Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:56:40 +0000
From: Michael Offutt <kavrik@hotmail.com>
Subject: Black Dragon Rising Chapter One

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      MY WEBSITE: http://slckismet.blogspot.com/p/books.html
      My email: kavrik@hotmail.com
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"Black Dragon Rising" is a dark fantasy medieval romance.

"Black Dragon Rising" is the conclusion to "The Assassin's Apprentice"
available right now on the Nifty Archive. For your convenience, I renamed
it "The Nightshade's Apprentice" and have made it available for the
Kindle. Details to download are at my website above.

"The Nightshade's Apprentice" has been given a thorough edit for grammar,
spelling, and continuity errors (of which I found quite a few). I think if
you check it out you'll find a much smoother reading experience. It also
has a fantastic cover with Kian's clothes leaving little to the
imagination. Extras on my website under the "CLICK FOR MORE" tab include 1)
a black and white map of the world explored in book one and 2) an
engineering blueprint of the killsuits that Talen and Kian both possess.


                                    *****

                                 Chapter One

      I stand near the aquamarine shoals and gaze at the white stone
Lighthouse of Varkir, the shade of palms falling over me and affording some
protection from the blistering suns. A collection of tents, huts, and
shelters sprawls through corridors covered in white arches. Hanging above
me are tapestries identifying the names of the different hallways that form
the grand bazaar.

      "What's the name of this place?" I ask Talen.

      "It's the Varkir Souk," he says. "It's one of the largest because of
Varkir's position on the shipping lanes. Varkir's a great port. If you
linger in the coffee shops you can find out what's going on in every corner
of the world."

      "I don't much drink coffee," I say.

      Talen shrugs. "You might want to give it a try. It's thick and sweet;
you might like it."

      He and I negotiate the myriad shops bypassing vendors hocking
enchanted amulets and food kiosks brimming with the exotic scents of
foreign herbs and spices. We arrive at an outdoor plaza adjacent to an
oasis of palms, ferns, and exotic fruit trees.

      I see so many faces talking, arguing, and bargaining for melons,
grains, hashish, and other things that the din lulls me into a false
feeling that we move about unnoticed. The refugees from Soulwarden far to
the north are still flowing into Varkir and have been for a couple days
now. They occupy most of the tents on the outskirts of the city and near
the entrance to the park where Talen pauses to peel a grapefruit.

      "What are we looking for exactly?" I ask Talen.

      "One second," he says, dividing the fruit into sections and offering
me some.

      I swallow a slice, it tastes quite refreshing.

      Talen and I both wear linen robes, and turbans crown our heads. We
bought our outfits from a cloth merchant on our first day. Talen thought it
best to try and blend-in even though our light-colored skin is easily
spotted here. While we're out scouting the city for a means to contact the
church, Angelaria's in a house of healing getting treated for the crimes
the Timeron knight, Mordred, inflicted upon her. That and she's getting
some much needed rest.

      I hope she's doing okay.

      What happened to all of us in Soulwarden was nothing short of
nightmarish, and I'm choosing to overlook the manipulations, the
backstabbing, and the coercion. In a way, I'm no better than her. I
promised to pay her back for the gold I cost her when Talen and I ruined
her job back in Clothol. By not keeping that promise, I brought a whole
world of hurt down upon myself. I've no one to blame really. But there's a
lesson here: always keep my word. Because I failed to keep my word, I can't
blame Angelaria. This is especially true since she saved Talen and me from
a wall of lava. Not to mention that she never said anything about us to her
captors. That's two things in her favor. I'd be a fool not to forgive her.

      Before Talen speaks, a call to prayer rings out over the city as it
does five times a day.

      I listen in reverence to its melodious, almost mournful sound. Many
of those around us pause and unroll small carpets upon the ground. Before
long, they supplicate themselves, bowing to the distant east where the suns
break the horizon each morning.

      "Should we be doing that?" I ask.

      "To fit in?" Talen asks, inspecting a slice of grapefruit. He quickly
eats it and then moves into the park which grows around a large pool filled
with reeds and fresh water. Luxurious ferns and palm trees rise upward
toward the sky. Colorful birds flit from branch to branch and alight upon
limbs bursting with foliage and white flowers.

