Journey into the Darkness

Chuck Galloway

Description

In this fantasy novel, the people of a peaceful land must battle for power with a malicious leader determined to fulfill a dark mission.
When it was silent once again, Melonia looked to the wizard. “So when shall we depart for this journey for which my help is required?”
“We will leave sometime in the next day,” Jollb said. “We are expecting an additional arrival here later today. At the latest tomorrow. If he has not arrived by then, we will still depart, and he will be forced to catch up in a few days.”
“Yes, the dwarf that I have seen,” said the visionary. “You need not worry. He will arrive before we depart. I am sure that we will get to see this attack as well, but you may to not want make your presence here known or else we may tip our hand. Unless you can prevent any from escaping, that is. I think me having seeing these things in action will greatly help in preserving our lives. I like to say that you should never miss the opportunity to learn something about the opponent without them knowing. That is always helpful.”
Jollb smiled at her. “I most look forward to seeing what these strange creatures are that Zarcain has in his service. I do plan to see if I can capture one, and we will see what else he has in store for Demella Mass.”

Sujets

• Imaginaire
• Young Adult Fiction
• Science Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: AuthorHouse
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665569736
• Langue: English

Extrait

JOURNEY INTO THE DARKNESS
THE GATHERING: BOOK ONE
 
 
 
 
CHUCK GALLOWAY
 
 

 
AuthorHouse™
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.authorhouse.com
Phone: [phone]
 
 
 
 
© 2022 Chuck Galloway. All rights reserved.
 
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
 
Published by AuthorHouse 08/29/2022
 
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6972-9 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6974-3 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6973-6 (e)
 
