Book 2: The Demons Within
In a fantasy land, a land of swords and magic, comes an invasion from another dimension. The war machine of the Almighty Emperor seeks to enslave and murder the population of Maingard, stripping the planet of life and resources.
The Kingdom of Danaria finds itself the next target of the invaders, with the king assassinated and the two young princesses kidnapped to be used as bargaining chips. Prince Garlen leads a small force to rescue his younger sisters, accompanied by Bryn Kar, the ‘soldier without a city’, and Bex , a sword for hire with her symbiotic refugee from another dimension, Ishtara.
And just what part does Jerone, Witchguardian to the channeler, Janda, have to play in the war.
What had Janda said about the river? He thought back to one of her many stories that she told each evening as they ate. They were more lesson than story, though. He could visualise it now, the memory of her voice bringing a tear to his eye.
‘A drop of water forms at the spring and joins the many others. They all flow along the river but take different routes, some getting caught in still waters, others in rapids or eddies. In the end, they all arrive at the same point but at different times.’ Having seen the river, he had asked about the start and the end, wanting to know more but she had scolded him for missing the point of the story.
‘The river is life. The drops of water are the many men and women of this world. The still waters, rapids and eddies are all events in one’s life that defines how long they live. But ultimately, we all arrive at the same point.’
He stood and turned downriver, staring at the white foam as the current carried it out of sight along the course.
“We all arrive at the same point.” He whispered. “Death.”
In Book 1, Radnak, the half-orc mercenary bodyguard was trapped in the ruins of Jacarna, deep under the palace. As he lays at the door to the hall of Crom Teder, the diety in the Orckind mythos responsible for taking the dead to the underworld, is there a way back for the bodyguard – and what will become of his charges, the goblin Lady Iga and her two children, the Lords Igant and Janis.
Radnak swam in a thick, black sea, oblivious to all apart from the voice of the Damas, the angelic female demons who hunted with Crom Teder and carried away souls to the underworld. He moved effortlessly through the murky water, the viscous substance filling his lungs yet causing him no pain or hindrance. To hear the Damas was one thing, many warriors had heard their songs upon the battlefields, but to see one was to know that Crom Teder, the God of the Dead had finally called you to his dark world.
He turned towards the sound and became aware of a faint light in the distance. Kicking off, he swam towards it with powerful strokes. As he neared it, he noticed it was above the surface and was also the source of the haunting voice that called him. He felt himself become stronger as his strokes brought him closer to his goal. The voices became louder and clearer.
And then he broke the surface, the light causing him to wince and screw his eyes tight against the glare. He coughed, spewing forward the thick mucus that had invaded his body and he drew a breath of fresh air. Gradually, he was able to open his eyes, wanting desperately to set his eyes upon the Damas, eager to end his life of killing and violence.
Launched in April 2022, The Demons Within continues the saga of the Maingard Chronicles.