A Child of Two Worlds Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Prologue – The Guardian

  Retired

  Captured

  An Early Start

  The Coming Storm

  On Wings of Light

  The Fall of the Arcane City

  Imprinted Souls

  Eyes of the Stars

  Darker than Night

  Midnight Revelations

  The Truth

  I am Your Shield. I am Your Sword.

  Adorac Falls

  The Harbinger of the End

  A Gift of Things Forgotten

  Leave None Alive

  The Massacre at Highwind Point

  Cut Off

  A Hard Landing

  Everyone is Needed

  The Architect

  The Obsidian Tower

  The Way the World Ends

  Epilogue - The Beginning

  Prologue - The Penning

  Maps

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  A Child of

  Two Worlds

  Mark Cole

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.

  A CHILD OF TWO WORLDS

  Copyright © 2013 Mark Cole

  All rights reserved.

  Edited by Janet Taylor-Perry and Lottie Brent Boggan

  Cover art by www.GoOnWrite.com

  ISBN: 0615861547

  ISBN-13: 978-0615861548

  First edition: October 2013

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

  To my beautiful wife and amazing daughters.

  The three of you keep me writing.

  Prologue - The Guardian

  We’re all going to die here, he thought as he looked down from atop the thirty foot stone wall. Night had fallen, and the screams of the dying beyond the wall of the Arcane City sent shivers down Darren Wright’s spine. Smoke billowed from the watch fire at his back, causing the sixteen-year-old guardsman to cough.

  Sweat dripped off his nose, and Darren dabbed at it with a piece of cloth his mother had given him. His helmet was stifling in the summer heat; the sun being down did nothing to lower the temperature. Another tormented scream of anguish made him grip his spear tighter.

  His eyes searched the inky darkness beyond the wall, but he could see nothing. He’s out there, you know, an insidious voice whispered in the back of his mind. Just waiting for you to come and join him.

  Shut up, Darren snapped at himself. I won’t end up like him. The phantasmal screech of a banshee made his blood run cold, and he knew another attack would come soon.

  The voice cackled madly. Won’t end up like him? He was ten times the soldier you’ll ever be. And that didn’t save him at all.

  Shut up!

  There’re only two ways out of this for you.

  Quit talking! Darren screamed silently.

  You could be eaten, the voice taunted.

  Stop it!

  Or you could run.

  “I said shut up!” Darren yelled into the night.

  Someone far behind him burst into laughter. “You tell that banshee, kid,” the man’s deep voice called.

  I’m losing my mind, arguing with myself. The banshee screamed again, and Darren winced against the painful sound.

  I’m going to die just like Trevor did. He looked over his shoulder at the stairs that led down into the city. His relief should be coming up the worn staircase any minute now. Darren found himself thinking of the path down the stairs and through the cobblestone streets. The walk would be dark now, and no one would be about to see him move past the brick and marble buildings. Maybe, he thought, wide eyes still locked on the stairs, maybe I can run. No one will know where I’ve gone.

  And where would you go? The city’s surrounded, his ever practical mother’s voice asked. Where would you hide from the horrors that encircle us?

  One of the logs in the watch fire shifted, and angry sparks spiraled into the air, drawing Darren’s gaze to the inferno. He jumped when a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind, and he spun to lash out at the assailant with his spear. A powerful hand caught his weapon’s shaft and held it still.

  “Easy, guardsman,” the man’s deep baritone said soothingly. “I didn’t mean to alarm you.”

  Darren let out a shaking breath. “I’m sorry. I thought…”

  The man gave Darren’s shoulder a squeeze through his thick leather armor. “I know. You seem to be looking the wrong way,” the man pointed out.

  Darren finally looked at the man who stood head and shoulders above him. The man’s chainmail was spotted gore, and his blond hair disheveled, but Darren recognized him all the same. “You’re the Bear. You’re the gladiator who was just named Champion of the Grand Arena!”

  The Bear smiled at him, and Darren could see that although the man was exhausted, his blue eyes were alert. “That I am, guardsman. And you are?”

  “Darren Wright.” The guardsman shifted the spear to his left hand and held out his right. The Bear shook it, but his eyes never left Darren’s face. “The squad you led outside the wall earlier,” Darren said, “it was the only one to come back.”

  “It was.” The Bear knit his eyebrows together and took his hand from Darren’s shoulder. “Your brother was Captain Trevor Wright?”

  “He was.”

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t help him. Your brother was a good man and a brilliant commander.”

  Darren balled his empty hand and stared out into the night. “It wasn’t your fault. Trevor volunteered to lead the other squad.” He faced the Bear again and met his gaze. “And now he’s out there. He’s one of them. A zombie. Just waiting to break through these walls and kill us all.”

  When no response seemed forthcoming, Darren continued. “Demons and undead. Hell and Ignia both have opened wide to swallow us whole. We’re all going to die here.”

  A confusing mix of emotions crossed the Bear’s face, and he placed his hand on Darren’s shoulder again. “Have heart, guardsman.”

