The Ring Keeper, page 1
Other Books by the Author
War's Ending
The Ring Keeper
Copyright © 2022 A.J. Park
Cover illustration © 2022 by Mark Gerber
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Books published by Emerald Lake Books may be ordered through your favorite booksellers or by visiting emeraldlakebooks.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Park, A. J. (Ann Jensen), 1976- author.
Title: The ring keeper / by A.J. Park.
Description: Sherman, Connecticut : Emerald Lake Books, [2022] |
Summary:
After twenty years of peace, the Shekkar demons are back and hunting Ana, an orphaned girl who holds an enchanted healing ring created by her grandfather, the wizard Zarekathus, which may be the key to overcoming the demons--but the Shekkar are not the only threat to Ana.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022035977 (print) | LCCN 2022035978 (ebook) | ISBN 9781945847622 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781945847639 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Demonology--Juvenile fiction. | Wizards--Juvenile fiction. | Magic--Juvenile fiction. | Rings--Juvenile fiction. | Orphans--Juvenile fiction. | Adventure stories. | CYAC: Demonology--Fiction. | Wizards--Fiction. | Magic--Fiction. | Rings--Fiction. | Orphans--Fiction. | Adventure and adventurers--Fiction. | LCGFT: Fantasy fiction. | Action and adventure fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.P3587 Ri 2022 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.P3587 (ebook) | DDC 813.6 [Fic]--dc23/eng/20220906
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022035977
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022035978
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Allia
Granddaughter of Zarekathus
Caldoreth
First Emperor of Sarine, father of twin sons Callonen and Haldreth
Callonen
Caldoreth’s eldest son, heir to the empire of Sarine
Cirana (“Ana”)
A girl from the village of Bright Springs, Allia’s daughter
Dane
Zarek’s longtime friend, one of Sarine’s soldiers
Gavin
Member of the Emperor’s Guard
General Gray
Leader of Sarine’s armies
Hal
One of Sarine’s sergeants, friend of Zarek
Haldreth
Caldoreth’s youngest son
Harrow
Talon’s second-in-command
Mara
Head of household for Caldoreth
Mirithel
Talon’s wife, Zarek’s mother
Renard
Member of the Emperor’s Guard
Rosie
Innkeeper from Hale Grove, friend of Zarek
Talon
Captain of the Emperor’s Guard, Callonen’s best friend, Zarek’s father
Tess
Head of household for Callonen, Allia’s best friend
Toren
Member of the Emperor’s Guard, Cirana’s bodyguard
Zarek
Talon and Mirithel’s son, Captain of the Emperor’s Guard
Zarekathus
The wizard who helped Caldoreth found Sarine, Allia’s grandfather, Cirana’s great-grandfather
PROLOGUE
Year of Warding 15, Empire of Sarine
RAYS OF AFTERNOON SUN shone through the workshop’s windows onto his bench, the light illuminating the silver. It had taken years for Zarekathus to create the enchantments built into the ring. Now, with two taps of his hammer, he completed the final symbol engraved inside the band. The clear green stone set into the ring glittered in the sunlight. It was as powerful as it was beautiful. Placing it carefully in a small wooden box, he closed the lid. He had finally succeeded in creating a defense against the Shekkar’s deadly poison. After all these years, there would be a cure.
Once they’d had a chance to test its function, Zarekathus could duplicate the ring. He would present it to Emperor Caldoreth and give him the task of finding a suitable person to wear it. It would have to be someone with great strength, so the ring didn’t drain too much energy from them, but also someone who possessed great caring, because their determination to help others would empower the ring to work.
Zarekathus still held the box containing the enchanted ring when the door crashed open. He turned to see a tall man in a long, dark cloak with a hood shadowing his features. Zarekathus didn’t need to see the man’s face to recognize his old enemy. The air between them sizzled and crackled with power.
The man in the cloak didn’t speak as he strode into the room. He offered no warning before his attack. A surge of power charged at Zarekathus, smashing against his hastily conjured shield. Defending and attacking, he fought for his life.
One of the sudden attacks drove through his defenses, and Zarekathus felt the power drive into his body like a blade. Blood soaked his shirt. He heard a ringing in his ears, and his vision blurred. Desperately, he gathered his own attack, and when he heard his enemy grunt in pain, he knew he’d succeeded. He sent another attack after the first, this time driving the other wizard to his knees.
But the cost had been high. His assault had allowed his enemy’s power to strike him again, and he felt a burning pain in his chest. Zarekathus couldn’t stay upright and found himself on the floor as the dark wizard got back to his feet.
No. He couldn’t leave his enemy to go on with his work of conquest and destruction. He must be stopped. Zarekathus gathered the remains of his power and sent a final attack. When it found its mark, the tall man in the cloak collapsed lifeless to the floor, blood pouring from a rent in his side.
