Drasal Lands Read online

  Drasal Lands

  The Prophecy of Ozemis

  Book 1

  KALYNN BAYRON

  Twitter: @KalynnBayron

  http://lalabayron.wix.com/kalynnbayron

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  Copyright © 2015 by Kalynn Bayron

  All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wished to quote a brief passage in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. The Way of Old Kings

  2. Ozemis

  3. Kiss of the Sorceress

  4. Taken

  5. Past, Present, and Future

  CHAPTER 1

  The Way of Old Kings

  My father was going the way of all old kings, and I was sick because of it. He was confined to his bed, unable to walk and barely able to talk. I sat with him every night, watching him draw each ragged breath, watching him mumble incoherently when the fever raged.

  "Do not let your heart be burdened by this." he said to me in a moment of clarity.

  "How can you say that to me?" I asked him. He did not seem to understand how much I was hurting. Perhaps that was a good thing. I didn’t want my pain to add to his suffering.

  "You are strong. The strongest of them all and you have the love and support of Sharian."

  "I do not want his love." I lied. Sharian was a good man. A strong man with a good heart. But he would make me a wife and I wanted no parts of it.

  "Do not close your heart daughter." my father said to me.

  My father, King Aasulf Starsinger, drifted in and out of consciousness as I tried to prepare for what was to come.

  Drasal Kingdom's leader was slipping away and the people looked to me to tell them what should happen when that day came. My mother died when I was a baby and my father was so distraught over her death that he never remarried. I was the last in his line and it was up to me to ensure the kingdom would persevere.

  Princes from far away kingdoms descended on Drasal Castle in those weeks when my father took ill. They attempted to woo me. I laughed at most of them.

  They came to the castle with their parade of handmaidens and their pompous attitudes. They wreaked of superiority and I took great pleasure in cutting them down. They expected to see a young woman, a girl, seeking the advice and tutelage of a more experienced man. I needed none of that.

  The only man who seemed to care about me for more than what he could gain was Sharian. We were always close. His father was one of my father's closest advisors and our birthdays were even on the same day. Our last celebration, our nineteenth, was held together and there was dancing and music. It was then that Sharian told me of his feelings for me. I did not know what to say. He told me he loved me and that we could make a life together. Part of me wanted that very much, but another part of me wanted something else. Something different.

  When I was a girl, my father made sure that I could ride a horse. He taught me to hunt with a bow and he taught me to wield a sword. Nothing was off limits to me. When his advisors told him that it wasn’t proper for a girl to learn these things he laughed at them.

  "Why should she not know these things?" he asked them.

  "You Highness, she is a girl. It's not the way things are done." they told him.

  "Perhaps we should change the way things are done." he answered.

  I picked up the art of sword fighting quite easily and although he would never admit it, I have bested Sharian more times than I can count.

  "You will rule this land one day." my father told me. "And there will be those who would seek to take it from you. I would not be doing my job as a father and as King if I didn’t prepare you that possibility."

  When my father became ill. I took to riding in the woods that surrounded Drasal Castle to clear my mind. The gardens were beautiful and we had fountains and ponds, but they were tame compared to the wild wooded forest. I found solace there as I could find in no other place.

  One warm and balmy day, I took my horse Zepher out for a ride. As I guided her out of her stall, I saw that Sharian was waiting for me as he often did. I smiled at him.

  "Good morning my lady." he said, bowing and flashing a wide smile.

  "Good morning." I answered.

  "Where are you off to?" he asked.

  "I need some time alone." I said.

  "I see." he said, looking down at the ground. His dark brown hair framed his face beautifully.

  "I won't be long." I told him. He was worried.

  "Of course. Do be careful Erelia." he said.

  "I will." I said. I smiled at him again and he seemed to look right through me with his beautiful hazel eyes.

  I loved him. I had loved him from the time we were children. What he wanted from me was to become something that I was not. I could never have been a caged bird. I was not a delicate flower and I would not have my petals crushed underfoot for the sake of being more ladylike.

  I pulled my skirts up and mounted Zepher. She was a magnificent creature. Black as night and stronger than any horse I'd ever seen, she would not be broken. She allowed me and only me to ride her and tend to her.

  On one occasion she bucked and kicked the stable keeper square in the jaw. They wanted to take her away from me after that but I would not allow it. She was my companion and our fiery personalities complimented each other perfectly.

  We rode out of the gate and headed straight towards the forest. They sky was clear and the air was damp in my lungs as I grasped Zepher's leather reins. My heart raced as the rushing air whipped my hair into a frenzy. I could feel Zepher, strong and agile beneath me and in those moments we were one. As we approached the forest Zepher slowed down.

  "What's wrong?" I asked aloud. Zepher was a product of these wild lands. She knew them well and her hesitancy gave me pause. She brayed lightly and then galloped into the trees.

  We wandered for hours, stopping only to enjoy a few apples that had fallen from a tree and to drink from the stream.

