The Age of Reckoning: Volume II: A World of Naeisus Story, page 1
The Age of Reckoning
Volume II
Thomas Anthony Lay
Copyright © 2022 by Thomas Anthony Lay
All rights reserved.
All characters, settings, locations, and all other content contained within this book are fictional and are the intellectual property of the author; any likenesses are coincidental and unknown to the author at the time of publication.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by UK and U.S. copyright law.
Cover illustration and design by Flitterbow Productions.
To Dad,
The example you set for me
continues to be my primary driving force.
Content Warning
This book contains scenes of fantasy violence and torture. Reader discretion is advised.
Contents
The Story so Far...
1. Return
2. He’en
3. King Philos I
4. Owls
5. Determination
6. Dissonance
7. News
8. Manipulation
9. Election
10. March
11. Plea
12. Encounter
13. Retrospect
14. Merge
15. Crossways
16. Deceit
17. Arrival
18. Clash
19. Myth
Acknowledgments
About Author
The Story so Far...
Recap of Volume I
One night, King Areth III, beloved father and ruler of the race of Man, read a bedtime story to his three children about the history of Naeisus and the Yultah Crystal. From a weathered tome, he told them how the crystal shattered into six component shards, how each shard has a unique power, and how the five races of Naeisus have been at war for the shards ever since.
His eldest son, Areth, uttered a phrase that reverberated around the King’s mind for the rest of the evening; When everyone fights, there is no power to share. I’d rather have a share of power than none at all.
King Areth III immediately set about researching. He studied ancient tomes written by his forbearers long into the night, learning as much as he could about the shards, their powers, and the other races. Three shards were already accounted for, but three remained lost in the lands. The next morning, he arrived at the small council meeting and discussed his plans for peace with his most trusted advisors.
After much deliberation, the council agreed to support him on his quest. The King set out upon his loyal kytling, Violetwing, with his Master of Arms, Sir Victor. Accompanied by a small detachment of troops, they journeyed to the Darklands, where they planned to meet Queen Lucia of the Forsaken in the Undying Fortress.
When they arrived, the ruthless Captain Levana and a host of undead riders showed immediate hostility. Levana agreed to take the King to meet Queen Lucia, but only if he came alone and unarmed. He agreed, relying on the power of the Mys shard hidden in his breastplate to protect him from harm.
The cunning Queen quickly discovered the King was carrying the shard as a small cut she made on his cheek instantly healed. It was here King Areth revealed his full plan, offering the Mys shard to the Queen in return for her allegiance. It was a bold move, but she accepted—much to the disapproval of Levana.
Queen Lucia accompanied the King, along with Sir Victor and Captain Levana, to the Triash forest, home of the Wolven, to negotiate their part in the allegiance. After being captured by Wolven scouts, the four were led to the leader of the Wolven, Ulv Nikos. The Ulv was offended and angered at their request and killed one of his scouts in a rage, displaying his power.
In the confusion that followed, Levana brought the Wolven scout back from the dead, recruiting him into the ranks of the Forsaken and naming him Wrath. The five, led by Wrath, escaped the Wolven den with their lives and hurried out of the forest.
King Areth returned home to recalculate his plans. The Wolven were not willing to join yet, so he needed to figure out a way to make them; his goal of unity depended on it. A Forsaken messenger arrived, carrying dire news of a Wolven attack on the Undying Fortress.
Queen Lucia needed immediate backup. With little time to prepare, the King assembled a small force and headed for the Darklands once more, to assist the Queen. Alas, he was too late. The Undying Fortress had been attacked and ravaged by the savage Wolven.
Queen Lucia started to doubt the alliance and the King’s protection, so in a desperate attempt to keep the Forsaken on his side, King Areth offered to lead a counterattack on the Wolven forces. He asked only for some time to prepare a proper force, and the Queen agreed.
Back on his home island of Mannis, one of the King’s elite knights, Sir Jacob, informed him of a newly discovered island to the North. King Areth agreed to check out the island, taking his son, Sir Jacob, and his Master of Resources, William Stone, with him. As they approached, they discovered the island was shrouded by a mysterious storm. Nevertheless, they pushed on.
After they had docked, King Areth deemed the storm too perilous for his son and ordered him to stay behind, in the safety of the ship. At the island’s heart, lightning bolts pounded a single spot on the ground over and over again. Something under the sand was drawing the lightning.
Formulating a quick and risky plan, the King drew the lightning strikes away with a well-placed sword and began to dig the charred spot. William took over and pulled a glass orb from the ground, but the heat from it burnt his hands and he dropped it. The fragile orb shattered on a rock revealing a treasure hidden within—the Dion shard—which had the power to control the weather.
The King travelled with this new shard and his army to meet with Queen Lucia in preparation for their counterattack. During the ensuing battle, King Areth overpowered the mighty Ulv, causing him to bow to the king’s strength and finally agree to an alliance. All that remained was to gain the alliance of the Marusi and his task of a unified peace would be complete.
