Frog Realm

George L Babec

Description

   Deep in the jungle, an ancient power awakens. A young man desiring to prove himself looks to the great one before him.

Conqueror. Father.  Deity.

   In Necalli’s world, life is a struggle of glory and sacrifice, and the youthful successor is ready to give everything he has to save his people. But his father, the venerated Ahau, is at heart a man not a god. And he’s been keeping secrets.

   Dark, necromantic forces are rising, for the truth has been discovered. Necalli finds himself heir to a shrouded past, while facing a foe he cannot hope to defeat.

   Waiting in the dark recesses of time for a foretold promise. A weapon of unthinkable power. A beating heart with a burning fire within, struggling to answer the call. Worlds apart, yet drawn to one another. More than an ally yet less than a warrior.Together they must find the will to stand and fight or surrender once and for all to the dark ancient artifice desiring to destroy them.

Sujets

• Reptiles
• Mysticism
• Legends
• Action-adventure
• Sorcerer
• Fairy tale
• Supernatural
• Mystery
• Mystical
• Urban
• Magic
• Mage
• Paranormal

Informations

• Publié par: Microsystem Technologies
• Date de parution: 20 novembre 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780997022261
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

Frog Realm


Frog Realm
Artifact of Protection
A Historical Fantasy Novel
George L. Babec



MSTMicro Publishing
Knoxville, TN
http://www.mstmicro.com
This book is a work of fiction. Outside of historical references; all names, characters, locations, and events are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, or locations are purely coincidental.
Copyright © George L. Babec 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored for retrieval, or transmitted electronically without written permission from the publisher. Only brief quotations for the purpose of printed reviews of the book are permissible.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018913707
ISBN 978-0-9970222-5-4 (paperback)
ISBN 978-0-9970222-6-1 (e-book)
~
First Edition
November 2018


Perception is blind without knowledge.


Honor, Loyalty, and Bravery.


Danger, they’re coming!


