Onyx of Darkness_An epic dragon fantasy Read online

  Onyx of Darkness

  Norma Hinkens

  Dunecadia Publishing

  Contents

  Preface

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Afterword

  Also by Norma Hinkens

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  Chapter 1

  “The sky to the north is thick with the black breath of dragons.”

  Orlla’s throat clamped shut as Akolom’s foreboding pronouncement sank in. She had long feared this day but dared to hope it would never come.

  Until now.

  A great and terrible evil had been awakened, and there would be no turning back from the battle to overcome it. The other Keepers fixed gaping expressions of shock on one another, heightening her dread. This was an unimaginable terror they had not seen coming and would not be able to stop.

  “How is it possible that the dark dragons have arisen?” Erdhan asked, casting a confused look at Akolom. “The Opal of Light fights for us, not against us.”

  Even though Orlla knew the answer Akolom would give, a part of her was desperate enough to hope she was wrong—that everything she had learned in the Keeper Conservatory about the dark dragons was unfounded. Blood thrummed like the drums of war in her temple as she waited, along with everyone else, for Akolom’s response.

  His brows tightened over steely eyes that had witnessed five centuries of peace. “The dark dragons answer only one call: the Onyx of Darkness has been uncovered. I suspect it has lain buried in the peaks to the north since the High Dragon King hurled it from the heavens.”

  Samten’s eyes glittered with morbid excitement as his gaze locked with Orlla’s.

  Jubel wiped a shaking hand over her face. “How can you be sure of this?”

  “The dragons are congregated over the Strylieht mountains.” Akolom tightened his grip on the crystal viewing lens in his hands. “The Opal of Light returned the radiance of the sun to the mainland and now it is melting the snowcap. I can only surmise the Onyx of Darkness was frozen for centuries somewhere in the Strylieht mountains between the sinking bogs and the lost kingdoms.”

  A deathly hush fell over the Keepers as they digested the implications of Akolom’s words. They had hoped the return of the sun’s warmth to the mainland would restore both health and harvest to a broken people and unite the land, not unleash a whole new level of suffering on them. It seemed the workings of the Opal and the Onyx were inextricably linked in a macabre dance of blessing and curse.

  “Then we are doomed,” Teldus said.

  “Do not prophesy the deceit of a fearful heart. A black cloud is not a sign that the sun has lost its light,” Akolom said. “We are now the Keepers of the world. We must cling to the vision of victory in the days to come.”

  Orlla studied the flickering flames of the campfire they sat around. Before his death, her father had told her he believed the High Dragon King had chosen her to carry the Opal of Light to the mainland, to dispel the shadows the mainlanders had lived under for far too long. She had to do whatever it took to protect their newfound hope. And that meant keeping the newly uncovered dark dragon stone out of the hands of the mainland monarchs. Their lust for the Opal of Light had driven them to war—the Onyx of Darkness would do no less. “We must find the dark dragon stone,” she said, her voice firm and unwavering. “And destroy it.”

  Erdhan raised shocked brows halfway up his forehead. “No one knows the extent of the dark stone’s power, let alone dares to seek it out and destroy it. Its very shadow may suffice to slay us.”

  “I must concur,” Jubel said, her face beset with worry. “We have no knowledge of what the Onyx is capable of. It could kill or maim any Keeper who approaches it.”

  “The master mentors must have come across some information about it in the annals in the Conservatory vault,” Orlla protested.

  Jubel and Akolom exchanged heavy looks.

  “The annals warn that the Onyx of Darkness is infused with a terrible beauty more deceptive than the mind can comprehend,” Akolom said quietly. “The lure of the dark dragon stone is all-powerful—searing the soul and consuming the body at a single glance.”

  “What about protection runes?” Samten suggested. “You used them effectively around the Opal of Light.”

  Jubel rubbed her brow with her fingertips. “There are specific protection runes alluded to in the annals regarding the dark dragon stone.”

  “And you are versed in these runes, are you not?” Samten persisted.

  A flicker of apprehension darted across Jubel’s face. “Such runes have not been taught at the Conservatory for centuries. I cannot be certain I recall them in their entirety.”

  Orlla swept a hand around at the other Keepers. “Surely between all of your collective wisdom it’s possible to piece them together—”

  “It’s not just about the protection runes we would need to construct in order to apprehend the stone,” Teldus cut in. “No one from Efyllsseum has ever crossed the sinking bogs and entered the Strylieht mountains before. What about the mercenaries and the mad mortals rumored to live there?”

