《Dandelion》Prologue
Advertisement
Sending forth his heir to be tested by Vyrthr—god of the seas, weather, and of treachery—was Lord Wylderrjor Steel-Hand’s most solemn duty, and he’d been dreading it all season. He knew the agony of losing a son all too well. The idea of losing another…
But, boys had to become men eventually.
He was proud of Sjívull. The lad was tall and handsome, having inherited his mother’s grace rather than Lord Wylderrjor’s grim fortitude, and her wisdom rather than the stern temper that had earned Wylderrjor his epithet. Sjívull would grow to be a wise lord in his own right, and rather sooner than Wylderrjor was ready. For now, though, he was still untested. Still yet to earn his lordly name, or lead men through a trial. A plumeback hunt in the autumn, when the seas were fickle but not yet dangerously so, would suffice.
So, Wylderrjor had commissioned Wavebird, as fine a ship as money could buy. Twenty strides long with as many rowing benches, a clean white sail, and a carved figurehead depicting her namesake. The ship was a beauty. With a good wind behind her and an experienced crew, she’d slice through the water like a knife. The final touch was to send one of his most trusted men to guard and advise the boy, one Drynllaf Gwelinsjar. Only a rare and talented man could have fought honorably in so many battles and still emerge without a battle scar.
Every preparation a father could make was complete. He’d given wine and sacrifice to the sea, read the portents, judged the weather with all the skill he’d earned in his own sailing career. The time was right. His son was ready, the ship packed to the beams, his men well-fed, strong and lasting.
Nothing a Luck Feast couldn’t improve, of course.
Advertisement
“Father, you look about ready to crush your cup.”
An important aspect of a Luck Feast was, of course, that those needing luck only lightly imbibed. It was for everyone else to distract the gods of mischief and ruin, and to enjoy the full excesses the gods of wine and debauchery could bring…
And pay for it, the next day.
Wylderrjor jumped slightly and broke out of his fretful (and somewhat drunken) thoughts to smile at his son. Sjívull gave him a knowing look.
“You’ve been worrying half the year,” he said. “You could at least relax today.”
Wylderrjor sighed. “You’re right,” he admitted. “But don’t let your mother hear me say so. She’ll think I’ve gone soft!” He set his cup down. It was almost empty anyway, and Wylderrjor would be damned if he were any kind of sober on his son’s own Feast.
Sjívull laughed and topped it off. “Has Mother ever thought you hard-handed?”
Wylderrjor snorted and shook his head. “Your mother,” he declared confidently, “thinks I’m pillow-soft and tender as a roast. And that’s the way it should be, lad. Means I’ve kept her safe these long years.”
“Your mother,” an amused voice corrected him as lady Ethjeyni leaned in from behind to kiss Wylderrjor’s cheek, “thinks he should be glad to go soft.”
Wylderrjor beamed up at her. “Heard that, did you?”
“Half the hall heard it, my love. You’re a thunder-voice when you’re drunk.”
“And rightly!” Wylderrjor boomed. “I shan’t be quiet and sober today of all days!”
His words prompted approving cheers from every table, and much hammering of cups and cutlery upon wood. The feast was going well.
“The tide is in, my love,” Ethjeyni told him quietly, and Wylderrjor felt himself get a few degrees more sober. “It will turn soon.”
Advertisement
“It’s time, then,” Sjívull said. He clapped his father on the shoulder as he stood. “I’ll round up my crew.”
Wylderrjor watched him go, then sighed and took Ethjeyni’s hand to squeeze it. “…I was far less nervous before my own trial,” he confided.
“There goes our future and our hearts,” she agreed, and sat with him. “And if the rumors from Lord Erthrif’s hold are true…”
“If he lays a finger on my boy, there’ll be blood,” Wylderrjor snarled, quietly. “I’ll have his gold, his lands and the head of whichever man he sends.”
“They’re only rumors.”
“Then Erthrif Storm-Rider had better hope they remain rumors.” Wylderrjor drained his cup in one savage gulp, then rose to his feet. “He’s a vile one, love. As warped as bad wood.”
