Stormcaller (Book 1) by Everet Martins Page A

in a bloodstained chair lined with small spikes. His dark eyes filled with tears, locking onto Walter’s. His eyes abruptly darted to the side, seeing something Walter and Juzo could not. “No, no! Run!” he screamed. Walter and Juzo stepped back from the portal. Walter wanted to run and knew he should, but curiosity overcame that desire.
    “Now what?” Juzo said, scratching his cheek.
    A frail man glided into view, pale skin reflecting torchlight from beyond the portal. He had no hair to speak of, his face shrouded in an eyeless black mask. In one hand he held a staff that looked like a petrified cobra with white spines. His other hand splayed open, revealing long blades for fingers soaked with fresh blood. He wore a heavy leather sarong about his legs and abdomen, and a belt lined with skulls. Other small trinkets such as an apothecary would have hung from twine along his grotesque belt. He turned, gazing from Walter to Juzo.
    “Who are you? What do you want?” Walter demanded.
    Juzo defensively drew his blade and crouched into Buffeting Gale, dropping his lead leg low and holding the weapon overhead.
    “Bearer of Blackout, you have awakened the master blade by feeding it. All great power comes with great sacrifice. You are mine now!” the pale-skinned man hissed unnaturally. He raised his staff and Juzo was lifted from his feet and pulled into the air, his back smashing against the tunnel ceiling. Walter reached a hand for Juzo’s leg, grabbing empty air as Juzo was violently drawn through the doorway, tumbling into the dark stone room. Blackout skittered across the ground on the other side of the portal. Walter dove towards the portal as the wide hole in the air started rapidly shrinking. Just before Walter’s body in flight passed through where the portal had been, it vanished as though never there.
    “Juzo? Juzo! Where are you?” Walter screamed, rolling to his feet. “I’ll kill you!” he screamed at the unseen masked man, frantic. He dropped to the ground, digging where the portal had been, finding nothing more than a razor-thin scar marked where it had met the tunnel walls.
    “Why is this happening?” he screeched. He whipped his head behind him, and in front and back again. He looked to the ceiling, and pounded it with his fists. “Come back, you coward! Take me! I am the Bearer of Blackout! I am the Bearer of Blackout!” he screamed, sobbing. He dropped to his knees. “Juzo, you’re my only friend. Where are you? Where are you! I’ll find you,” he said hoarsely. “I’ll find you!” he screamed, dropping his face to earth, sobbing. “You were my only friend.”

Chapter 9 – Lich’s Falls
    “What starry vaults I had traversed to discover how to remove the cage of flesh attachment.” –from Necromancy and Wolves: The Veiled Darkness
    Walter picked up Juzo’s satchel. At least he would have something to give his parents. His parents, are they even alive? Is anyone still alive? I need to get back home , he thought.Walter followed the path through the earthen tunnel where the fawn had fallen, its corpse buzzing with Rot Flies.
    “Who is going to believe this?” he said aloud. He laughed, “They’ll think I’m insane and I killed him.” No, you have Stormcaller and the power-diamond marks, they are proof enough. “I hope so,” he told himself. The tunnels seemed to go deeper as the height of the surface game traps ascended. Was there any other choice than deeper? “Deeper,” he pondered aloud. He came upon a three-way fork in the road and went right, where there seemed to be light. Is this a dream? he thought.
    A familiar hiss sounded behind him. He turned, snapping his wrist, reveling as Stormcaller sprang to life, amber lashes waving and sparking. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, Warrior’s Focus enveloping him in its welcoming calm. His heartbeat slowed.
    “You will know my wrath, creature,” he shouted. He squared his torso to the Shiv Fang and dug his heels into the soft