Shadow Of The Winter King (Book 1) (42 page)

As the sun rose, light crept across the cold floors of the throne room to where Regel knelt beside Ovelia as she lay still in a spreading pool of blood—his, hers, Demetrus’s. Everyone’s.

Semana had bade Regel follow her, but he could not simply turn away. Not yet.

“Lord of Tears,” Garin was saying. “Regel—Regel, we have to go.”

Semana’s wall of magic was faltering as Ravalis guards pounded upon it from all sides. Regel knew he had only a moment before all would be lost. All that Ovelia had fought for, and all that she had died for. He had to move, if he was going to honor her. And yet...

“Regel!” Garin grasped his shoulder and shook him. Regel felt it only distantly. “I mourn her too, but we must away, or all this is for naught.”

All blood was alike, Regel realized. All of it hot when fresh, cold when aged, and spilled whether in vain or to a greater purpose.

It all came back, then.

He remembered Ovelia’s words, that day on the
White Dart
, about his healing hands. He’d hurt her shoulder so badly, but he’d healed her despite it.

Then again he had touched her upstairs in the Burned Man, soothing her hurt wrist.

He felt again when Davargorn had forced new life into his body.

“
How could you know my heart, old man?
” Davargorn had demanded, tears in his mismatched eyes. “
You do not even know your
own
!
What you are! What power you hold!
”

He remembered forcing himself to rise in the corridor, even as Semana’s magic should have killed him. New strength had entered him, as if by magic.

He remembered holding Ovelia’s hand when the necromancer was killing him, and she had awakened. “
Help her
,” Ovelia had said. “
Help my daughter
.”

“I have been wrong,” Regel said.

He knelt, laid his hands on Ovelia’s chest, and closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?” Garin knelt at his side. “She is gone and will not come again.”

“I have always been wrong.” Regel smiled.

He embraced his new path.

And a miracle came to pass, on that first day of the year, when Ruin’s sway lifted. In that place of death, a man sent healing life into a woman, and it changed them both.

In that moment, one bright light shone forth and changed the destiny of a once-dying world.

The Named and Marked of Ruin

Ravalis, the Blood of Summer
(“Summer Lasts a Day”):
Outlander Rulers of Tar Vangr, City of Winter

Cassian Ravalis
(892–961):
Last King of Luether (City of Summer), elder brother to Demetrus, father to Garin, perished in fall of Luether.

Demetrus Ravalis
(894–present):
King of Tar Vangr, younger brother to Cassian, father to Strevon, Paeter, Alistra, Lan and others.

Ansa Ravalis nô Dorane
(889–938):
Wife to Demetrus Ravalis, perished birthing daughter Alistra.

Anthien Ravalis nô Vultara
(916–961):
Mistress and eventually second wife to Demetrus Ravalis, perished in the fall of Luether.

Toblius Ravalis
(910–present):
Younger half-brother to Cassian and Demetrus, husband to Alcha Varas.

Strevon Ravalis
(930–961):
The Hawk of Luether, first son of Demetrus, perished in the fall of Luether.

Paeter Ravalis
(933–976):
The Jackal of Luether, second son of Demetrus, husband to Lenalin Denerre, father to Darak and Semana, slain under mysterious circumstances.

Nameless
(935–937):
Third son of Demetrus, perished nameless.

Alistra
(938–present?):
The Spider of Luether, only daughter of Demetrus, imprisoned in the tunnels for unknown crimes.

Dorian Ravalis
(940–961):
The Wolf of Luether, son to Demetrus, perished in the fall of Luether.

Garin Ravalis
(943–present):
The Fox of Luether, former crown-prince of Luether, only son of Cassian.

Alcarin Summer
(954–present):
Smallborn squire to Garin.

Lan Ravalis
(944–present):
The Bear of Luether, son of Demetrus, husband to Laegra.

Laegra Ravalis nô Vargaen
(940–present):
Daughter of house Vargaen, neglected wife to Lan.

Alcha Ravalis nô Varas
(930–present):
Wife to Toblius, wed after Fall of Luether.

Boulis Ravalis
(948–present):
The Hound of Luether, son of Toblius.

Tolus Ravalis
(951–present):
The Falcon of Luether, son of Toblius.

Vhaerynn the Necromancer
(unknown–present):
Blood sorcerer and vizier to Demetrus.

