Heretic Spellblade 5, page 1
HERETIC SPELLBLADE 5
K.D. ROBERTSON
Copyright © 2022 by K.D. Robertson
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and events are the product of imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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CONTENTS
Maps!
Character List
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
Thanks for reading!
Books by K.D. Robertson
MAPS!
The following page has a map for the immediate area of the story. Check out the link below for a detailed map of the entire archipelago that the series takes place in.
You can find the full versions at:
https://www.kdrobertsonbooks.com/heretic-spellblade-maps/
CHARACTER LIST
This epic fantasy series has a lot of characters, so this list gives a very brief bio of notable characters relevant to this book. Refer back as necessary.
NATHAN AND CHAMPIONS
Nathan Straub—protagonist; Bastion; originally Nathan Martel; human; mid-30s; unkempt black hair
Jafeila “Fei”—two sapphire gems; cat beastkin; trigem Champion in original world; long black hair, bushy black tail and cat ears, green eyes, very large bust and hips
Sen—possessed by an ifrit; Nathan’s Champion in original world; mid-length brown hair that is turning red, red eyes, wears a red coat over her uniform
Ciana—two diamond gems; unicorn beastkin; Nathan’s Champion in original world; platinum blonde ponytail, blue eyes, iridescent horn, horse’s tail and ears
Sunstorm—two onyx gems; from Kurai; Nathan’s Champion in original world; spiky black hair, hazel eyes, olive skin
Seraph—two jade gems; from Kurai; did not exist in Nathan’s original world; long black hair, olive skin, dark blue eyes
Narime—two sapphire gems; mystic fox from Kurai; trigem Champion in original world; six silver fox tails, bright blue eyes, long silver hair and fox ears
Nurevia—two amethyst gems; dark elf; Nathan’s Champion in original world; masochistic; dark skin, long lavender hair, purple eyes, wears revealing outfits
Astra—three iridescent opal gems; dark elf; functionally immortal but somehow died in original world; dark skin, mid-length white ponytail, green eyes
Fyre—two garnet gems; horse beastkin; possessed by Kadria; channeling Omria’s power as prophet; wings, two spiral horns, long golden blonde hair, red eyes, horse’s tail and ears
Reine—no gems; wolf beastkin; Imperial spymaster; has “divine” eyes of Omria; long black hair, golden wings replace her pupils and irises; black wolf ears and tail
Kara—one amethyst gem; dog beastkin; long brown hair with droopy dog ears and tail; Fei’s friend and subordinate
ANFANG EMPIRE
Alice von Arangar—Empress; Nathan’s fiancée; long golden blonde hair, dark brown eyes
Anna von Clair—Duchess; Nathan’s fiancée; long dirty blonde hair
Gorthal von Arangar—former Emperor for the past 40+ years; Alice’s maternal grandfather and head of the Arangar family
Leopold Tyrim—deceased; Bastion and Emperor Gorthal’s right-hand man; helped raise Ciana and Alice; giant of a man with silvered hair
Maylis Suorne—deceased; Bastion and head of the Royal Knights until her betrayal
Hans von Milgar—Archduke; Alice’s paternal grandfather
Tharban von Straub—Count and Bastion; Nathan’s father in this world; leader of the Nationalist rebel; currently under Nathan’s control; bear of a man
Otto von Salms—Archduke; former supporter of the Nationalist rebels
Lotte von Allesburg—last survivor of the Allesburg archducal family; 14 years old
Torneus—former regent of the Amica Federation, currently an administrator under Anna
Harrum Auerswald—Grand Imperial Sorcerer of the Imperial Sorcerer’s Lodge; Nathan’s lead researcher
Vera Nair—Bastion and sorceress; was Nathan’s apprentice previously; long red hair
Mae—Leopold’s former Champion; possesses divine eyes that can suppress magic; wears a mask to cover her strange eyes
Griem—trigem Champion of Kaufberg; three diamonds
The Hound—deceased; Maylis’s trigem Champion; trigem ability can permanently cripple someone’s magic, bypassing all resistances
HOLY KINGDOM OF FALMIR
Princess Charlotte—oldest remaining child of Falmir’s royal family; channeling Omria’s power as a prophet through unknown means; working with the Messenger Beatrice; long curly brown hair, extraordinarily beautiful, extremely large chest
Prince Maxwell—heir to Falmir’s throne as the sole surviving son
Gareth Pike—Bastion and highly talented sorcerer; obsessed with magic; was Nathan’s mentor in the original world, but died
Oliver Martel—Bastion; Nathan’s alternative self in this world; oddly incompetent and babied by Charlotte
Vala—Oliver’s Champion; one red garnet gem; one of Nathan’s trigems in the original world; captured by Nathan and is being held prisoner; messy dark brown hair, tall, muscly
Beth—Gareth’s Champion; two diamond gems; short, burly woman who protects Gareth
