Amid the power struggle for the throne of a vast Empire, mortals and newly born magical gods come into contact for the first time on the Known Worlds
Amid the power struggle for the throne of a vast Empire, mortals and newly born magical gods come into contact for the first time on the Known Worlds. Meanwhile a young boy is swept along with a fierce group of warriors on their expedition to a only recently discovered Wild World where otherworldly dangers and treasures await!
Chapter 1
Awakenings
Deep in the heart of a colossal blue giant star
Something stirred suddenly in the rotating light and fire of the stars core. A little girl clothed in dense layers of blue light, wearing a gleaming white locket around her neck, sat up, slowly coming awake, her eyes popping open to reveal the same blue light that rotated around her; burning in her eyes. She looked around at the star’s heart blazing all around her curiously for a moment before yawning and exploding off into space in a blue blur looking for someplace to play.
The tiny toddler lifted her little fingers out in front of her as she streaked through the void, grasping the liquid fabric of space and time and pushing it out ahead of her, warping it until it formed a tunnel stretching away around her: allowing her to travel across thousands of stars in moments.
***
Planet Kalemia
Northern Continent
Pillus tried his best not to drop the heavy buckets of water, the wooden rod holding them digging into his shoulders, his back burning painfully as he trudged up the steep hill towards his master’s estate dominating the skyline on the hill top above. “I’ll be WHIPPED if I don’t get back on time!” He thought to himself in anxiety, stumbling distractedly, both buckets sliding to the right tipping his slight form over to plop down on his backside.
He sat there beginning to cry, watching helplessly as the water from the buckets ran down the hill, thinking: “great, now I’m gonna get the worst lashing by my master that I’ve gotten in all fourteen sunstrokes of my life!” He wiped his running nose with the back of his thin bony arm as he hugged his knees to himself sitting where he had fallen in the dirt feeling like giving up completely.
Then, suddenly he saw beautiful blue light reflecting in the tiny pools of water left in the buckets, frozen in mid sniffle in shock as he stared at it; his eyes widening as he spun around to stare at the late afternoon sky. There, plummeting through the cloudy sky was a streaking ball of liquid sapphire blue fire, lighting up the clouds sporadically as it blazed toward the ground. Pillus rose to his feet, absently dusting off the burlap rags the noble kids made him wear as he started running down the hill; his dark violet eyes locked on it; the water he was supposed to be fetching for his master completely forgotten.
There was a small plume of blue fire as the fireball slammed into the ground, half a league a way, near where he remembered the ice rapids to be. Taking a deep gulping breath of air in preparation, he broke into a loping run; his growing excitement giving him an intense adrenaline rush as his short brown hair whipped around wildly in the wind. He concentrated on nothing but the rhythmic sound of his gasping breaths as he forced his burning legs to keep churning, feeling exhilaration for the first time in his meek and dreary life.
The hundred span high Kalemian vines streaked by, looming overhead in a thick interwoven canopy, leaving glaringly bright shafts of yellowish white sunlight streaming down through sporadic gaps as he pressed on; beginning to feel his heart pounding in his temples as his body screamed at him to stop and regain his breath. He checked his position, using the towering glacial mountains to his left as a landmark, all locked in ice even in the height of summer. Suddenly he stumbled over a rock as out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of an orb of pulsating white light off to his right.
Slamming into the ground with a high pitched shriek, he sat up moaning spitting out a mouthful of dirt, his dark purple colored eyes locking on the orb immediately. He jumped to his feet his wounds forgotten in growing excitement as he ran over, stumbling up to stand over it; the light beginning to fade: revealing a beautiful pearly white locket.
It lit up the ground around, giving off its own soft white glow, just barely visible in the diminishing daylight within the thorn patch that it lay in. He reached in excitedly cursing in pain and anger as one of the thorny vines whipped out and wrapped around his arm, tightening viciously.
