Quest of the Staff and the Sword III

T. K. Kohl

Description

In this riveting third installment of the epic adventure of the Quest of the Staff and the Sword, millions of half-dead soldiers, whom Luke raised from the dead, ensure that Luke's power will grow, with seemingly no one to stop him. But suddenly, a mysterious stranger steps out of the shadows...Has Luke met his true match? T. K. Kohl is as much reader as he is the author of Quest of the Staff and the Sword III: The Dark Kingdom, hoping that his enjoyment writing this saga for young adults comes through to readers. As Luke draws on ancient secrets hidden in a tower to help him establish his places as Dark Lord, readers will feel the darkness of Quest of the Staff and the Sword III around them, but also the light of hope along the way.

Sujets

• Fantastique
• Epic Fantasy
• Epic
• Fiction
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: Outskirts Press
• Date de parution: 27 juin 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781977215185
• Langue: English

Extrait

Quest of the Staff and the Sword III The Dark Kingdom All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2019 T.K. Kohl v2.0
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Outskirts Press, Inc. http://www.outskirtspress.com
ISBN: 978-1-9772-1518-5
Cover Photo © 2019 gettyimages.com . All rights reserved - used with permission.
Outskirts Press and the "OP" logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Table of Contents
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1
A shield of darkness covered the whole earth. Darkness, which can be felt. All light consumed. Even in the noon hour, no light is given from the heavenly orb. The blackness weighed heavy on the world of man. The soul of Death saturated the earth.
Along the ridge, twelve horses journeyed through the dark. The riders wore hooded long leather coats and carried torches to light their way. The horses galloped at full speed to the north, barely slowing to make their turn. They rode down the trail passing behind the curtain of fog, which covered the valley below. They turned to the north and deeper into the ghostly murkiness that surrounded them.
One of the riders stopped and dismounted. The hooded person walked forward and stood on the edge of a pentagram. Inside each point of the pentagram, were five blood covered stone tables. The remains of sacrificed humans still lie on top. The smell of death filled the air. The rider knelt down and bowed her head. The other riders dismounted and joined the first, bowing their heads in honor of the dead.
One rider stood and proclaimed. "Out of this death the mountain fell. The lost tower exposed. An army of death arose. The world was covered in darkness. No light exposed. We have left the land that is filled with light. We must hurry before the Dark Lord knows."
The other riders stood and followed the first. They walked through the vapor up to a gorge. They moved along the gorge until they came to a stone bridge. They ran across the bridge reaching the base of an ancient tower. They entered the tower through an open passage. They walked to the base of stairs, which encircled the interior walls.
They ran up the stairs on the inside of this archaic tower. The group came to a trapdoor, which had recently been unsealed. They climbed into the large musty room. To one side was an open door. The riders walked onto a ramp, which led to the apex of this tower. The fog-covered valley gave the appearance this ancient tower floated on clouds.
They re-entered the large room. They walked up stairs into a smaller room. The twelve gathered inside this small room filled with thousands of scrolls and tablets. One of the riders walked forward to the opposite corner of the room. She knelt down and examined a stack of scrolls and tablets. The woman pointed towards the stack. "This is what we came for. Grab these and let’s get out of here."
Each rider filled their backpacks with tablets and scrolls. Each rider pulled the straps of the backpacks over their shoulders. They exited the room leaving behind the many thousands of tablets and scrolls, not needed for their purpose.
The riders ran across the large room to the spiral stairway. Moving as one, the riders quickly traversed the stairs before exiting the tower. The riders stepped into the dark mist, which covered the land. They quickly made their way across the stone bridge. The riders leaped onto their horses.
The riders rode along the cliff until they found the trail, which leads up to the ridge. Their speed did not subside upon reaching the top of this ridge. The horses turned towards the west heading for home. After several hours of travel, the riders stopped for the night.
Everyone dismounted. Wood was gathered. The fire came to life. The riders remained silent as they gazed into the fire.
Elizabeth Elias looked around the fire. Next to her, sat her nine-year-old daughter, Nikki Elias. Nikki had watched her parents be shot dead before her eyes. John, Elizabeth’s husband, had adopted her as his own daughter. Through her marriage to John, Nikki had become her daughter.
