Empire of Dirt Read online

  Echoes of Fate

  Empire of Dirt

  Philip C. Quaintrell

  For Emma, Amy and David - my team.

  I couldn’t do it without you.

  Dramatis Personae

  Abigail Rose

  A human mage and student of Korkanath.

  Adellum Bövö

  A General and member of the Hand of Valanis.

  Adilandra Sevari

  The elven queen of Elandril and mother of Reyna.

  Alidyr Yalathanil

  An elf and master of Nightfall.

  Asher

  A human ranger and previous member of Nightfall.

  Darius Devale

  A human knight of the Graycoat order.

  Elaith Nevandar

  A human knight-in-training of the Graycoat order.

  Faros Kalvanak

  Boy Emperor of Karath and Lord of The Arid Lands.

  Faylen Haldör

  An elf and mentor to Reyna Sevari.

  Gal Tion

  The first human king of Illian, a thousand years ago.

  Galanör Reveeri

  An elven warrior.

  Galkarus Vod

  A human mage in the court of King Rengar.

  Gideon Thorn

  A human mage and student at Korkanath.

  Gregorn Orvish

  King of Grey Stone and Lord of The Ice Vales.

  Hyvark

  High priest and advisor to The Goddess.

  Isabella Harg

  Queen of Lirian and Lady of Felgarn.

  Krenorak

  A Darkakin warrior.

  Lord Marshal Horvarth

  Head of the Graycoats.

  Merkaris Tion

  King of Namdhor and Lord of Orith.

  Mörygan Mörgö

  An elf and advisor to Princess Reyna Sevari.

  Nakir Galvörd

  A General and member of the Hand of Valanis.

  Nasta Nal-Aket

  The Father of Nightfall.

  Nathaniel Galfrey

  A human knight and member of the Graycoats.

  Ned Fennick

  A human knight and member of the Graycoats.

  Rengar Marek

  King of Velia and Lord of Alborn.

  Reyna Sevari

  An elven princess.

  Ro Dosarn

  A human assassin and a member of Nightfall.

  Samandriel Zathya

  A General and member of the Hand of Valanis.

  Thallan Tassariön

  A General and member of the Hand of Valanis.

  The Goddess

  The queen of the Darkakin.

  Tobin Galfrey

  Previous Graycoat and late father of Nathaniel Galfrey.

  Tyberius Gray

  The founder of the Graycoats.

  Valanis

  The dark elf and self-proclaimed herald of the gods.

  The Echoes of Fate

  The Prophecy

  These Favoured elves fall and lose their way, as man’s anger devours all dragons fire. The immortal man is set to rise, bringing the dark one closer to his most dangerous desire.

  Paldora’s celestial gem graces the daylight, and in its beauty ordains calamity. Only alliance and trust between two shores offers an imitation of hope and a glimpse of eternity.

  Children of fire and flame offer great promise, but only one perceives the time we will fall. As the Gods recast their fortune and power, one will suffer the burden of destiny for all.

  - NALANA SEVARI

  Prologue

  The battle of Elethiah could be heard for miles around. The clash of elven steel resounded on both sides of the city walls, while ballistas hurled giant flaming stones into the towering spires, creating chaos and raining debris on the citizens below. The cries of death and hate-filled rage consumed the cool, night air, as dragons swarmed the sky and set the battlefield alight with their deadly breath.

  But Valanis couldn’t hear any of it.

  The king of elves, Gorvandil Sevari, lay dead at Valanis’ feet, his queen not three feet away, having met a similar fate. The dark elf paid them no heed, but instead looked long and hard into the startling, blue eyes of Lady Syla, who gasped for breath in his merciless grip. The elven hero had caused Valanis’ campaign many set-backs with her tenacity and legendary skill. It pleased the dark elf to feel her life ebb away, her eyes pleading to live. It only served to amuse Valanis all the more, to know that in their final moments, even the greatest of warriors feared death. Feared him.

  “You cannot fight fate. The gods have already written the end of this story,” Valanis whispered into her ear. Before she could gasp her last breath, the dark elf broke her neck and dropped her to the cold floor.

  Valanis stepped over the bodies and continued into the depths of Elethiah. The dark elf strode through the ancient halls with the whispers of the gods guiding his every step. Valanis could hear them as clearly as he heard his Generals in The Hand, advising him and offering their strength. He had been chosen by the mightiest of beings to bring about a new world, fit for their return, and he would see it done.

  A billowing, black cloak trailed behind him, as he ascended the steps into the central tower. The bronze-tinted armour he wore was purely decorative, having no need of protection from anything as primitive as a sword. Silky, blond hair flowed down to the centre of his back, with a single braid running through the middle. He was attractive, even by elven standards, but he was beyond such trivialities now. Valanis only had one goal.

  FIND IT!

