The road back to Graeton was largely uneventful. The only issue they came across was Lena arguing avidly with Faro to stop by Zelira on the way home to try and rescue her mother. The others in the group averted their eyes from the pair as the argument heated up.

“My mother needs our help, and she can be a good ally,” Lena had said desperately to Faro, “especially if we can take back control of the kingdom. Having a home base near enough to Mt. Fluore will be a good advantage in the war.”

“Our mission is not over yet!” Faro roared. “We have to get Veronica back to Graeton. How can you not see our mission through? I understand your mother needs you, but we don’t know what’s waiting for us back in Graeton. We may need your help making sure she’s safe when she gets home. Finishing this mission will keep us in Solana’s favor.”

Lena curled her fingers like she wanted to summon magic, but didn’t. “Don’t act like you know more about Solana than me just because you’re his paladin now. You just care about going to Underoth and getting your memories back.”

Faro nodded. “That’s part of my mission that will be helpful to all, but it’s also one of the last free kingdoms in the land. We can make our stand from there.”

“No,” Lena said, shaking her head. “The dwarfs of Underoth are vile, savage, unpredictable heathens. They can’t be trusted.”

In the end Faro had won the argument, Lena agreeing to see Veronica home, and then taking the time for discussing the next best action for everyone after that was complete. Now as they walked into the fields outside of Graeton, Faro wasn’t sure where their argument would lead them next. What he did know was that things were definitely not right here.

Where potato fields used to be, stood rows and rows of brown, dead, short corn stalks. Seeing the wrong crop in the field was jarring, but what was more jarring was the patrol of Shadruul who wandered through the fields, monitoring the workers who appeared to be townsfolk. Likely not workers, Faro noted, but slaves.

The party snuck their way through the fields, staying out of sight of the Shadruul, and working their way towards town where they hoped Thornvale would still have an office in the Church of Solana. Instead, they found him much sooner.

Veronica was the first to spot her grandfather. Despite his advanced age, there he was, toiling away in the cold field. Without regard to the Shadruul, she took off through the snowy field and ran straight to her grandfather, throwing her arms around him. The others hurried quickly after her. When they got to the pair, they were still embracing, and a tear was in Thornvale’s eye.

“My dear granddaughter! It’s been so long… I thought you were dead!” he blustered out.

“It didn’t seem so long to me grandfather,” she said back, absolutely sobbing. “Why are you in the fields in winter?”

Thornvale looked around to see if any Shadruul were near, and then spoke. “We are growing the crop that feeds this army of mutant rock beasts. They eat corn meal and have droves of domesticated animals in the forest that they butcher. We’ve been charged with spreading manure on the winter soil to enrich it for spring.”

The ex-mayor of Graeton looked at all of her companions and smiled. “And all of you, you saved her?” They nodded, and Thornvale thanked them all, even giving Mathias a grateful handshake. After he thanked them all, he stepped back and took a good look at Veronica. “How is it that you haven’t aged, child? It’s been three years!”

Veronica explained the time change that had happened while they were in the veil. Thornvale’s mouth was open the entire time in shock. “I don’t believe it. A place where time moves slower? Fascinating.”

Faro knew they didn’t have much time to talk, so he tried to change the subject to leaving. “Mayor Thornvale, we need to get you out of Graeton to somewhere safe.”

Thornvale shook his head. “Nowhere is safe anymore. I hear only Underoth hasn’t fallen to the new Dungeon Lords, and they are a bunch of vile monsters that live there. Nowhere. Nowhere to go. Nowhere is safe.”

Lena stepped in. “We’re not staying, we have other pressing business to tend to. You and Veronica need to get to somewhere safe that isn’t here. You can’t think of anywhere you can go?”

The old man wrinkled his brow in thought for a moment. “The jungles of Mirasor may be safe, but the kingdom itself has fallen. The jungles are vast, though, so we may be able to find a place untouched by Shadruul there,” said Thornvale.

“Good,” said Tobi, who had been hanging back with Mathias, Thora, and Rork. “We’re heading to Underoth. You and Veronica can join us.”

Lena threw a dirty look at Faro. “No one agreed that we were going that way. We still have to discuss…”

“It’s the only way that makes sense right now!” Faro hissed, tempering his voice to try and not attract attention. “We have to get moving, or Rork’s giant size is going to give us away, and I say that we go to Underoth. It’s the safest place for Veronica and Thornvale, and we can gain allies while we are there.”