Her parents, Marion and Henry Jedidiah, sat next to Nikki. Next to them, her friends, Gabe and Stephanie Katriel, then Mike and Madeline Gideon, and then Mark and Christine Franc stared into the fire. Knaramor sat to Elizabeth’s left watching over Elizabeth.
Across from the fire, Mikhael, the leader of the Malaikat stared at Elizabeth. The Malaikat are winged people who serve the world of man. Mikhael pulled back his hood. He looked around the camp. "You should get rest. We need not stay out from the protection of the Wall of Fire, for too long."
Henry stood. "I don’t get this." He turned to his daughter. "Elizabeth, why are we out here gathering tablets and scrolls anyway?"
Mikhael stood. "When that tower was sealed, it would not be opened until the season of The One. The One must use these tablets and scrolls to assist him in his quest."
Henry threw up his hands. "In case you didn’t notice, The One was killed a few days ago. His body was completely destroyed." Henry turned to Elizabeth and pointed towards Nikki. "Elizabeth, you’re not going to believe a little girl’s fantasies are you?"
Elizabeth looked at Nikki. She stood. She looked into her father’s face. "Dad, look around you. We are surrounded by a darkness that is covering the entire world. Right now we should be watching a sunset, but instead it’s darker than night. We’ve seen many strange things. All that you see is not as it seems. Yes, I do believe John is alive."
Mike leaped to his feet. "Come on, Elizabeth. We watched him die. We watched his body be eaten by those sick bastards. They even crushed his bones into powder. John is dead. The One is dead. There is no hope."
Elizabeth bowed her head. She looked into everyone’s faces. Tears came to her eyes. "Mike, I believe in John. It’s time for all of you to believe in him."
Mike laughed. "Your husband is dead, Elizabeth. You need to get over it. We have a land filled with people that needs us. We don’t need someone leading them who is holding onto the idea their dead husband is still alive. And we don’t need to be going out on silly excursions, putting our lives in danger."
Nikki stood. She looked at everyone’s faces. She turned to Elizabeth. "Do not argue with him, mommy. Those who only choose to look with their eyes will never see the marvelous things you and I have seen." Nikki lay on the ground, wrapped her coat around her, and closed her eyes.
Elizabeth looked into everyone’s faces, shook her head, and walked to the edge of the camp. She leaned against a rock and stared into the darkness. She heard a sound behind her. She turned. Knaramor stood behind her. Elizabeth looked up at the tall dark-skinned man. "Yes, Knaramor, what can I do for you?"
Knaramor bowed his head. "Before he died, John gave me one task. That was to make sure you were protected. I will not fail him." He looked into Elizabeth’s face. He smiled.
Elizabeth turned away. She looked out at this dark void, which covered the entire earth. "Do you believe he’s dead?" Elizabeth turned to Knaramor. She watched his face in the glow of the fire.
Knaramor bowed his head. "My eyes watched him die." He looked towards the camp. "Sometimes a child can see things better than us adults." He turned to Elizabeth. "If you had asked that question five years ago, I would have said yes. John showed me he was more than my eyes were seeing. My pride nearly destroyed my life. I will not allow pride to keep me from seeing my friend again."
Elizabeth smiled. She gave him a kiss on his cheek. She walked over and lay next to Nikki. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
When Elizabeth awoke, she opened her eyes. She looked up into darkness. Nikki leaned over her face and gave her a kiss. "It’s sad, mommy."
Elizabeth looked at Nikki’s tear-filled eyes. "What’s sad, Nikki?"
Nikki looked up at the sky. "We can’t see the sunrise. The world can’t see the sunrise. How will the world be renewed?" She looked into Elizabeth’s face. "We can’t lose our hope, mommy." Tears ran down Nikki’s cheeks.
Elizabeth sat up. She pulled Nikki into her arms. Nikki held up a rose. "Daddy left this for you, mommy. He removed the thorns so you won’t prick your fingers."
Elizabeth smiled. She put the flower to her nose. "Where did you get this rose, Nikki?"
Nikki looked into her eyes. "I told you, daddy left it for you. He said he loves you and will see you soon."
Elizabeth smiled. She gave Nikki a kiss. She turned. Her mother was lying nearby staring at her. Elizabeth stood.
Marion leaped to her feet. "I know Nikki may be having a hard time coping with the loss of John, but you need to start helping her understand. John is dead."
Elizabeth smiled at her mother. "Why are you certain he’s dead? I believe he’s alive and Nikki believes he’s alive. One day you will see." Elizabeth turned.
Marion grabbed her arm. "You need help, Elizabeth. I’m sure we can find a psychiatrist somewhere in Quoin Ataraxis. They can talk to you and help you get over the death of John."
Elizabeth laughed. She walked around Marion. She walked over to a ro