  “More mad than Brufus the Bonebreaker? I think not!” Orlla retorted. “Or are we too white-livered to take on the task set before us as Keepers of the world? We have seen what lust for the Opal of Light does to the heart, and we consequently determined that no one monarch should ever control it. We swore allegiance to a new Order of the Stone for this very reason. If the lure of the dark dragon stone is all powerful as Akolom says, then it is equally imperative that it does not fall into the wrong hands. It is our responsibility to preserve the balance of power we vowed to restore to the kingdoms of the world. If the Order of the Stone is to succeed, we must ensure the dark dragon stone cannot be wielded against us. The only way to do that is to secure it.”

  The Keepers broke into nervous discussion interspersed by an occasional outburst of angry commentary as they argued over the best course of action.

  Finally, Akolom got to his feet and cast a withering look around him. “Enough! As Keepers we are charged with defending and protecting everything that is noble and true. Orlla has spoken the truth. If the Onyx of Darkness falls into the clutches of a power-hungry monarch, the world will once again face a long and brutal war, driven by the dragons and paid for in human blood. There is nothing admirable about possessing such knowledge and failing to act on it.”

  For a long moment no one spoke. A yellow-billed finch warbled in a nearby tree, oblivious to the weighty silence that hung in the air. Orlla looked around at the other Keepers. They shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her eyes. She
could feel her composure crumbling as her frustration mounted. Perhaps she was expecting too much of them to acquiesce to such a quest. After all, they were academics at heart. None of them had ventured beyond the Angladior mountains in all their centuries of living. They had agreed to set up an Order of the Stone to protect the Opal of Light they had tended all their lives, not to embark on a perilous plan to recover the Onyx of Darkness—the core of corruption that had destroyed the world once before.

  Orlla sorely wished the Protectors were here with them. They were men of war—they would not have hesitated to cross the sinking bogs and face whatever mercenaries they encountered in the Strylieht mountains. But, in the end, they had sided with King Ferghell and Barhus and abandoned the Keepers of Efyllsseum to their fate.

  Orlla took a deep breath before addressing the Keepers again. “Teach me the protection runes and I will hunt for the Onyx of Darkness myself.”

  Samten stood and met her gaze. “I will accompany you.”

  Orlla arched a brow. “I thought your intentions were to enlist with the Macobite army, not the Order of the Stone.”

  “That is still my intention.” A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “But you will need help with such a bold theft, and I am fleet-footed and quick-fingered, as you well know.”

  Orlla studiously ignored her brother’s goading. He had always enjoyed playing the rebel and breaking the rules. For once, she would avail of his abilities. “Does anyone else wish to join us?” She studied the Keepers’ faces as she waited for a response.

  Erdhan got to his feet, tossing his mop of blond curls out of his ice blue eyes. “I know nothing of runes, but I can be of service in other ways.” He pulled out two throwing knives and, with a flick of his wrists, embedded them in two trees on opposite sides of the campfire.

  Orlla gave an approving nod, her breath catching briefly at the thought of Erdhan by her side in the days to come. It felt more right than she was willing to admit.

  Akolom flung his cloak over his shoulder. “I will accompany you also, the other Keepers can remain behind to guard the Opal of Light. We will take the decoy stone with us. We may have need of it again if we are intercepted by Hamend or Brufus.”

  Teldus squared his shoulders. “And what of Efyllsseum?”

  “You must go in person and warn them of what is afoot.” Akolom hesitated and then added in a low tone, “While you are there you are to take my place and oversee the election of a new monarch. If by some miracle King Ferghell survived the dragon’s fire, he will have aged rapidly with the loss of eternal youth and cannot last much longer. He was already living on stolen years.”

  Teldus looked pensive. “We cannot assume that everyone will age as quickly as Magnulf did. If King Ferghell is alive, I dare not show my face at the court.”

  Akolom let his eyes linger on the horizon for a moment at the mention of Magnulf, the former master mentor they had laid to rest only a few hours earlier. “Go as far as the dock at Narto and find out from Gaff if King Ferghell lives. He will know if any survivors were pulled from the water and if the king was among them.”

  Jubel placed a hand on Teldus’s arm, her forehead creased in a frown. “If the king lives, he will seek to enact revenge on any Keepers he can. You must be discreet with your enquiries and not allow yourself to be captured. We cannot afford to trade your life for the Opal of Light, not when so many other lives are at stake with the rise of the dark dragon stone.”

  Akolom pinched his brows together. “Pass on the news about the Onyx of Darkness to Gaff but warn him not to reveal the source of the information. He must not endanger his life by being associated with us. Instruct him to send an anonymous missive to the court.”

  Teldus gave a tight nod.

  Akolom turned and addressed the other Keepers, dampened shock still evident in their drawn faces. “At dawn we will go our separate ways. You are to set out to find a safe abode for the light dragon stone in the Angladior mountains. We will use a communications rune to find you upon our return.”

