The Outlander War

Mark Piggott

Description

It is an island frozen in time and space. For more than 3,000 years, the island of Avalon remained hidden from the outside world; a place of eternal magic, where the descendants of King Arthur ruled over a land filled with magical creatures, Elves, Dwarves and dragons. The island was only accessible through a rift in the Bermuda Triangle, where mariners and aviators disappeared throughout history. No one believed Avalon was anything but a myth.In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in the heart of a naval exercise, Avalon suddenly reappeared, causing disruptions on both fronts. The US Navy, now circling the mysterious island, wants answers. On Avalon, they fear Outlanders would intrude on their home; and caught in the middle of it all is Lord Bryan MoonDrake, the Gil-Gamesh of Avalon, Knight Eternal and champion of the magical realm.The Gil-Gamesh was once a US Navy sailor, lost at sea in a freak storm, who found his way to Avalon. After his family followed him to the island, they decided to stay and make this their home. Now they are torn between loyalty to their new home and compassion for their old one.The tensions build as modern technology faces off against ancient magic on an island where the laws of magic supersede the laws of science, causing mechanical weapons to falter and shut down. As military forces continue to surround the mysterious island, bringing both sides to the brink of war, an ancient evil arises from within, one that has been seeking the throne of New Camelot for three millennia.

Sujets

• Fantasy (canción de Mariah Carey)
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Date de parution: 28 février 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781528963237
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

The Outlander War: Book 3 of the Forever Avalon Series
Mark Piggott
Austin Macauley Publishers
2020-02-28
The Outlander War: Book 3 of the Forever Avalon Series About the Author Dedication Copyright Information © Acknowledgment Prologue The Battle of Camlann Chapter 1 Avalon Returns Chapter 2 A Gathering of Forces Chapter 3 Negotiations Between Worlds Chapter 4 Evil from the Shadows Chapter 5 A Prelude to War Chapter 6 Magic vs. Technology Chapter 7 A Prophecy Revealed Chapter 8 The Invasion of Avalon Chapter 9 The Ascension of the Elves Chapter 10 The Battle of Alfheimer Chapter 11 The Three Dragons Epilogue The Path to Nidavellir
About the Author
Mark Piggott, a native of Phillipsburg, NJ, enlisted in the US Navy in 1983 and began a 23-year career. He served on three aircraft carriers and various duty stations as a Navy Journalist before he attained the rank of Chief Journalist. He retired from active duty in 2006. His first novel, Forever Avalon , was published in 2009, followed by his second novel, The Dark Tides , in 2014. He and his wife, Georgiene, live in Alexandria, Virginia. They have three children.
Dedication
To my heroes: My dad, William Piggott, and my grandfather, William Davis.
Copyright Information ©
Mark Piggott (2020)
The right of Mark Piggott to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781528920889 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781528963237 (ePub e-book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2020)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
Acknowledgment
I would like to thank my friend and fellow writer-editor, Michael Stettes, for helping me edit my novel. It always takes another writer to point out the spelling errors and grammar mistakes you missed. I also want to thank Adam Aldrich, a talented young artist who helped to inspire the design for my book cover. He was able to capture what was in my head through a conversation over ‘Twitter’. That’s just incredible.
Prologue