After the battle, King Areth placed his trust in Queen Lucia, and allowed her to handle the negotiations with the Marusi; he would await her report. Captain Levana manipulated the Queen and went to deal with the negotiations on the Queen’s behalf.
King Areth agreed to swap the Mys shard he had given Queen Lucia, for the Dion shard, which Levana took with her to ‘negotiate’ with the Marusi.
Upon arriving at Alkra, capital of the amphibious Marusi, Levana killed Sir Robert Drake, one of her elite soldiers. Using this display of dominance, she threatened the rest of the small company. Two Marusi guards emerged from Alkra to meet the unit, but one of the King’s soldiers called Levana out for her traitorous actions. The Captain killed one of the Marusi guards and the rest of the detachment that had joined her, before using the power of the Dion shard to destroy Alkra.
The Marusi leader, He’en Sha’koth, emerged from the crumbling city and used the power of the Bui shard to calm the waters, allowing his people to escape. After a quick battle, Levana stole the Bui shard, telling the He’en that she had been sent by King Areth, before riding back to the Undying fortress to report on the ‘hostility and violence’ she had encountered. She feigned weakness and told the Queen the company was attacked, and she barely made it out with her life—yet she had managed to steal the shard on the way out.
Sha’koth gathered his furious Marusi army and headed to Man’s capital, seeking retribution for the vicious attack. King Areth met the He’en at his gates and assured the leader he had played no part in the attack. As they were talking, a Forsaken messenger arrived, claiming the Marusi had attacked, and Queen Lucia needed assistance.
Between the two of them, Sha’koth and King Areth figured out the Queen was playing them. They decided to attack together with help from the Wolven.
King Areth led an army, composed of both Man and Marusi, while Sha’koth sought out the Ulv. When they arrived at the Undying Fortress, Levana was waiting for them. Using the combined power of the Dion and Bui shards to amplify their strength, she drowned a large portion of the attacking force but was unexpectedly flanked by the arriving Wolven.
During the battle, Sir Victor and Levana fought. Levana prevailed, felling the giant knight. In a rage, King Areth slaughtered many Forsaken trying to kill Levana, but she and Queen Lucia slipped away into the hidden tunnel system beneath the fortress. The Forsaken dispersed, defeated. For the army of Man, the victory was bitter after the loss of the King’s best friend.
Queen Lucia and Levana followed the tunnels until they reached the base of the Triash mountain; here they waited to be found by their knights. While waiting, they ascended the Triash mountain based on a whim from Levana, curious to see if some rumours she’d heard are true. During their ascent, they discovered a hidden cave with a mystical pool of water at its centre.
The pool began to bubble and froth and from it emerged ethereal creatures speaking in riddles. They called themselves the Aithur and they revealed their possession of a shard—the dark and foreboding Knas shard. The Aithur agreed to give this shard to Queen Lucia, but only in exchange for the heads of three kings.
Once back at the Undying Fortress, Levana ordered Wrath to go back to the Wolven’s Den and bring her the head of Ulv Nikos. When he showed disobedience, the Captain demonstrated her power, forcing him to submit. Wrath t
Wrath fought Ulv Nikos, ripping off his head. Despite the fact he was now one of the Forsaken, Wrath still felt Wolven in his heart and decided to stay behind and lead the Wolven pack as their new Ulv. This decision split the Wolven into two packs; the South pack supported Wrath, but the new North pack was led by Ulv Rakos.
Back in Straeta, King Areth III spiralled into depression, distraught by the loss of his best friend, Sir Victor. He refused to appoint a new Master of Arms and his forces fell into confusion and disorganisation. The King’s Treasurer—the secret mother of his youngest daughter—spotted two armed shadowy figures scaling the walls. She grabbed a dagger and sprinted in the snow toward the Keep.
As she arrived, she slipped on a patch of ice and was impaled by the dagger. She lost consciousness and failed to warn the King.
The King woke to the sound of screaming and ran into his daughters’ bedroom where he found his eldest daughter standing and facing him, the two younger ones motionless on their beds. An assassin loomed from behind his daughter and stabbed her through the chest. The King, frozen to the spot, was unable to move or act.
A familiar voice whispered in his ear, then stabbed him through the heart from behind, leaving him to die with his children.
News of the King’s murder spread quickly. Rumours circulated that the young prince Areth had not been among the bodies and that the King had been decapitated. Lissy was also missing and a search for her was initiated. Soldiers from the nearby city of Eveston flooded into Straeta unexpectedly. A
group of them demanded William come to meet the new King. Confused, William obliged and followed them.
When he reached the council chambers, he was greeted by the Master of Technology and Research, Philos.
Philos used his new firearm to threaten William; and when his demands were refused, Philos shot and killed him.
Philos usurped the throne, assumed the title of King and used the Eveston guards to enforce his position. He enslaved the people of Straeta, vowing to build a military that would make all Naeisus tremble.
