Rise of the False King - E-Book

I never thought my friends would betray me. After weeks of traveling together and bonds formed in the heat of battle, I thought I knew them. But the moment I arrive at Emerald Deep, everything begins to unravel.

And danger is coming.

Then, just when we're close to our goal, my friends hesitate. Tired of them stopping me from reaching my goal, I send them away. However, no sooner had I sent them away than I found myself captured and imprisoned.

The False King stands before me and I can see the world burning to ash in his eyes. If he takes over Alamond, the world will fall.

One
Dusk stood in front of the mirror with his hands bound behind his back. In front of him stood a man with pasty copper skin and tangled black hair. Grandmaster Tiernan stared back from the other side of the tarnished glass with a look of bemusement on his face. The black metal crown dotted with glowing rubies sat imposingly upon his head. At Dusk’s side stood a tall man with gray hair and a dark cloak thrown over his shoulder. Yarick kept his gaze fixed on the mirror, keeping a calculating eye on his master. A pale, thin man with skeletal fingers still grasped Dusk’s upper arm on the other side, but Kaden seemed unable to look his master in the eye.
Dusk had realized that without the crystal eye or his friends, there was nothing he could do. It was just a matter of time until he would be with the grandmaster and the Circle’s plan would finally be realized. It had been almost three months since Dusk had escaped the Ronja mines. It hadn’t been the easiest journey, but he was happy to have had that small amount of freedom while it lasted. In a moment, it would all be gone once again.
But none of that seemed to matter anymore as Tiernan’s plans sunk into Dusk’s brain. If what he’d said was true, once he had the crystal, he’d be able to tap into Tephyss’s power. With his knowledge of the arcane and an army of magicians at his command, he would be unstoppable. Inahan would no longer be a problem. It would easily fall under Tiernan’s power. But what would he do after that? Would he really bring magic back to the world, or would he hoard it to himself? Would he kill the Ditanian royal family as well and take their place? He’d said he would take the Alamondian throne, but what did that mean? All Dusk knew was that it couldn’t be good, and if he had even the slightest chance of stopping it, he had to.
“So, what do you say, dear cousin?” Tiernan grinned maniacally. “Would you like to join me on the throne of Alamond? It’s true that you’ll never be as powerful as myself once I have the crystal, but you can be my second in command.”
Dusk was silent. He continued to glare at the grandmaster with as much hate as he could muster.
“Don’t look at me like that!” Tiernan laughed. “You’re so puppy-like, it’s hard to take you seriously. Either way, it doesn’t matter how you feel now. If you don’t come with me willingly, I’ll just kill you and then resurrect you. An empty vessel is easy to fill.”
“Grandmaster,” Yarick stepped forward, his jaw hanging open in awe. “Are you saying it worked? The princess?”
“Indeed it did. Although it took some effort on my part and no small amount of dragon dust to fix her body. She’d been dead for so long that she was starting to look like jerky.” Tiernan’s face spread into a toothy grin. “But she’s breathing once more.”
“And her memory?” Kaden asked, his grip loosening on Dusk’s arm.
“Gone, it seems.” Tiernan shrugged, holding up his hands. “There’s just something about death that the brain doesn’t like. She can function and speak, but for some reason, she seems to have no memory of her past or who she is.” He looked to Yarick, then to Kaden. “But that can be taught again. She has an aptitude for magic like I’ve never seen before. There is a thirst for power in her that wasn’t there while she was just the princess. I think she’ll more than fulfill our needs.”
“What about the connection?” Yarick asked, looking hopeful.
“The connection is permanent. At any moment I can tap into her thoughts and adjust them to my needs. It’s almost like having a puppet on a string, very similar to the golem I gifted to that fool Falgorin. But so much more useful. I’m in complete control. When I take her back to the palace her brother Arius will never suspect a thing. He’ll see a miracle before him and welcome her back with open arms.”
“Are you planning on killing them too?” Dusk spat, lurching forward as Kaden’s grip tightened around his arm again.