 
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
CONTENTS
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
PROLOGUE
As the sun rose over the mountains, fairies harvested the morning dew that had settled onto the leaves. This was a morning like many others in this quiet, pristine valley. It had been nearly thirty years since terror ruled this land. Many changes had taken place in the aftermath of the revolt against Shadow’s Hand, whose leader was the infamous Zarcain. It was rumored by many that he had been vanquished in the great battle and that Shadow’s Hand was destroyed. All agreed that everyone stood united, vowing that evil would never come to power again. The truth most did not want to believe was among the edges of the light. Peering eyes watched their every move, plotting for when the time would be right to come from the depths where nightmares are born.
CHAPTER 1
A slight autumn breeze came through the woods, rustling branches on the nearby trees. Occasionally, a leaf would drift slowly toward the ground. The forest had started to turn the beautiful colors that accompanied the season. Down the road, a tall man with broad shoulders came strolling. He wore a dark blue wizard’s robe with a deep red stripe down both sides, which made him appear even taller. As he made his way down the cobblestone lane, he approached a clearing where a house made of stone stood to his right.
Surrounding the lot was an iron fence with a rusty gate a few feet right of the center. Nearing the entryway, the man paused to look at the hinges. He carefully pushed the gate open, entered the yard, and watched the gate swing shut without a noise. A small sense of pride swelled within him as he stopped at the garden to admire what he had delicately nurtured. Just prior to entering the house, he paused to look down and noticed a package on the stoop. A smile came across his face as he leaned down and picked it up.
He removed his hat as he entered through the doorway and stowed it on a rack in the corner. After closing the door behind him, he walked past the sitting room on his left, continued past the stairs, and entered the kitchen. He placed the package on the table, pulled the knapsack from his shoulder, and began to empty it. With a wave of his hand, all the items within the sack quickly made their way to their appropriate places.
Then, with package in hand, he strode out of the kitchen and entered the study. Upon entering the room, he looked at the wooden shelves, which stretched down the wall to his right and halfway down the wall behind his desk. To the left of the doorway was a couch with large, soft cushions, two armchairs made with the same materials that stood directly in front of it, matching tables to the side of each chair, and an elongated table in the middle to complete the set.
Once behind the desk, he removed the brown wrapping to reveal the package’s contents. This brought back the man’s smile. Lifting the runes ever so delicately, he scanned through the contents to find six pages total. Taking his seat, he began to read the ancient text. A brilliant beam of light shone through the arching window, illuminating the papers in his hand.
Standing up, he stared through his window, into the rising sun. He was so taken by the sight that memories arose of a past when the warmth was nonexistent, a past that still haunted his dreams. His thoughts lingered on the vital role light had played in the revolt that liberated all people from the oppression of the Shadow’s Hand.
“Ought to be getting back to the translation of these runes,” muttered J ollb, breaking the trance into which he had slipped. “This should prove most worthwhile if they came from where that dwarf claims he ‘found’ them,” he continued as if there were someone in the room. “Ha! Found, he claims. Pfft . Found in someone’s strongbox is more likely—”
“It’s what I said, is it not!” came an angry reply from B althic, who was standing in a corner behind Jollb. Looking at Balthic from the corner of his eye and gesturing toward an empty chair, Jollb invited him to have a seat.
Jollb began, “It is good to see you again, and if you thought I did not know you were in the room—”
“You are only saying that because you were caught foul-mouthing me,” Balthic cut Jollb short, climbing into the chair opposite him.
Jollb paid no attention to the dwarf’s accusation and continued to translate as if he were alone. After a few moments, he said, “Balthic, where exactly did you find these runes? It is of the utmost importance in understanding the context.”
As Balthic contemplated how exactly to answer this question, the various contortions of his face were testament enough. His original tale of finding them under a large stone was, in fact, not true. “Maybe,” started the stout man, “they were in an abandon cabin, but not in a strongbox as you suggest. They were in a chest of drawers beneath some clothing.”
“I thought you said the cabin was abandoned?” questioned Jollb.
“Uh, well, they were old clothes, you know, moth covered and all,” Balthic replied.
Jollb continued to work in silence. Time passed without any conversation. His attention span being much shorter than Jollb’s, Balthic hopped off the chair to wander around the room. Looking up ever so slightly at the disturbance, Jollb eyed the dwarf, who would have to get on the ends of his toes to see over his desk.
He wondered how the stocky man was such an accomplished thief. He had come to accept Balthic’s ability to hide in almost any place. But he was still puzzled by how those thick fingers could ever be so graceful as to remove valuables from their owners with them being none the wiser.
“Well, did ya figure out what those papers are all about yet?” Balthic clamored.
“If I could possibly do this with fewer interruptions, I might make headway,” Jollb said. “You are nearly making me wish I had not addressed you and left you in the corner.”
“Insulted, you mean—” Balthic began, but Jollb cut him off.
“As I clearly stated, I knew you were here,” Jollb said. “When have you ever entered the home of an accomplished wizard without their allowing it?”
“Hundreds of times,” Balthic retorted. “How do you think—”
“You got these?” Jollb finished for him. “Oh, I am almost positive how these were obtained. But I meant an accomplished wizard, not the one to whom these previously belonged.”
“And how would you know who they belonged to?” Balthic asked. “Is his name on them or something?”
“Not exactly,” Jollb replied. “But the manner in which this wizard handles documents of this nature, and the lack of protection left to secure them, reveals much.”
Balthic resumed wandering aimlessly around the study, looking at relics and books of ancient lore. He was careful to handle the delicate objects with the lightest touch, something he was remarkably good at.
“Careful. They might jump right off that shelf and land in your pocket, my friend,” Jollb jested with a chuckle.
“Are you suggesting that I might steal one of your possessions?” Balthic retorted with a bit of annoyance in his voice.
“No, only that not all of the items before you are as lifeless as they seem. In fact, some are quite volatile!” Jollb stated calmly. “Oh, but where are my manners, Balthic? I was so preoccupied with the arrival of the runes that I completely forgot to offer you something to drink.”
Balthic quickly scurried toward the door. “No worries. I will fetch us something from your pantry.”
“That will not be necessary,” Jollb said. With a flick of his wrist, a platter with a large mug of ale and a glass of wine appeared.
Balthic stopped and watched the drinks, which had materialized from thin air. Missing his opportunity to get out of the room, he slowly walked back to s