Erica Reed—Gareth’s Champion; two moonstone gems; an assassin
ORDER OF TRAFAUMH
Inquisitor Baudelaire—secret leader of the Inquisition and member of the Regal Council; secretly experiments on beastkin to create the divine eyes; turned Trafaumh into a dictatorship in the original world
Mary de Rosewald—Marquise; rules a border county near the Pearlescent Canyon
Deverese Monet—Bastion; was Nathan’s friend and rival in the original world
Dominic—Bastion of Soreaux; has one of Trafaumh’s two trigem Champions
Ester—Deverese’s Champion; two diamond gems
Ysabelle—Deverese’s Champion; two ruby gems
REPUBLIC OF ARCADIA
Tarkan—elven merchant who is also a spy and smuggler; Nathan “convinced” him to help
Darman Al’Dafian—Arcadian ambassador to the Empire
MESSENGERS
Kadria—the Messenger who defeated Nathan in his world and brought him to this one; extremely powerful; succubi; bronzed skin, long black hair, wears very little clothing
The Twins, Laura and Maura—a pair of Messengers who latched onto Nathan’s mind like parasites when he jumped worlds; currently bound to Nathan’s will; succubi; bronzed skin, inhumanly curvy, a little dumb
Thanatos—a Messenger from Japan with serious chuunibyou issues; defeated by Nathan in the Spires, but destroyed Trafaumh in the original world
Siv—the Messenger who destroyed Kurai, as well as the Empire in the original world; uses elemental powers
Beatrice—a Messenger working with Charlotte for unknown reasons; is a succubus with complete control over her appearance
CHAPTER 1
A half-dozen men, all swathed in black, carried the coffin across the cemetery grounds. Another coffin followed them, carried by just as many men. All of them wore regalia of the Anfang Empire’s Royal Knights and a red cloth patch over their arms. Their destination was a pair of large tombstones carved from marble. Carved wings rose high into the air above them.
Nathan stood to one side of the open graves, where the massed crowd of nobles, mages, soldiers, and clergy had assembled to see off two of Doumahr’s greatest Bastions. His hair remained as unkempt as ever, despite repeated attempts by his Champions and fiancées to tame it. A longsword hung by his waist, but he’d traded out his simpler uniform for a ceremonial black and gold piece that was practically plastered with emblems.
If there was one thing Nathan was used to, it was wearing ceremonial uniforms for funerals.
A haunting melody drifted across the cemetery. It was somewhat different to the one played at funerals in Falmir and Trafaumh, but similar enough that the past links between the Empire and its former territories were clear.
Almost everyone of importance in Aleich had turned out today. Leopold and Maylis had been beloved by many, and the historic importance of burying two great Bastions following a civil war wasn’t lost on the nobility. Representatives from other nations—notably including Arcadia but not Falmir—made an appearance as well.
Inquisitor Baudelaire from Trafaumh was the most notable guest. Her craggy face, wiry frame, and elderly figure belied her immense power. Politically, that is. In Nathan’s original timeline, she had ruled Trafaumh with an iron fist and remained immensely powerful even now.
As the coffins approached, Nathan felt the grip on his arm tighten. He looked down to see Alice with a stony face. Newly appointed as Empress, it was her solemn duty to maintain her composure throughout the proceedings. Her thick golden locks billowed down her back and stood out against the conservative black gown she’d chosen to wear.
The former emperor Gorthal stood opposite them, his face a mask of stone. He leaned heavily on his ostentatious cane, and his massive furred cape only exaggerated his age. Next to him were his bodyguards and mistresses. Leopold’s former Champions, led by the masked Mae, stood nearby.
Many of Nathan’s Champions stood behind him, wearing newly tailored ceremonial uniforms. Fei in particular had complained about them, as she hated clothing that covered her abundant chest, but she kept her discomfort hidden now. Her drooping black cat ears and bushy tail were likely a reaction to the funeral itself. A pair of sapphire gems glittered in her collarbone.
There were two Champions that stood out from the others. They stood between the open graves, separate from the crowd. Both of them were horsegirls, with fine, silken tails and golden horse ears, and they held an eerie similarity to one another. They had platinum-blonde hair, modest figures, and horns. But that was where the similarities ended.
Ciana was a unicorn beastkin, with a single iridescent horn protruding from her forehead. She wore the same uniform as Nathan’s other Champions. In her hands was an ancient ceremonial horn, and her fingers clutched it tightly. She had two diamonds inset in her collar.
