Excerpt: The Rising Dark

Excerpt 1:
Corin lay in her cot going over tomorrow in her head. She had forgotten to eat again, lost in the thoughts of tomorrow, her dinner sat forlorn on her table. The silence crept in around her and it was only then that she started to relax the barriers around her mind. Little Life Lights started to show up in her mind’s eye. Each one represented a different person that she could communicate with, people who were receptive to the “Gift”.

Excerpt 2:
“I’m sorry it should end so bad. Please forgive me Corin,” Morgan said as she went. The words meaning felt so feeble, but still he wished that she had heard them. The sword that was sticking out of his chest had been the one that he had given to her as a gift. The shock was still running through him when he was jerked to his feet.

The sword no longer sticking out of his chest. His surrounding had changed to the Black Coast, his birth place. The black sand was engulfing his toes like it had always done when he was little and ran down the coast. Surrounded by the friendly places of his past Morgan relaxed his tense muscles and tried to forget the nightmarish scene he had just been through.

When he tried to relax his shoulders, however, the pain racked through his body. It radiated from where the sword had just previously been. Another wave washed over him causing him to fall to his knees. There he clutched the hot sand in his hands and yelled out in pain. He placed his head on his arms, when he heard someone approach. Ten tiny toes came into his view and they wiggled their way down into the sand.

“You all right, sir?” Morgan looked up to see a young boy in front of him looking down with curiosity in his forest green eyes. His dark curly hair was shaggy and hung far over the boys ears and licked at his neck. Morgan smiled at his younger self, and sat back on his knees.

“Yes. What are you doing out here?”

“Catching Black Sand Tags.” The little Morgan held out his hand and showed the older one the little black creature that was in his palm. “My sister uses them in her medicines. So she told me to go find them. Well actually forced me to find them, ya know why? Because I’m the best at catching them in the whole village. Everyone knows it. You have to know how to catch them because they’re black and the sand is black too. You have to be special to know how,” he smiled at what he had just said as if it was some inside joke that no one knew. “Wanna know how I do it? But you can’t tell anyone because it’s a secret.”

“Do you have the ‘Gift’?” the older Morgan asked knowing full well how the younger one did it, because he had once caught the Tags when he was little. Shock crossed his face little face. “Did I guess right?” the older Morgan asked when he saw the look.

“Yeah, that’s right! Wow you’re smart! Do you wanna see me do it?” he asked and shoved his little hand in his pocket to release its captive in the little jail. He withdrew it and looked down and the rim of orange in his eyes engulfed the forest green.

“No it’s okay,” Morgan said putting his hand on the little boy’s shoulder. But at the look of disappointment on the little one’s face he added “but you can always show me later. Right now though I’d rather see your village. You could show off you catches for the day,” he said as he pointed to the boys pocket.

The little Morgan looked at his pocket and the green came back into his eyes. He beamed at the prospect of bragging rights over the other boys in the village. The older Morgan was relieved when he saw the boys eyes go back to normal. It was indeed the “Gift” that he had used when he was younger, but it was dangerous.

People had been hurt, and that’s why he had vowed never to use it again. The boy had been going to use it, but he hadn’t and now he was running back home like nothing had happened. The older Morgan got to his feet and started after him till he reached the small fishing village. When he reached it, though, the little Morgan had disappeared. The town was quiet, and no one was there. All the houses were deserted and the last of the crops lay rotting in the field.

Excerpt 3:
Zedeth the third sat on his horse looking down the trail they were taking. It had been almost more than ten years since he had been known under that name. He was now known as Renk, leader of the Renkure. Though it pleased him beyond reason to be referred to as Renk there were many things he had given up when he had assumed this identity.

He had given up the life of royalty, however, that wasn’t what he truly missed and longed for. The real thing that he regretted giving up was a family, having one with someone he loved and his that he had left behind. The memories of his two sisters were what had kept him doing what he was doing without regret. With this group of his he could build a better life for them and everyone in the lower ends of society.

The Renkure had risen ten years ago when he had run away from the palace. After that he wasn’t quite sure what had happened. There had been various groups of rebels and through cunning and wits he had gotten them all to chose him as their ultimate leader. With such a position he had to stay away from anything that the King could use against him. Like falling in love and having children. They would be used against him to submit. If that ever happened he didn’t know how he would chose. The family he loved or the people that needed him and his cause.

Luckily that would never happen. His two sisters were safe in various places and would probably not be used against him, but with how the King was getting Zedeth wasn’t sure that his father wouldn’t use his own children as bait. That’s why the identity of Renk was such a secret. The King would never get the information on him to use. Hence his sisters were as safe as they could be considering the King’s past.

King Xanders the first had been ruling for over five hundred years and had ascended the throne after he had overthrown his parents. He wasn’t the first in line for the throne, but it didn’t matter, because he took the throne and had been there since. His long rule was due to the blood of Calata running through his veins. The Calatains were a race gifted with long life and the use of the Elements. They were a people unknown and now thought to be extinct.

There had been a war raged against Calata and Xtonious when Xanders had first taken the throne. The queen of the Calatains was Xanders grandmother and wouldn’t stand by and see her race destroyed by her own flesh and blood. Xanders wasn’t gifted with the ability to weave the Elements so he wished to steel it from the nation of Calata. With the atrocities of war and what Xanders was doing to his own people one with the blood of Calata decided to hid them forever.

To keep the secret safe he created the group now known as the Foresters. For over five hundred years the group had remained elusive from the King. Now, however, the King had sent out his spies to spread lies about those who were gifted. Foresters were being strung up in their beloved trees to rot and have carrion bird eat their flesh.

Zedeth had received word from one of his best leaders saying that a group of ten Foresters had joined him and were coming to the Renkure to offer all the Foresters help. It would be a great asset in fighting the King. Finally the world would be rid of a tyrannous king that refused to die.

Memories started to come to Zedeth of a time when he was known by that name. Most were dark memories about how cruel his father had been to his mother. She hadn’t married him of choice but as a way to end the war. There was full Calatain blood running through her veins and Xanders had taken her as a treaty. Treachery was involved and so she was never allowed to leave the castle to leave back home.

It wasn’t long after he had married her that she bore him a healthy son and it was around that time that the Calatains disappeared forever. He was told that his mother cried for the lose of her home. Not long after that she had Zedeth and his sister. Something had changed in her demeanor with her twin children, because Zedeth had always seen her happy when she was with her children.

Her last child was Ari. Karna didn’t live long enough to hold her new born daughter. Zedeth remembered that day very well. Tear were rolling down his face and his father had seen. The beating he had gotten was one of the worst one he had received. Continually the beatings got worse and it wasn’t just him that his father was hurting. Try as he might to shield his sisters part of the wrath always landed on them as well. When Zedeth was seventeen years he ran away from the castle and became Renk.

He had received news of what had happened at the castle after his flight. Ari had been hurt by the King and would never fully recover. The court had decided to relocate the other “disobedient” child to a town that was made to build the skills of young talented youth. They had really done it to save her from the abuse of her father and Ari was safe in a place of healing. Xanders the second, Zedeth’s brother, had escaped all punishment or pain. He was the oldest and was to inherit the throne and his father didn’t want his interest to die.

Now Zedeth ruled in his own way. He would over throw his father just as he had done with his father. There was no certainty that he would take the throne, but he like to think that perhaps his grandmother would or perhaps her other son.

There was a lot of work ahead of the Renkure to see the throne emptied of the King, but with the Foresters they were one step closer to their goal.