  “Why?” Darren cried. “What is there to have heart about? They’ve attacked throughout the night, Bear! They don’t stop! I can’t…”

  “Yes, you can, Darren. You can because you must.” The Bear lowered his hand and smiled. “And fear no longer, for the night is such time for these dark devils, but the dawn approaches.”

  Darren looked East for the oncoming sunrise, but it was far too early, and the sky was still black. “I don’t understand,” he said as he turned back to the Bear, but the man was looking farther down the wall to the South tower.

  Following the Bear’s gaze, Darren saw a woman standing close to the edge of the fortifications. Plate armor covered her from shoulder to toe, and her head was uncovered. Red hair flowed down her back, stopping just above her hips. The watch fire behind her made the woman’s hair seem aflame in the orange light.

  “Is that…” Darren started to ask, unwilling to trust his eyes.

  “My wife,” the Bear said, his voice thick with emotion. “She is the dawn, guardsman, and she will see us through this. My angel will save us all.”

  A horn sounded, and the young man shuddered. Please, not more death. To Darren’s astonishment, the Bear laughed. “What is there to laugh about?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at the smiling gladiator.

  “Watch the sun rise with me, Darren,” the Bear said, not taking his eyes from his wife. Nodding, Darren matched the man’s gaze.

  “Hold your positions!” she shouted, her voice magically empowered so all could hear.

  Motes of light began to fly to the woman’s ga
untleted hands. They came slowly at first, engulfing her hands in a luminous ball of pure energy. The sphere grew with increasing speed until it encased her in a blinding cocoon. Had the sun been out, it would have been a guttering candle by comparison.

  With a roar that rattled Darren’s bones, she released the force in a beam that disintegrated all the undead and demons it touched. Tens of thousands were incinerated in the blast of cleansing light.

  Perfect silence filled the air after the display of unimaginable magical power faded. Darren flinched when the Bear laughed mockingly at the failed assault. The guardsman shook his head and began to laugh as well. His fears ebbed, and a cheer went up from those around him.

  Darren watched the woman descend the stairs. The Bear left his side to join her several feet away. “I don’t know how many more times I can do that,” she said.

  The Bear wrapped her in a warm embrace. “You shouldn’t drain yourself so.”

  “I know.” She stepped back and studied the night, trying to discern any advantage she could. “I just hope we find something to break this siege.” She shook her head, apparently dissatisfied with what she saw. “I could kill thousands a day, and they would not need reinforcements. We would all starve first.”

  A memory bubbled to the surface of Darren’s mind. “What about…” he said, trailing off when they both turned to look at him. I can’t… She has no reason to listen to me. What was I thinking opening my mouth?

  “What’s your name, guardsman?” she asked.

  Darren opened his mouth, but he couldn’t make words come out. Maybe I’m better off jumping off the wall…

  “This is Captain Wright’s younger brother, Darren,” the Bear offered.

  The woman nodded. “I am sorry for your loss,” she said.

  “Thank you,” he muttered, unsure of what to do or how to address her.

  “Now, what idea do you have?” she prompted.

  Darren shook his head. “It’s nothing. Just a stupid story my mother would tell me. I should have…”

  The woman walked to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He wanted to run from her, but a screaming mix of terror and shock held Darren firmly in place.

  “Now is not the time for modesty, Guardsman Wright. Even if it is just a stupid story.”

  “It’s, just, the Guardian,” he stammered. “She used to say the Guardian would protect us if the Nine Realms were thrown from balance again.”

  The woman gave him a weak smile and patted his shoulder. “And that’s how the story goes. The Guardian appears from Earth to strike down the monsters that threaten the safety of the Nine Realms.”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Darren, but we can’t rely on the Guardian. True, the Guardian’s Blade rests in the sanctum here in the Arcane City, but there has been no sign of a Guardian. It’s been at least three hundred years since the blade was last brought to bear. If we’re to stand, then we must do it ourselves.”

  “But, you said…” Darren whispered.

  “I know, but we have to find a way,” she said. “It’s certain death if we don’t.”

  Chapter One - Retired

  Alex Zane took a deep breath and slowly breathed out through his nose. “Yes, sir,” he said, forcing his tone to remain even. “That computer is more designed for gaming, and the one you’re standing in front of would be better for what you need it for.”

  “But this one costs a lot less,” the elderly customer said, squinting at the price tag. “I don’t want to buy something that’s slow.”

  If I have to explain this one more time, I’m going to beat this man to death with a keyboard, Alex thought. “And you won’t. You don’t need a computer built for rendering graphics, and spending six hundred dollars for a tower that has a lot of bells and whistles you don’t need would just be a waste of money.”

  “I’m just not sure…”

  Alex had heard enough. “Sir, I don’t know how else I can explain this to you. You’ve been in here three times this week, and I’ve wasted hours of my life detailing every single facet of every single computer in the entire store. If I was one-tenth as indecisive as you are, I would have died before I had a chance to get my DD-214.”

  “Oh, you were in the military? My son was in the Army. What branch were you in?” the older man asked with a pleasant smile on his face.