  Sprawled around the campfire, the strained voices of the Keepers recited hushed renditions of ancient protection runes long into the night until the flames dwindled away. Orlla’s mind was spinning from the complex combinations required to shield her from the lure of the dark dragon stone. Eventually, she felt her head begin to nod, and she lay down and curled up beneath her cloak.

  Her eyes fluttered open again when something poked her in the ribs. She glanced up to see Erdhan leaning over her with a finger to his lips.

  Awkwardly, she balanced on one elbow and peered past him into the shadows. “What is it?”

  “I heard a branch snap,” he murmured.

  Orlla stifled a yawn. “Probably an animal.”

  “It wasn’t!”

  The hiss of urgency in his voice did more to wake her than the jab in the ribs. She pulled her cloak tightly around her and sat up, allowing her eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. The foliage around them was thick and overgrown, and it was impossible to make out anything other than murky silhouettes of bushes and shrubs, and beyond them the inky forest. “How do you know it wasn’t an animal?”

  “Animals don’t stop moving when they make a sound,” Erdhan whispered emphatically. He crawled around the campfire prodding the other Keepers awake, before slinking back to Orlla. “I’m going to circle the perimeter of the camp and see if I can find any tracks. I told the others to ready their weapons.”

  “Be careful!” Orlla murmured, fumbling for her dagger.

  With a rustling swish, Erdhan disappeared into the darkness that swaddled the surrounding undergrowth.

  Orlla hugged her knees to her chest with one arm and gripped the hilt of her dagger. A gnawing fear mounted in her gut now that she was fully awake. Erdhan was an expert tracker—she had learned that the hard way on more than one occasion. If anyone knew the difference between the sound of an animal plodding through brush and the sound a person made when they were trying not to be noticed, it was Erdhan.

  Jubel came up beside her and crouched down. “Did you hear anything?”

  “No,” she admitted. “I was in a deep sleep until Erdhan elbowed me awake.”

  Jubel grimaced. “He shouldn’t have woken up the entire camp on a hunch.”

  “He is never wrong about such things,” Orlla said. “Do you think it could be Brufus?”

  Jubel blinked, considering the option. “I wouldn’t have expected him to be so brazen after what happened to his men. I thought he would retreat to Pegonia and rebuild his army before coming after the Opal of Light.”

  “But this could be his best chance to get close to it—before we are safely through the pass,” Orlla mused.

  They fell into silence, sobered at the thought of Brufus attempting an ambush with what remained of his army. It would be a bold move. For all he knew, King Hamend could have left a battalion of Macobite soldiers to guard the Keepers.

  Minutes ticked by, and Erdhan didn’t return. Fear churned in Orlla’s stomach. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing any longer.” She blew out an exasperated breath. “Something must have happened to him.”

  “It doesn’t make sense for you to go after him alone,” Jubel countered. “If Brufus and his men are out there, it will be easier for them to pick us off one-by-one.”

  “They won’t detect me,” Orlla replied. “I’m lighter and faster than any soldier.”

  She leapt up and darted off before Jubel could protest any further. Ducking beneath branches, she worked her way deeper into the forest trying to figure out which path Erdhan had taken, while doing her best to avoid the brambles that caught at her cloak.

  The chirping of crickets grew louder in her ears when she stopped to listen for any telltale signs of movement. The faint glow of the fire at her back had long since disappeared and she was losing any clear sense of which direction the camp was in. She pressed on, zig-zagging randomly, but it became increasingly difficult to find her way in the weak shaft of moo
nlight that spilled through the forest canopy.

  The unmistakable crunch of a footstep and the rustle of branches startled her from behind. Fighting the urge to call out to Erdhan, she swung around just as something struck her on the temple, sending her sprawling into the brush.

  Chapter 2

  Orlla’s eyes stung with blinding tears, pain ricocheting through her skull. She writhed weakly on the forest floor, disoriented from the blow to her head but desperate to get away from whomever had attacked her.

  A powerful arm crushed against her ribs, warning her not to resist. She squeezed her eyes shut as shooting stabs of pain took over, consuming her thoughts. Amid a throbbing haze, she was vaguely aware of her captor lifting her and slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of wheat, his strides strong and powerful as he moved off through the trees.

  The scent of leather filled her nostrils as her head flopped up and down against his jerkin. Her mind spiraled into despair. Had she walked right into Brufus’s trap, given him exactly what he wanted? He would use her as a bargaining chip for the Opal of Light—a trade Jubel would never consent to. If she was going to escape, it would be without the Keepers’ help.

  The crackle of burning wood and the murmur of shocked whispers reached her ears. She snapped her eyes open in the same instant her captor slid her unceremoniously to the ground. Catching her first bleary glimpse of him in the glow of a campfire, confusion filled her thoughts. This was not the attire of Brufus’s soldiers—the black-masked man in front of her was clothed in full Protector leathers.