“Of course not. Well, not all of them anyway.” He stepped closer to the mirror. “You see, I want the royal family on the throne but under my control. Once Princess Nedarya kills and succeeds her brother, Arius, I’ll have two of the three Alamondian crowns. All that’s left after that is to take Inahan, and thanks to you, that won’t be a problem. The eye will make that feat too easy. I’m almost sorry that it won’t be as much fun now.”
“Is that what you’re going to use me for then?”
“You’re so clever, Dusk. Why yes, you could sit on the Inahandrian throne without issue. Your blood guarantees that the crown will grant you its blessing.” Tiernan laughed. “Once I permanently link your mind with mine, I’ll be the thrice crowned king of Alamond without anyone ever knowing. We’ll reunite everyone once more, bring magic back, and create a beautiful world for humanity to thrive in by my rules. At last, free of dangerous beasts that like to give bad advice and hoard gold.”
“You’re disgusting…”
“No, I get things done.” Tiernan’s smile grew larger and he turned to the side as if looking out a nearby window. “You’ll find this world is full of people who like to talk but none of action. Nothing will be given to you. You, of all people, should know that.” He turned back. “Tell me Dusk, did the rope cut itself free or did you have to pick up the knife and do it yourself?”
Dusk was silent, glaring up at him.
“I see. And did your legs carry you away from the trader’s caravan or did you make the decision to run?”
“What are you getting at?”
“What did the other slaves do? Did they run? Or did they stand there like stupid pigs for slaughter?”
Dusk cast his gaze downward. None of the other slaves had moved, even after he cut them free from the wagon. They’d just stood there as if nothing was happening while bodies dropped all around them.
“You see, Dusk, you are a man of action, which is why I like you. Nobody told you to flee across the empire looking for freedom. Nobody told you to seek out help or find it on the road. No one told you to continue on your journey, even when it seemed like everything was going wrong. You conquered one obstacle after another using the resources at your disposal.”
“But… anyone would have done tha—”
“NO!” Tiernan suddenly shouted. “No, they wouldn’t have! Have you learned absolutely nothing about the world? There are those that wait for what they want and those that take it. You are a taker.” Tiernan was pacing now in front of the mirror, his dark eyes blazing. “This world is full of ignorant, lazy fools who would rather chop wood and grow corn until they die than go out and get what they want! They are terrified of their dreams, their goals, and their aspirations. There is a significant lack of imagination in this world. And those people who lack imagination and action deserve to be ruled. And they won’t do a thing to fight it.”
Tiernan stopped, turning back towards Dusk. He lifted his gaze, the smile now wiped from his face. For a moment, he looked less like a maniacal jester and more like a man who had grown tired of the world. He lifted a pale hand up and ran his fingers through his long, shaggy hair. With a deep sigh, he let it fall once more to his side.
“If the world isn’t going to do anything for itself, I will shape it for the better. The ruling crowns do nothing for their people, their countries, or the good of the world, and I’m sick of it. If I have to kill them and do it all myself, I will.” The smile returned to his face as he lifted his gaze once more, his eyes burrowing into Dusk’s. “You can help me willingly or by force. It’s your choice if you want to be a man of action or a tool to be used.”
Everyone stood silent for a moment. Kaden’s grip had relaxed on Dusk’s arm once more, allowing the blood to flow down to his fingers again. Yarick kept his head upright, but the look in his eyes was that of someone far away in thought. Tiernan, through his explanation, had all but said his men were nothing more than tools he was using to achieve his own goals. Dusk was inclined to agree, and he wondered if that’s what he wanted to end up being as well. The truth was that no matter what he chose, he would still end up being a tool for Tiernan’s will. It seemed easier to choose to die and, therefore, have no knowledge of what he would do after he was resurrected, but something about the grandmaster’s words rang true with him. He was right. There were two types of people in the world: those with power and those without. Up until that moment, Dusk had never thought it possible to move from one group to the other, but something about Tiernan’s passion made him think otherwise. It seemed like the grandmaster was destined for great things, however much damage he might cause in the process. Underneath it all, there seemed to be a want to do good for the world, but doing so at any cost seemed to be a recipe for disaster.