  A dozen voices cried out in his mind. Valanis could feel the power of Naius flowing through his veins, fuelled by the god’s hunger to return. His body started to hum again and his skin adopted a golden aura. He had to stop at the top of the stairs and clench his fists with the enormous effort it took to control the magic within. The elf groaned and dropped to one knee, as the magic took its toll, threatening to burst forth and destroy him. He needed the gem, desperately. These fits had increased in frequency and intensity since his last submersion in the pools of Naius.

  IT’S CLOSE!

  Valanis had long discerned that particular voice as Paldora’s, the goddess of the stars. Her gift would ensure his control over the magic of Naius. Valanis looked up, through strained purple eyes, to see a teenage elf running across the landing, away from the Hall of Life. He couldn’t conceal the pain he was in, but he recognised the elf as Elym, the prince of Elethiah. The boy stumbled at the sight of the dark elf, his eyes wide with shock and horror. Valanis couldn’t maintain his gaze through the agony however, his skin burning as if set alight.

  FOCUS...

  Despite the pain, Valanis could always hear the gods. Atilan, the king of the gods offered him strength and courage. The pain soon abated and he found control once more. The golden aura emanating from his body died away, returning his skin to its original, pale tone. The constant hum settled in his ears, allowing him to stand and regain his composure. The prince had fled, leaving Valanis on his own. That was how he liked it. With every battle, the dark elf preferred to be unaccompanied. The only ones he truly needed were the gods, and they would never abandon him.

  The white, ornate doors to the Hall of the Life were soon before him, along with twenty elves, adorned in their usual white armour and blue cloaks. They stood defiantly with their scimitars raised and determined expressions. There weren’t many who could stand so defiantly before him, not anymore. These were among the bravest elves at the king’s disposal, guarding Paldora’s gem. Valanis had always respected bravery, especially in the face of death, but in this particular case it was simply foolish.

  “I have already slain your king...” Valanis’ voice was not his own, at least not as he remembered it. He
now spoke in deep intonations that reverberated with a dozen other voices, adding to his supernatural presence. “I snapped Lady Syla’s neck... what hope do you have? Join me and have your lives filled with purpose.” The soldiers didn’t move an inch.

  KILL THEM!

  Krayt, the god of war, hissed in his ear, as if he were standing next to the elf, urging him to let loose his rage and kill them all.

  “So be it...”

  Valanis lifted his arms, palms up, and unleashed his magic. Ten of the elves lost their blades when the swords lept from their hands and took on a life of their own. The scimitars dashed and twirled around the hallway, cutting, slicing and hacking the soldiers to death. Blood was splattered across the walls, staining their white armour. Some of them were able to parry the floating blades, but even their elven speed was no match for Valanis’ powers. In seconds they were all scattered throughout the hallway, dead.

  The dark elf sighed; they would have made an excellent addition to his forces. But like him, they had made a choice, and standing against the gods was a foolish choice.

  He strode over and between the bodies, until the double doors blocked his way. It took barely a flick of the hand to blow them open, using a wave of telekinetic energy. The Hall of Life was a large circular chamber, supported with thick pillars which creating an inner circle that surrounded a small podium. The far side of the hall was missing a wall where the balcony stretched out and hung over the back of the city. It had been designed with dragons in mind, so that they might sit in on the elders’ meetings.

  TAKE IT!

  The voices cried out at the sight of the podium. Paldora’s gem was finally his! Without a care, Valanis walked up to the podium and snatched the black crystal from its stand. He held it high, examining it closely; curious as to why he couldn’t feel the artifact’s power.

  A TRICK!

  This rock hadn’t fallen from the heavens, but had simply been plucked from the ground. Valanis crushed the rock in his hand with his enhanced strength. He had been a fool, he realised. Four elders, from the king’s council, stepped into view from behind the pillars and surrounded the dark elf. They each wielded a staff that housed a crystal the size of a clenched fist. Rushing into their trap had been one thing, but not seeing the hulking creature that skulked above him was another thing entirely. Garganafan, the oldest and most prestigious of dragons rested high up in the domed ceiling, his body wrapped around the pillars, with his claws dug deep into the marble.

  Valanis killed elves freely, in the knowledge that the gods required the land to be cleansed before their return, but killing a dragon had always felt wrong to him. They were the most ancient of beings, and even though they had openly gone to war with the gods, long ago, before they ascended to the heavens, they were still the most magnificent of creatures. He could always feel the gods’ contention for the beasts in the back of his mind however, and often allowed that rage to spill out when he was forced to confront one. For that reason he had killed many dragons since the war began, and would no doubt kill even more before his task was finished.

  Garganafan ran around the pillars until his great bulk was on the floor. The ground shook when his claws dug into the marble floor and his long scaly neck curled around the last pillar, so that his head hung over Valanis.

  “The gem is beyond your reach, Valanis!” one of the leaders proclaimed. The dark elf couldn’t remember the name of the council member, they were all insignificant. “Your crusade is at an end!”