By contrast, Fyre had once been a horse beastkin. Her white angel wings and spiral horns visually reminded everyone that she was now the prophet of Omria. She held a gargantuan ceremonial greatsword that was encrusted with sigils and runes, and was the only person not wearing black. A pair of red garnets with a golden luster gleamed from her neck.
The first coffin arrived, but the pallbearers remained in front of the open grave. They waited for the other group to arrive behind them. Nearly a minute passed, with the traditional funeral song the only comfort for the attendees.
Nathan felt it was fitting that today was miserable and overcast. Winter had fallen in the past few weeks that he had spent in Aleich, mopping up after Alice’s coronation. While it had yet to snow here, the same wasn’t true in the mountain passes that carried much of the Empire’s trade.
Both coffins now hung in front of their respective graves, and the pallbearers remained still. All eyes turned to Gorthal.
The former emperor remained still, his eyes fixed on some space in the distance. Then he frowned and looked at his granddaughter.
Everyone stared at Alice now. Nathan felt her grip tighten to what would be a painful level if she had the strength to harm a Bastion like himself.
She looked at him, then grimaced and separated from him. Her gloved hand rose, her engagement ring glittering on her ring finger. Nathan had collected it last week, although they’d been engaged since her coronation.
At her gesture, a pair of mages stepped forward. They raised their hands. Lines of green light appeared between their fingers as they cast second rank spells to levitate the coffins. The melody finally stopped, leaving Nathan and the others in silence.
Ciana placed her horn to her lips and, after a few seconds’ pause, began to play it. The bugle call was a familiar one to those in the Imperial Army, such as Nathan.
The crowd watched as the coffins were lowered into the grave. Ciana finished playing.
As she lowered the horn, Ciana looked at Fyre. So did everyone else.
Nathan saw Fyre’s grip tighten around the sword. Her wings flapped nervously, although most would probably think she was using them to call attention to herself. Although her face remained perfectly still, Nathan saw something in her eyes that he wasn’t used to seeing on the obsessive prophet’s face.
Fear.
For several long seconds, Nathan worried that Fyre had seized up. It was customary for a priest of Omria to send the departed to rest with a final sermon. Gorthal himself had asked Fyre to fulfill this role as one final favor.
Her eyes met his. Nathan suspected he’d soon see a spark of somebody else in those eyes. Because Fyre had a mental companion who could take over if necessary.
Instead, Fyre’s body relaxed as she stared at Nathan. Her eyes lost that spark of fear.
Then she stepped forward and spoke the final words of the funeral. The language was common across the human kingdoms once ruled by Omria herself, and hadn’t changed for millennia. Few people understood the words themselves, but knew the meaning.
Fyre was, in effect, calling Leopold and Maylis back to the Watcher Omria herself.
To Nathan, this sermon had once been a comfort. These days, with everything he had learned, they were bittersweet. Fyre was Omria, in all the ways that mattered. She had no power over the dead.
The crowd dissipated quickly after she was finished. The speeches and noble frippery had taken place earlier in the morning, and Gorthal had specifically refused any fancy drinks or luncheons.
Nathan recalled his reasoning clearly.
“Leo stepped away from his noble roots to serve me as a Bastion. Maylis fled the terrors of Trafaumh’s inquisition. It would be insulting to mourn them with an extravagance that wouldn’t represent them,” Gorthal had said.
Few people remained as the funerary assistants began filling in the graves. Gorthal, his hangers-on, Leopold’s former Champions, Nathan and his Champions, and Alice. A sizable honor guard of Royal Knights stood nearby, but the energetic beastkin were anything but today.
And there was one other person of importance who remained.
Inquisitor Baudelaire joined Gorthal in front of the graves, and they seemed to commiserate in some unspoken way. Both were old rulers. Both had known Leopold. And both had buried many friends younger than themselves over the years.
Fyre and Ciana darted across the grounds to stand beside Nathan. He found himself being fought over, although both horsegirls tried not to make a scene.
“Thank you for doing that,” Alice told Fyre, pointedly ignoring the way the prophet tried to grip onto her fiancé’s arm. “It means a lot to me, and especially to Grandpa.”
Fyre’s mouth opened, and Nathan knew she was about to say something bitter. But she thought better of it and merely nodded.
He kept his thoughts to himself, but noted that Fyre seemed visibly shaken by the funeral. The last time he’d seen her struggling to maintain her mask was shortly after Leopold’s death. He’d questioned why she’d cared back then and knew that he needed to talk to her about this later.
