He went down on one knee in front of the warlock. “Master.”
Master Blackman looked up from his amulet. “What happened to you?”
“I was defeated, Master.” The words almost stuck in his throat. He wanted to make excuses, but the master wouldn’t accept them. “A sorcerer bested me and freed the prisoners.”
“Took your arm as well.” The master’s cold voice was indifferent to Mikhail’s suffering. “Tell me about this sorcerer.”
“He wasn’t much more than a boy, but he was strong and he fought well. Can you fix my arm, Master?”
“Morana warned me you weren’t suitable for the task of being my knight. She said you were vain, weak, and stupid. Perhaps I should have listened. But you were so enthusiastic. You practically tripped over yourself in your rush to murder your father and take your place at my side. Now your incompetence has ruined my plans for our southern front.”
Mikhail winced to hear his master lay out his many failings. To hear that Morana had tried to convince the master not to accept his service didn’t surprise him. The bitch had always been jealous of him. “If you fix my arm I can make everything right. The women and children won’t be difficult to reclaim.”
“You truly are an idiot. General Taos will be on alert and the archmage will have sent more sorcerers to protect the border. No, that avenue is closed to us.” Master Blackman rose up off his throne and walked through the shelves. He finally stopped and plucked a long, black, desiccated arm off a shelf. “Come here.”
Mikhail stood and rushed over to his master’s side.
“Don’t move.”
The master touched the stump of the arm to his shoulder. Black fire burst from the appendage. Pain such as Mikhail had never imagined screamed through his body as the flames fused the new arm to his shoulder.
When the pain died down Mikhail flexed the fingers of his new hand. They worked well and felt stronger than the one he lost. That it was an ugly, black, scale-covered thing seemed a small price. “Thank you, Master.”
“Best be careful, Mikhail, I have no more spares.”
“Yes, Master. What shall I do now?” He desperately wanted a new task to prove his worth.
“You will stay here and guard our base while I’m gone. You would have led the fight on the southern border, but that option is now gone.”
“Please, Master, take me with you. Morana can—”
“Morana has her own work to do. Unlike you, she’s never failed me. My own task is too important to have you getting in my way. I doubt anyone will stumble on this place, but if the wrong people should show up you will kill them. Surely you can manage that simple task.”
The master’s contempt clawed at Mikhail. He wanted nothing so much as to prove he was worthy to join the master when he ascended to true power. “No one will get past me, Master.”
“Remember, only kill the wrong people. If some of our allies should show up I don’t want to find their bodies bleeding on the stone. Everyone has their part to play if the plan is to succeed despite your failure. If you fail me again I’ll have your own arm strangle you. Understand?”
“Yes, Master. I won’t fail.”
“Good. A new world is waiting for us, Mikhail. If you wish to see it you must prove your worth. Otherwise you burn with the rest of the garbage.”
Author Notes
And so we reach the end of Volume One. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you very much for reading my story and with the hope that you’ll join me for Volume Two.
If you’d like to learn more about Lizzy and how she became bound to a sword. members of my reader group get that story for free. You can check it out here.
Thanks for reading,
James
Also by James E Wisher
The Dragonspire Chronicles
The Black Egg
The Mysterious Coin
The Dragons’ Graveyard
The Slave War
The Sunken Tower
The Dragon Empress
The Dragonspire Chronicles Omnibus Vol. 1
The Dragonspire Chronicles Omnibus Vol. 2
Soul Force Saga
Disciples of the Horned One Trilogy:
Darkness Rising
Raging Sea and Trembling Earth
Harvest of Souls
Disciples of the Horned One Omnibus
Chains of the Fallen Arc:
Dreaming in the Dark
On Blackened Wings
Chains of the Fallen Omnibus
Soul Force Saga Tales:
Knights of the Red Dragon
The Lightning
The Complete Soul Force Saga Omnibus
The Aegis of Merlin:
The Impossible Wizard
The Awakening
The Chimera Jar
The Raven’s Shadow
Escape From the Dragon Czar
Wrath of the Dragon Czar
The Four Nations Tournament
Death Incarnate
Aegis of Merlin Omnibus Vol 1.
Aegis of Merlin Omnibus Vol 2.
The Complete Aegis of Merlin Omnibus
Other Fantasy Novels:
The Squire
Death and Honor Omnibus
The Rogue Star Series:
Children of Darkness
Children of the Void
Children of Junk
Rogue Star Omnibus Vol. 1
Children of the Black Ship
About the Author
James E. Wisher is a writer of science fiction and fantasy novels. He’s been writing since high school and reading everything he could get his hands on for as long as he can remember.
To learn more:
www.jamesewisher.com
james@jamesewisher.com
