I decided that for anyone to decide if they truly were interested in a book, they'd need to read at least the first five pages.
I've taken that initiative even further.
Below, I've pasted the first chapter of Paladin for your reading (and scrutinizing) pleasure. Please enjoy.
BEGIN BOOK ______
PART I: HEROES
CHAPTER
ZERO
Acbain dug his feet into the stirrups, and slapped the horse’s
side.
“Yaw!” he yelled, and the horse screamed loudly in
response. The beast surged forward, kicking up a trail of dust in its
wake. He picked up the pace, knowing full well that they were
closing in.
How close are they now?
He craned his neck back. The small armada of NeverShadows crept ever
closer. Their dark bodies blended in a little too well with the shade
provided by the canopy overhead. They followed suit, cautiously
avoiding what slivers of light came through the dense copse in the
late afternoon.
Fwip! An arrow shot past the dark elf’s arm, missing it
by a mere finger’s length. It lodged itself securely into a
passing oak tree, a blurred swatch of brown and green. Acbain leaned
forward into the stride of the horse, minimizing drag.
I won’t make it in time. I’ll have failed my sole
purpose…
The sound of pounding hooves closed in from behind. The fledgling
Artifactian strained his ears, catching the sounds of the rapidly
passing world around him. Thanks to his acute sense of hearing,
noises within a fifty foot radius reached him.
To his right, several woodland creatures scurried about the treetops.
To his left, birds nested, pecked wood, dug for insects. Ahead of
him, a slight breeze rolled through a break in the trees.
It was this direction he headed.
All of these sounds Acbain heard at once. But it was none of these
that concerned him. The sound coming from behind him – the
sound he heard when he craned his neck once more – invoked real
fear in the magic blooded being.
He recognized the sound immediately, a bow being strung. He listened
closer. No, not just one, a dozen or more bows being strained.
Then, as one released.
Arrows whistled through the warm unfaltering air, traveling straight
for his heart.
“I create thee, Frozen Barrier of Bealwer!” Acbain
shouted, thrusting his right hand back towards the oncoming arrows.
A loud cracking sound, the sound of water being frozen solid
instantaneously, split the air in the space he had just occupied
seconds before. He could hear the thud-thud-thud of arrows
hitting the icy barrier behind him.
The barrier cracked and shattered, but the arrows dropped harmlessly
to the ground.
He felt pride in the simple spell. It had saved his life before, just
as it had done now. But the spell was a stall tactic at best.
Soon the wretched NeverShadows would be upon him. And they would stop
at nothing to get their bloody hands on the Artifact at his back. The
swelling in his gut told him that if that happened, there would be no
stopping their power.
He thanked the Father Above that the pursuing NeverShadows had taken
on the form of horses and their riders, the forms they took from the
Palladium Knights themselves. 'They can only take one shape
at a time,' Feindoz had said. Was it coincidence that they'd
taken a form he could handle? He thought not. The Father had cut him
a break.
These last few days had been a horrifying blur. Only days had passed
since Denteroth’s defeat and forced disappearance back to the
Neverplane. This was great news on first hearing, but…
He would be back. He vowed it so.
And it had been only days since he, Acbain, had been sent on ahead to
lock this particular Artifact away until the appropriate time.
The fact that the NeverBeasts and Shadows lingered, even after their
master’s defeat, proved their evil desire to rule (or was it to
destroy?) this world. It would probably be years before Denteroth did
return.
How many though, he wondered. He couldn’t even fathom.
He only hoped that new champions would arise in that time, whenever
it was.
Hooves continued to pound behind him. The creatures chittered amongst
themselves in heated tones. What they said remained understood. A
new assault tactic most likely, he guessed.
Acbain had no doubt that if the creatures of the Neverplane did in
fact get a hold of the Artifact, they would find a way to use it.
Forget the fact that it was only meant for the Drakoni. Alterius had
been proof of its power in the wrong hands. If Denteroth or his
minions got to it, that same gut feeling told him the world would be
in more trouble than it has ever previously known.
There would be no way to stop them next time.