“And Sjívull can handle him,” she replied. “You saw to that.”
Wylderrjor made an uncomfortable noise, but nodded. “Aye. Well. That’s what this trial is all about, isn’t it?”
He held on to his foul mood for the ensuing couple of hours as the feast-goers filed out of the hall and down to the docks, where Wavebird was waiting. Sjívull had been to sea in his father’s company before, and Wylderrjor had no doubts about the boy’s sure-footedness or seamanship. Now that the moment was here…his fatherly anxiety faded, to be replaced with conviction. He’d raised a fine young man. Now, it was Sjívull’s turn to prove it.
Still, he held his wife’s hand tight until the ship was no more than a shadow in the ocean haze, then gone. And upon returning to the feast-hall, he drank and sung and feasted all the louder and so did Ethjeyni, to bring good luck and turn the Gods’ eyes their way, rather than toward their precious heir.
He woke in the morning to a gods-spitting curse of a hangover, and to a bird from his spies in Erthrif’s hold: a mercenary ship had set out on the tide, and were last seen on a heading to intercept Wavebird and her crew. He sighed and threw the scrap of parchment into the fire. The king had forbidden his lords from spying on one another, though everyone knew it still happened. Best not to hang on to incriminating evidence, however.
As for Sjívull, Wavebird, and the mercenary crew sent after them…
It was out of his hands now. All he could do was pray.
Advertisement
The Accidental Archmage - BOOK 9 (THE DRAGON HOUSES)
The Accidental Archmage Series (BETA CHAPTERS) NOTE: DRAFTS OF EARLIER BOOKS (BOOKS 1 to 8) HAVE BEEN POSTED BEFORE ON RRL. THEY ARE NOW ON AMAZON AND HAD ATTAINED BESTSELLER STATUS IN THE FANTASY-MYTHOLOGY GENRE. ACTUALLY, MANY RRL STORIES PUBLISHED ON AMAZON HAVE GONE ON TO BECOME BESTSELLERS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. HOWEVER, AMAZON KDP RULES REQUIRE THAT MOST OF THE DIGITAL CONTENT AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE BE REMOVED. GENRE: CLASSICAL EPIC FANTASY An epic mythological fantasy in another world. Immerse yourself in a grand and dangerous adventure. In a world both familiar and strange. A world where magic and gods still exist. Meet deities, beings, and exiles from Earth’s pantheons. Encounter warriors, huskarls, satyrs, hoplites, dark and evil mages, and strange beings from myths of pre-history up to the age of iron.Match wits with the likes of Loki, Zeus, Athena, Odin, Amun-Ra, Coniraya, Viracocha, and even Dionysus. Escape plots and schemes played by powerful gods of life and death.Find the truth behind the dark and otherworldly beings from the Lovecraft mythos.Play with dire wolves, drakontes, lamias, keres, amphisbaenae, a sphinx, ice giants, creatures of nightmares, empusas, gigas, minotaurs, vrykolakas, jotnar, dokkalfr, to name a few.Survive being in the middle of wars between civilizations and races. Suffer the arrogance and stupidity of gods and men alike. Cross paths with beings who don’t like you. Thor, Ares, and the Incan death god Supay, to name three.Be burdened with a quest to save yourself and your humanity in the brutal and primordial world of Adar.A world where scientific pursuit will get you a lightning bolt or two. Probably five. All at the same time. Book Nine - THE DRAGON HOUSES His beloved Eira rescued, the rogue Titans have been defeated, and Tartarus sealed. Yet as the rising Archmage tries to escape the Forbidden Isle, events have been set in motion that would embroil him once again in the tides of war engulfing Adar. Escaped Titans, a rising power in the South, vengeful adherents of the Elder Gods, and more have him in mind. Least of all, a far from defeated Loki. New players have come to the fore, each with their own purpose in mind. The lustful drive for power, the search for a release of one's soul, and the companions' storied pasts all come to drive the world deeper and further into chaos. Add a powerful demon determined to open a portal to its own dimension. It's enough to drive a mortal man mad. (Cover image used under license) Book Eight - WHERE TITANS WALK Now in the land of the damned below the underworld domain of Hades, Eira awaits the company and battle portends. But first, they have to find the fortress of the Titans. Above them, Loki's war is going well as the internecine war among the pantheons continues. An old foe rises in the south, more powerful than ever. Astrid finds herself the subject of a wife's rage and the murky past of the companions now comes back to haunt them. Yet amidst it all, a dying Elder