He screamed in pain as he tried to rip his arm back, the thorns sinking deeper into his arm, staring at the locket, appearing blurred through his tears; his brow furrowing in determination. Shrieking in growing agony he reached down as quickly as he could and snatched up the locket with his other hand, jerking it back in fear as more thorns reached for it. He gasped in surprise as the vines surrounding the arm holding the locket pulled away as if injured; the locket suddenly beginning to glow more intensely in his clutched fist: turning his hand a warm red color.
He stared wide eyed down at the luminescent piece of jewelry, holding it up to his other arm and watching in amazement as the thorns uncoiled, slithering away leaving him staring down at it, completely oblivious as blood pumped from his arm through the gaping holes covering it. He reached up and placed the locket around his neck, swaying dizzily from loss of blood; leaving bloody hand marks on the pristine chain as he ran his fingers over the casing for a moment before carefully opening it. His gaze became glassy as if only half awake as the swirling bluish white light within reflected in his eyes. Completely forgotten was the streaking ball of blue fire which had brought him to the vine forest in the first place as he stared down mesmerized, the soft white light coming from the locket growing stronger as unnoticed to him; the wounds covering his arm slowly healed closed.
***
Tikus pulled tight his bow, the muscles under his tan skin tightening as he glanced over at his watching eight sunstroke old son to make sure he was looking, and then retraining his aim at the forest stag grazing on small, thorn less bright red flowering vines covering the forest floor; the foamy white ice rapids: swollen with snow melt blocking its escape. Just as he released the arrow, a ball of blue fire roared past deafeningly overhead, throwing off his shot as he lowered his bow and looked skyward: reaching down to pat his son, Piccus on the head as he felt the child clutching his leg in fear.
He shaded his yellow colored eyes with his hand as the ball of fire slammed to the ground fifty spans away in a large ground shaking explosion, sending a plume of blue fire expanding up into the air. “Piccus, stay here my boy.” He yelled over his shoulder as he broke into a run towards it, overwhelming curiosity filling his mind. He swore in frustration as he heard Piccus following behind him, turning and glaring at him suddenly; stopping him in his tracks, the child’s green eyes going wide with fear; before continuing on through the huge interlacing vines stretching away on all sides.
He stumbled suddenly into a large clearing of devastation created by the explosion, looking around in amazement at the scorched remains of giant vines all around and then he caught sight of something at the center of the blast crater. There within the large crater at the center of the blast zone was a small girl, barely out of infancy, staring curiously up at him, somehow wearing blue light as if it was clothing: her eyes filled with swirling light of the same shade.
“What are you?” He whispered in awe as his wide yellow eyes glanced around at the leveled forest then back at the mysterious child. She cocked her little head to the side in confusion for a moment before giggling, saying: “you talk funny! My name is Taisa, what’s yours?” Tikus just stared down at her dumbly, his jaw hanging open in disbelief as little Piccus ran up beside him, his brown hair fluttering in the breeze; looking up asking: “what is it father?”
“I don’t know son.” He whispered, slowly pulling Piccus behind him as the little girl looked down at her herself frowning in puzzlement before looking up at them asking with a pout: “have you seen my locket?”
***
Pillus stumbled back up the hill towards his sleeping cot in the slave quarters, scarcely taking his eyes off the luminescent pearly surface of the locket, the last rosy light of dusk lighting the sky turning his pasty skin a deep red shade. At the last possible moment, he saw his master rounding the corner of the quarters; hurriedly taking off the locket and shoving it in the folds of his burlap rags. He squeaked in fright, running towards his cot as his master spotted him reaching for his whip with an angry scowl adorning his wrinkled aging face.
He cringed, cowering deeper in his hiding spot in a crawl space behind the wall that he had concealed with a large pale of hay as his master’s booming voice resounded through the paper thin old wooden walls beyond: “you miserable whelp, come out here or I’ll have you fed to the wild hounds!” He covered his mouth, tying his hardest not to make a sound, his eyes clinched shut in anticipation as he listened to the vicious old man lash out in frustration, cursing as he smashed what little tables and clay plates his slaves had before stomping off into the night leaving Pillus alone in the quarters: all of the other slaves having already left for meal time.