Or, if they couldn’t use it, the creatures would banish it
somehow. In that case, there would only be one alternate way to stand
up to Denteroth. But even then, there was no guarantee of victory
against the darkness with only the one other Artifact.
He grimaced at the thought.
If these forces got their hands on it, who knew what the future held.
Death for sure, but even worse still. Enslavement. Purges. Maybe even
mass genocide on the grandest scale. Creatures of every race would be
affected.
Acbain swallowed hard. He pushed the thought aside to focus on the
task at hand, and swatted the horse again. Onward he pressed. This
Palladium Knight apprentice, the youngest of them all, would fight
before he gave up the Artifact.
Even if it meant he would have to sacrifice his own life in its
stead.
It was his mission. And his purpose. He would not fail his mission.
The king had appointed him directly, and it was an honor he did not
take lightly. That was the primary role of the Knights, was it not?
Life in service to the King.
The others had given their lives in service, and if he had learned
anything from Feindoz – inarguably the greatest Palladium
Knight to ever live aside from Varme himself – it was that you
fight to the death if necessary. Their sacrifices had saved gods knew
how many lives.
Acbain listened again. A sound even more threatening reached his
eardrums. It sent a sharp spike of adrenaline through his body, and
his pulse jumped to a rapid thrumming.
This time it was not the sound of more bows. Instead, one of the
Shadows had begun to cast an incantation. From the sound of it, an
offensive spell, though its words came in an alien language.
Acbain strained his ears, trying to catch a word or phrase to tip him
off. Immediately his brain went to work, preparing different defenses
for an attack he couldn’t predict.
So he did the most logical thing, he prepared for the worst.
The Shadow shouted its last piece of magic casting tongue. A bright
teal light shot forward, straight at him and his steed. The color
revealed the spell.
An Incapacitation spell!
The apprentice knight barely had time to shriek “I command
thee, Force Redirection” at the incoming stream of energy as it
reached him. The beam hit him and wavered a bit, as if trying to
decide whether or not to work. In the end, instead of stopping him in
place as he feared, it bent backwards on itself and flowed right back
at its caster, following the same trajectory it had come from.
More sweat broke his pores, sliding down the sides of his face. Yet
another one of his spells had bought him a few precious additional
seconds. Fortunately it had worked without the full incantation,
especially not knowing his adversary’s abilities.
Next time he might not be so lucky.
Horses neighed and cried loudly as they crashed to the ground
somewhere in the distance. The Shadows that fell with them screamed
strange words. Stalled, but not stopped. The Shadows that didn’t
fall, kept up, pushing their shadowy steeds on faster.
And how did they get the name 'shadows' anyway, he wondered.
Not a good time to think this (he knew that) but it didn't stop the
thought. Sure they have no definite form, but they do have solid
bodies. I guess-
Then the thought went out on its own. What replaced it was a stronger
thought of survival.
Almost there. Just have to hold out a little bit longer…
Fwip-Fwip-Fwip! Three more arrows flew past him on the right
and left. One of them whizzed right past his head, nearly taking his
ear off as it sailed by.
No! I can’t fail! I will not!
More bows were strung. He couldn’t tell how many, but more than
before. He felt like a dead man walking (or riding).
“Huzar!” the Shadow hissed in its Neverplanar tongue.
Thoof! All of the bows were released in unison. The
Artifactian feared for the worst as he snapped his head back and
upward to assess the oncoming barrage. His fears were confirmed.
A sea of arrows filled the afternoon sky, nearly blocking out what
little sun remained. Dozens of arrows gained speed, arced at their
apex and rapidly descended in rhythmic fashion. Each Nevershadow had
shot multiple arrows at once, attempting to pummel him with force,
rather than accuracy.
Acabin was entirely sure that the shadow-arrows would hurt him. Then
again, he didn't wish to find out.
The attack would have worked too… Had the Artifactian not
expected something this beforehand.
Acbain ran his arm through the reins and held them in place in the
crook of his elbow. Turning backwards, he yanked a large scroll free
from his waistband and pulled it open towards the oncoming arrows.