Dusk still wasn’t sure if Tiernan meant what he’d said about making the world a better place. He was right that the empire had done nothing for its people, and Inahan was probably no better. Both countries allowed slavery to exist, and both were full of poverty and starvation. Maybe bringing magic back to the world wasn’t such a bad thing. It might even help level the scales a bit for the common man. But destroying two empires in the process was a large price to pay. There was no guarantee once Tiernan took the throne that he would follow through with his intended benevolence. Dusk couldn’t tell if he was lying. His passion was palpable, but his intentions were still masked. However, it was very clear that Tiernan would destroy whoever got in his way. That alone made him untrustworthy in all regards.
“Do you have an answer?” Tiernan grinned, leaning towards the mirror.
Dusk hesitated for a moment. “I–I’ll help you… willingly.”
“A surprising answer.” Tiernan nodded and leaned back. “I’m glad to see that aristocratic brat Alexander hasn’t rubbed off on you too much. I thought your friends would have tainted your judgment.”
“I don’t have any friends,” Dusk replied coldly. “I walk alone.”
“Ooh! Stop, you’re giving me shivers!” Tiernan laughed. “I like this new side of you. It’s so dark and depressing.” He gave Dusk a slight wink and snapped upwards, turning his head toward Yarick. “Enough of this! Start the ritual. I’m ready to begin training my new protégé.”
“Yes, grandmaster,” Yarick replied.
As he turned back, he shot Dusk a venomous look. At that moment, it dawned on Dusk that he had, in less than ten minutes, achieved a rank within the Circle of the Dawn that Yarick had worked his whole life to achieve. It was clear he had just made a terrible enemy.
Yarick walked around the altar, laid his hands on Edoroth's skull, and closed his eyes. All of the present Circle members stepped back from the edges of the large geometric drawing filling the center of the chamber. Lightly, Yarick began to speak words over the skull in a language that Dusk had only heard in his mind when he’d first gotten the crystal. It was the language of the dragons. The skull itself began to glow brighter, pinkish light reflecting off of the floor and walls. Lifting his gloved hand, Yarick began to trace a series of complex patterns over top of the skull, mumbling to himself as he went.
With one final flourish, the crystal on the back of his hand flashed. The room grew instantly warm as the skull lifted off the altar and hovered a few inches above. Dusk watched it open-mouthed as thousands of hairline cracks crept across its surface, the pink light shining brightly through them. It lifted a few more inches as Yarick took a step back, the cracks growing larger and more spiderwebbed. The skull began to vibrate, and with a deafening boom, it exploded. Dusk hit the ground, jerking his arm out of Kaden’s grasp, as a wave of energy washed over the room. All the torches were blown out, and the other Circle members were thrown off their feet. The massive chalk circle on the ground began to emanate a soft white light.
Looking over his shoulder, Dusk watched as the mirror's surface began to ripple as if a droplet of water had fallen into a still pool. On the other side, he could still see the distorted image of Tiernan staring back at him. Yarick stepped around the altar, grabbing Dusk by the arm and hauling him to his feet. Dusk looked up to see a pale hand slip through the glassy surface, reaching out as if to help him across the barrier.
“Welcome to the Circle of the Dawn, Dusk,” Tiernan declared. “Step forward to your destiny.”
Suddenly, there was a loud crash from behind them as the temple doors exploded inwards, banging against the walls. In the doorway stood Lex and Tara, their swords drawn. Another dark figure stood beside them, one that Dusk didn’t recognize.
“Not so fucking fast, you piss-brained ass badgers!” Tara yelled.
Lex gave her a sideways glance before crying out, “Give us back our friend!”