The old elf stomped her foot and dug it into the snow, showing she was sticking to her position. “I’m going to help my mother. She’s the only reason my sister spared us. She’s the ally we need. Once we take the city, these two can stay there.”

“We can’t take Veronica into another battle zone!” said Faro. He was beginning to lose his patience with Lena. He knew that the both of them had assumed leadership roles over the group thus far, but now it seemed that they were at an impasse and no true leader was going to win over.

There was silence until Mathias stepped forward. “It may be in everyone's best interests if we part ways.”

They all turned to stare at him. “No!” yelled Thora, and then clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle the noise. “We can’t,” she finished in a whisper.

Lena sighed. “It may be the only way here. I have to go and save my mother. Faro wants his memories back and seems to think Underoth can help us.” She looked around at each and every person in the group who wasn’t Faro. “Who of you would go with me?”

No one spoke. They all stared at the ground awkwardly, not sure what to do. Fate had seemed to bring them together, but now it also seemed to be tearing them apart just as abruptly.

“I like saving people and fighting,” said Rork, who was ducked down as low as he could go. Given that the corn stocks were brown and dead, they didn’t have much height for him to hide behind. “Would like to get going soon, or we will all be found.”

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“Well I’m going with Faro,” piped up Tobi, taking a step towards the lion. “I can be of use with the dwarfs of Underoth. They’re all a bunch of crotchety bastards like me.”

Thora looked as though she was about to throw up. She looked back and forth between her father and Rork and Lena. “We can’t do this!” she said again, but she knew to no avail. “I can’t do this,” she admitted.

Tobi sighed a big sigh and walked over to hug his daughter. “I love you, Thora,” he said to her, “but I think you need to stick with Lena. Her and Rork can use your talents, new and old.”

“No,” said Thora, crying.

“Yeah, sweetheart. I think it’s time,” said Tobi, wiping away his own tears. “But we will meet again when it’s all over. As soon as Veronica is safe and Faro finds his memories, we’ll come find you in Zelira.”

Slowly, Thora nodded and walked over to stand by Rork and Lena. She had been with Tobi for almost as long as she could remember. It was the first time they would be separated for longer than a few days since she was a child. She moved behind the other two and broke down hard, wailing.

All eyes now moved to Mathias who was still yet to speak. He looked from one group to the other, and then nodded his head.

“I will go to Underoth,” he said. “Lena is great with magic and a fine healer. These four may need my new skills in magical healing along the way. It’s only fair that I go with them.”

They all stood apart in their new travel groups, not sure what else to say. When no one spoke, it was Veronica who broke the silence. “Thank you all for saving me, but we should all get moving out of here. The Shadruul will catch us before long.”

They all nodded and started walking away in their separate directions. Tobi glanced back at his daughter walking in the opposite direction. “I trust in that girl’s abilities one-hundred percent,” he said to Faro, “but I pray to Solana that I see her again.”

“You will,” said Faro. “I stake my life on it. I will protect you with all my being. All of you.”

“Aye,” said Tobi. “You truly are a good friend, lion-man.”

Faro just nodded, looking out to the northern sky and the snow-covered plains. “We’ve come a long way from you stabbing me,” Faro jested, and Tobi chuckled at this. “Besides, it seems like each other is the only thing we have left. So much of the world has fallen already.”

***

Snow embedded deep into his fur, Jarl made his way into the extravagant throne room that sat at the top of Mt. Fluore. The walk up the mountain had been treacherous, given the snowstorm that was happening outside, but he was happy to be away from Faro and the others who had presumably met their end at the giant army that had faced them at Umbra’s Veil.

As soon as the first shot was fired at such a distance, Jarl knew they were way outmatched and had ducked down on the safe side of the wall and took off at full sprint. Several hours later he’d found a portion of the wall that was climbable and had made his escape. The proceeding journey and the climb up Mt. Fluore were nothing compared to the fate that he’d escaped.

Now, as he slowly made his way into the throne room, he saw that not much had changed in his absence. He couldn’t say the same for the whole of Evania, as on his journey back he’d questioned some strangers in a tavern and learned that much of the land had fallen, and that somehow his father’s kingdom of Underoth had eluded the new rule so far. This gave him hope, hearing that his father was still alive. If his dealing with Eli today went south, he still had a place to call home.

As it stood now though, he possessed a very valuable piece of information that Eli had tasked him in finding, and he knew that it would fetch a handsome price from the high ruler of Evania who had impossibly deep pockets.