He lay in the pile of straw he had strewn in the hiding place absently scratching at the maddeningly itchy folds of his burlap rags as he pulled the locket forth, placing it around his neck once again; the itching ceasing instantly. He gently ran his fingers across the pearly white casing, shimmers of rainbow colored light trailing his caress as if it was reacting to his touch. Suddenly the thought popped into his drowsy mind: “I’m going to run away tomorrow. I’d rather die in the wilderness than live as a slave.” He smiled at that, hoping that his parents would be proud of him in the Realm of the Dead; curling up into a comfortable position and staring down at the fiercely beautiful locket until he nodded off to sleep.
About the author:
C.W. Holcomb's works are based on Ancient Myths and folklore. His first series is heavily based on Scottish Folklore of werebeasts that prowl the primordial forests in the distant past! The first novel of his newest series, Chaos: Worlds Beyond is inspired heavily by Greek Mythology; as well as works by well known authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien and Raymond E. Feist. The works are filled with passion and adventure on an epic scale where the lure of magical treasures incites the characters into traveling to strange and dangerous magical Worlds filled with Nightmarish monsters and sentient arcane artifacts!
Cover Reveal - The young maiden, Marella, was born to the island of Wraidd Elfennol, a place balanced by the four elements of nature – Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The essence of each element contained in sacred artefacts ensuring the balance of life.
The young maiden, Marella, was born to the island of Wraidd Elfennol, a place balanced by the four elements of nature – Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The essence of each element contained in sacred artefacts ensuring the balance of life.
Every year, the community from across the island gather for the Summer Solstice. It is at this celebration the Lords and Ladies of Wraidd Elfennol make an astounding announcement. The sacred artefacts are missing. They then proclaim that four individuals, along with their animal Life Partners, will be selected to restore the balance.
Marella and her otter, Nixie, are chosen because of their link to the element of Water and along with her, three others – each in-tune with a different element.
Together they embark on a quest to either find the missing artefacts or somehow create new ones. As the world around them changes, danger lurks with every challenge the group face. They must hurry as the elements need to be restored before a year and a day have passed.Failure is not an option or the world as they know it will cease to exist.
About the author:
I am a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend and a lover. I am many things, been given many labels but I can say that I am just ‘simple complicated’ me. Always a prolific reader and dabbler in my younger days with short stories, poems and limericks, I am currently working on my first novel ‘Water Weaver’ and I am enjoying the process although it is very different from writing stories as a schoolgirl!
My favourite quote is “You have to “aim high and reach for your dreams”, favourite colour is rich purple and favourite food would be chocolate! My favourite time of day is night-time and I love the moon in all her beautiful phases. My favourite season has always been Autumn/Fall. I love the rain and thunderstorms.
I welcome your company as I walk my path.
18+ In this sequel to The Goddess’s Choice (Reliquary Press, 2012), the Crown Princess Samantha and Sir Robrek struggle to solidify their rule in the aftermath of the king’s murder and Duke Argblutal’s attempt to usurp the throne.
Published: June 25th, 2015
In this sequel to The Goddess’s Choice (Reliquary Press, 2012), the Crown Princess Samantha and Sir Robrek struggle to solidify their rule in the aftermath of the king’s murder and Duke Argblutal’s attempt to usurp the throne. They are thwarted at every turn by those who seek power for themselves and desire to prevent their marriage. Just when they think their problems are solved, a deadly curse begins to spread throughout Korthlundia and Samantha becomes pregnant.
