Origins of the Never: A prequel to The Tales of the Neverwar series, with dragons, elves, and faeries. For Young Adults and Teens by CJ Rutherford & Colin Rutherford

Author:CJ Rutherford & Colin Rutherford [Rutherford, CJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-10-25T22:00:00+00:00

The Citadel—Months Later

“Can he not be stopped?” cried Lynnaria. “Surely there's something we can do, my love. I know he's been a brother to you for centuries, but what he's become...it’s frightening.”

Olumé sat in silence, pondering what his wife said before replying. “We cannot kill him, Lynnaria, for if we do, we set ourselves on the same path of darkness which he has. And if I were to strike the final blow, I would eventually become what he is now, only ten times worse. Don’t you see?”

He looked at his wife with tortured eyes, and she came to him and embraced him. “Then this is the end. All attempts to reason with him have failed. All our emissaries now serve his twisted purpose. We have lost.”

“No, not lost,” whispered Olumé, “though our victory will be hard won.” He looked into his wife’s confused eyes. “I have a plan, or at least the start of one. A plan that will see our way of life endure, long after Tenybris has left this world.”

“Left this world?” Lynnaria asked, shocked to discover her husband had foreseen this. “Why will he leave? Surely the Land gives even him what he needs.”

Olumé shook his head. “The Land has rejected him utterly, my dear.” He watched as confusion etched her features. “The only sustenance he survives on now is the energy he rips from the poor unfortunates he murders. Once his source of ‘food’ is gone, he will seek more, elsewhere.”

Lynnaria was horrified, and her face turned white with shock. She had loved and respected Tenybris for years, until he returned from Sanctuary over a century ago and became a recluse on his island. Both she and Olumé had visited, but over the years he grew hostile, and their visits became less frequent, until one day Tenybris denied them entry to his home. He stood in the doorway and spat venomous words at them both, warning them never to return. Olumé had been deeply hurt, but could see no other recourse but to give Tenybris what he wanted.

Then, the rumours began. Stories of whole village populations disappearing overnight. Of monsters striking unwary travellers and dragging them off, never to be seen again. Scouts were sent to investigate, never to return. A small force of Magisters, the magical law enforcers of the Citadel, were despatched, but after a month only one returned, barely alive. The survivor, Trellyne, told of being overcome by hundreds of creatures one night when they made camp. The things were impervious to magic, and he told how he barely escaped with two others, having watched their friends being butchered mercilessly, helpless to assist them.

That, however, wasn’t the most disturbing thing about his tale. On their flight back to the Citadel they were ambushed again, by the friends they had seen die. The undead creatures were in possession of all their magical abilities, and had killed one of them in the first attack. Trellyne and the other survivor were both hurt, but in a selfless act of bravery, his friend sacrificed himself to give Trellyne enough time to escape.

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