Denerre, the Blood of Winter
(“Justice In the Storm”):
Extinct Former Rulers of Tar Vangr

Aritana Denerre
(885–932):
Former ruler of Tar Vangr (910-932), youngest ruler of Tar Vangr in centuries, mother to Mortiun and Orbrin.

Moritun Denerre
(911–936):
Former ruler of Tar Vangr (932-936), elder brother to Orbrin, perished suddenly and unexpectedly in battle.

Orbrin Denerre
(916–976):
The Winter King, former ruler of Tar Vangr (r. 936-976), father to Althar and Lenalin and a third nameless child, perished at the hands of Ovelia the Bloodbreaker.

Matir Thorass
(914–961):
Wife to Moritun, political bond to Orbrin, mother to Althar and Lenalin and a third nameless child, perished in the fall of Luether.

Althar Denerre
(937–955):
Former Crown Prince of Denerre, perished in a duel.

Nameless
(938–942):
Second son of Denerre, perished in the cradle without a name.

Lenalin Denerre
(940–966):
Wife to Lan Ravalis, perished under mysterious circumstances.

Darak Ravalis nô Denerre
(961–971?):
Son to Lan Ravalis and Lenalin Denerre, exiled to Ruin for treason at a young age.

Semana Denerre nô Ravalis
(963–976):
Last Heir of Winter, daughter to Lan and Lenalin, perished in a skyship tragedy.

Tithian
(963–976):
Smallborn winterblood pageboy to Semana, missing, presumed dead.

Dracaris, the Blood of the Dragon
(“Eternal, Unyielding”):
Treacherous Sworn Shield to Denerre

Norlest Dracaris
(917–961):
Sworn Shield to Orbrin, father to Ovelia, perished in the fall of Luether.

Aniset Winter
(922-942):
Smallborn mother to Ovelia, perished in childbirth

Ovelia Dracaris the Bloodbreaker
(942–present?):
Sworn Shield to Lenalin, missing since slaying the Winter King in 976.

The Circle of Tears
(“Ever Weep, Ever Watch”):
A consortium of Spies in Tar Vangr

Regel Winter
the Oathbreaker
(936–present):
The Lord of Tears, formerly the Frostburn, Shadow of the Winter King, sworn slayer in service to Orbrin Denerre, spymaster of the Circle of Tears.

Serris
(960–present):
Smallborn squire to Regel, First of Tears.

Erim
(961–present):
Smallborn thief, occasional lover to Serris, bastard son of a Dolvrath noble.

Vidia
(946–present):
Smallborn baker.

Nacacia
(957–present):
Smallborn warrior.

Daren
(955–present):
Smallborn warrior.

Krystir
(955–present):
Smallborn spy.

Meron
(940–present):
Soldier, bastard son of a Vortusk noble.

About the Author

E
rik Scott de Bie
(tip: “de Bie or not de Bie, that is the question”) grew up in the smoggy central valley and verdant mountains of California. He has been writing fantasy and scifi novels since before he could drive, and has been published since before he got his degree from Willamette University. He lives in Seattle with his wife Shelley and a menagerie of cuddly dire animals.

Erik’s work has also appeared in the Forgotten Realms D&D setting, Pathfinder’s Golarion, the Iron Kingdoms of Warmachine, the Traveller universe, and countless anthologies, both shared world and original. He is also the author of the multi-media Justice/Vengeance superhero series.

Check out World of Ruin updates, lore, deleted scenes, and behind-the-scenes features on erikscottdebie.com, as well as Erik’s ever-growing bibliography. Find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/erik.s.debie

Copyright

Shadow of the Winter King

Copyright ©2014 Erik Scott de Bie

Cover art © 2014 Aleta Rafton

Map created by Cory Gelnett

All rights reserved. Reproduction or utilization of this work in any form, by any means now known or hereinafter invented, including but not limited to xerography, photocopying and recording, and in any known storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without permission from the copyright holder.

www.dragonmoonpress.com

Contents

Prologue

Act One: Shadows

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Act Two: Shields

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Act Three: Slayers

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Act Four: Masks

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Thirty-Two

Thirty-Three

Thirty-Four

Thirty-Five

Thirty-Six

Act Five: Blood

Thirty-Seven

Thirty-Eight

Thirty-Nine

Forty

Epilogue

The Named and Marked of Ruin

About the Author

Copyright