Ravenhaunt (The Rhynvold Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  Ravenhaunt

  Book One

  All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Copyright filing in process at time of publication. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of C. A. Perez.

  Printed in the U.S.A.

  The sale of this book without its cover has not been authorized by the publisher. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for this “stripped book.”

  Cover image designed and illustrated by BRoseDesignz. Full rights to the cover were obtained through a signed contract and purchase on Crowdspring. Support this individual’s artwork online if you can.

  Maps by C. A. Perez with the aid of GIMP 2.8.6

  First Printing: 11/4/19

  ISBN: 9781705580561

  Visit http://www.caperez.com/ for contact information on the author.

  “Beware the thaol, which does not fear the hands of garundogaol. Whenever it shall desire, the land will ignite with fire, and life of all kinds can perish in horrible wails of anguish. The claw of the night’s son has left tainted blood that can corrupt this chosen bud. Look to the branches before to find its powerful source. It should never have been, this great folly of a Rhyn. Under Night's gaze and darkness’s veil, even the mighty will be deemed frail. The hunt is near, and all prey should fear the savage entity lurking yet embodying neither entwined.”— a stone of the Arcane Scribes.

  Legend

  Human Settlement

  Dwarven Settlement

  Elven Settlement

  Plainland Kingdoms

  Kingdom of Tarpine

  Main city: Tarpine

  Ducal lands and their baronies:

  Duchy of Del: The baronies of Erlwood and Sithe

  Duchy of Remen: The barony of Erst

  Duchy of Ander: The baronies of Dammel and Caarn

  Kingdom of Garjose

  Main city: Garjose

  Ducal lands and their baronies:

  Duchy of Grand Plains: The baronies of Lendie, Mallin, and Denham

  Duchy of Ethofar: The baronies of Garbúl and Khaz’sae

  Kingdom of Bulyar Undel

  Main city: Bulyar Undel

  Ducal lands and their baronies:

  Duchy of Calemvor: The barony of Argin

  Duchy of Vastan: The barony of Navon

  Southern Kingdoms

  Kingdom of Carthilo

  Main city: Carthilo City

  Ducal lands and their baronies:

  Duchy of the Razor Coast: The barony of Jabalá

  Duchy of Mujara: The barony of Is’an

  Duchy of Akhlan: The barony of Akhlan

  Kingdom of Has’zhabbar (Many debate whether this is part of the East or South, due to it latitude past the Sea of Timeless Sands, as well as its longitude past the Black River)

  Main city: Has’zhabbar

  Ducal lands and their baronies:

  Duchy of the Peninsula: The barony of Ghodahar

  Duchy of the Mountains: The barony of Teka’Grogmar

  Northern Kingdoms

  Kingdom of Atobaën

  Main city: Atobaën

  Ducal lands and their baronies:

  Duchy of the Tundra: The barony of Angbaen

  Duchy of the Highlands: The barony of High Hills

  Eastern Kingdoms

  Kingdom of Mel’Kotur

  Main city: Mel’Kotur

  Ducal lands, their counties, and baronies:

  Duchy of Draka’Kotur:

  The county of Smith: The baronies of New Hope, Zaena’s Grace, and Harper’s Field.

  The county of Glasser: The baronies of Evernight, Pilgrim’s Rest, and Merchant’s Haven.

  The county of Forester: The baronies of Stony Grove, Fey’s Home, and Trickster’s Folly.

  Duchy of Minto’Kotur:

  The county of Migrant: The baronies of Settler’s Stop and Gurj’Kotur

  The county of Fowler: The barony of Tribe’s Gathering,

  The county of Hunter: The baronies of Nintein, Aerosú, Trapper Town, and Timber’s Break.

  Duchy of Taurill’Kotur:

  The county of North Realm: The baronies of Vej’dawin, Leinster, and Orcwood.

  The county of West Realm: The baronies of Little Child River, Bram’s Creek, and Sycamore Creek.