“Trapped Spell of Mlarzarath, I release Thee!”
The scroll burned to cinders as fire shot out above him, creating a
wide arc of flames that singed through the afternoon air.
Sssssss! What arrows touched the flames incinerated
immediately as they passed through, becoming ash upon contact. The
ash kissed the Artifactian’s skin and blew away with the
breeze. The rest crashed down around him, sticking into tree
branches, and crashing into the surrounding foliage.
He turned back to the front, further fleeing the hot air above him.
Some part of him wished he could have just used the scroll to burn
the Shadows as they came. He quickly dismissed the foolish notion,
knowing that it would have burned down the entire forest had he done
it.
Just a smidge further,
he told himself.
Acbain couldn’t help but feel pride in his ability to delay
their attacks. All those years training in the ways of the Defensive
Arts had taught him to use his abilities against his opponents. T’was
the life of a staff wielder such as he.
His pride was ebbed away however, as a new notion emerged. He’d
never trained in many offensive spells, so he couldn’t attack
them outright, even if he wanted to. Not that he didn’t possess
the power or understanding – quite the opposite really –
but it was not his learned skill set.
The Knight’s apprentice grimaced at the thought of his own life
ending so early, though a sliver of suspicion worked up his spine
that his time was short.
What made matters worse was that they kept coming. He had no more
scrolls, and he could feel his body draining of its magic. The
fatigue had hit, and the NeverShadows were relentless. He hadn't even
thought about the fact that there weren’t any NeverBeasts to
deal with. He guessed he should have been grateful for that at least…
His elemental Terra spells had helped, but the time was coming fast
when he’d have to switch to his Alignment spells. Most likely,
it would damn near kill him.
Or literally, if it came down to it. He wished more in that moment
than ever before that he had his teacher’s staff.
Moment by moment, Acbain’s fate became steadily clearer; he
would not make it long enough to see the sun rise again.
Just as he knew they would, the trees broke open into a clearing. A
grey, three foot stone stood solitary in the center of the clearing
like an important figure encircled with bodyguards.
The Artifactian jumped off his horse, unstrapped the cloth wrapped
Artifact from his back, and placed it on the ground. He faced the
direction he’d just come. Acbain held out both hands, as was
required for a spell of this caliber, and shouted “In the name
of the Frozen Deity of Bealwer, I create thee a Wall of Glass!”
This full incantation of the spell created a wide barrier of solid,
frozen matter that resembled thick glass. Ice had always been
Acbain's favorite type of Terra magic, its properties having so many
practical uses. This, however, was only another stall tactic that
would buy him seconds, a minute at most. Time was definitely not on
this young elf’s side.
He lugged the giant Artifact onto one shoulder, thrust his open hand
out past the grey rock, and said “I rebuke the spell of cloaked
visage, and command thee show what is hidden! Reveal thyself!”
The mirage of what currently looked like a collection of trees and
plants instantly melted away. In its stead stood a large formation of
rocks in the shape of a small cave. The spell they had cast on the
cave had worked perfectly, keeping the vault safe from prying eyes in
the past.
Now, he had no other choice than to let it be known. Even if the
enemy knew the Artifact’s location, he had to trust that the
Artifact would be safe once it was in its resting place.
Acbain lumbered as fast as he could to the stone with the Drakonic
writing on it. The hefty Artifact weighed him down greatly, causing
his steps to be slow. Upon reaching it, he with a miniature white
cross from his satchel. He shoved the cross into the stone's top,
where it twisted clockwise into place. The rock opening to the cave
split open, the two halves pulling apart to opposite sides.
A loud, earsplitting Crack thundered behind him.
The Shadows are already at the wall? Time was dwindling and he had to
act fast.
The young Artifactian attempted to run the best he could manage while
carrying the cumbersome object. He was not used to its weight. He’d
been trained from the start in magic, not lifting heavy objects. To
most creatures, even a human maybe, the object would be nothing more
than a nuisance. But things are different when one is only four foot
tall, and the heaviest thing you lift is a staff or a book.