      "Yes. To fit in," I answer, walking silently beside him.

      He shakes his head. "No. Do you see an obelisk anywhere?"

      The heady scent of perfume from all the flowers teases at my
nostrils. "What's an obelisk?" I ask.

      Talen blinks and swats a bee away from his face. "It looks like a
pillar but has a pointy top.  Kind of like a pyramid only upright with flat
vertical sides. They're built to celebrate Arioch who--"

      "Rides the chariot of the suns across the sky each morning. Yes, I
know," I say, "I'm not THAT thick. I know a few things about the gods."

      "Did you know the call to prayer that we hear five times a day is for
him?"

      I shake my head. "I didn't know that actually."

      Talen claps me on the shoulder. "Well you've learned something
then. I think I see it. Let's go this way," he says.

      Talen and I emerge from under a growth of ferns that towers over the
glen in which they grow. Near the toe my boots is a ring of blue stones and
a statue of a hawk-headed god. "Arioch," Talen mutters. "But over
there...THAT'S an obelisk."

      I look in the direction he's pointing and see a twenty-five foot tall
by six-foot square monolith rising up from the sands of the park. It has
writing upon its surface in an ancient hieroglyphic that I of course can't
read.

      Talen walks up to the base. I look around to see if we've drawn any
attention to ourselves.  But we stand alone in this cool and shaded area
despite the fact that many footprints at the base of the structure point to
much traffic at all times of the day.

      "There's the symbol!" Talen points with his finger. "Third row down
from the top and almost obscured by the cartouche of Arioch."

      "A dagger lying in a pool of blood," I murmur. "What does it mean?"

      He raises his eyebrows. "It's the symbol of Tethyr."

      I roll my eyes. "I know it's the symbol of Tethyr."

      "Then why did you ask what it meant? Oh," Talen says, thinking of
something else to say.  "Luminara and I had discussions when you
were...well...sleeping. Part of that involved the secret network for the
Gray Warder that's in place around the world."

      I know by "sleeping" he means "rehabbing from eros." But Talen wants
to sidestep that whole dark episode in our lives, and I don't particularly
blame him. It's a difficult time in our relationship and truthfully, it's
done things to me that have lasting consequences. For example, I've to
struggle to eat, and I force myself to do so mostly out of devotion to
Tethyr and the sacred responsibility I have to maintain my body as a vessel
worthy of His power. I don't tell Talen that I'm having these kinds of
challenges. I know he blames himself for everything, and I don't want to
make it any worse.

      "What kind of discussions?" I ask him.

      "Mostly about you. But those that WEREN'T about you revolved around
our church, how corrupt it's gotten, and what kind of support there is for
assassins and thieves doing Tethyr's work.  In nearly every city of
significant population around the world there's a small conclave of
Tethyrites that stays connected to the topmost tier of our church. That
means Luminara, in case you're wondering. They maintain a temple or some
kind of gathering place for dissemination of information. Each is to be
found near one of these things, but only if the structure is marked by the
holy symbol of the Gray Warder. You follow?"

      I nod. "Somewhere near here is an entrance, right?"

      "Exactly. We've information to get to Luminara before we head west
through the mountains. They can also warn us about things we may need to
expect."

      "Right," I say, eyes looking around at the lush and verdant park. "So
where do we begin looking?"

      "Not where," Talen says, "but when. We come back here when the moon
Valinas is full tonight."

      Valinas is one of the many moons of Wynwrayth. It's called the "Blood
Mother" because of its reddish appearance that harkens it to a droplet of
blood torn from the heavens.

      "Luminara said that the doorway would be visible to a true worshiper
of the Gray Warder under the light of the blood moon. So we come back here
tonight while Angelaria rests. We find it, get inside, and deliver our
information."

      I nod. "It's several hours before dark...."

      He grins lasciviously, "I'm sure we can find something to fill the
time, lover." Then he kisses me, and his breath smells like fresh
grapefruit. It's quite nice. Then we go back to our room at the edge of the
bay.

      Night falls by seven o'clock.

      Talen and I dress in black silk Shinobi Shozokus, and they cover us
from head to toe. Then we wait.