  The county of East Realm: The baronies of Mount Watch and Twin Peaks’ Shadow.

  Duchy of Hakhazz’Kotur:

  The county of Black River: The baronies of Riverwatch and Dunburry.

  The county of Witchwood: The baronies of Gruber’s Hold and Graven’s Motte.

  The county of Little: The baronies of Giant’s Walk and Gnomer.

  Kingdom of Dur’elas

  Main city: Dur’elas

  Ducal lands, their counties, and baronies:

  Duchy of Anderhald:

  The county of Fletcher: The barony of Arrowkeep.

  The county of Mara: The baronies of Aeroc and Raezar.

  Duchy of Vestland:

  The county of Danika’s Vale: The baronies of Harrowton, Amberton, and Dammoa.

  The county of Cotterlan: The baronies of Yaecon, Maenish, and Jurub’s Town.

  Duchy of High Ridge:

  The county of Silver Hill: The baronies of Minerstop and Eastgap.

  The county of Tulume: The baronies of Iglat and Nuellen.

  Free Settlements

  The Magocracy of Ûrak

  The town of Nairn

  The Republic of Comnar

  Arguan

  Ishirin

  Dwarven Fortresses

  The Frozen Stronghold of the North

  The Western Stronghold

  The Eastern Stronghold

  The Southern Stronghold

  Chapter One

  Late Summer, 15th of Moryn, 1548 YG

  Like her father, Selene Talon was a headstrong and determined individual who set her mind to what she desired and never looked back. Though she enjoyed the common interests of any girl of her age—such as poetry, romantic stories, music, and art—there had always been an intense desire to pick up a dueling sword. She had vowed to engage in this sport, for she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a war hero. There could be no other option for the Princess of Tarpine.

  Unfortunately, as a girl, such training was almost impossible to learn. Few women had ever become champions because of the brutal nature of combat. Regardless, Selene wanted to be just like the boys, standing in line while the fencing instructor, Grandmaster Ingelrii, taught them the motions.

  Though she aspired to dive into the heat of battle, she did not expect her wish to be fulfilled today in a dark cave, surrounded by equally aged youths.

  With a twist of the wrist, the princess summoned forth hungry flames. A strong gust of heat sent her dress billowing backward and caused her face to tingle. Only an instant later, she halted her attack, seeing as the imp was naught but ash floating through the air. Her demonic foe had perished quickly.

  Looking left, Selene saw her half-uncle, Aeron, standing square above the second imp. It was distracted by its companion’s obliteration, yet the small fiend still attempted to rise. For some strange reason, her half-elven uncle hesitated.

  “Aeron, kill the imp!” she shouted at him.

  The boy stiffened at her outburst but pulled his sword free in a squeal of steel. It sent a chill down Selene’s spine, which intensified when she beheld the black blade. Something was inherently wrong with that weapon, and the scream of grin
ding metal should not have originated from a leather sheath.

  The imp quailed, falling to its knees and holding its hands up in a desperate plea. Selene couldn’t hear exactly what it said, though knew it wasn’t speaking demonic. It sounded like the common human language, which surprised her.

  With a clumsy swing, her uncle severed the demon’s hands, leaving two spurting stumps. Selene plainly heard the screech of pain as green fluid burst from its wounds. This sickening sight caused her gut to churn, especially when the imp flailed around on the cavern floor.

  Selene tried to focus on the real enemy—the beautiful witch—and she began to chant an elven invocation for mental dominance. Though she knew none could hear her over the imp’s screams, the witch still seemed to sense her spellcasting. The woman’s glee-filled smile at the Prince of Tarpine turned into a hateful scowl as she changed her focus.

  The great bonfire, which was a manifestation of a fiendish monster, seemed to notice as well. A horned head, burning with hatred, stared hungrily at the girl. This was the witch’s master, Gazjra Dae’goth, the Lord of the Beyond.

