Title: Brothers of Blood
Author: James Fuller
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Release Date: “middle” of June
Tour Organizer: B3
Synopsis: Everything changes when Meath finds himself in the magically veiled village of Salvas. News of the death of his friends leaves him teetering on the verge of emotional ruin and bitter loathing. Yet an enthralling new life connected to his past presents itself within the quintessence that is Salvas.
The true nature of the false prince is revealed, bringing on a whole new light to the devastation Draco Kingdom faces. Meath sets himself to the task of avenging his broken life the only way he can, kill Astaroth…
Captured Zehava, Dahak, Nicolette and Shania struggle to stay alive when they find themselves now slaves. Zehava and Dahak are thrown into the Pit where blood and coin come at the forfeit of life. In a desperate attempt to keep their group together they must turn off their humanity to keep the identity of Draco’s heir hidden and safe while they plot a daunting escape.
Fall Of A King
Book Two
Brothers of Blood
Prologue
The afternoon sun burned brightly
along the northern coast of the Misty Sea, keeping the normally haze-covered
waters clear and visible for miles. It was not often that the fishermen of
Belta were blessed with such a day, and every fishing boat within the small town’s
harbor was out in deeper waters, throwing their nets in hopes of a bountiful
catch before the weather turned again. The Misty Sea had been given its name
for good reason - the majority of the time it was embraced by a dense,
unrelenting fog, hindering the fishing vessels from being able to drop their
nets into deeper, more abundant waters. Instead they were forced to hug the
coastline. Every year, Belta lost at least one of their dear friends to the
mist, the sea and whatever dwelled within it.
Thane wiped the trickle of sweat that
cascaded down his brow with his the dusty sleeve of his worn brown tunic,
before it stung his eyes. He looked over to the large pile of wood he had
chopped already and grinned with satisfaction, then his gaze lingered over to
the pile that still awaited his axe blade and his grin turned into a grimace. He
rolled his shoulders, working some of the tension out from the long morning. Setting
his heavy axe aside, he went to the clay water pitcher that waited for him in
the shade of a mangrove tree along with a large chunk of goat’s cheese and
several sweet fruits his wife had left for him, before she had gone to tend to
some things in town.
Thane drank deeply from the pitcher,
rapidly filling the tin cup beside it several times. Much of the water did not
find his throat – instead, it trickled down his neck and chest, soaking into the
wool fabric of his tunic, cooling him down slightly as it mixed with his sweat.
Setting the jug aside, he picked up one of the sweet fruits and inspected it
for blemishes that might give signs to a parasitic worm that sometimes found
their way into such jungle fruits. It passed his scrutiny and he bit into the
juicy, yellow fruit and was surprised to find he was hungrier then he first
realized, so he quickly inspected
another.
“Thane! Thane!” A thick accented, bearded
man cried out as he rounded the corner to the back of Thane’s cabin. “Oh by the
Creators will, there you are!”
Thane smiled at his large, eccentric
friend, knowing that whatever his hurry was that, it would be over-dramatized,
as usual. “Ottis my good man, calm yourself before all the town believes you
have been possessed by the spirits.” Thane laughed, reaching for the water again.
“It is your boy, Thane!” Ottis
bellowed out nearly inaudible, his eyes glistening with tears. “He... he has
been killed...”
The clay pitcher slipped from Thane’s
hand and shattered on the hard-packed earth beneath him, as Ottis’s words hung
in the air. “What did you say?”
“He must have gone near the caves again….” Ottis
began.
Thane’s face went ashen. “One of the winged
beasts?”
Ottis swallowed back his own grief. “I
am sorry my friend, it was too late when I arrived… I…I couldn’t do anything.”
Thane’s legs nearly buckled beneath
him as he fought back overwhelming emotions which nearly claimed his senses.
“Take— take me to his body.” He whispered, his voice cracking with inner
turmoil.
Ottis’s face twisted with sympathy as
his eyes averted from Thane’s. “I...I... could not retrieve his body,
before...”
Thane’s legs finally gave out and he
slumped to the ground not even registering the clay shards that now cut into
his shins. “Why was he near the caves... he knew the peril... why... why would
he risk such a thing...” he sobbed to himself, no longer fighting the tears
that streaked his dirt stained face.
