Chapter 1

Carter Blake sat close to the fire, sewing yet another piece of leather across a hole in the chest piece of his armor. The wood smoke, curling around his nose, trying to find its way into his nostril, no longer registered for him. Cicadas made their odd noise in the early morning light. Sweat rolled down his broad, muscular back, bouncing over various scars and leaving a trail of clean tan in the caked on grime.

He misjudged the angle of the needle and the tip sank into the fleshy part of his index finger. “Damn it.” The expletive came low with a sharp shake of his hand. He glanced up at the growing brightness. The rising sun had already popped up behind the tree line.

After stretching out his shoulders, Carter resumed his work. A few moments later, he held the cuirass before his critical eye searching for further flaws. Seeing none, he nodded to himself and pulled the boiled leather over his head and strapped the piece into place. Approaching hoof beats brought him surging to his feet, drawing his white broadsword as he rose. The familiar chill raced through his body, settling deep into his bones as the horse with its unknown rider drew to a halt.

Raven hair bounced as the rider dropped. A cool breeze bent the flame of his fire over to their face, revealing the face of his wife, Queen Adora Orwen.

“Carter!” She gave him a wide smile.

The single syllable in her mellifluous voice brought an answering smile to him.

“It is good to see you, Your Highness.”

She raised her and looked around. “Please, Carter. Not away from the army. Alone, I’m merely a random Warpriest of Kellün.”

Cater looked around. “Where is Angriz?”

Her half-dragon bodyguard wasn’t usually this far behind her.

The queen removed her gauntlets. “He stayed behind to coordinate the additions into the growing army.” As she spoke, she finished twisting her hair back into a bun. A couple tendrils of hair came free and curled around her wind chapped cheeks, defying her wish to have it out of her face.

He nodded and turned back to the fire. As he tugged his saddlebag over to him, he sat. “Join me, Adora. I’m about to fix dinner.”

She crossed over to the fire and sat on the log beside him. And then she got a good look at the state of his armor. “By Kellün’s right eye, Carter. Why do you have such ragged apparel?”

After placing a pot of water over a tripod above the flames, he glanced over his shoulder. “I can’t exactly go to the armorer when I’m attempting to be captured by Drago the Clanless’s minions.”

She nodded. “You think he has Dearbhaile?”

Carter sighed. “I hope he does. I’ve been back and forth through the Abyss, but haven’t heard a word of her.”

“It’s been six years, Carter.” Adora pulled some ingredients out of her bag and tossed them into the water which sent steam into the air. The scent of thyme and onion soon filled the air. “Do you really think she’s still alive?”

He paused in chopping the roots that reminded him of carrots. “I have to. I made a promise.”

The queen placed her hand on his shoulder. “She wouldn’t blame you for moving on with your life.”

“Probably.” He tossed the root into the pot. “I would, though.”

Adora sighed. “Will you be coming to join us any time soon?”

Carter shook his head. “I’d not be of much use as yet another sword. You already have plenty who’re better with them then I.”

“Your presence would be good for morale. You’re an absent king too often, Carter.”

He ran his fingers though his hair as he glanced away. “I’m sorry, Adora.”

She reached out and gently took his chin in her hand, bringing his face up to look into his eyes. “I know the reason for our marriage is for my safety, but my subjects only know that you won my hand in a tournament.” She leaned in and placed a kiss on his forehead. “You have nothing to apologize to me for.”

A smile crossed his lips. “Maybe I’ll make a dramatic entrance, act all Walker of Worlds like.”

“Have you learned any of what that title means?”

He shook his head. “Not much. Just that it somehow has elements of Chronomancy.”

She shifted on the log, facing him more. “Time Magic? How is that possible? I’ve been taught that was only for the gods.”

Carter shrugged. “I only know what I’ve gathered from a scrap of an ancient scroll.”

“How ancient?”

“It fell to dust after I unfurled it. I barely managed to make out ‘…Walker’s Chronomancy is…’ and then I beheld only dust.”