Chapter 1
T he air was thin and cool with patches of mist still lingering in the low lying dells of the jungle floor. Monkeys were playing high up in the canopy such that leaves were raining down and twirling in the air around them. Necalli could hardly catch his breath. He arched his back and rose up from the saddle to try to fill his lungs. His heart thumped wildly and the leather reins of his battle horse were moistened by his clammy palms. Every muscle tensed with anticipation and a desire to prove himself in battle to his father, the mighty King Ah-Cacaw, the jaguar, the great Ahau.
He turned his head back to glance at the immense forces that seemed to go on forever behind them, marching to the beat of a percussion of drummers. He could feel the beat of the drums deep in his chest.
The long march from the capital city of Tikal, throughout the night, gave him much time to think but too much time to become anxious. He took in a deep breath of the cool morning air and slowly exhaled.
The king looked over at his brave son sitting upon his horse riding between himself and his most trusted general, Moctezuma. His head held high and his strength shown by the muscles flexing in his arms and his stout chest proudly adorned with the leather sigil and armor of his father’s heritage. The king could not have been more proud for his son had earned the respect of the mighty Moctezuma and had trained harder than anyone he had ever known, yet was humble and empathic.
The king’s mind drifted to the day his wife Nelli finally gave birth to a son to carry on his dynasty. He could still see her beautiful, shining face as she held their newborn son in her arms. For so many years they tried to have a son but child after child only daughters. Maybe that’s why Necalli had compassion toward others being girdled by so many sisters or could it actually be tormented by so many sisters?
Necalli held the hearts of every young lady of the kingdom and the Tenochcan people adored their prince; after all, he was good looking, sweet, and the son of the most loved king that had ever lived. Necalli was proud to ride at the head of the army with his deific father and the fearless General Moctezuma.
As he looked ahead, their pathway opened to a large clearing. Moctezuma gave the order and the conch shells blasted out the command; flags waved, and the powerful Tenochcan Army was deployed across a high sloping knoll, overlooking the vast skeletal armies of the mystical sorceress, Malinche. She plotted against the kingdom, joining with rival nations, and summoned the spirits of the dead to raise her supernatural army using dark ancient artifice. They were summoned by the powers of the nine levels of the underworld. The king could hardly believe the great throng before them. How could this be happening? It’s inconceivable. What power she must have gained since... He feared for Necalli knowing that he was eager to prove himself in actual combat.
Once Malinche learned of the great secret that was hidden from her by the king, she drew on her great powers to deceive the nations and break the peace that the king had fought so hard to gain, for the king was not only a great leader of the Tenochca Kingdom, but he was the protector of the forbidden spring, also known as the spring of life, that was rumored to grant long life and even turn back aging. The king himself was well over a hundred years old, yet he looked and felt as if he was still in his prime.
Malinche desired access to the spring more than anything, for her powers could not sustain her forever. She had to act before she grew any weaker. She used her abilities to entice rival nations to join her in her attempt to come against the great king, even though he had always been fair and was well respected amongst all nations.
Necalli looked down the hillside at the ghastly enemy and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. His body quaked as he tried to come to grips in his mind with what his eyes were seeing. His skin crawled and prickled while he felt sharp tingles all over like he was being bitten by a thousand mosquitoes. He rubbed his arms and felt like he had bugs crawling all over him. He was not alone; the soldiers stood around him with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. They were also reaching down to rub their legs and rear ends like bugs were crawling all over them. Their mouths hung open and their bodies trembled. Many of them threw down their war masks meant to intimidate the enemy for they were of no use here.
Necalli closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed—he opened them again but they were still there. Their putrefying flesh hung from their bones with the stench of death in the air. What little garments they had were rotted and frayed. Most were like a pile of bones walking around aimlessly. One had no jaw and was missing the entire top of its exposed skull with half of its rotted brains hanging to the side and blackened upper front teeth.
The mass was fluently in motion as it seemed they could not stand still. They weaved about across the field, like a flag flowing in the wind, waiting for the order to strike forward. There were so many of them. Necalli looked at his father then Moctezuma. He could see the concern on their faces as well. A cold shiver quaked across his body. He turned his eyes to Moctezuma. “Surely we will prevail?” Moctezuma was in deep thought and said nothing. “Father, we must endow the troops with courage. No army has ever stood against us and lived.”
King Ah-Cacaw looked at his son. “You will remain here with me and the reserve troops.”
“But my Ahau, I mean to do battle.”
“Your time will come, my son, but not today,” the king said with a wavering voice.
“My Ahau, if we are to prevail I need Prince Necalli to lead a regiment of horsemen to flank their position,” Moctezuma said.
“Use anyone you wish to command the flank, but leave my son at my side.” The king peered directly into Moctezuma’s eyes.
“As you wish, my Ahau.” Moctezuma bowed his head, he dared not defy the great jaguar, but the look on his brow was distressing.
Malinche twirled her hand in the air creating green swirls of light that swooshed around her. She thrust her arm forward, the light dissipated out in all directions and the skeletal creatures advanced up the hillside. They scurried so fast, held back by nothing, it was like releasing hungry hounds thirsting for flesh. Moctezuma commanded archers and spearmen to shower the approaching enemy but to no effect. Most just went right through them and others stuck into what little flesh they had, but it was like they had no feeling at all, which meant no remorse, no hesitation.
Moctezuma looked at the king and he nodded at him. He unsheathed his sword and led the advance down the hillside. Each skeletal being that was struck down simply rose again moments later. Again and again they were stuck down just to rise once more. The terrified screams of the Tenochcan Army echoed off the hillside. They were being slaughtered. Necalli could see the devastation, even Moctezuma was growing weak with exhaustion and making no impact against the enemy forces.
“Father, we must do something.”
“Send in the reserve troops!”
Necalli ordered the remaining soldiers to follow him into battle.
“Necalli!” the king shouted. He ordered his son to remain, but Necalli could not contain himself any longer. He unsheathed his sword and began to batter the enemy. He struck at the skeletal creatures and watched as they fell to a pile of bones and then reconstructed themselves. He fought as best as he could, but the enemy continued to advance until they reached his father’s personal guard.
Necalli struck another, and before it could rise again he severed its head and kicked it down the hill. He watched—the creature lay still. He repeated his actions several more times with the same results. He gave order to spread the word that the creatures’ heads must be separated and removed far from their bodies. Hours of fierce battle ensued, but finally the remaining Tenochcan Army began to reap with a strong arm. They annihilated the mindless skeletal creatures that had no true ability and the remaining enemy troops fled into the jungle. All that was left was Malinche’s cavalcade.
Necalli and Moctezuma approached her command wagon and gave order to axe through the wooden doors. Once opened, Malinche tried to conjure a curse against them, but the king’s moormit, Allusshia, armed with the powerful staff of Beesha, blocked her powers. They took Malinche captive, but when they marched up the hill they found the king mortally wounded with a cracked skull. They hurriedly retu