Ottis went to his lifelong friend and knelt
in front of him, “I...” he paused trying to find the words to comfort his friend,
but he knew there was none. “I just...”
“No Ottis, no words of consolation.”
Thane replied sternly looking up at Ottis, his eyes were cold and filled with a
silent, dangerous rage. “Does she know yet?”
Ottis shook his head, “I came straight
to you Thane, she does not know.”
Thane pushed himself to his feet, his face
hard and lethal as he walked passed Ottis.
“Where are you going my friend?”
“To avenge my son.”
Ottis followed Thane into the small
log cabin. “This is madness Thane! You are besieged by grief and not thinking
rationally.”
If Thane was listening he did not show it. He threw
open the large wooden trunk in the corner of the simple decorated room and
retrieved a large, long bundle of wrapped leather. He pulled the dagger from
his belt and sliced the leather cords holding the bundle together. The covering
fell away to the floor and his hands tightened around the smooth haft of his
war axe. Several years had passed since he had held the vicious weapon, yet instantaneously,
its familiarity in his hands returned. The decorative silver and gold inlay
within the redwood haft warmed beneath his angered grip almost as if something
within the weapon was awakening by its master’s touch after years of dark
slumber. The polished iron blade gleamed proudly, even in the low light of the
room as if to prove its prowess still remained. Thane placed the weapon down on
the table and returned to the truck to retrieve his spiked, iron-banded shield.
“Thane, think about what you are thinking of doing!”
Ottis pleaded, his eyes lingering on the long - retired weapon.
Thane turned on his friend, the rage in his eyes a match
of what was about to escape his lips, yet within a heartbeat, the
uncontrollable fury vanished and agony replaced it and his eyes looked beyond
Ottis.
“And what does my husband plan on doing that
requires so much thought?” Zada asked coming into the cabin, a woven basket
full of fresh foods from the town’s small market place in hand.
“Zada... Sorin is...” Thane started to say but his
voice disappeared with grief.
Zada placed the basket on the counter and turned to
her husband at once, hearing the barely-controlled disorder within his voice.
“What is it my love…? What happened?” She asked her voice growing with concern,
her eyes catching the glint of the war axe’s polished blade and the shield
Thane held by his side. “What is the meaning of all this? Sorin is what? Where
is my son!”
“Sorin is... dead.” Thane replied, tears breaking
through once again.
“What?” Zada cried out. “No... no this cannot be... we
saw him this morning, he was going hunting... no, I do not believe it! I will
not!”
Thane went to his wife, pulling her close to him and
she buried her head into his broad chest, muffling her sobbing. For a long
while the cabin was filled with only the stifled cries of a grieving mother.
Finally, she pushed herself back, trying to regain a
thread of her composure for the sake of her dignity in front of Ottis. “How did
it happen?”
“The beasts,” Ottis replied, his voice full of
remorse.
The words nearly broke her again, but she stifled
her emotions as best she could. “What are you planning on doing Thane?” She
looked to the war axe lying across the table.
Thane’s jaw firmed, “I am going to slay the beast
who took Sorin from us.”
“I have been trying to talk him out of it Zada, I
swear to you.” Ottis cut in. “But he will not see reason. Maybe he will listen
to you.”
“So you would risk leaving me childless and a
widow?”
Thane licked his lips. “I must avenge him Zada... I
must.”
“Listen to your wife Thane you cannot...” Ottis
stopped short, as Zada raised her hand to silence him.
“No one has ever returned from what you intend.” Her
voice was flat.
“Of this I know.”
Zada nodded her head slowly, biting on her bottom
lip, as tears streaked down her face. She forced her trembling body to stiffen.
“Bring me the heart of this beast or do not return at all!” She replied
sternly.
“What?” Ottis stammered out. “Zada, you cannot be
serious! This is utter madness!”
“Blood demands blood!” Zada replied coldly, reciting
an ancient saying of their people.
Thane grabbed his blade from the table and retrieved
his shield from the floor, before stopping in the doorway and turning to his
wife. His eyes said everything his voice could not.
I may never look
into her beautiful green eyes again, run my hand through her sleek long brown
hair or taste her silken soft lips upon my own.
Yet any words that he would have uttered would have weakened his resolve - his
pride demanded this of him. The door banged behind him as he left the cabin.