won't wait as plots and new players bedevil Havard Ulriksson, formerly Tyler West of Earth, now the Archmage of his adopted world. Cover Image used under license from shutterstock.com. Alterations by the writer. Book Seven - DRAGONS AND DEMONS https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08122Y739 An urgent rescue and the path to vengeance are not easy in a magical, myth-filled world. Nasty roadblocks and unexpected complications have a way of rearing their wicked heads along Tyler's route across the dwarven lands and into the infernal realm of Tartarus. More myths and legends cross the First Mage's path as Loki's war and Asag's emergence stir up mortal lands and magical domains. Cover Image used under license from shutterstock.com. Alterations by the writer. Book Six - TARTARUS BECKONS Gifts, curses, and problems. The unfolding of Loki's mad and complicated scheme results in a war between and among pantheons, empires, and kingdoms. From Ymir's Domain down to the far south, conflict engulfs Tyler's world and the magical gate to Tartarus is starting to break open, threatening to add mad Titans and other powerful beings to the chaotic mix. And on the forbidden isle of Banna, a dying enemy awaits. (Note: NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON) Book Five - LOKI'S GAMBIT With the promise of the First Mage not to act against him, Loki now accelerates his plans. A plot millennia in the making, spanning the length and breadth of Adar. Like a spider spinning its web, the trickster god now puts the finishing touches on an audacious scheme. A revolution to change the balance of godly and mortal power in the world. Book Four - VOID LANDS The Void Lands. A place where gods fear to tread. Where strange creatures and hostile beings emerge. A nexus of dimensions, the origins of which are lost in the mists of time. To stop the Aztecha Empire’s march to power and domination of the eastern lands, Tyler West, now a High Mage, must confront and defeat the empire’s mysterious patrons. Beings of incredible might and magical knowledge. An imperative path which leads him right to the Void Lands. Though a few detours are required, each dangerous yet crucial. The only problem is that the Void Lands are on the other side of the continent. And to get there, he may have to ask a favor from the Trickster God himself, the Norse deity known as Loki. Book Three - BLOOD WARS Continuing our lost mage's epic journey through the magical and extremely dangerous world of Adar. Escaping the convoluted schemes of the Greek pantheon, Tyler finds himself with an old acquaintance, the Incan deity Viracocha. His son, the sun god Inti, is dead. With the Aztecah Empire and its powerful pantheon of deities on the bloody road to more conquests, the deity asks for his help. A request he could easily refuse. Except Viracocha is not alone is asking for his aid. Two other pantheons have made their presence known to the young mage. And the Egyptian deities are watching how he will decide the matter. To add to his burdened conscience, the rise and dominance of the Aztecah pantheon would mean a million or more new human sacrifices. Resulting in extremely overpowered bloodthirsty deities. What's a newly minted Elder apprentice mage to do? Involve himself in a blood war? Book Two - GIFTS OF THE GREEKS Tyler's journey continues. New land, misadventures, friends, foes, skills, and knowledge. Confused encounters of the female kind. More deities become aware of Tyler as he continues his quest to survive, reach his potential, and carry out his burden. Amid convoluted plans designed by divine acquaintances of old and newly met gods, what's an ordinary guy from Earth to do?The god of wine wants to be his friend. Ares and his sons are coming to say hello. Book One - RAGNAROK RISING What if you fell through a crack in reality? Like those people disappearing in plain sight you've read about. What if you find yourself in a strangely familiar world? A world full of Earth’s mythological beings, lost civilizations, and people from its primitive and brutal past? Where magical energy still exists. Where gods play games among themselves, with the fate of mortal men as pawns. A land where a sword is deadlier than a five-inch thick contract drawn by a hotshot lawyer. Would you survive? That's Tyler West. Alone, lost and bewildered, the three moons in the sky made it clear he wasn’t on Earth anymore. It’s not a game. It’s real. And there's no coffee, pizza, fries, or his favorite show on HBO. *** All Rights Reserved. 2017/2018/2019/2020. Cover Images are used under license.