Zarekathus heard footsteps as his granddaughter ran through the door, her eyes wide with horror at the destruction that had once been his workshop. Her gaze landed on him.
He tried to speak. He didn’t want her to see him like this. But Zarekathus couldn’t get the words out.
Allia ran to him. “Grandfather! No! What did he do to you?” She gathered her apron into a ball and pressed it against his wound. Tears streaked her face.
Zarekathus could no longer see his fallen enemy. All he could see was Allia as she bent over him, crying. “Allia,” he tried to tell her. The ring can heal. The ring… He held out his hand with the box still in it.
He blinked at her, and she was calling him, but her voice came from a long way away.
PART ONE: FLIGHT
CHAPTER ONE
Year of Warding 38, Bright Springs, Kethel
Ana
TRAVELERS RARELY USED the rutted dirt track running past the only inn in Bright Springs. But all morning, carts and wagons rolled along. Ana could see them through the windows as she cleaned the tables and swept the floors. The harvest had just begun. It was too soon for anyone to be taking their crops to market, and it made little sense for so many to be traveling.
By midday, the inn was packed with villagers and travelers, and the room was bustling with conversation. No one wanted a room for the night, but they all wanted a meal. In the kitchen, Tari was preparing food as fast as she could. Ana ran back and forth with orders, coins and heavy trays laden with food. Fergen would be pleased. This might be the most profitable day the innkeeper had ever had.
Fergen entered the common room, his gray hair and stocky frame familiar among the crowd of strangers. He led another group to the last empty table. “Why are so many people on the road today?”
Ana hurried over to take their order.
“I’m not staying in Gildan,” a big bearded man in the worn clothes of a farmer was telling the innkeeper. “Harvest or no harvest. My grandfather lived in the old kingdom more than sixty-five years ago. He was there when it fell. If the same thing is happening here, we want no part of it.”
“The same thing?” Fergen asked. “What are you talking about?”
“The village of Gildan was attacked,” the man growled. “And the day after, anyone who had gotten even a scratch was burning with fever. They were poisoned. I’m not the only one who remembers what happened in the dark times. It was the Shekkar.”
The room froze. One of the villagers dropped a mug, and it broke on the floor. A terrified silence replaced the voices.
“Are you telling me the Shekkar attacked Gildan?” Fergen finally asked into the ringing silence.
“They came in the middle of the night. We didn’t see them, but I know it was them!” The man faced Fergen.
“How? The Shekkar haven’t been seen for nearly forty years. Not since Caldoreth destroyed them with his enchanted sword. Who could have brought them back?”
The bearded man shook his head. “I don’t know who, but someone did. In the north, there have been rumors of them for years, but they’ve never come anywhere near here, until now. They attacked Gildan, and I’m not waiting around for them to come after my family.” He waved a big hand at his wife and children, clustered around the table. He nodded toward the road, where wagons were still rolling along. “I’m not the only one who thinks so. We’ve worked all year for this harvest, and it makes me sick to leave before we can bring it in. But I’d rather abandon it than be dead.”
His words echoed around the room. The unnatural stillness dissipated slowly as the crowd resumed eating and talking. Their voice
Hours had passed before Ana and Fergen finished serving the midday meal. The inn’s kitchen was empty of food save for a few scraps and an enormous stack of dirty dishes. Ana found Tari surveying the pile, a look of dismay on her kind face.
“What a day,” the cook exclaimed. “We’d better clean these quick. There will be more customers here tonight. Can you work on them while I start some meat roasting?”
Ana tied back her hair and was busy at the washbasin when Fergen came in, running a hand through his gray hair. “Did you ever see such a crowd?”
“Not in Bright Springs,” Tari answered. “Did you find out where they’re going?”
Fergen glanced at Ana and gave the cook a warning look.
Ana turned from washing dishes to face him. “You don’t have to hide anything. I heard what they were saying.” She was sixteen, no longer a child who would wail and cry in fright. “What are the Shekkar?”
At the word, Tari dropped the dish she was drying onto the floor, where it landed with a loud clatter.
Fergen took a deep breath, his lips tight, and his face unsmiling. “They’re demons.”
When the dishes were finally finished and Fergen gave her permission to take a break, Ana left the kitchen and walked up the hill into the woods. It was quiet here. She craved the silence of the trees after the noise and bustle of the inn.
A little way up the hill, she came to her favorite oak tree. Over the years, she’d climbed it so many times that she had worn the bark on its limbs smooth from finding the same handholds over and over again. The late afternoon sun filtered down through the leaves and made a pattern of light and shade on her skin as she sat in the wide fork between the branches, hidden from sight. This had been her secret place as a child, and it was still a haven of peace and solitude for her.
Beyond the edge of the woods, she could see houses and bits of the fields where farmers brought in their harvest. Nothing could be heard but the tranquil murmur of oak leaves in the breeze.