  As the light began to fade, I decided that we should head home. Father worried when we were gone too long and I didn’t want to add to his mountain of troubles. I steered Zepher towards the castle and we started for home.

  As we made our way through a particularly dense area of the forest, I noticed something moving in the distance. I pulled up on Zepher's reins and she came to a stop. She saw it too. She lowered her head and snorted. It was a man.

  I was not accustomed to seeing others in the woods. My father's hunting party went far into the North to catch their hogs and deer. It occurred to me that if this man wasn’t lost, he was trespassing on Drasal lands, a crime that carried swift and severe punishment.

  "You there!" I called out to him. I saw him stop and turn his cloaked head in my direction. I steered Zepher towards the man and we stopped only a few feet in front of him.

  "Are you lost sir?" I asked him. "Surely you haven’t willingly trespassed onto my land."

  The man looked up at me. He was absolutely ancient. His eyes were cloudy and a mass of white hair was threatening to explode from underneath his worn and fraying hood.

  "I'm sorry." he croaked. "I have lost my way."

  I felt sorry for having jumped to the conclusion that this man was some sort of criminal.

  "Sir, I would be happy to guide you home." I offered.

  "You are very kind." he said smiling. "I live in the Marauder's Grove."

  I tried very hard to conceal my shock. "No one lives in Marauder's Grove.
It's cursed."

  For as long as I could remember I had been told stories of Marauder's Grove. None of the children in Drasal were permitted to go there. Travelers would often add an extra day's travel to their route to avoid going through it and yet this strange man claimed to live there.

  "Well, my lady, I live there." he said. "I understand why people say the things they say. Silly superstitions and old wives tales really."

  I was skeptical. I had heard the tales from men my father trusted. They spoke of specters and strange beasts, and these men were not given to flights of fancy. They were burly and tough and fit for fighting but even they chose to avoid that cursed place.

  "I can escort you to the Grove's perimeter, but no further." I told him.

  "That will do, my lady." he said. He seemed relieved to have company. Marauder's Grove was a long ways away.

  I would have allowed him to ride Zepher if I thought she would allow it, but I knew she would not. I hopped down and walked beside the man allowing him to hold her reins for support.

  "You're a very long way from home." I said to him.

  "It seems I am." he said. "I got turned around. My sense of direction isn’t what it used to be."

  I smiled at him. "I am happy that it was I who found you. These woods are treacherous."

  "Indeed they are." said the man. "What is a beautiful young woman such as yourself doing out here alone?"

  I paused. Something chilled me to the bone when he spoke. I pushed the feelings away. "My father is the ruler of this land. I walk in these woods at my leisure. No man would dare inconvenience me. Not if he knew what was good for him."

  I pulled my cloak away from waist revealing the glinting hilt of my sword. The man looked at me and then quickly looked away. I thought I had my point.

  We walked in silence until the sun hung low in the sky. The forest of evergreen trees and beautifully abundant foliage started to thin out and there was suddenly a pronounced change in the atmosphere. I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck and my skin prickled.

  Marauder's Grove was tucked away in the middle of the forest like a slumbering beast, waiting for passersby to stumble into it. The vast expanse of trees, all of which were devoid of foliage and whose bark was the color of soot, stretched for miles. A misty covering made the place seem even more foreboding. I stood before it, trying to fathom the fact that this decrepit old man actually lived there.

  Just then, the man collapsed into a heap on the ground. I quickly bent down and propped his head up with my hand.

  "Are you alright?" I asked him. His face was ashen and his breaths seemed to come too quick for him to keep up with.

  "Please." the man murmured. "I live only a short distance into the Grove. I cannot make it under my own power."

  I didn’t want to go into that place. Every fiber in my being urged me to flee. But I could not leave the man there, struggling to breathe and clearly in need of aid.

  I pulled Zepher close to me and as I attempted to help the man mount her, she reared up knocking him backwards.

  "Zepher! Be still!" I shouted.

  Zepher dug her hooves into the ground, plucking up the dirt and braying forcefully. She would not be moved.

  "Fine!" I shouted. I was frustrated. I would have to accompany the man on foot. I helped him to his feet.

  "Are you alright? Can you walk?" I asked him.

  "Yes, I think I can manage." he said.

  He slung his arm around my shoulder and I held firmly to his waist. We walked into the tangle of blackened trees arm in arm. I glanced back to see Zepher standing just beyond the tee line.

  "Wait for me." I said to her. She understood.

  The man hobbled along and it took a great deal of effort to support him.

  "Is it much further?" I asked.

  "No. It's just there." he motioned off to my left and through the trees I saw what appeared to be a cottage of some sort.

  As we approached the man seemed to find his footing. "I cannot tell you how appreciative I am." he said.

  "Shall I help you inside?" I asked.

  "Oh yes, that would be wonderful." he said.