      After an hour passes, we take to the rooftops of the city to avoid
the guard patrols that walk the Varkir Souk. We drop silent as cats from a
three-story balcony and slip across to the park, ducking the light of
torches, and clinging to the shadows of benches, pillars, and walls.

      The air quickly cools and the heat rising from the ground feels
comfortable through my tabi boots. Above the highest palm trees, the
midnight blue sky is filled with bright twinkling stars.

      Near the obelisk, the blood moon rises just above the city wall. Its
red light casts a long shadow on the far side of the monolith. There, in
the black inkiness above the sand, I spot a doorway. Talen reaches it
first.

      "I love magic," I whisper to him.

      He nods and gets the door open using his fingers to ply at the
outline, which we can now discern quite easily. It scrapes open sending a
shower of sand pelting down upon smooth black steps. A flight of stairs
descends before us, lit at the bottom by magical smokeless torches. The
walls and ceiling are carved from some kind of ebony granite. At the bottom
we find another stone door.  The symbol of Tethyr is raised upon its
surface, this time with a circle of red tile and molten silver poured into
the shape of a blade.

      Talen raps on it with his knuckles.

      "What's the password?" a voice asks. Because of the shape of the
stairwell, I can't really see from where the voice emanates.

      "Bloodbane," Talen replies.

      "The password is the name of the sword of rogues?" I ask him, voice
barely a whisper.

      He shrugs. "It's important to more than just you, you realize?
Although I'd like to see you wield it, people have lusted for its power for
centuries."

      Another grinding noise and the door slides out of the way. There in
front of me is a fellow peering out at us from a stone chamber lit by more
of the smokeless torches. There's a corridor that extends behind him. Some
cells that are currently empty stand open, their iron gates free of rust. I
also spot several large clay vases on one side of the room underneath
shelves holding various statuaries. There are voices coming from down the
hallway. It sounds like two men are playing cards with a third. Despite
this place being underground, the air is fresh and cool.

      "Come in," he says. "Where are you from?"

      The speaker has a short crop of black whiskers about his chin and a
bulbous nose that's somehow too large for his skinny face. But he has
bright black eyes.

      Talen takes off his Shozoku mask and unwinds the cloth from around
his neck and shoulders. He exposes the brilliant tattoo on his neck in
doing so. I follow suit and note that the man's eyes widen
significantly. "You're Tiburon and Hunter. We've heard of you."

      "In just three days?" I ask, voice a bit incredulous.

      The skinny man shrugs and offers us some water from a pitcher on a
table. I accept but Talen defers. "News travels fast. What did you find in
the preceptor's manse? Anything of use to us?  Is the church of Zandine our
enemy now?"

      "Yes," Talen states, "on both accounts. Hunter found the demon
responsible, but Tethyr abjured him on the night Tempest Mountain
exploded."

      "Shame that happened," the man says. "The explosion and not the
abjuration, that is. I'm Luck," he says extending his hand.  I grip it
firmly and then Talen does the same.

      "I don't think I'd ever play cards with someone named Luck," I say.

      That makes the man grin. I see he's missing one front tooth. "That's
why I'm answering the door for you fellas and not playing poker with my
mates. I'll send what you just told me up the line.  Truthfully, we
suspected as much. That witch Kahket has been cozying up to the Timeron
army for so long, we wondered if Zanda had somehow gotten embroiled in the
Valion war. It looks like now we have our answer. Just between you and I,
as we tend to be Valion supporters I thought it was just a matter of time
before we found ourselves at a crossroads with the Israfil of Zanda. I can
tell you from experience you don't want to be on the bad side of the
israfil. But I guess at this point it's all spilt milk. No use crying over
it." He pauses a second to scratch his chin. "Where are you fellas off to
once you leave Varkir?"

      "West," I say, "into the Icewall Mountains."

      "We're going after the sacred sword," Talen finishes.

      Luck sits down in a chair regarding us both with sparkling
eyes. "There's been plenty that have gone after that sucker quest, some
more experienced and much older than you boys. Have you got all the pieces?
Rumors say Constantine holds two of 'em and he ain't the kind to share."

      "Constantine's dead," I say. "I killed him after the Guildhouse of
Assassins fell down around our ears. It happened shortly after Zandine
appeared and then transformed into flesh before our eyes."