She wanted to stay until the sun set, but Fergen expected her back in time to help with the dinner rush. It had been the same every night for the nine years she’d lived at the inn, though today had been far busier than usual. Fergen, the kind old innkeeper, had taken her in, a child alone in the world, after her grandmother died.
In the stillness, Ana heard the distinct sound of footsteps beneath the tree. Was it one of the boys from the village? She looked down through the branches.
Two strangers were walking between the trees, pausing every few steps to bend low and look at the ground. Ana knew everyone in Bright Springs, and she’d never seen these men before. Were they part of the crowd of travelers today? If that was true, what were they doing in the woods?
Silently, she watched them. They wore packs on their backs, confirming her guess that they were traveling. The one with dark hair knelt on the ground, looking at something. The other had light hair that hung in unruly waves. “Are you sure?”
The kneeling man looked up from the ground. He frowned behind a short dark beard, and his brows were pulled together in worry. “The tracks are clear. No human made these. You can see the marks of their claws in the soil. They’re here.”
He stood, and Ana’s eyes widened as she stared at the long blade at his side. She realized the other man wore one strapped across his back, the hilt sticking out above his pack. No one in Bright Springs wore a sword. She’d never seen weapons that big before.
“When?” The man with light hair rubbed the back of his neck.
“They look fresh. I’d say, last night.”
“It’s this town, then. It has to be. They passed through Gildan on their way here. Everyone in this place is in danger. If they were here last night, they’ll be back as soon as it gets dark. She must be here, and we have to find the girl before they do.” He turned and took a step away.
The dark-haired man shook his head. “Not the town. Here. The tracks are everywhere around this tree.” He pointed to several places surrounding the oak. He paused, looking down toward the inn. That was the way Ana had come. He bent down, examining the ground. “These tracks don’t match the others. Someone walked here.”
Peering down between the branches, Ana watched him. He examined her tracks along the path she’d taken from the inn into the woods. No one had ever bothered to follow her before. She wasn’t important enough, unless it had something to do with her secret.
Ana possessed a strange ring. It was silver, set with a sparkling green gem. Peculiar symbols marked the inside of the band. On her deathbed, her grandmother had warned Ana never to tell anyone about it. All these years, she’d worn the ring on a leather cord around her neck, hidden beneath her clothes. It was a constant reminder of the secret, but until now, she hadn’t given much thought to her grandmother’s warning. She pressed her hand against the stone. It felt strange, like the ring had a life of its own.
The men followed her tracks a little way down the hill. Ana breathed a sigh of relief as they went away. Then they turned and came back to the base of her oak. “See the tracks there. They come right to the tree.”
Ana pressed herself against the bark, out of sight. These men were following her, and from their conversation, they weren’t the only ones. Her stomach tightened. All the talk in the inn that day ran through her mind. Now strange tracks had led these men to this very spot. No one but Ana ever came here.
One of the men climbed the tree. Ana heard his boots against the bark and the soft sound of his breath expelling as he pulled himself up. Soon, he appeared between the branches, and they stared at each other. Her eyes darted to his shoulder wondering if he still carried his sword, but he’d taken it off with his pack before he climbed the tree. He wore a dagger at his belt, but his hands were nowhere near the hilt.
Up close, he looked barely older than the village boys who worked in the fields. His expression seemed friendly. He had a straight nose and a strong jaw covered by a short beard.
“Who are you? And why are you following me?” she demanded. She didn’t know these men. Maybe they were dangerous.
Seating himself on a branch, the young man raised his empty hands palm out in a nonthreatening gesture. “I’m sorry I startled you. Please, don’t be afraid,” he said. His voice sounded kind. “I’m trying to find someone. She’s in danger, and we came to help.”
Ana stared back at him. That wasn’t what she’d been expecting him to say. What was he talking about? It almost sounded as if he knew about the secret. Grandmother had been very clear that Ana should tell no one because it was dangerous. Something terrible had been pursuing Ana years ago when she was a baby. Could it be the same thing that had left tracks all around her tree?
“Do you wear a ring? Silver, set with a green stone?”
Ana’s eyes widened. How could he know about it? Was he a friend or an enemy?
She stared back into his eyes and held up her hands. “No. This village is too poor for anyone to wear jewelry.”
He returned her gaze. “I know it’s a secret. But if you or someone you know has the ring, you’re in great danger.” He looked at her with serious gray eyes. “My name is Zarek.” Pointing to his friend on the ground, he continued, “That’s Dane down there. May I ask your name?”
There was no way she would tell him her real name. “Ana.”
Zarek met her eyes. His expression was earnest. “I promise we would never hurt you, Ana. We came to help. There are dangerous things in this world, and we’ve sworn an oath that when we find the girl with the ring, we will protect her and take her to safety. Do you believe me? We only want to help.”
She stared into his eyes and nodded toward the ground. “Tell me what made those tracks.”
He looked as if he didn’t know what to say. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “Shekkar. Demons.”
