Destiny's Call (The Avatar Series) Read online

  To my father, who bought my first paperbacks and has been my rock through the hardest times.

  Prologue

  The gods used to speak to us with the position of the stars or through the readings of the innards of the dead or with omens or through the clergy itself. The Orcish barbarians to the south say that the gods speak to us through fire; the Elves in the Green-deep say the gods use nature to communicate with us; the Dwarves of the Seven Halls believe the gods use intoxicants to speak to us; the Gnomes of Quinnerdorn believe their genius connects them directly to the gods’ will thus making communication unnecessary; the Humans believe in so many gods and ways that it’s hard to keep track and if their Gods spoke all at once they would end the world as we know it. Through the ages the gods communicated in one way or another and took up the role of guides and teachers of the mortal races as destiny moved them to their tasks. While the gods speak destiny remains silent because destiny only speaks to us through others or with events that it touches us through. It is said even the gods can be undone by destiny and that a time will come when destiny will make all things dance to its tune. It is also said that someday agents of destiny will walk upon the world again bending the fates of all in their paths and that they will remake the world and cast away the wicked to restore the balance. So is destiny a living thing like a god or is it the collective will of all living things in the wide world? Who knows? Destiny can be a lesson or a savior or a destroyer or a guide. The only thing that’s certain is that destiny is very personal.

  His foot crushed the head of his foolish challenger into the mud as he savored the cracking sounds and smell of fear emanating from his dying opponent. He took it all in as his foe lingered twitching for a moment longer. Then he decided to teach them all…

  “NO ONE CHALLENGES Thul ZUN!!!” He shouted to the horde of his kind making the front lines surrounding him step back. He realized in that second that none of these Orcs were his kind. He was an alpha living with betas. He expected that at least his foes blood would come forward but the cowards preferred to skulk in the background waiting for an opportunity like some poor excuse for a human. He waited and no more challengers came forward in fact these betas all went to their knees.

  He would never kneel…

  “Have the rams and towers been built?” He asked and one came forward. A small one Tergat Frol was small but smart. The tribes just called him ‘Target’ but Thul saw his value. He would be Thul’s voice to the tribes someday soon.

  “No mighty Thul. The fool who you just crushed under your heel blocked construction of the great devices.” Target told him. He was the bravest Orc here Thul decided.

  “Man cannot be defeated without the machines if we wish to eat the flesh of our enemies and crush them under foot then we MUST HAVE THOSE MACHINES!” Thul ended in another shout that dispersed the crowd each Orc promising to work harder.

  “Target don’t leave just yet. I have a gift for you.” Thul told the small Orc before he could scurry off. The creature looked scared.

  ‘Imagine being scared of a gift.’ Thul thought to himself a bit amused.

  “Yes my King?” the quivering mass of green and gray stood before him barely.

  “You will no longer be called Target if anyone calls you that instruct the guards to flog the Orc within an inch of his life.” Thul started and the Orc smiled wide.

  “From this time on you will be known as General Frol the voice of Thul Zun.” Thul told the small Orc and it was clear he was pleased.

  “Now go General Frol and build my army. Train them equip them and send them out to kill all my enemies. This I command.” Thul ordered and General Frol left Thul’s presence a true Orc.

  Nothing would stop him; Thul Zun would put out the eyes of the world and spit down the ruler’s throats.

  Thul Zun would rule the entire world and there would be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide…

  ***

  Just off the shores of what is now called the Midlands to the west lie a small group of isles. These isles were claimed long ago by the Mages’ Consortium due to the large Ley line content. Many crossings of the lines have made the isles saturated with magical energies. Only the Mages themselves know the exact meanings and benefits of the saturation and they aim to keep it that way along with the rest of their guarded secrets.

  Of all the races in the Midlands humans are most abundant at this time and the Consortium is no exception. Humans from every side of the Shattered Empire are represented here in the towers of learning and the halls of the Shining Palace. Each of the other races were also represented but humans dominate the centers of learning here on the Isles of Illusion.

  Tessannalyn could represent both groups even if they wouldn’t want her to. She was half human and half elf. This sort of arrangement was tolerated by the humans whose blood was not as pure and noble but to the elves this was scandalous. This meant little here in the human’s realms but Tessa as she’s called was not allowed into the veiled forests of her father. Lately this has bothered her as her blood boiled and churned for the wooded homelands of the Elvin Kingdoms. Elves have a longing for their homelands which can be ignored by half breeds at a cost. It still nagged at them in their spirits deep down a longing or more like a calling which can never be sated. Tessa was told that full blooded elves could not ignore this call to the wilds. She understood it all too well.

