Prologue:
The entire room shook once more, but this time Jordan managed to pick himself up off the shattered tiles that now covered the floor. As he attempted to clear his head, he almost gave in to despair as he remembered all the events that had happened in the ill fated storming of Drarkmar, the citadel of evil. He looked to either side, and nearly screamed in frustration. On his right stood Merius, frozen in a globe of purplish light. Merius the invincible, perhaps the greatest living warrior woman in all the world. And with all her power, and all the items that she had hoarded over the years, she was caught in magical trap like a fly in amber. On his left, Trajan was getting groggily to his feet, Trajan, one of the youngest mages ever to wield magic beyond the ninth circle. Trajan the spell caster, Trajan whose jaw was broken, shattered beyond belief. Trajan the insignificant. It would have been more merciful if he was dead. Beside Trajan lay Torrilak, or at least what was left of him. His charred body was missing the right arm, and his legs were ash below the knees. It was a miracle that Torrilak had made it this far, thought Jordan. Of the thirty seven companions, thirty two had not made it this far, and Torrilak was one of the most inexperienced. The sound of distant fighting and spell blasts gave Jordan some hope that some of his friends still lived.
The only other companion that had made it this far was Swift Arrow, the barbarian warrior. Nothing remained of him. Small wonder. When they gained entrance to the throne room, The Lord of Thunder, Caebron’s henchman, was waiting. And something had been done to him that had made him even more powerful than Jordan would have formerly believed. Swift Arrow had died plunging his sacred knife into the chest of the golem. As soon as that had happened, the room had been enveloped in four bursts of powerful energy - fire, lightning, pure force and something else - something obviously meant for Merius. It had worked. And even now, after the Lord of Thunder’s body had shattered into the gem fragments and armour that he had been constructed with, it wasn’t over. Without looking closely, it was possible to see the gem fragments merging together once more.
And there on the throne, grinning, lording in the destruction, sat Caebron himself, the mad avatar of evil in all his glory. Although the mosaics on the throne room floor were shattered, and the tapestries on the walls were cinders; although the decorative suits of armour around the room were twisted, bent, melted and lying in pieces, still he was triumphant. I’m the last one able to challenge, thought Jordan, and I’m overmatched. If the others don’t complete their mission, it’s all over, despite our desperate battle at Untek’s plain. His hands shaking, Jordan drew his swords, wyrmwrath and Icebite, and set himself for what was to come. With a roar, Jordan charged, and with a blast of magic, the battle was joined. The world was madness.
To be continued.......
The entire room shook once more, but this time Jordan managed to pick himself up off the shattered tiles that now covered the floor. As he attempted to clear his head, he almost gave in to despair as he remembered all the events that had happened in the ill fated storming of Drarkmar, the citadel of evil. He looked to either side, and nearly screamed in frustration. On his right stood Merius, frozen in a globe of purplish light. Merius the invincible, perhaps the greatest living warrior woman in all the world. And with all her power, and all the items that she had hoarded over the years, she was caught in magical trap like a fly in amber. On his left, Trajan was getting groggily to his feet, Trajan, one of the youngest mages ever to wield magic beyond the ninth circle. Trajan the spell caster, Trajan whose jaw was broken, shattered beyond belief. Trajan the insignificant. It would have been more merciful if he was dead. Beside Trajan lay Torrilak, or at least what was left of him. His charred body was missing the right arm, and his legs were ash below the knees. It was a miracle that Torrilak had made it this far, thought Jordan. Of the thirty seven companions, thirty two had not made it this far, and Torrilak was one of the most inexperienced. The sound of distant fighting and spell blasts gave Jordan some hope that some of his friends still lived.
The only other companion that had made it this far was Swift Arrow, the barbarian warrior. Nothing remained of him. Small wonder. When they gained entrance to the throne room, The Lord of Thunder, Caebron’s henchman, was waiting. And something had been done to him that had made him even more powerful than Jordan would have formerly believed. Swift Arrow had died plunging his sacred knife into the chest of the golem. As soon as that had happened, the room had been enveloped in four bursts of powerful energy - fire, lightning, pure force and something else - something obviously meant for Merius. It had worked. And even now, after the Lord of Thunder’s body had shattered into the gem fragments and armour that he had been constructed with, it wasn’t over. Without looking closely, it was possible to see the gem fragments merging together once more.
And there on the throne, grinning, lording in the destruction, sat Caebron himself, the mad avatar of evil in all his glory. Although the mosaics on the throne room floor were shattered, and the tapestries on the walls were cinders; although the decorative suits of armour around the room were twisted, bent, melted and lying in pieces, still he was triumphant. I’m the last one able to challenge, thought Jordan, and I’m overmatched. If the others don’t complete their mission, it’s all over, despite our desperate battle at Untek’s plain. His hands shaking, Jordan drew his swords, wyrmwrath and Icebite, and set himself for what was to come. With a roar, Jordan charged, and with a blast of magic, the battle was joined. The world was madness.
To be continued.......