She rubbed her chin. “Maybe it was only speculation?”

He shook his head. “I’ve experienced some of it. I call it ‘Moment of Prescience.’ The ability happens randomly, but it has saved my life many times.”

“What is it?”

“It’s hard to explain.” He took a deep breath. “I am able to briefly peer into the future by a few seconds, and then react based on that information.”

Adora nodded. “That’s a useful ability to have. I imagine it would be a game changer if you could control it.”

“Indeed.” He moved into a crouch by the flames and pulled out a rolled package of meat, intending to put it into the pot.

“Did you — ”

“Shh.”

Her eyebrows went up at that admonishment, but she obeyed.

Carter stepped back to her. “Do you hear that?”

His breath tickled her ear at the whisper. She cocked her head to the side and listened.

“I don’t hear anything.” Her voice was as low as his had been.

“Precisely. There should be the sounds of wildlife, but it is silent except for us.”

Twigs snapped as something approached. He straightened fully and drew his sword, tossing the baldric to the side. The familiar chill raced through his body once more, leaving him feeling as if his very bones grew icicles.

Adora drew on her gauntlets and locked them into place. She reached behind her head and pulled her helm forward, the magic within allowing the elf forged metal to flow like water. The bowl-shaped helmet came over her forehead as cheek guards slide up and together over the top of her nose. The metal left holes for breathing, seeing and speaking.

Carter peeked over his shoulder at her, smiled, glanced back to the tree line, and then whipped back around to her. “Where’d the helmet come from?”

“It’s always been here. I didn’t have it drawn up, though.”

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“Drawn up? Like a hood?”

She nodded. “Magic.”

“Awesome.” He took a step to the trees. “Where’d you get it?”

“The temple of Kellün near Dragon Keep. It was awarded to me for slaying an elder vampire.” She walked forward, just behind him.

“Maintaining the family tradition?”

“Not exactly. I’m the first WarPriest in my family.”

“What about the symbol at the archway of your castle?”

“Oh, you mean the dragon holding the vampire by the throat?” Hearing the cracking of a branch, she drew her mace. “My ancestor, Kandel Orwen, was a half-dragon vampire slayer.”

Carter stopped and turned to her, putting his back to the edge of the forest. “You are descended from dragons?”

“Distantly.”

“Cool.” He leaned closer to her. “How distantly?” His eyes went from left to right across her face, and then down to her chin. “I don’t see any scales.”

“That should be a clue, Mr. Blake.”

He nodded. “Fair point.”

“What about—?”

He shook his head. “It’s close by. A demon of some sort.”

Her brow furrowed. She then closed her eyes and allowed her magic to flow through her. A chill presence came from the trees, moving to behind her husband.

“I think it’s a shadow demon.”

“Shit. I hate those things.” He placed her hands on his shoulders, and his hands on hers. “Get ready. I’m going to shove you backward as I leap over you.”

“Do you know how to fight them?”

He sighed. “Yes and no.”

“What do you mean?”

Instead of answering, he shoved her backward as he jumped. Her surprise caused her grip to tighten, pulling him downward. Instinctively, she placed her foot at his hip and pushed him over her as she landed on the ground.

He popped to his feet and spun, sword first. His blade intercepted that of the shadow demon before it could plunge down into her.

Adora rolled to the side and Carter stepped forward to press his attack. The shadow creature kicked him in the chest, sending him flying. He somersaulted backward and rose to his feet. With a mighty leap, the creature closed the distance, hammering the Walker’s blade down.

He pushed back, and the demon pushed even harder. As it did, Carter rotated his body to the right, out of the creature’s path.

The demon didn’t even lose its balance, bringing its other hand around to attack. As it flew through the air, the hand flowed, morphing into a spike which the demon attempted to punch into Carter’s ribs.

Adora’s mace, enwreathed in viridian flames, slammed into the demon’s head. The force of the blow buried the weapon into the inkiness which made up the creature where it stuck fast.