8 141Reborn as the Duke’s Daughter ~ The Goddesses are Ruining my Life!
Worshipped and isolated for her healing powers here on Earth, Maven is whisked off to another world by The Goddess of Light and Life! What?! You want me to be the Saintess and clean up corruption in the church?! I just got out of being worshipped! I want to live a normal life. Maven is off to clean up the world, run from her responsibilities, and live a happy life in Avalon - no matter who gets in her way.
8 156A Royal Knight From Another World Got Reincarnated To Earth
Ragur, a Royal Knight from another world has passed away after defending his country against the demons. After waking up he found himself in a place where everything is white. There was a woman floating in the air who called herself a goddess. She promised Ragur that she'll reincarnate him to a place called Earth if he swears his loyalty to her. After the goddess reincarnated him to Earth, he woke up as a baby laying under a bridge. He stayed in the cold and starved there for hours till a girl came and took him to the orphanage she was raised in. When Ragur waked up again he found himself on a bed, with a girl laying next to the bed.
8 112Pokémon Reset Bloodlines Sidestory - Cipher Chronicles
Part of the Pokémon Reset Bloodlines universe. While Ash Ketchum continues to travel across the land, new threats lurk far and wide beyond Kanto. Sidestories focused on Cipher's involvement while they set their world domination plans in motion. Written by Crossoverpairinglover and several others. Knowledge of the main story isn't fully required but recommended.
8 147The Cracks in the Labyrinth
Evoking the paranoid tension of Rosemary's Baby and the unnerving atmosphere of the cult horror film Jacob's Ladder, The Cracks in the Labyrinth is a disturbing psychological thriller set in present-day Caracas, where the government has devolved into a "democratic dictatorship"-a creepy suspense novel meant to challenge your deeper, subconscious fears of losing control.It consumed the sanity of an entire country...And it was not from this world. It couldn't have been. Whatever caused the incident known as "The Red Christmas" drove Venezuela into madness.Even ten years since it happened, none of the survivors of that night dare to attempt to make sense of it all, including Adam. Living ostracized to hide from the brutal way of life in Caracas, he's working tirelessly as an online writer to help his brother and sister flee the country. Now, as he's about to have enough money to take them to safety, he receives an email from his old girlfriend ... which is remarkable, considering she's been presumed dead for years. Adam tries to think nothing of the email or the broken video file attached to it. He convinces himself that it has to be a computer virus of some kind until he discovers something terrifying: the video might link his sister to the worst night of his life, the night his girlfriend went missing, the night of "The Red Christmas". Then he realizes this could be a threat; his sister's life could be in danger. As he starts to investigate who sent the video, Adam begins to uncover dark truths about his neighbors and finds evidence that there might be a larger conspiracy at play. The problem is that he's starting to suffer from hellish hallucinations that make him question what is real. Soon, the only clear thing to him is that someone doesn't want him to dig up the past. Will Adam be able to stay sane long enough to find out what really happened the night of "The Red Christmas"? Will he succeed in helping his family escape the country?
8 111Never Gonna Leave You
The trio of Indian Cricket who brought a shine and pride to the game and made everyone fall in love with that. More than the game the thing which was admired by everyone was their bonding. The bond they shared was unbreakable or that's what everyone thought! A Mahi-Rohit-Virat (MahiRoRat/MahiRoVi) story! Happy Reading!
8 121