“Keeper’s balls!” Ottis muttered looking hard at
Zada. “You just sent him to his death woman!”
Zada swallowed hard as she forced herself to look
her dear friend. “What would you have had me do?” She cried out, her control
all but gone now. “His pride demanded revenge, had I denied him he would have
been a broken shell of a man from this day until his last. I honoured his pride
at the stake of my own, what more could a wife do?”
“The minds of lovers are worse than the minds of
fools!” Ottis muttered as he went for the door.
“Where are you going?”
Ottis turned back to her. “To make sure your husband
returns to you in one piece.”
Thane marched with grim determination down the dirt
path that he knew would take him close to the cliff-side caves. Had his steps
not been full of anguish and rage he might have absorbed the beautiful, vivid
colors of the jungle around him.
“Turn back, Ottis.” Thane called out behind him, his
tone void of much emotion. “You will not dissuade me from my course.”
“I no longer intend to,” came Ottis’ replied, catching
up to his smaller friend.
“What are you about man?” Thane asked see the
hunting bow, quiver and long sword strapped across Ottis’s wide back.
Ottis grinned solemnly. “You did not think I would
really let you die alone, did you?”
“This is not your battle, my friend.”
“Is it not?” Ottis countered, drawing a confused
look. “Have we not been kinsmen since we both suckled at our mother’s tit? Have
we not stood side by side in battle time and time again? You are more a brother
to me then my own blood whelp of a brother. No, you are wrong my friend, this
is where I belong.”
Thane smiled at his friend’s favourable words for he
knew if the roles were reversed that he would not be doing the same. “We are
both unlikely to return from this.”
Ottis snorted and spat. “Bleh, I know it, and do not
be telling me again, least I change my mind about the whole damned thing.”
Silently, the two warriors crept through the dense
growth, towards the rocky cliffs where several of the great, scaled and winged
beasts resided. In the distance, they could hear the loud, distinctive call of
the beasts that their people had spent centuries avoiding.
As the two neared the edge of growth, before it
broke into open rocky ground they could see the dark coopery scaled beast
perched on a ledge near the mouth of a large cave opening. The beast stretched
its massive, crimson, leathery wings. Its maw opened incredibly wide and it let
out a deafening bellow of dominance and several of the beasts that circled in
the sky shrieking their understanding and distanced themselves from the larger
Sire.
“Keeper’s balls, he is big!” Ottis muttered, a hint
of fear in his tone. “Has to be nearly two scores bigger than my largest plough
horse!”
Thane slid his banded iron shield from his back and
strapped it in place on his left arm. He gripped the haft of his war axe tightly
as he watched the beast use its dagger-sized claws to cut into the rock face,
stripping head-sized piece out with ease as it sharpened its talons.
“What is the plan then?” Ottis asked, his bone
hunting bow in hand now, as he fumbled around for an arrow.
Thane demeanour hardened at the sight of part of his
son’s torn leggings rested beneath the ledge the great coopery beast stood on.
“We kill it!” Thane hissed, stepping out from his shadowy hiding spot and into
the open gravel pit below the cliff. The giant reptilian head snapped to
awareness at the sudden movement, its slitted eyes glaring down at the creature
who stalked so boldly into its domain.
Thane matched the beast’s glare with one more
violent and determined than the monster in front of him. “I am here to slay you,
cursed beast!” Thane screamed at the top of his lungs as he slapped the flat of
his axe blade across his shield in defiance.
The monster reared up on its muscular hind legs, its
massive wing span darkening the earth below the cliff as it let out a blood-curtailing
shriek in acceptance of the small creature’s foolish challenge. The beast’s
tone altered suddenly, no longer as proud and fearless – it echoed with a hint
of pain as it went down on all fours again.
Thane noticed the small arrow shaft embedded into
the side of the huge creature’s neck and turned to see Ottis pulling back once
more on his powerful war bow. The next arrow grazed off the beast’s scaled
right shoulder and if it even noticed it did not show. All that showed now
within the beast’s eyes was hatred.