As she pulled at the haft, the demon’s head morphed into hands holding the head of her mace firm. It then back kicked her in the chest, rattling her body. The metal held, but the back of the cuirass slammed into her sternum, knocking the breath from her.

The demon tilted its head, not sure how the woman stood before it.

She tapped her chest. “Corundum, asshole.”

It nodded, drew one arm back, which turned into a sword, and then glanced down at the blade that hacked into its chest from behind.

“That’s right, rabbit. I’m still here,” Carter said, pulling his weapon free.

The wound in the demon’s torso closed up and in a blur of movement, it swung Adora’s mace at Carter’s skull. The spiked head buried itself in the trunk of a tree as he ducked. The mace was pulled free easily and the other arm, now a blade, came for Carter’s neck. He barely turned it aside in time to parry a follow-up mace strike.

“Damn it, Adora, you weren’t supposed to arm the fucking demon.”

“I didn’t do it intentionally.” She thrust her hand forward and a blast of pure force shot into the demon’s back, causing it to stumble.

Quick as a rattlesnake, Carter slashed his sword through the demon’s face. It rolled its eyes and caught his shoulder with the tip of its bladed left arm.

“Fucker.” In a blink, the Walker of Worlds retaliated, chopping half the demon’s arm off.

As Adora lunged forward, the whole world slowed to a crawl for Carter. He saw her fist, enveloped with the viridian fire, slam into the demon’s shoulder and her mace shoot from its hand. A short, hard flight later, and it smashed into his face.

As his Moment of Prescience faded, the world slammed back into normal speed. Carter dropped to his knees as the flame wreathed fist of Adora punched into the shoulder of the shadow demon just as it struck at his head once more.

As he’d foreseen, her smite propelled the mace from the demon’s grip. The weapon flew through the air. Carter caught the mace, and spun with the momentum slashing the flanged cudgel into and through the demon’s knee.

The demon toppled to the ground. As it fell, Carter released his grip on the mace, not caring where it flew as he tore off his left glove. He bent his wrist revealing a compartment in his sleeve. He drew a wand from it, thrust it at the demon, and, before it could pull itself back together, bellowed the command word. “EZEERF!”

The ebon demon turned grey and then blue-white as it froze solid. Carter strode over and hefted a three-foot rock. He slowly lugged it over, and then slammed it into the chest of the frozen demon, shattering it.

After collapsing to his knees, he panted. Adora stood over him. “Most impressive, husband of mine.”

He glanced up at her and scratched at his eyebrow. “Thank you, my queen.”

“Why didn’t you use the wand sooner?”

“There wasn’t much time for thinking, was there?”

She paused for a moment before shaking her head. “Not really, no.”

He spread his hands to the sky.

“One problem, though,” she said.

“What’s that?”

“You lost my mace.”

“Get another.”

“I can’t. That one came from the forge of Morinth.”

“What favor did you do for the God of Dwarfs?”

“I helped in the clearing and cleansing of a temple of his that happened to be desecrated.”

Carter let out a puff of laughter. “So, he’s easily impressed?”

“It was the one in the UnderRealm.”

He sobered. “Oh.”

That place had been overrun by demons and the undead thousands of years ago after the Exehame Clan delved too deep into the earth.

“The gift makes a lot more sense, now.” He pushed himself to his feet. “I’ll see if I can find it.”

She shook her head and held her hand to the side. A whistle cut through the air and her mace slapped into her palm. “It’s a Returner.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Very funny.”

She simpered. “I thought so.” She buckled the weapon to her belt. “What will you do now?”

“Head towards Rivorei.”

“Demons have captured that town.”

“I know.” His joints crackled as he stretched out his arms. “Ah, that feels good.”

She removed her gauntlets and hung them from a small hook on her belt. Carter lifted his backpack and slung it over his right shoulder. He walked with the Queen to her horse.

“Are you sure I can’t persuade you to come with me, Carter?”

