The Sorcerer's Scourge (55 page)

Sharrellan smiled. “Klaraxis was still weak when he returned from his little vacation and the sorcerer was able to continue to dominate him. Whether he can continue to do so is largely up to him. If he is careless or rash, as he has shown a great propensity to be, Klaraxis may yet regain control.”

Serron, god of the seas, was relaxing in an enormous silvery pool and spoke. “We have taken a great risk sacrificing the sorcerer’s body and gambling that he will be able to control the demon.”

“It was necessary, as we all know. Despite his talent, he had no chance of facing what is to come as he was,” Solarian answered. “The question now is will Lissandra be able to return him physically to the mortal realm?”

“She has done it once before,” Sharrellan replied with a shrug.

“With someone of her own blood, and still it nearly killed her. To do it again will almost certainly accomplish exactly that,” Ellanee said remorsefully. “Even knowing so, she will try. She knows as well as we that it must be done.”

“To lose the last living guardian is a terrible thing. I pray it is worth it,” Solarian said.

“It is. With the sorcerer in control of the demon’s body, he and his offspring shall provide a weapon even greater than Lissandra to be used against the Scions,” Sharrellan said. “Assuming of course that he has the strength to use it without Klaraxis gaining control. Azerick will find it far more challenging to keep the demon at bay within his own form. If he fails, we will have to find an alternative.”

Solarian looked sternly at his dark counterpart. “Sharrellan, we all know you are capable of great treachery. Particularly when self-preservation is at stake. The Scions know this as well and will certainly seek to use you against us.”

The goddess of darkness, lies, and deceit waved a hand dismissively. “I am not stupid. I know perfectly well that if I betray any of you, all that would mean is that I will be the last us four to die. The Scions will never allow us to exist, no matter what promises are made.”

“Good. Then let us stand united and pray the races do as well so that we might have a chance of defeating our ancient enemy.”   

***

Far away, deep within bowels of the fourth circle of the abyss, a shade watched with detachment as the demon overseer cruelly lashed the insubstantial forms of his fellow shades. The shades gathered beneath the massive ziggurat that belonged to the demonic master of the fourth ring, channeling their energy into its black walls that acted as a sort of silo from which the lord of this part of the abyss could draw additional power when he needed it.

“What are you?” the overseer demanded with a crack of his whip.

“I am scum. I am nothing,” the shade wailed mournfully.

None of the shades remembered who they once were, where they came from, or why they were even here. They knew only their own pain and tortured existence and to feed their energy into the black walls of their eternal prison.

Down the line the demon continued abusing the shades, reminding them of what they were—nothing. They were nothing beyond a source of food and power for the demonic denizens of the abyss.

The shade watched the demon torment another not far from him. That shade was weaker than the others were. It was too weak or too lost in its own misery to answer. The overseer thrust his hand into the shadowy substance of the weak shade’s form and consumed it. The shade found its voice then and wailed a hollow lament as the demon drew in its pitiful life force.

He was next. Suddenly, the shade felt more than heard a short but deep thrum reverberate through his being. It was difficult for the shade to force his attention into a coherent thought. It was familiar. He knew it had something to do with what he once was and he clawed at the wispy memory with all his pathetic will. Then a single word entered his feeble mind. Sorcerer.

The shade realized the overseer was screaming at him. “What are you?”

Sorcerer, the shade thought and struggled to speak. “I am….”

“What are you, you worthless piece of filth?” the demon shouted again.

The shade tore at his foggy memory and grasped at another smoky strand of recognition. He looked down at the spectral appendage of his arm, used his will to extend and join the wispy tendrils that were his fingers into a curved, shadowy blade. Looking into the overseer’s eyes, the shade thrust the ghostly blade into the demon’s heart and pulled its life force into him hungrily.

“I am…the Rook! And I have a contract to fulfill.”

Deep within the black shroud of the shade’s spectral face, two faint pinpoints of blue light appeared like twin stars peaking through a cloud-covered night sky. The Rook was weak. He needed more power. He looked down at his spectral blade and then at the hundreds of shades milling aimlessly about the chamber and knew at once where to get it.

“I come for you, sorcerer.”

THE END

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

I hope you enjoyed this tale and will try my other works. Feel free to look me up on Facebook! You can also check me out on my
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The Sorcerer’s saga
is an open-ended fantasy series.

The Sorcerer’s Ascension
, first of the series, starts with Azerick as young boy of wealth who loses everything before discovering great potential as a sorcerer while trying to survive on the deadly streets he now must call home. Travel with young Azerick as he grows up, grows strong, and grows steadfast in his determination to survive and make those pay who have taken everything from him.

The Sorcerer’s Torment:
Azerick has flees The Academy but quickly falls prey to powerful beings that use his skills and power for their own amusement. What these creatures do not understand is the power of the young sorcerer's will and the lengths he will go to for vengeance. Despite becoming a prisoner, Azerick finds his first true love but can he keep it?

The Sorcerer’s Legacy:
Azerick has found himself a home and tries to settle down. He takes on an apprentice and tries to put all the death and desire for vengeance behind him. But when the Rook finds him, Azerick is once again pulled back into Ulric's schemes. Knowing that all he has worked towards and everyone close to him is in danger as long as these schemes are ongoing; Azerick decides to put an end to it, once and for all.

The Sorcerer’s Vengeance:
After narrowly avoiding being killed in his own bed by the land’s most feared assassin, Azerick leaves his school behind to find out who sent him and to put an end to the threat once and for all. Azerick’s search will take him to the vary pits of the abyss and back to unleash hellish fury upon those that threaten him.

The Sorcerer’s Scourge:
With the siege broken and Ulric dead, Azerick can finally relax, study his magic, and run his school in peace. Unfortunately, Jarvin’s reign is far from uncontested and the true usurper decides to make his move. Jarvin escapes with help from an unlikely source—a vampire named Landrin who still clings tenaciously to his own humanity. While Azerick and a large force from North Haven race to save the King in exile, evil forces are preparing to unleash a nightmare upon the kingdom that may well destroy them all.

Shrouds of Darkness
is a modern day vampire tale. Who doesn’t like those these days? Leo Malone has been a vampire for the better part of the twentieth century. Once a prominent Sherriff (vampire cop), he now earns his living as a private eye and occasional bodyguard for anyone that requires some serious protection. Leo is hired by the daughter of a mob accountant who has gone missing.

The fact that her father is also a werewolf has Leo following a trail of grisly murders that will lead him through a web of intrigue and conspiracy involving his fellow vampires and the local werewolves that make New York their home, all the while trying to keep one particularly determined cop off his back and himself out of jail. Leo is not some pretty-boy vampire that all the girls ogle over, but a hard-eyed, remorseless killing machine who does not take crap from anyone.
IF YOU READ THIS, PLEASE REVIEW IT.
I cannot endorse this book enough. It was an absolute joy to write and I still giggle when I read it. I challenge you not laugh at many of Leo’s constant snide remarks and smart-assed comments.

The Portal
is a fun and exciting story of some less than popular teenagers that accidentally open a portal to a mystical land during one of their role-playing games. Drew, a dour and anti-establishment teenager, is pulled through and captured by evil creatures lying in wait on the other side. Now it is up to his friends and older brother to rescue him, but who will rescue Drew’s captors from him?

Again, I just want to thank everyone who has purchased my books. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction knowing that I have been able to provide something enjoyable to so many people.