Acbain entered the cave, only being able to see via the light coming
in the trees behind him. Even in the faint glow of still dusking
light, he could see the walls of Holy Stone that created a narrow
corridor leading to the back of the cave. He made a quick calculation
of the size, and the material of the interior walls. Perhaps he could
use them…
The cave was much smaller than he’d anticipated, having never
been there before. Then again, he reasoned as he lurched
forward, if this were bigger, it might have been more easily
discovered. The king really had thought of everything, hadn't he?
The apprentice Knight was only halfway into the cave when he heard
the ice wall break with a loud crash! He needed more time.
Just a few more seconds. He needed to stall them just a few more
seconds...
He needed to unveil his trump card.
Acbain set the Artifact on the ground once more. He turned to the
cave entrance as the Shadows began to pour in. He waited for the
right moment. They rushed in one after another, coming straight for
him with reckless abandon. A few more seconds… Not quite…
Almost…
Now! “I call upon the Realm of Heavens, and Command thee to
send a champion of Light! I summon thee, Warrior Seraph!”
A wide light spread across the cave, from one wall to the other,
using the walls of Holy Stone as a conduit for the dimension gate, or
the Dime Gate. A large portal opened, emitting a powerful, radiant
light and creating an odd rippling noise as the two dimensions
coalesced together to create one link. The light of the portal
intensified, blinding the Artifactian himself, causing him to throw
his hands over his eyes. The light poured out of the portal, basking
everything it touched with a holy radiant glow.
In a mere split second, the Celestial being emerged.
Its body was a complete white crystal, dazzling in appearance. Its
skin looked like jasper or carnelian, not fleshy like that of the
creatures from Acbain’s world. It stepped out, but did not
touch the ground. It hovered above, its body too otherworldly to even
make contact.
The creature knew its purpose and wasted no time in springing to
action. In its hands, the seraph held a Sword of Light – a
blade made purely of particles from the realm of which it lived. It
raised the sword, and swung it heavily down in a diagonal sweep,
sending an arc of light out from the tip of the blade. The light flew
forward, evaporating the NeverShadows as it landed on them, engulfing
their bodies with brightness.
Screams of pain filled the night as the Shadows disappeared in
droves, leaving no trace behind of their existence. The other objects
the light touched were unaffected due to their non-alignment of dark
and light. The Celestial could not stay any longer and disappeared
back into the portal, all within a mere three seconds. The portal
closed abruptly, disintegrated and silence ensued.
The spell was taxing on the elf. He limped forward, now dragging the
Artifact, consuming what little energy was left in him. Only once
before had he used a Realm level spell, and even then it almost
killed him. He was lucky it hadn’t killed him now, though he
felt like death all over, drained of both his magic energy as well as
his life force.
Acbain continued forward, inching his way to the Holding Statue for
the Artifact. Even now, he could hear more Shadows closing in. How
many of them were there? Dozens? A hundred?
No one knew exactly how many creatures had been deserted here once
Denteroth had escaped back to the Neverplane and closed their way
home. It wouldn’t matter how many there were if he, the one
charged with the Artifact’s concealment, didn’t even
fulfill his role.
After an eternity of moments, he finally reached the iron statue.
Forged in the image of the Father of Creation, aka the Holding
Statue, the statue stood stoically with open hands before him. This
was the only safe place left for the Artifact. Two rohkahn
stood at attention to the sides of the statue. Acbain knew that he’d
have to set up the other trial himself, surely as the others had done
for the second Artifact.
It was only by good fortune, and possibly the grace of the Father,
that they’d been able to defeat Denteroth and seal the other
Artifact away. Acbain had to uphold his end.
He would despite the outcome.
The elf placed the Artifact in the cold metallic hands of the statue.
The Artifact came unwrapped as he pulled back the cloth. All the
while, Acbain was careful not to make contact with it and his flesh.
The Artifact slid out of the wrap and neatly into the statue’s
outstretched fingers. He half-expected the fingers to close around
the object, but nothing as dramatic as such occurred.