      "Kahket used some kind of potion," Talen adds. "Even Tethyr seemed to
be helpless to do anything."

      "I'll be damned," Luck states. "Constantine dead and now this as
well? Don't get me wrong, son. I shared no love for the Nightshade, but I
never thought a boy like you could get the better of him. All the more
power to you, for he was as wicked as they come. I just hope you made sure
he was good and dead before you left. Otherwise, I guarantee he'll come
after you. He's not the forgiving type."

      "Trust me," I say, "I made certain of that. I can tell a corpse from
a living, breathing man."

      "So it's true," Luck says, switching topics. "A real flesh and blood
god now walks the earth.  This is bad, boys. Very bad. No wonder Luminara
wants you to find the sword. She must have a lot of confidence in you."

      "Why's that?" I ask. "I-I mean, I didn't know she really supported my
quest."

      "Bloodbane's the only thing that can kill a flesh and blood god,"
Luck says. "Maybe she plans on having you do just that, once you got the
right equipment to make it happen."

      "Fascinating," Talen says. "Actually, I'll go ahead and take a glass
of water. My throat's parched." Luck grins and pours some cool water into a
clay cup and hands it to my boyfriend.

      "So, you think I can kill a god?" I press.

      Luck smiles. "If it's flesh, it can bleed, right? I'm no expert on
divinity, but I'd wager that's exactly what's in store for you if you
manage to retrieve the 'sword of rogues.' I'd love to be young again and to
have that chance...to make a name for myself and get all the perks that go
along with that."

      "What kind of perks?" I ask.

      Luck pours himself a glass and wets his throat. "Oceans of pussy," he
says.

      I giggle and hold out my clay cup. Luck quietly refills it. "I'll
drink to that," I say. I tap my cup to Talen's, and we both have a swallow
in appreciation of my toast.

      "You boys need to be careful once you leave Varkir," Luck adds. "Head
straight for the Stairway to Heaven and don't deviate from that path. The
Icewall Mountains are crawling with war ghuls unleashed upon the Valion
knight strongholds by the Israfil of Zanda, most likely at the behest of
the Timeron knight armies led by General Calisto. There's been black magic
going on in those mountains for months. The accursed israfil have raided
sacred barrow mounds from here to Bakora to mine corpses to transform into
those monsters."

      "What's that?" Talen asks.

      "What's what?" Luck replies. "The Stairway to Heaven or the war
ghuls?"

      "Both I suppose," Talen replies.

      "The war ghuls are cannibals raised from human dead through magic so
foul it sours the soil for a thousand years. They can mutate their bodies
and combine bones, flesh, and sinew to create longer limbs and stronger
muscles. Bands of them roam the mountains terrorizing villages and drawing
the Valion knights down from their strongholds. As awful as that sounds,
however, word is that something even darker happened up there in the last
few weeks...something so terrible no one dares speak of it. Whatever
occurred happened near one of the Valion keeps that overlooks the pass
through the mountains. The war ghuls won't dare climb the Stairway after
that. They shun it in fact.  For whatever reason, if you get caught by a
pack of 'em, it's best that you make your way to the top of the Stairway
and hope for the best. I don't care how skilled you are, an entire pack of
war ghuls will finish you in ways I care not to describe."

      "And what exactly is the Stairway?" I ask, trying desperately to
ignore the chill that's just thrummed down my spine. "You promised to
explain that."

      "It's a waterfall, largest one you've ever seen. It lies due east of
here three days into the mountains. Follow the trails alongside the River
Morgoth. You'll know it when you see it. Damn thing rises so high that it
definitely earns its namesake."

      I look to Talen. "Shall we leave in the morning?"

      "Angelaria says she'll be ready by then," he replies, handing Luck
back the empty cup.

      I hand mine to Luck as well. "Tell Luminara I'll be in touch when I
have the sword," I say.

      "I'm sure it goes without sayin'," Luck says, "but I'll forward your
word to the high priestess. And may Tethyr's speed be with you both. I
think you're going to need it."


                                    *****

I shall post Chapter Two next week. Please check out my website for new
artwork under the "book" tab and "click for more." You'll find these next
to "The Nightshade's Apprentice" thumbnail on my web page.