  “There are far too many callings in the world anyway.” Tessa told her familiar Pauline. Pauline had been with her since she was a novice. Now that Tessa was a summoner in training Pauline had extra company most of the time. Tessa had summoned a being from the beyond and Bea was formed from the ether. Bea looked human but had no worldly knowledge and an innocence that Tessa sometimes envied and sometimes pitied. It took Bea a full day to learn to walk and talking was a real pain to teach her. However she was a lethally quick study though and her innocence was charming. Pauline was jealous of Bea so Tessa made time to be just with her. Bea could come and go from this plane of existence and needed to everyday. Bea also couldn’t stay in the world when Tessa was asleep. Tessa fed Pauline some bread while she watched the throng of people coming and going and so on. She had a teacher but no more classes these days and her teacher was lazy so after midday Tessa was usually done working on her studies. This gave her plenty of time to day dream and find trouble. She usually did this with her blood sister Lorena. They weren’t really related but Tessa felt the bond of family when they were together so to her they were related. Lorena was a full blooded elf and she was as haughty as they came except where Tessa was concerned. As it happened Lorena was on her way up the road to Tessa’s room. Tessa watched as men were taken by her extreme beauty as she walked through the crowd oblivious of it all. Lorena was incapable of love Tessa was convinced but not because the feelings weren’t there but the fact that she believed no man was worthy of her. She was prettier than was good for her, smarter than was good for her and naïve as a newborn and everywhere she went she was a lightning rod for trouble. Tessa used to wonder how she had survived as long as she did.

  “Hey there!” Tessa called down to her and Lorena looked up to her window. Tessa waved and Lorena smiled at her friend and made her way into the tower. Tessa opened the door and closed the window as her elven friend entered her room.

  “This guy from the thieves’ guild contacted me today.” Lorena told her casually. Tessa closed the door with a slam.

  “Lorena remember we’re not alone here.” Tessa reminded her flighty friend. Lorena took out a candle and lit it. This was the first thing their teacher had taught them how to make, a protection from viewing candle. It was difficult to make but worth the effort. Both Tessa and Lorena coul
d make them in their sleep now they had made so many for the Consortium. The wick caught fire and the bubble like wave expanded out around the two and covered the room. Pauline looked ruffled from the experience.

  “Bad mojo.” she said as she Shook herself and flapped her wings in protest.

  “Yes Pauline relax. Our mojo is good mojo.” Tessa told the bird.

  “Bad Mojo.” Pauline repeated.

  “So this guy from the thieves’ guild contacted me today. His name was made up he called himself Stiletto.” Lorena told her with a giggle.

  “The thieves’ guild? I swear you have all the fun!” Tessa told her comely friend with a giggle herself.

  “They made me a member look.” Lorena pulled out a copper coin. It was unlike any coin Tessa had ever saw, it was blank on one side with a crow on the other. One side also had a sharp edge.

  “Nice what’s the edge for?” Tessa asked studying the coin in her friend’s hand.

  “Stiletto said it was for cutting purses and purse strings and opening up latched doors and killing. He said ‘just aim for the jugular.” Lorena told Tessa with a gruff, whispering voice.

  “But the real use for the coin is admittance to the guildhall under the city. It’s there they took me to it I swear.” Lorena told Tessa who was now jealous of her blood sister’s adventures.

  “It’s not fair you always have the best stories and no one ever tries to recruit me into anything.” Tessa told Lorena crossing her arms and pouting.

  “It’s not all fun and games. The guild expects me to make them scrolls of invisibility…fifty of them by the end of the week.” Lorena told her and there was the catch even being beautiful Lorena was still expected to work. No one it seemed could get out of that.

  “Fifty by the end of the week? That’s a lot of writing. Don’t they know how long it takes to make one scroll?” Tessa asked supposing not.

  “Can you help me?” Lorena asked finally.

  “Yes I’ll help but it really sucks that you get all the attention and I end up doing half your work.” Tessa told her friend pulling out blank parchment and her ink kit. The work would make the scrolls magic potent for anyone who read the scroll. The trick was copying the scroll exactly each time. It got harder the more you did. The first was easy also from memory and the last was artwork.

  ***

  Chapter 1

  Regina made her final adjustments to her latest obsession or was that invention? The ultra long range crossbow. It was smaller than you would expect from a long ranged crossbow and she didn’t have a sighting device she could use to see as far as it could fire theoretically. She spent months measuring and lining up a target at the range she was sure it would fly to and now after some wind direction and speed calculations and a long ride to the target she would complete her work on the finest long range weapon to ever exist.

  “Ok here goes.” She said to herself and taking aim by marks on the stone in front of her she fired. The bolt flew straight and true until she couldn’t see it any longer. Then she jumped onto her pony and rode out hoping nothing walked into the path of the bolt. She had picked that direction for its clear path with no obstacles but if someone had been out walking…well how could that be her fault?

  She rode hard and arrived at the target two miles from the shot. She dismounted and ran to the target and there in the target was the bolt! She did it! Although it wasn’t a bulls-eye it was here!

  She took out her journal and started writing down her findings and observations.

  She finally built something that worked! The inner gnome and the outer gnome danced between sentences until the constable rode up.

  “I should’ve known.” Constable Miller said walking straight to her.