  Alex stared at him with slack jawed disbelief. Is this guy serious? “Marines,” he muttered, running a hand through his brown hair. “Look, it’s almost closing time. Are you going to buy anything?”

  The man put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. “No, son, I think I’m going to sleep on it.”

  There’s a shocker, Alex thought, biting his tongue before he yelled at the man. He took a few deep breaths before he trusted himself enough to speak again. “Well, sir, in that case, you have a good evening.”

  “You too, son,” the man cheerily called over his shoulder as he walked to the door.

  Alex closed his eyes and waited for the bell to ring and announce the customer’s departure. Just breathe. He was just an old man. With the tinkling sound, Alex let himself relax, and for a few precious seconds, he stood motionless and listened to the whir of the electronics. The bell rang again, and Alex’s eyes snapped back open.

  “You taking a nap on my dime, Alex?” Max asked with a grin on his face.

  “Never, Tiny,” he said, knowing the big man hated the nickname. “After all, it wouldn’t do me much good to get fired just a couple weeks after you hired me.”

  Max laughed. “No, it wouldn’t.” He studied Alex for a moment. “You look like someone just slapped you. Everything all right?”

  “Yeah, everything’s fine. I just had another fun-filled encounter with our perpetual window shopper,” Alex explained as he rubbed his green eyes. “These people just drive me insane. How many times do I really need to repeat myself? They come in here to buy a computer, but they want me to convince them that it’s what they should do.”

  Max’s smile widened. “That pretty much sums up retail for you. You just need to be a bit more patient with the civilians. You can’t treat them like you would another one of us.”

  Alex sighed. “Things were so much simpler in the Marines,” he lamented. “Go here, do this, kill these people, seize that objective, dig that hole. You only got out two months ago, Max. How do you deal with this so well?”

  “I don’t expect them to think like us. You just have to give them a little more time.”

  “It’s been almost a year since I got out, Max. You think I’d be more used to it by now…”

  Max patted Alex on the back. “Don’t worry about it. Maybe you just need a bit more time before it all clicks for you.”

  Alex shrugged and started shutting the computers down.

  “Hey, you don’t worry about that,” Max said. “I’ll turn everything off and lock up the store. I have some stuff I need to do in the back anyway.”

  “You’re the boss, boss.” Alex stopped turning things off and grabbed his dark green hoodie from behind the shop’s counter. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tiny.”

  “See you tomorrow, Sarge,” Max said as Alex walked through the door.

  Alex glared over his shoulder at the big man, and Max held his hands up defensively. “You started it.”

  “I saved your life multiple times. Don’t make me end it,” Alex said. He stepped from the doorway, and he could hear Max’s booming laughter through the thick panes of shatter resistant glass.

  Lifting his hood to ward off the persistent Pacific Northwest rain, Alex walked down the Seattle streets. His breath fogged in the cold October air as he began the short hike to where he parked. The fall and winter here is much warmer than it was in Chicago, he thought. If only it didn’t rain so much, it would be perfect. There’s always a price for balance, I guess.

  Alex’s eyes scanned every alcove and shadow he passed, and he glanced at every person still out in the late evening to see if they posed a threat. He took
a deep breath and let it out slowly. Relax, man. You’re not in a combat zone. Everything’s fine.

  The intersection he came to had the do not cross light illuminated, and Alex pushed the button to cross. What is up with that guy? he thought, thinking of the customer that kept coming into the store. I haven’t ever seen someone as indecisive as him. How do you think about getting the same thing almost every day but not make a decision? Hell, at least a less ideal decision is better than none at all. Just do something and get on with it.

  The pedestrian crossing light came on, and he walked through the intersection. He turned the corner into the public parking lot and walked toward his car from the passenger side. When he was only a few feet away from it, a man rose from a crouch beside his Sentra and shined a flashlight into the driver’s side.

  What’s he doing? Alex thought as he ran over. The man must have heard his footsteps, and he swung the heavy flashlight.

  Alex easily ducked under the attack and stunned the man’s right arm with two rapid punches, and snatched the flashlight away from his weakened fingers. Before the assailant could respond, the retired Marine darted behind him, grabbed hold of his arm, and pushed down on his shoulder with the flashlight.

  “What the Hell, man?” the man shouted. “Stop! That hurts!”

  “Why were you trying to break into my car?” Alex demanded, pushing down a little harder on his shoulder.

  “I wasn’t! I dropped my keys, then you came running up at me.”

  Alex let go of him and took one wary step back. He wasn’t sure he believed the man and was ready to respond immediately if he needed to. “I thought you were trying to break into my car,” he said, holding out the flashlight for the other man to take.

  “Yeah,” the man snapped as he bent over and snatched the flashlight out of Alex’s hand. “I figured that part out. You’re lucky I don’t call the cops, you psycho.”

  Alex crossed his arms and glared. “You swung a flashlight at someone with no provocation. It’s not my fault you don’t know how fight. Now get out of here before I call the cops and tell them you attempted to assault me with a weapon.” He pointed at the security camera he always parked within view of. “As that camera will attest to.”