In my sword and sorcery novel, The Soul Stone, Samantha must fight off priests, enemies, and her closest advisors while Robrek discovers the reason the goddess chose him as king, to defeat the Soul Stone, a stone capable of sucking the soul out of its victims, which threatens to obliterate all life in the joined kingdoms. Their archenemy, the Bard Alvabane, awakens the Soul Stone and plans to use its power to reclaim Korthlundia for her people (a people driven out over a thousand years ago by the hero Armunn). Armunn had to sacrifice his life and soul to contain the Soul Stone. Will Robrek have to do the same? Will the young couple have only a few short months to love each other?Although having read The Goddess’s Choice adds depth to The Soul Stone, it is not necessary. The Soul Stone is a complete story of its own.
EXCERPT
Chapter 1
In the palace courtyard, Robrek Angusstamm stirred the cauldron, brewing the potion that would cure Duke Argblutal’s former forces of the mass diarrhea caused by the princess’s supporters in the palace. Argblutal had attempted to usurp Samantha’s throne, and Robrek had just helped her retake it. The potion was ready except for the final ingredient—his magic. Robrek spread his hand over the cauldron and closed his eyes. Pure joy and pleasure flooded his body as his magic flowed out of him. Nothing felt this good. He smiled as he opened his eyes. The potion would provide a nearly instantaneous cure.
Robrek took the ladle from the waiting servant and began ladling out the potion to those waiting. They were bent over from discomfort, and the smell was atrocious. Robrek tried to breathe only through his mouth.
The crowd broke into cries of “Long live Queen Samantha!” He looked up and saw Samantha on the palace balcony. Holy Sulis, she’s beautiful! How can she truly be mine? It still seemed like a dream that they’d been handfasted the night before and that she had spent the night in his arms.
The man in front of him groaned, reminding Robrek of the task at hand. He filled the stricken soldier’s cup. “Thank you, Milord,” the soldier said, startling Robrek with the use of his new title.
Robrek filled another cup, then looked back at Samantha. A servant came forward and bowed. “May I, Milord?” The servant reached for the ladle. Robrek relinquished it, but felt awkward doing so. He wasn’t used to standing around while others worked. He supposed it was just one of many things he’d have to get used to as consort. Can I truly be king? He shook his head at the absurdity of the idea. Only in bards’ tales did peasants become kings, but what had his life been if not a bards’ tale?
Up on the balcony, Samantha raised a hand, and the crowd fell silent. “My people! Duke Argblutal murdered your king and tried to steal my throne. He has suffered the fate Sulis intended for such betrayal. Let us celebrate this victory, achieved with so little loss of life.”
The crowd roared its approval, and Robrek beamed at her. Duke Caedmon stepped onto the balcony beside Samantha, and Robrek frowned slightly. Caedmon disapproved of him, didn’t think him worthy of the princess.
Caedmon removed Argblutal’s head from the pike. Robrek suspected Darhour, the captain of the princess’s personal guard and a former assassin, had put it there. Where is Darhour? Robrek would have expected him to be by Samantha’s side, but the only two guards with her were Bearach and Conroy.
Caedmon raised his hand for quiet. “Let us remember the fate of those who raise their hands against the goddess’s chosen!” Caedmon dropped the head into the midst of the crowd. As the crowd roared and tossed and kicked the duke’s head about, Robrek felt a surge of nausea. For what Argblutal had done he’d deserved to die, but did they have to desecrate his remains?
Samantha’s eyes sought him out in the crowd, and she smiled down at him. Lost in that smile, he forgot everything else.
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About the author:
Jamie Marchant lives in Auburn, Alabama, with her husband, son, and four cats, which (or so she’s been told) officially makes her a cat lady. She teaches writing and literature at Auburn University.
Her first novel The Goddess’s Choice was released in April 2012 from Reliquary Press. She released Demons in the Big Easy in January 2013. The sequel to The Goddess’s Choice, titled The Soul Stone, will be released in June 2015 from Black Rose Writing.
Her short fiction has been published in the anthologies–Urban Fantasy and Of Dragons & Magic: Tales of the Lost Worlds—and in Bards & Sages, The World of Myth, A Writer’s Haven, and Short-story.me.
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