  “End?” Valanis laughed. “You think I brought war to your gates for the gem?” The dark elf laughed again, menacingly. “Paldora’s gem is a means to an end, I need it so that I might serve the gods, but it’s not what I want...” He looked up at Garganafan and smiled, mischievously. “Didn’t you tell them?” A threatening, low rumble echoed inside the beast’s throat. “Keeping secrets are we? Naughty dragon...”

  Valanis readied himself with a plethora of spells and enchantments, but the elves were ahead of him, their staffs raised and their crystals glowing hot-white. The light blinded Valanis’ senses, as if shutting him off from the world. Their chanting quickly disappeared, lost in the rush of magical energy that raced about his body, ensnaring him. Valanis immediately fought back with every devastating spell he knew, but it did nothing when Garganafan added his own power to their spell. Waves of magic poured from the dragon’s body and grinded Valanis’ will into the ground.

  The dark elf could feel their spell building, the ensnaring energy continuing to expand from within Valanis, as if he was the centre of the spell. His vision was blurring and the world became as white as snow. He could no longer see the elven elders or the great dragon that bore over him. The last thing he heard was Garganafan’s almighty roar, a sound so loud and powerful he thought it might bring down the entire Hall of Life.

  The white light only encompassed his vision for a second, before the world returned in all its colour. Valanis looked from side to side in amazement. The Hall of Life was not as it had been only moments ago. The pyres were no longer lit and darkness had descended on the once great chamber. The domed ceiling had been poked through with jagged holes, surrounded by deep cracks that looked to be threatening the halls integrity.

  Most surprising of all were the four elders surrounding him, encased in stone. Valanis looked up to see Garganafan, similarly entombed in dull, grey stone. Life had left them all.

  The Amber spell...

  Valanis had heard whispers of the council searching for the spell. Using the power of a dragon to see the magic through had been an unexpected measure, however. Valanis laughed to himself at the great sacrifice made to trap him. Not only had the elders died, but the most powerful of dragons had gone with them, and for what? He was free!

  A dark thought crept into Valanis’ mind... How long had they trapped him here? The state of the hall would suggest a long time. The elf moved for the wide balcony, but stumbled past the stone elves when his legs gave out, dropping Valanis to the floor.

  “No...” That familiar hum returned in his ears and his skin illuminated the darkened hall.

  Crawling across the marble floor, Valanis made his way onto the balcony, until he was under the light of the crescent moon. The stars shone in the heavens and Valanis pleaded to the gods to help him. He had failed to acquire the gem and without it he would never be strong enough to prepare Verda for their arrival.

  A wave of nausea overcame Valanis and he rolled onto his back, as his muscles succumbed to spasms. He screamed into the night and let just an inch of his power explode from his body. The energy washed over the balcony and cracked the stone, as well as destroying the railing. He managed to get to his hands and knees when the episode dissipated. After taking a deep breath, Valanis managed to stand and brush his blond hair from his face.

  At the edge of the balcony he looked down upon the ruin that was now Elethiah. His hope died when he saw the level of decay that had befallen the city. He hadn’t been stuck in the Amber for days or even years... he had been trapped in the Hall of Life for centuries. The sky was devoid of dragons and the ground revealed no hint of his forces. Elethiah was now surrounded with swampland.

  But where was Alidyr, his faithful General and head of the Hand? Where were any of his disciples? It was possible they had all perished in the battle or in the days that followed, but he had gifted them all with a portion of Naius’ power, as well as their magnificent weapons. They must be out there somewhere...

  Valanis looked to the north, to the mountains of Vengora. His home and personal fortress, Kaliban, was hidden away, high into the slumbering mountains. More importantly, the pools of Naius were inside Kaliban. He needed to submerge himself in those enchanted waters, it was the only place he could rest and not have to fear the effects of containing the power of a god.

  The dark elf pictured the cavern that housed the pools and opened a portal with the wave of his hand. He stepped into the inky abyss and at the same moment another fit came on. Instead of walki
ng into the cavern, Valanis stepped into a bog. The herald of the gods and commander of the fiercest army in all of Verda was on his hands and knees in a swamp. The elf spat out the dirty water and crawled to the edge of the bog and rolled onto the hard ground, once again fighting the urge to unleash his power on the land, for it would surely take his life with it.

  His cloak was sodden and heavy, as he clawed his way across the dirt. Behind him, he could see Elethiah in its entirety. It was hard to judge which side had won the battle, let alone the war. The elves had certainly abandoned the citadel, but that wasn’t to say they had lost to his forces.

  Valanis roared into the night, using his rage to take control of the fit. In his short reprieve, the elf tapped into the magic, gifted him by Naius, a magic he now shared in part with the Hand, and reached out across the ether. He immediately felt the familiar aura of Alidyr, Thallan, Adellum, Samandriel and Nakir. They were all in different places, but they were alive! He called to them. Their elation and surprise could be felt through the bond, but he quickly ordered them to find him, he didn’t have a lot of time. He needed to reach the pools of Naius as soon as possible, before the next attack crippled him. Through the magic of the pools, he could recover and learn what had become of his world.

  I

  Part One

  1

  Valanis