He shook his head. “Not yet. Besides, I’m better away from your forces, serving as a distraction to the new leader of the demons. As long as he knows I am not nearby, he can’t give you his undivided attention.”

“I wish I knew how he’d managed to take over Belial’s army.”

“Based on the rumors I heard while searching the Abyss, he’s got the same benefactor Belial had.”

“Who?”

Carter shrugged. “No clue, yet.”

Adora faced him, only inches separating the two of them. She reached out and slid a calloused finger into a new rent in his armor. “Looks like you have more repair work to do, Your Majesty.”

He looked down. “Gods damn it.”

She stared up into his eyes as she curled her finger in the hole in his armor. “Carter.” Her voice was soft, wanting.

“Adora.” His was equally soft but cautioning.

She stepped closer, the four-inch difference in their height causing her new closeness to bring their faces to near touching. She rose on her toes and hesitantly brushed her lips across his.

He pulled back a little. “What are you—?”

Once more she brushed her lips against his, hoping the softness and need would be enough. He reached up and captured her hands in his much larger ones with care. At the same time, he took a step back. “Adora, my heart belongs to Dearbhaile.” His voice was still gentle.

“Does it, really?” Her eyes searched his face. “Or is it first love? You were fourteen when you met her.”

“Regardless, I cannot simply throw my feelings, or commitment aside. Would you have me if it were otherwise?”

Adora sighed as she stepped back. “No.” She drew her gauntlets on before swinging up into the saddle. “Forgive me for forgetting myself.”

“No forgiveness necessary, My Queen. You cannot help how you feel as I cannot.”

“I just wish our marriage were real, and not for convenience.”

He rubbed the back of his head as he looked at the ground. “I know.” He peered back up at her. “I’ll always be devoted to you, as is proper. Do you still have the phial?”

“You know I do.” She lifted the crystal cylinder attached to the gold chain from between her breasts. The sunlight caught the crimson within, casting a red glow over her metal-clad hand. “I keep it with me wherever I go.”

“Don’t forget to use it to call me, if your need is urgent.”

She gave him a smile. “It would be hard to forget considering it is how I find you. Do you still have yours?”

He touched his own chain. “I’d pull it out like you did with yours, but mine is under the armor.”

Though Blood Magic was illegal, when he’d learned of the blood tracking spell, and the more powerful blood summoning one, he’d commissioned the phials, and taught her the magic. She wore his blood and he hers. With the tracking spell, he could find her in the Realm, no matter where he was. With the summoning spell, she could summon him to her side, regardless of what plane he was on.

“What do you hope to find in Rivorei?”

“Not what, who.” He ran his hand down the horse’s neck, stopping with his hand near Adora’s knee. “I’ve heard Sera is there, spreading the good word of Drago.”

“Be careful. I’ve heard dark tales about his enforcer.”

“You be careful, too. Try to stay as far away from the vangaurd as possible?”

“Of course. You know me.” She urged her horse and nudged it into a fast trot.

“Which is why I didn’t ask you to stay off the battlefield all together,” he muttered.

He lifted his pack to his shoulder and removed the scroll from his pocket. After re-reading it, he headed down the road in the opposite direction of Adora. Soon coming to a crossroad, he glanced at the signpost. One arrow pointed to the right and had “Dunskillen – 18 wheels” carved on it. Another pointed to the right and had “Rivorei – 15 wheels.” The final one pointed straight ahead and had “Dragon Keep – 30 wheels.”

Carter glanced over his shoulder. The queen was lost to his sight. The dust raised by her passing had almost finished falling back to the ground with no wind to keep it aloft.

He then cast his gaze down and then lifted the golden chain from beneath his cuirass. He studied the crimson liquid in the phial for several moments before reaching up and hanging the chain from the post. ‘It’ll be harder for her to find me now I no longer have this beacon.’ Lifting the sword from its sheath a couple of inches, he let it drop back and continued straight.