Two Shadruul guards allowed him to enter the main room, and there on the opposite end sat Eli. Jarl sized him up as he walked down the long, lavish red carpet. Eli was still his huge, hulking self, complete with rams horns and an aura of purple magic about him, but he looked somehow different than the last time Jarl had seen him. When he saw him before he still looked like a scarred boy, not sure what to do with his new rule. Now the look in his eye was hard, his eyes no longer with the gleam they once had. A twisted smile crept to his lips, but it didn’t make him look one bit friendly.

The new High King called across the room in booming echoes, “Welcome back, Jarl my servant. We all thought you were dead.”

Jarl slowed his pace, no longer sure he had made the right move coming back here. He nodded and did a slight bow, throwing his arms wide in humility while keeping his slow pace. “Yes, My Lord. Apparently there was some kind of time difference within Umbra’s Veil and the outside world. I have been gone less than a month from my perspective.”

Eli cocked his head to the side, confused. Jarl stopped cold in his tracks as another figure appeared from behind the golden throne. Eldryn, the dark mage came around the side and leaned casually against the high back of the throne. “My father had a lot of tricks up his sleeve,” he said in his low, acidy voice, “but I hear that still didn’t save him in the end.”

Jarl nodded, picking up a very slow pace until he made it to the foot of the stairs that led up to the throne. He knew he wasn’t allowed to step on them, so he stopped. From this close, still in his bow, he looked up at Eli and saw the truly deranged look on his face. His eye was twitching as he stared down at the wolverine.

“You…have something for us, I presume?” said Eldryn. “It wouldn’t be wise to show up after all this time unless you did.”

Jarl didn’t care for the elf’s tone, but he wasn’t stupid enough to say so. “Yes, My Lord. While I was inside Umbra’s Veil, I managed to slip away from the others long enough to procure what I think is some very important information…” he patted the satchel slung around his neck, “for a price,” he added, but then immediately regretted doing so.

Eldryn narrowed his eyes and clutched his magical staff hard in his grip. “How dare you, you insolent little…”

Eli raised a hand up to silence Eldryn. “Let’s hear what he has to say before you go off all half-cocked again like you usually do.” Jarl could sense the tension between them, but had no way to play that to his advantage here. Instead he threw open the flap of the bag and rustled through the folds until he found the book.

He pulled it from the bag and held it up for them to see. A red leatherbound book, the pages inside yellowing a mismatched in size, as though they were all added separately to the tome. “The personal journal of King Umbra of Mireholm,” said Jarl triumphantly.

Eli sat forward on the throne, his interest peaked. Even Eldryn seemed to loosen the grip on his staff and lean forward in interest. “Notes about what?” Eli asked with baited breath.

Jarl shrugged. “Many things. An entire chronicle of his research in the dark arts. How he accidentally created Umbra’s Veil. His dealings with summoning his Virtrodan…”

“None of this sounds like anything we can use!” Eldryn blurted, cutting him off.

Eli turned and shot the elf a nasty look. “You talk too much,” he said angrily to his advisor. Turning back to Jarl he said, “Anything else we may find interesting in there?”

Jarl smiled. “Just instructions of how to create even more vile creatures than the slow, bulky army you’ve created thus far, courtesy of Umbra’s Virtrodan…” This seemed to catch Eli’s interest. “...and the tidbit about how he was able to raise all of his dead followers and reanimate them to fight for him…”

“I’ve done that thousands of times,” Eldryn scoffed.

“...after having killed them with the scourge… he created,” Jarl finished, his smile now even wider.

Both men on the dais stared at each other. Jarl could tell it was the piece they had been waiting for. A piece that would bring any enemy to their knees.

“Well, gentlemen,” said Jarl, feeling a bit more confident now. “I can see there is interest here. Can we discuss my payment now? It was a lot of dangerous and hard work to get this information.”

Eli couldn’t seem to take his eyes away from the book in Jarl’s hands. “Yes, payment,” he said slowly. “Eldryn, can we see that this creature is well taken care of?” With a quick flick of his wrist, purple magic sprung forth and attached itself to the book in Jarl’s hands. It was flying through the air and into Eli’s hands before Jarl could stop it.

“Oh, absolutely, Your Highness,” said Eldryn, a smile curling on his lips. He pulled up his staff and aimed it at Jarl. The wolverine’s eyes widened, but he didn’t have a chance to turn and run before Eldryn’s magic blasted out from the staff and hit him square in the chest. After that, everything faded to black.

END OF BOOK ONE