  The cottage was a composed of only a single room. It had a thatched roof and only one small widow next to the door. A small wooden table stood off to the side and there were a few odd chairs. Several bookshelves lined the walls and there were bundles of various herbs hanging from the ceiling. A large cast iron pot hung over the fire place.

  "Would you be so kind as to help me start a fire?" he asked.

  I saw that the light in the sky was fading fast and I didn’t want to stay much longer lest I be forced to travel home in the dark.

  "I cannot stay." I said.

  "Are you sure?" he asked. He raised his hand and waved it towards the fireplace. A burst of light erupted and the fire roared to life.

  I turned and bolted for the door, but it slammed shut just as I reached for it. I spun around to see the man hobbling towards the table.

  I pulled on the door's handle. It would not open. I unsheathed my sword and glared at the man as he sat down in one of the wooden chairs.

  "There's no need for that. I do not wish to harm you."

  "Let me out of here immediately!" I ordered.

  "Oh no my dear Erelia. You and I have a great many things to discuss."

  CHAPTER 2

  Ozemis

  My heart was pounding so loud I could scarcely hear anything other than its thunderous rush. I gripped my sword tightly and held it, ready to strike.

  "You know me?" I asked him.

  "Of course!" he laughed. "King Starsinger's precious little flower."

  I narrowed my eyes. "I assure you, I am no shrinking violet. I will cut down where you stand!"

  "You'll do nothing of the sort." he said flatly. I noticed that on the table there was a black cloth that seemed to have something round under it.

  "Sit." he said.

  "What do you want with me?" I demanded.

  "I simply wish to share with you the knowledge I have." he said. "You are in great danger. Please sit and allow me to explain."

  "From whom?" I asked. I was confused and a bit frightened.

  "Sit." he said again.

  I lowered my sword. "Tell me what is going on!" I shouted.

  "Patience my lady." He gestured to the chair opposite him.

  I walked to the chair and sat down. Everything inside of me was screaming. I wanted to run, but there was no way out. Perhaps if I humored the old man he would let me go and if not, I was confident I could do what needed to be done.

  "What sorcery is going on here?" I asked, glancing at the brightly burning fire.

  "What? The fire? My dear if you think that was sorcery, you are sadly mistaken." I watched as he pulled the black cloth from the object revealing a glass orb. "This is sorcery."

  He waved his hand over top of the glass ball and it began to glow, dimly at first and then brighter. I sat in awe as a mixture of colors and light danced within the orb.

  "What is it?" I asked, my heart pounding.

  "I seer's stone. And an ancient one at that." said the man.

  "What does it do?" I asked. My curiosity was piqued. I still held my sword firmly.

  "From the beginning of time there have been those that can see things others could not. I am descended from a long line of seers and this seer's stone has been passed down to me. It was present in the chamber of the Oracle at Delphi. It is a very powerful instrument."

  "You still haven’t told me what it does." I said.

  The man sat back in his chair and stared at me. The corner of his mouth curled up. "I use this orb to see the future, although it is not always clear. People come from all over this land to see me and to hear what I have to say."

  "What has any of this to do with me?" I asked. I wanted to leave. I didn’t want to talk anymore.

  "There are times when I look into the orb for my own amusement. I had occasion to do just that three nights ago. When I looked in
to it I saw a young woman with raven hair and eyes the color of umber. A Princess in the line of Starsinger. She bore a scar that wound around her arm like a snake. I saw her in battle. Her sword at the ready. And I saw her die at the hands of a very powerful sorceress."

  I had been holding my breath without realizing it. A wave of dizziness washed over me and I gasped.

  The man reached forward and quickly pushed up the sleeve covering my right arm. A scar snaked up my arm, the result of being tangled in Zepher's reins when our stable keeper brought her for me as a foal.

  "Please listen to me Princess." The man's tone had turned deadly serious and he appeared very troubled. "My visions are but a glimpse in to a possible future. They are not set and the decisions you make now will affect the outcome."

  "You said a sorceress will be responsible for my death. Who is she?" I asked.

  "I do not know. There are rumors of course. But I don’t know how much of what I've heard can be trusted. People are superstitious. They exaggerate things."

  "Tell me." I said. I needed to know everything, rumor or otherwise.

  "They say she can change her appearance to mimic a man or a woman. They say she remains young by feeding on the life force of others. They say…" he paused.

  "Please go on." I urged him.

  He looked as if it physically pained him to speak about this mysterious woman. "They say she is unstoppable, that she cannot be defeated. She is not a God and yet she is immortal."

  "Why would this woman want to hurt me?" I asked him.

  "I do not know." he answered. The light in the orb faded and he stared at me. Sorrow and sadness filled his eyes.

  I stood up and placed my sword back in its sheath. "I will come back to speak with you again, but I must return home immediately."

  "Please be careful." said the man.

  I walked to the door and this time when I pulled on it, it opened easily. I glanced back at the man.

  "What is your name?" I asked him.