  What the princess did know about the Underworld she had learned from her mother and father. Queen Freya had not investigated demonology extensively in her youth, and somehow Selene’s father had known far too much, especially for one who had had unconventional instruction. Regardless, one thing about the name Gazjra Dae’goth rang clear in her mind: his title meant that he owned the inner and outer circle of the Twelfth Hell.

  There was a painful spark in Selene’s mind, like flint had struck steel. Her incantation disappeared as if she had never thought of it. Somehow, she had lost her train of thought, just as one would forget where they had set a personal item.

  A disturbing feeling washed over the cavern, giving Selene and the witch pause. The air felt thin. Fearing that the demonic entity was about to breach the planes, the princess began an extinguishing spell. Shortly, the flames snuffed out, reminding her of a small candle. Now, the otherworldly monster had departed, unhurt but unable to attempt a breach.

  A glance to her left reminded Selene to watch for their friends. Unfortunately, the elven girl called Narei had not contributed to the conflict. Narei backed away in the fading light, seeking the shelter that darkness brought. Again, Selene questioned why her uncle was so persistent in pursuing such a worthless young lady.

  Merely a moment later, all light disappeared from Selene’s world.

  Footsteps thundered her way, causing her heart to leap. Selene knew of only one spell to assist her at this moment; she had heard her father mutter it many times when he went around the palace at night without a candle. The girl recited the quick incantation and ended it with a rub of her eyes. The world took on a cerulean hue, yet it was as bright as moonlight.

  Gudwin—a stubble-faced dwarven youth—was in a headlong sprint for her, bellowing a battle cry. She couldn’t resist her instinct to backpedal from her fellow student.

  Her gut reaction was to retaliate against his wild punches, but even as her hand grew warm in preparation for her next spell, she had to take a moment to think. Instinct had almost made Selene conjure up a horrible conflagration without any word or reagent.

  Instead, she quickly reversed the energy, willing Gudwin into paralysis. The princess knew she was successful when her consciousness briefly detached. An eerie sensation of tightening fibers reached her being.

  The chastising voices of her mother and Grandmaster Nadgheen surfaced in her memory once more, reminding her of how to weave spells. As the dwarf froze in place, she chalked up their warnings as meaningless, for the results were plain before her. Unfortunately, Gudwin tipped over and landed on his side, and though he couldn’t grunt or bounce like normal, she knew he had bruised something.

  A glimpse back toward the witch revealed Aeron closing in on their foe. Grahm, another student, lay on the floor a short distance away, trying to rise. Her uncle had managed not to hurt his friend somehow, even with the long black blade in his hand.

  Selene stiffened when she realized what her uncle intended. A foolish move to charge headlong at a spellcaster, regardless of how powerfully his enchanted blades pulsed. There would not be enough time for him to close the distance.

  Many grasping palms of shadow exuded from the witch’s hands, pawing their way forward. Aeron tripped, falling as the dark claws closed and pulled him to the ground.

  Suddenly, a snarl brought her back to reality. Gudwin had broken free of his paralysis. Had she not weaved the spell well enough, or had the witch destroyed it? Considering that she had not sensed magic and that dwarves were more resistant to it, she came to a different conclusion. Perhaps she should have set him on fire.

  With barely a thought, she summoned a quick flash of light from her palm, stunning the dwarven lad. He grunted while stumbling about, and that gave the princess time to stand clear. Selene looked to Narei for help, but unfortunately, the elf was still trembling, failing even to have the resolve to flee. Considering the lack of low light here, she couldn’t see where to go, so Narei had opted to crouch down in fear.

  Gudwin’s innate vision soon kicked in, allowing him to see this helpless girl. Selene almost rolled her eyes…almost. Any other less dangerous occasion, Narei would not be spared her criticism.

  Selene’s lower stomach sent another pang through her, but she forced through it. Over the course of the day, she had felt random spikes of this feeling of illness, and now was not the time to cave to any nausea or stomachache. She could vomit later.