The beast launched itself from the cliff’s edge, its
wings thrown wide, catching the air currents slowing its descend only a little
before its huge weighted frame slammed into the rocky floor below. The sheer
force of the creature’s mass shook the very earth and nearly caused Thane to
lose his balance…and his nerve. But the beast gave him no opportunity to
consider retreat. Its giant maw snapped forward with frightening speed for a
creature of its size.
Thane had no time to react further than putting his large
iron shield between him and the beast. The impact threw Thane back more than a
dozen yards and into the hard gravel. When he finally realized he had stopped,
he was shocked to find his shield and axe still in hand. Before he could even
think to rise to his feet the creature was upon him, its vicious head looming
above him. Its reptilian eyes staring down with loathing as it opened it jagged
fanged mouth, the beast’s breath was rank with rot and gore as it bore down on
him. The shaft of an arrow plunged into the beast’s eye. It roared in agony and
thrashed its head back and forth, trying to dislodge the wicked barb.
“Get up!” Thane heard Ottis cry out. Thane rolled to
the side, barely avoiding being crushed by the beast’s massive taloned feet.
But the beast also heard Ottis and now turned its attention towards the
creature that had wounded it, forgetting all about Thane.
Thane charged after, wasting no time questioning his
luck. His war axe sank deeply into the scaled armour of one of its hind legs. With
near impossible speed, he pulled the blade out and struck again, hoping to
hamstring the massive beast. The creature howled in fury and tried to use its
long, thick, barbed tail to swat its attacker aside, while another arrow found
its way through the beast’s scales and into its chest. Thane had anticipated
the attack and launched himself over the muscular tail as it came for him. He rolled
to his feet, surprised that after all these years that his fighting prowess had
remained mostly intact. The beast’s neck and chest was riddle with arrow shafts
now and dark crimson blood oozed from the many wounds. A large flap of meaty
flesh hung torn and slick with gore from Thane’s axe strike and the beast
clearly was favouring its other leg.
Thane was about to attack the beast’s other hind leg
when he heard Ottis’s deep battle cry, and knew his friend had used all of his arrows,
and would now be charging in with his massive two-handed sword. Thane grinned
to himself - they might very well slay the monster yet, but that thought was
quickly quenched. The beast opened its jaws and a violent, fiery inferno
erupted from its gaping maw. Ottis had no time to react before the beast’s flames
were upon him. His screams were sickening, as the intense flames blistered and
melted his flesh nearly from his bones in the span of heartbeats.
Thane watch in stunned horror as his lifelong friend’s
charred and blackened body crumpled to the rocky earth. He had not even
realized that he was screaming a battle cry of rage and agony, his legs
propelled him forward without thought. Thane’s war axe arched across with
unfathomable strength, lacerating through the beast’s thick, scaly hide and
deep into its flesh chipping into bone. The beast growled in anger and its head
snapped back towards him, its jaws open wide, ready to end the painful threat.
Thane’s blade slashed up catching the beasts jaw,
shattering bone and continuing through severing the lower jaw nearly clean off.
The creature howled in anguish and withdrew its head away from the wicked blade;
its body thrashed slamming into Thane and throwing him to the ground.
Thane looked up to see the beast’s giant tail looming
down on him and instinct alone saved him as his shield found its way above him.
The powerful tail smashed down upon the metal shield, Thane’s impressive
strength was no match for that of the creature’s and the shield slammed down
into him, breaking his arm in innumerable places. The pain of his shattered arm
dragged him close to unconsciousness but he gritted his teeth and forced
himself to rise. His left arm hung limp at his side, his large dented iron
shield laid useless on the ground, yet he still held his bloodied war axe
tightly in his right hand. He looked up to see the beast still thrashing madly,
shaking its head wildly, trying to rid itself of the torment from its ruined
maw.
“I bet it hurts.” Thane taunted the beast as he
started limping towards it, the creature turned to regard him almost forgetting
about the distress it felt. It’s good eye focusing on him with hatred
unmatched. “Bet it does not hurt as much as the loss of a child!” He hissed,
his pace quickening - he was going to die here of that he was sure, but he
would ride this demon into the afterlife with him. The beast moved towards him
- clearly the damage to both its hind legs slowing it dramatically. “Let us
finish this you bastard!” Thane barked out, doing his best to charge over the
uneven ground in his battered state.