The Battle of Camlann

The field was strewn with the dead: Warriors felled by sword, axe, spear and shaft. Blood pooled on the ground like an open wound, but there were no winners this day. Only death triumphed. Camlann sat near the western coast of Wales in Britain. This was the last stand by Mordred and those forces loyal to his sorceress mother, Morgana le Fay, against King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
The Battle of Camlann was the final conflict between King Arthur and Mordred. The two combatants lay side-by-side on the ground, both men mortally wounded by the other. Morgana’s spell may have kept her son young and beautiful, but the power of Excalibur had cut easily through that enchantment.
As Sir Percival ran to his monarch’s aid, Mordred crawled away, not wanting to wait for the last of the Knights of the Round Table to finish him off.
Percival dropped his sword and lifted Arthur’s head onto his lap. “My liege,” he cried. “I am here, Your Majesty.”
“Percival, listen to me,” King Arthur groaned. “Take Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. It must not fall into the wrong hands!” He gave the sword to Percival, placing the hilt firmly in his hands. “You must do this for me.”
Percival nodded his head as tears began to roll down his face. “I will, my King! I will,” he assured him. Arthur smiled, his mind at ease, then coughed violently. Blood spewed from the King’s lips and spattered across Percival’s breastplate.
“Find Mordred, Percival,” Arthur choked out. “He must not be allowed to take the throne of Camelot. You must…” King Arthur coughed again and gasped for air. Percival did his best to comfort his dying friend.
“Do not fear, milord. For if there is breath in my body, he will never sit on the throne. This, I swear!”
King Arthur took one last breath and became still, his eyes staring into the stars above as he died in the arms of his most loyal knight. Percival cried and closed the King’s eyes before setting him gently down on the ground.
He looked over to Excalibur and knew he had a promise to keep. Percival reached for the sword, but it was suddenly scooped up by the hands of Merlin the Magician, who had approached unnoticed during the King’s passing. The sorcerer and advisor looked regal in his flowing robes and long white hair and beard. He took the sword and, without a word to Sir Percival, walked steadily toward the top of a nearby hill.
“Merlin, what are you doing?” Percival screamed, as he leapt to his feet. “I must return Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. It was the King’s final command.”
Merlin said nothing. He quickened his pace to the reach the hilltop, walking past the bodies of the dead knights. Percival became infuriated. He ran up and grabbed the wizard by the arm.
“Dammit, Merlin, answer me!” he commanded. Merlin spun around and pointed his staff at Percival to ward him off. The twisted shaft of Wyche elm had three branches at its top, resembling a trident, with crystals of rose, smoky and white quartz embedded in them respectively. The crystals glowed, magical energy flowing among them, warning the knight to stay away.
“We don’t have time, Sir Percival,” said the wizard. “I must act quickly to save us all.”
Merlin turned away, his beard swaying with each step, as he continued his pace. Percival was confused by Merlin’s statement. “Time for what? Merlin, what do you mean?” he shouted, as he chased after him.
“The age of magic is coming to an end, and so is our world,” he explained. “With Arthur’s death, the magic that fills our realm is already starting to fade. I must act quickly if I am to stem the tide.”
“But how?” Percival asked. “How can you do that?”
“There is a spell, one of the first ever written,” Merlin explained. “If I focus that spell through Excalibur , it will summon and collect all world’s magic together in one place.”
“But where, Merlin? Where are you sending it?”
Merlin stopped at the summit. “To Avalon, my boy! To Avalon! There, I will hide all magic, all magical creatures, beings and objects from the rest of the world.”
The wizard raised his staff high before slamming it into the ground in front of him. He took Excalibur and situated the hilt between the branches, allowing blade to hang down from the staff. Then Merlin stood behind his creation and began chanting an ancient spell in a language unknown to this day and age. He repeated the words over and over into a perfect rhythm and soon, magic began to pour from the ground around him, swirling into a vortex of magical energy.
Percival stood back and watched the ritual unfold before him. The magic around Merlin grew brighter and brighter as the spell reached its zenith.
“No!” shouted a voice from behind. Percival drew his sword and spun around to see Mordred charging up the hill, bloodied and wounded from his fight with King Arthur. His blonde hair was dirty and matted, but his golden armour—a gift from his mother to protect him from harm—shone flawlessly in the glow of Merlin’s magic.
“I will have Excalibur ,” Mordred shouted. “By birthright, I am now King!”
Percival stepped forward. “You will never be King, Mordred. My descendants and I will always stand between you and the throne.”
“You will not stop me, Percival,” Mordred said, bristling with anger as he drew his sword. “No matter where you go, I will take Excalibur in my hands. I will sit on Arthur’s throne. I will be King! ”
Percival leapt at Mordred, swinging his sword down in a crushing blow, but Mordred blocked the attack with surprising strength given his injuries. As steel clashed, Merlin maintained his concentration chanting until the magic that surrounded him exploded in a brilliant flash of light. Instantly, the three men disappeared. And they weren’t the only ones. Across England and around the world, everyone and everything touched by magic vanished—just as Merlin had intended—and over time, faded into myth and legend, never to be seen again.
Or so he thought.
Chapter 1

Avalon Returns

Captain Larry Rich sat in his chair on the bridge of the USS Theodore Roosevelt , savouring a fresh cup of coffee as he watched the flight deck crew scrambling to get ready for the first launch of the day. As the captain of an aircraft carrier, he commanded more than 6,000 sailors on one of the largest warships afloat.
Rich reflected on this past year. He recently had taken command of the warship, back at sea for the first time after an extended shipyard overhaul and carrier qualifications. The ship was operating in the Caribbean as part of ‘Global Triad’, a joint exercise with combined US and South American forces. This was the first major exercise of combat readiness for the ship and Captain Rich wanted to make sure there were no hiccups on deck. As a former ‘Air Boss’ of an aircraft carrier, he knew what it took to keep the action on deck moving, so he expected the same from his crew.
The only thing Larry hated about the exercise was its location. Call him superstitious, but he never liked flying or sailing anywhere near the Bermuda Triangle. This notorious stretch of ocean had long plagued mariners and pilots due to reports of countless, strange disappearances happening there.
For Larry, it was personal. He lost a good sailor—and the sailor’s family—to the Triangle. Chief Bryan Drake worked for Captain Rich as Air Boss on USS George Washington . He mentored and moulded Bryan into being one of the top sailors in