, unable to control
a shiver.
“Ah! Where are my manners?” the king exclaimed as he took off his
cloak and gently placed it around her shoulders. “You must be freezing! I will
have you meet with a master dressmaker as soon as we are done here. He is the
best in the country and will do a superb job in outfitting your wardrobe. In
the meantime, please wear my cloak. It is not very elegant, but it will
certainly keep you warm!”
“Thank you,” Mionee murmured as she closed the heavy fur tightly
across her chest, allowing the warmth to slowly seep back into her body.
“So,” Denthald began as he lowered himself back into his chair. “How
are things developing? I must say that it came as a surprise when you told me
you were Traveling here this morning!”
“It was a surprise to me as well. Events have been progressing rather
quickly, but everything has remained in our favor,” Mionee answered with a sly
smile. “Cyrus has found the boy.”
“Well done,” the king said as he leaned forward in his chair, quite
pleased with Mionee’s news. “Where was he?”
“Mystandia,” she said simply. “Once his parents were murdered, my
father knew the boy was no longer safe and brought him to the palace. With a
few quick spells, his appearance was changed, and Ipzaag took him in as his
apprentice.”
“That is glorious news. Perhaps the young heir will be able to give us
some valuable information. Will Cyrus and the boy be joining us here?”
“Yes, but they will not be making the journey with the aid of méno. It
is too risky. We cannot control where the boy would materialize. I have
instructed Cyrus to bring him over the Pass of Kal’denk. We should expect them
within a month.”
“Excellent!” Lord Denthald exclaimed as he leaned back in his chair,
clearly pleased with their good fortune.
“Milord...”
“Please, call me Garenth,” he said with a warm smile. “After all, that
is my name is it not?”
“Garenth,” Mionee continued as the heat quickly returned to her
cheeks. “It is time to unite the bands of The Organization. We must be ready to
launch an attack as soon as possible.”
“Aye,” he agreed. “Those were my thoughts as well. The attack must
come swiftly. I will send riders to our strongholds in Lé’nath, Bé’nag, and
Taneim. We should be able to strengthen our army by approximately six thousand
soldiers within a month. After that, it is simply a matter of making the
journey to Mystandia. The Pass of Kal’denk is dangerous, but it will allow us
to travel in secrecy. The trees shielding the Létaag River will provide our
forces with sufficient cover. If necessary precautions are taken, they will be
able to travel swiftly down the river unnoticed. The palace guard will not
realize they are under attack until the hour is too late.”
Mionee nodded her agreement. “I will notify the members of The
Organization in Mystandia. With a little communication and some careful timing,
we will be able to launch the two attacks simultaneously.”
“Very good,” Garenth said as an iniquitous smile spread acrosshis
face. “I think, my dear, that we are finally going to get what we deserve.”
“Yes,” she replied. “Thanks to your father’s recent and unexpected
death, the rule of Dréyan is already ours. We simply need to defeat the palace
to have dominion over all of Dragonath. Once we have reign over both Dréyan and
Mystandia, the other countries will fall. None will have the power to defeat
our armies.”
“And what of Earth? How are developments there?” “Exemplary. The
changes are already beginning to take effect. Soon the human population will be
too weak to resist our forces. Earth will be ours.”
“This calls for a celebration!” Garenth exclaimed as he stood and
walked over to the sidebar. “Would you care to join me?”
“I would be honored,” Mionee replied with a dazzling smile.
He handed her a goblet and grinned when she took a sip. Used to the sweetness
of the Mystandian wine, Mionee was shocked at the sharp bitterness of the
liquid and had to force herself to swallow. “It is quite strong,” Garenth
chuckled, “but it will warm you up rather quickly. You will find that a little
goes a long way.”
“It certainly does,” she said with a tiny hiccup. She had not eaten
anything since the previous day and could already feel the wine going straight
to her head. “It usually does not affect me like this,” she said bashfully.
“As I said, it does not take much. Perhaps we should finish our conversation
over lunch,” Garenth suggested. “Would you like to accompany me to the dining
hall? I believe the cook has prepared something special for your arrival.”
“That sounds lovely!”
“Come, milady. There is much we have yet to discuss.”
“What did you have in mind?” Mionee asked.
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