The beast reared up threateningly, but its wounded legs
could not hold its massive weight any longer. It stumbled and fell forward,
crashing hard into the packed rocky earth. Thane sensed his opportunity and
lunged forward and before the beast had a chance to recuperate, his war axe
slashed down deep into the armour hide of the beast’s neck. Thick, blood
sprayed across Thane’s faces from the deep wound- he had severed a main artery.
The beast thrashed about, trying to get its legs
underneath it again so it could rise and defend itself, but the damage done was
too much and the effort only weakened it more. Realizing its fate was sealed
the beast turned its eye on Thane, smoke began fuming from its nostrils as it
began drawing in a deep breath through its mangle jaw.
Thane knew what was coming next, yet his eyes were
transfixed by the glowing orb forming within the beast’s open mouth. It was
like nothing he had ever witnessed before, a raw power that had been unknown,
until that moment. The flames hissed from the beast’s mouth and Thane stumbled
back, the bitter flames tasting only his left side as he fell back against the
rocky earth. He held his eyes shut tightly, fighting against the searing pain
erupting throughout his left side of his body. He would have screamed had the
flames not consumed all the air around him.
He did not know if it had been mere moments or even days,
but finally the cruel blistering heat of the beasts’ inferno ceased, his lungs
cried out to him to draw breath, and when he did the sensation nearly sent him
into unconsciousness. He laid there staring up at the late afternoon sky, his
body numb to everything, for that he knew he should be thankful. He could smell
the acidic stench of burnt flesh and knew it was his own. He licked his dry
lips, working up the courage to look down at his body and tasted blood, but it
was not his, it was the beasts. It was thicker than a man’s and its taste more
potent in its unique flavour.
Thane titled his head up and looked down at his
mangled form - nearly his entire left side was blackened and blistered from the
beast’s firestorm. He laid his head back down upon the rocks, he would not
survive. He chuckled softly to himself, he had not thought it truly possible to
slay the beast that had killed his son but he had. He smiled to the warmth of
the sky. He had avenged his son, he had done the impossible, he could die now
with no shame and no dishonour. He closed his eyes knowing it would be
forever...
...Thane’s eyes opened, the only light emanating was
from the small stars that littered the black heavens above him. His head felt
like it had taken a blow from a barbarian’s war hammer. He pushed himself up to
his feet, his body ached everywhere, his eyes slowly focused with the little
light he had and rested upon the massive, dead beast in front of him. His
memories flooded back to him he shuffle backwards and fell to the ground again
and scrambled a safe distance away from the dead creature. He looked down to
his left side and was overwhelmed with relief to find his body no longer
ravished by the beast’s flames. “Impossible...” He whispered.
Author Bio:
James Fuller has enjoyed the fine art of writing for many years now, he‘s been busy with many on the go book projects lately as he‘s extended his writing from fantasy fiction to also writing a short story anthology as well as an up and coming zombie apocalypse. His popularity has grown not only locally but online through Facebook where he runs his author’s page which is constantly growing as he hosts contests and give-aways daily.
James has an absolute passion for his characters and unique twisted plots with his detailed writing skills that really brings his books to life and makes his characters and their journeys so favorable. As an author he also goes above and beyond when it comes to writing battle scenes, the intricate design and explanations of fighting, not only in swordplay but also in tactics is one of James incredible expertise in which he delights in.
When James isn't on his computer writing the third installment of the Fall Of A King series “The Bastard King: Birthright“, he enjoys recreational activities such a camping, fishing, hiking, and archery. Along with being an adventurous outdoors man James also spends many of his hours in a day as a devoted husband and father.
Author Links:
Get Book 1 in this Epic Series.
An epic journey of deceit, betrayal, magic and a treasonous love sets sail as Meath, a young apprentice to the formidable wizard, Ursa, escapes certain death while a freshly united Kingdom is held captive by a false Prince. In hope of relaying the truth of the usurper who now threatens the throne, Meath embarks on a dangerous journey with the true heiress, Nicolette, in an attempt to reach her Uncle before they too are entangled in the lie that has wound itself deep into the lands. Amidst the soldiers dispatched to return the princess and capture Meath and his friends, they must avoid the barbarian clans who have begun a savage war on the Kingdom of Draco; evading what seems like fate has become a perilous game they may not be able to win…
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