  As Gudwin leaped towards the elf, Selene summoned her paralysis spell once more, causing the young dwarf to fall with an audible thump on the stones. This time she forced more of her magical being into the motions, forcing the magic to persist. Now the princess could feel his flesh resisting her, but it was no match. The force felt tangible as it closed in, much like when she cupped her hands around an ant.

  A yell summoned her attention elsewhere, and upon turning, Selene saw Aeron swinging wildly at the witch. Mocking him, the witch dodged and weaved about without ever coming near his blades. That seemed to frustrate the half-elf, and in retaliation, he flung his golden dagger in a clumsy move.

  The weapon righted itself in midair, then plunged into the flesh, all the way to the hilt. Selene couldn’t stop herself from gaping in astonishment.

  The witch gasped in pain and fell over, releasing a magical conflagration from her hand that ignited the bonfire once more. This blinded the princess briefly, leading her to blink repeatedly. Aeron had barely escaped incineration.

  A stifled groan behind her reminded Selene of Gudwin, who was turning blue in the face. Shocked, she gave up holding him still, for she had not intended to halt his breathing. The dwarf gasped for air and rolled over, staring at the princess. After a moment of silence, she worried that he would begin yelling at her, but the young dwarf’s eyes welled up and started flowing.

  “Oh, gods kick me arse all the way to the Underworld,” he swore. “Forgive me, lass.”

  “Aeron!” Narei hissed, sprinting forward in a panic.

  Overwhelmed, Selene jerked her head back to her uncle, who swung his black sword. The witch’s fingers flew from her in a gush of blood. Her subsequent wail sent chills down Selene’s spine.

  Now she was in a panic, her vision tunneling as she beheld the scene. The princess tried to walk forward but tripped in shock. Gudwin assisted her up, continuously apologizing. She didn’t say anything back; she couldn’t. All Selene could manage was a comforting rub on the dwarven boy’s back as they moved towards Aeron.

  Her uncle merely stood there, arm still cocked back from his swing. As he continued to remain motionless, she became increasingly disturbed until her pace slowed. Was Aeron equally in shock, or reveling at what he had done?

  Finally, the prince turned and saw them all approaching. His gaze drifted to his dear friend, Grahm, and it lingered there for a while. Selene noticed that the Sithian began speaking to her uncle, so she attempted
to draw close enough to hear.

  “-finish it,” the blonde-haired youth commanded.

  “What do I-”

  “The throat.”

  No! was all that Selene could scream, but the sound remained in her thoughts only. Her mouth wouldn’t move. This was wrong, and everyone had to know it. Witch or not, Aeron did not need to be blooded at thirteen, even though someone needed to end this woman’s incessant screeching.

  It felt like an eternity, but then the half-elf stepped forward into a crouch, causing the witch to cringe and draw silent. Slowly, he put his black blade on her throat and sliced, but only managed a superficial cut, which their enemy hissed through. Now Selene winced, for she knew he had erred; no one would die from such a small wound. Was Aeron enjoying this, trying to torture the woman? It couldn’t be…that wasn’t like him.

  Then he plunged the point deeper, unleashing a river of blood.

  When the witch gurgled, Selene’s stomach somersaulted. She almost vomited on the spot and had to press her tongue on the roof of her mouth to maintain composure. Aeron turned around again, an expression of utter horror on his face; that was a comfort at least, to know he did not enjoy this. None of the others seemed to either. Narei shielded her eyes while the other boys stared in silence.

  “Look,” the boy from Sithe suddenly hissed.

  All eyes focused on the now-aging woman. Her face started fissuring, forming hundreds of wrinkles about her cheeks and eyes. Hair tumbled off her head into gray and white tangles, and the scalp left behind gained darkening old freckles. Selene suspected that her pact with a demon had given her unnaturally long life, for the final form of this witch looked far older than any individual she had ever met.

  Aeron retrieved his gilded dagger and began to leave; Grahm soon followed. Were they going to leave this corpse here?