When the other nations were informed of King Areth III’s death, alliances began to tear. The hope for a united future seemed to have died with the good King Areth as each nation waited for others to attack first.
During this tense standoff, a shrouded figure emerges. One who had been watching the struggles of Naeisus unfold for many solars. Perhaps this figure would bring fresh hope with it, or perhaps it only brings destruction…
Return
Chapter I
Six lunar cycles—one complete solar cycle—had passed since the tragic murder of King Areth III, yet Naeisus was very much the same. Each nation had retreated into themselves to plan and to grow; the shaky alliances that King Areth III formed had steadily crumbled away. The leaders waited for each other to make a move, yet the longer they waited the more powerful each of them grew. For now, the world was quiet.
Too quiet.
A sense of great catastrophe lingered in the air like a foul smell and carried with it the same feeling of nausea. However, there was one who had been watching and assessing the world for many cycles and had decided that now was the time to act.
The hooded figure appeared through the settling dust as if from nowhere. It lingered several paces from the front gates of the Undying Fortress. A heavy breeze kicked up sand and dust. The rough hempen cloak billowed, revealing severely aged leather boots beneath. A strand of silver hair whipped around the hood, floating on the wind. It stood still, hands in sleeves. Silent. Unmoving.
The portcullis heaved open with an almighty creak that cleaved through the whips of the wind. Captain Levana rode out atop her favourite obsidian steed, one of her blades drawn and raised. With an air of majesty, the figure raised its pale hands and gripped the edges of the hood. The Captain slowed her pace and lowered her blade as she watched on in curiosity through her familiar, piercing red eyes.
As the figure slid the hood back, Levana dropped her blade and leapt backwards from her steed, landing uncomfortably on her feet. The horse reared around and galloped back inside the Fortress leaving its master to face the danger alone. Captain Levana picked up her blade and stood straight, keeping her distance from the man that now stood before her.
The man had a remarkably familiar face: a strong, angled jaw, defined features, and deep-set crimson eyes. His thin, silver hair flowed to his ribs, dancing with the breeze. He was much taller than Levana and smiled with an air of cold arrogance that rivalled the Captain’s own.
“Levana. I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, his voice gruff and deep, almost a whisper.
“Ah… Ah…” stuttered the shocked Captain, her brow furrowed in confusion. The man let out a hearty laugh in response. Taking a few steps forward, he mocked the Captain. “Ah ah, what? Come on, my dear. You have never been one to lose your tongue.”
“But she killed you. I don’t understand, how are you standing before me?”
“Oh sweet, naïve Levana. Have you forgotten who I am? It is I. The first to defy Knas. Father of the Forsaken. The oldest being in all of Naeisus. You truly think that pathetic Queen of yours could end me so easily?” he sneered.
The Captain straightened herself up and walked closer to the ancient king, squaring up to him in a display of confidence. He glared down at her, still wearing a grin, and then moved his gaze to the spire in the centre of the Fortress. Levana scowled. “What are you doing here, Areth?”
“Please, at least use my full title if you insist on being so curt with me. King Areth I to you.”
“You haven’t been a King since Lucia took you out. So answer my question, old man.”
“Ha! Still as petulant as ever. Plain and simple, my dear Levana. Revenge.” Tangible coldness flowed through his words sending a shiver down Levana’s spine. “I am here to deliver Lucia to Knas, and you too if you get in my way.”
“And what if I were to cut you down, right here and now?” jeered the cocky Captain.
Areth I returned his gaze to her and huffed in amusement. He remained silent and looked back to the tower, pondering.
The former King of the Forsaken dusted down his haggard, brown cloak and spread his arms, displaying himself to the Captain. “How do I look?” he jested.
“Too animated for my liking,” she mumbled. She cleared her throat and poked the ancient Forsaken’s chest to the sound of a leathery thud. “Anyway, how did you defy Knas a second time? She’s a Yultah… A Goddess!”
“Do you doubt my power? Would you like a display right now?”
Levana shuffled backwards, almost unnoticeable. “Don’t tempt me…”
“Don’t fool yourself, Levana. If I wanted you dead, it would be as easy as…” The Captain reached for her other quickblade strapped to her back. She glanced to the side and suddenly felt rough, boulder-like hands gripping her chin and forehead from behind. Areth I’s scratchy voice floated about her ears. “...this.”
Levana jerked forwards, freeing herself from Areth I’s loose grip. She glared at him. Adrenaline flowed through her veins.
What in the name of Knas just happened? That speed…
She straightened her collar and cracked her neck. “If it was that easy, why wait until now to get your revenge? Why not hundreds of cycles ago after she pushed you from that tower?”
“The woman I loved, and indeed thought loved me, turned my people against me and attempted to kill me for good.” His voice raised slightly.
Captain Levana looked on in silence, waiting to hear the rest of his account.
He sighed and continued. “My only option was to run and bide my time. The longer I stayed away, the more I learned about the land. I’ve been watching Naeisus change over many cycles and I feel that now is the time to return.”