Acbain stared at the unwrapped treasure before him. It was
unfortunate that he could not touch the Artifact, or he would have
held it, caressed it even. The workmanship was, in itself, beauty
incarnate. It seemed to call out to him, to trance him. Hold me,
Acbain… just for a moment…
But he had not the blood to actually hold the Artifact, nor
the time for such luxuries. The NeverShadows closed in, now right
beyond the clearing outside if he heard correctly. Acbain hustled
over to the rohkahn. He placed a red Action Seal on each of their
metallic stomachs, and attached his last two enermos shards on
their backs.
Hearing more movement outside, he hastily prepared the second trial.
In a rush, he enchanted the very ground he stood upon with a special
spell of its own. This ritual wore him down even more than he was
before.
He was tired. So very tired.
But the steps were vital. He knew the trials would ensure that
whoever claimed the Artifact was indeed worthy enough to use it. If
that person failed, the Artifact would remain where it was, until a
real user – or God forbid – the Never creatures, claimed
it.
However, his time had run out and he knew it, so there was no chance
to check his workmanship. The second he finished the incantation, he
dashed out of the cave as fast as his stubby legs would allow,
putting distance between himself and the Artifact.
The Palladium apprentice sprinted out to the grey stone. He twisted
the cross in the slot and removed it when it popped up.
Simultaneously, the large halves of boulder slid back together,
creating a single entity once again, the seam undetectable to the
naked eye. Badly he wished to have cloaked the place once more.
Not a moment too soon had this happened. A Nevershadow broke through
the trees and thrust its black sword into the neck of the
Artifactian’s steed. With a loud whine, the horse collapsed to
the forest floor.
“Where is the Artifact!?” The Shadow hissed loudly,
pointing its sword right at him, and this time speaking his own
language. They can speak our language? No time to consider this.
Acbain said nothing in response. He held the cross in his hand behind
his back, not allowing the monstrosity before him to know of its
presence.
The shadow stepped forward. Acbain could hear more before he saw
them, but only a second later, the rest made their appearance. Four
dozen sets of red glowing eyes and dark bodies emerged through the
trees simultaneously. NeverShadows closed in from every direction,
bows and swords drawn and trained directly on him.
The last of the Palladium Knights – not even officially a
knight – knew that this moment would be his last. First he
whispered, “bless you Father, as you have allowed me to serve
my purpose.” Then, to the NeverShadows, he shouted, “Beasts
of the Neverplane, you will know the power of the Knights!”
Acbain tossed the cross high in the air, then threw his arms out in
surrender.
“Father of Life, Bring forth your Light…” The
shadows, knowing something was coming, began to charge at the
Artifactian to stop him. “Let thy servant be a sacrifice for
the greater good of this world you’ve created!” Then with
every last ounce of his strength, he shouted his last words…
“I command thee Pillar of Heaven, devour these dark souls with
the cost of my own!”
Boom! The clouds above ripped asunder as a beam of light burst
forth. It cut through the afternoon sky, sending a shockwave out in
every direction as it hurdled for the man standing with arms raised.
The shadows turned to run, but there was no running from such a
spell.
The beam hit the ground and shook the very dirt he stood upon,
creating a concave in the ground around him. As for the charcoal
colored stone next to him, it did not break, for it was made of the
same Holy Stone from inside the cave.
Thin tendrils of light shot out in every direction like reaching
arms, grabbing the NeverShadows as they attempted to flee. They
disintegrated upon the touch.
Acbain smiled as he vanished into the Light. He disappeared in one
quick flash, knowing his work was completed. The shadows however,
screamed and wailed in anguish as the Light consumed their very
souls. Each and every one of them within the vicinity was vaporized.
Not a single one escaped the reaches of the Light as it instantly
consumed them.
Without another passing moment, the Light disappeared as quickly as
it came.
A slight drizzle began to fall in the forest in that particular
moment and the small cross fell to the concaved dirt floor around the
grey stone, where it lay for years to come.
And the grey robed figure receded quietly into the forest, having
witnessed it all.
Book CHAPTER ZERO end ---
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