  “Afternoon sir.” Regina greeted the older human gentleman. He had been a wench in her business since she came to Grand Springs. He had stopped her from finishing her flame thrower he had interfered when she tried to test her elevation machine and he stopped her outright from finishing her horse shoeing device. He had made her dismantle every project she started this year. If she didn’t have her journal all her work would have gone back to the Vaults of Ingenuity for God’s eyes only.

  “There are several dead cows back that way and Miss Pan’s dog. They all have holes in them through and through. You wouldn’t know anything about that would ya?” Constable Miller asked.

  “It went through three animals too? Holey gears of Merthisaraula! Do you know what this means?” Regina asked and the Constable seemed to know as he shook his head to the question. He looked as happy as she felt.

  “Yeah it means you owe Mr. Fort two cows and Miss Pan one dog.” The Constable told her not getting it at all.

  “I put out signs warning the populace just like you told me to.” Regina protested.

  “You mean this sign?” The constable held up her warning sign. It said ‘Warning testing going on.’ She didn’t see the problem.

  “There was one sign by your barn and it didn’t warn the populace of possible death.” The Constable explained.

  “Oh sorry.” Regina hoped an apology would do.

  “Do you have the gold for two cows a dog and the five hundred gold fine for using a public access for your experiments?” The constable asked.

  “No. Five hundred gold fine? When did that start?” Regina asked feeling singled out.

  “Right after the flamethrower incident.” The Constable told her.

  “If you don’t have the gold for the fine then you are here by ordered to leave Grand Springs never to return.” The Constable ordered Regina out.

  “I’m being banished?” Regina was hurt she had made friends settled in she loved Grand Springs. It had become her home.

  “Banished or hanged.” The Constable told her and Regina felt her neck reflexively.

  “Ok I’ll go pack.” Regina told the Constable who seemed happier than he should be.

  Regina lost another home…

  Regina dusted off her trunks and oiled her wagon wheels; she packed up all of her accumulated parts from her not so successful gadgets and loaded her wagon to capacity. She would need a horse before she could travel on and old Skipper was just too old these days to pull the load. Regina would have to make one last visit to town. She had a few people she needed to say goodbye to before she left. They would be the only ones to miss her Lilamina Shoran the priestess of Rurik the brave Rurik the wise Rurik the King of the Gods. She would miss Regina and so would her servant Kindle Polis well miss for him would be too strong a sentiment. The large brute would be happy to see Regina go truth told. But first she needed a large horse to pull her wagon. Regina made her way into town it was not too far from Regina’s home. She would miss this home most of all. When she arrived she realized she was very thirsty…

  Regina entered the Last Dragon Inn and found that for midday it was crowded. Brat the innkeeper shouted to Regina as she entered. Brat was the typical inn keep large in stature, long beard, no hair on top of his head, a voice that carried across the room and a large dirty apron.

  “Regina my dear come in, come in. Your table is opened and I’ll get you a tall glass of beer. Sit feel welcome you’re home now.” He told her making her feel melancholy. Regina sat at her table and before she knew it Brat was sitting across from her and she was telling him about her banishment. The man was the very best listener in the Midlands So you started talking before you knew you were talking.

  “Have you told Lila yet?” Brat asked looking worried for her.

  “No I came here first.” Regina admitted.

  “You know what? There’s this guy in town a traveler he could escort you when you leave. You know to watch over you during your journey. I’ll go get him.” Brat said getting up to fetch the stranger. But Regina was hoping for ideas to stay not to leave. Brat returned with a larger man wearing some sort of multicolored robe and a huge sword. His hair was unkempt and long his face was red from drinking and he smelled like beer and horse sweat. He was not so pleasant…
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  “Helloo little lass my name is Trevor McCollum of the clan with the same name. So you’re going out on your own? Well then there’s only one thing to do about that. I’ll accompany you dearie can’t let something happen to a girl so young going on her own. What are you girl? Like six? Are those what I think they are? You are the most developed six years old I’ve ever met…” He started and Regina was seeing red.

  “Listen here you overgrown excuse for a boy! I’m over thirty years old. I’m a gnome! I won’t grow any taller than this!”Regina started.

  “Look who’s talking about overgrown? Gnome ay? Aren’t full grown Gnomes like fifty? So you’re still a little girl then? Correct? You know you can be pretty annoying when you want, but don’t pout I will see to it you’re Ok. I’ll collect my things and meet you outside.” Trevor fired back Regina really needed someone to watch her back out in the wilds so she didn’t see any choice in the matter.

  “Ok see you outside.” Regina told the huge young man who then strode away to the upper floor of the inn.

  “I know he doesn’t have his whiskers yet but he’ll make for good company on the road my lady.” Brat told Regina and she couldn’t disagree. She would need someone to travel with she hated traveling alone. But mostly it wasn’t safe.

  When Trevor was ready the two made their way to the stables. Trevor was a talker but several times in their walk he would stop and look around silent as death with a grave look. When Regina asked he just acted like it never happened.