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  Runefell

  The Tempest's Fury

  Book Two

  By Shawn Sodman

  Copyright 2017 Shawn Sodman

  Kindle Edition

  Kindle Edition, License Notes

  Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

  Dedicated to my parents, Wayne and Sharon Sodman.

  Had my father not wrecked his motorcycle, he may not have ended up with my mother, and I may not be here today.

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to give special thanks to Monica for listening to all my ideas, even when that means hearing spoilers. If I had to keep them all inside, I would surely lose my mind. She is the only one that knows how this trilogy ends.

  I would also like to thank Caitlin for not only editing the book, but helping me improve it, as well. She is a far more talented writer than myself, and I am lucky to have her assistance.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1: A Good Way to Start the Day

  Chapter 2: First Night Watch

  Chapter 3: The Sea Griffin

  Chapter 4: Uninterested

  Chapter 5: City of Dury

  Chapter 6: Flowers and Thorns

  Chapter 7: Story Time

  Chapter 8: Dark Memories

  Chapter 9: Second Night Watch

  Chapter 10: We Meet Again

  Chapter 11: Sponge Fruit

  Chapter 12: Third Night Watch

  Chapter 13: Rude Awakening

  Chapter 14: Orphans

  Chapter 15: Shockwave

  Chapter 16: Ogre's Mead

  Chapter 17: Repercussions

  Chapter 18: Breaking Point

  Chapter 19: Tipsy

  Chapter 20: Verity

  Chapter 21: Hangover

  Chapter 22: Storm Front

  Chapter 23: Revelations

  Chapter 24: Full Circle

  Chapter 25: Captain on Deck

  Chapter 26: The Last Night Watch

  Chapter 27: Where Have You Been?

  Chapter 28: The Retreat

  Chapter 29: Reunion

  Chapter 30: Migraine

  Chapter 31: Two Reds

  Chapter 32: Change of Perspective

  Chapter 33: The Refuges and the Diplomat

  Chapter 34: Cause for Celebration

  Chapter 35: First Dawn

  Chapter 36: Changing of the Guard

  Chapter 37: Territorial

  Chapter 38: Catching Up

  Chapter 39: The Smelling of Roses

  Chapter 40: Collections

  Chapter 41: A Long Day

  Chapter 42: Untamed Hearts

  Chapter 43: Second Dawn

  Chapter 44: The Tempest's Fury

  Chapter 45: Wilting Petals

  Chapter 46: Collision of Two Worlds

  Chapter 47: Drying Out

  Chapter 48: Drowning Sorrows

  Chapter 49: Third Dawn

  Chapter 50: Breakout

  Chapter 51: The Negotiator

  Chapter 52: Under the Influence

  Chapter 53: A Matter of Honor

  Chapter 54: Falling Out

  Chapter 55: The Fourth Dawn

  Chapter 56: Port Services

  Chapter 57: Eve of Battle

  Chapter 58: The Fifth Dawn

  Chapter 59: The Deepest Wounds

  Chapter 60: Falling Clouds

  Chapter 61: Riptide

  Chapter 62: Clearing Skies

  Chapter 63: Bombardment

  Chapter 64: Last Defence

  Chapter 65: The Adversary

  Chapter 66: Lights Out

  Epilog

  About the Author

  Easter Eggs

  Va'leen

  Stay Connected with Runefell

  Prologue

  The hunt is on! With a lead on the whereabouts of Fernando, Ariella begins her trek half way across the continent to get some answers from the man who betrayed her trust. But time is running out as the orcnea armies begin their push south to the city of Sheathelm. Where King Arioch and Chance find themselves on the defensive side of the war. Far to the north, the young Amazons of the Silver Moon have joined forces with Princess Kianna's scouting party, and together they hope to be a disruption to the orcneas' plans.

  Chapter 1

  Good Way to Start the Day

  It is 10:30 in the morning at the Daily Scoop Ice Cream Shoppe, and Kelik is waiting patiently for Kel'ana to arrive. The building is over one hundred years old, and the ice cream shop inside has 1950s decor and old newspapers framed and hung along the walls. In years past, customers could walk into the adjoining building through one of two brick archways. While the arches still remain, a wall was built within them to separate the structures once more. The former doorways now look like shallow alcoves. The larger of the two holds a secret.

  Kelik pulls his golden blonde curls back into a tail. He takes his cell phone out of the pocket of his long brown trench coat and checks for the time. He begins to send a text message when Kel'ana enters.

  She is dressed appropriately for a day in the sun, with a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses. “Sorry I'm late,” she says. “I had to make sure the kids had breakfast. I told them I was going to visit a friend and to call me if they have any problems.”

  “Good,” Kelik replies as he sends his text. “Did they ask why you were dressed to go swimming?” he asks, referring to the swimsuit underneath her unbuttoned blouse.

  “Yes,” she laughs. “I told them my friend had a pool at her apartment complex. Haley wanted to go with me until Laura mentioned going to the library to ask Lyra—or should I say Nica—about the book.”

  “So they are interested in the rest of the story then?”

  “Yes,” Kel'ana answers. “After Laura reminded them, that was all they talked about. They seem to be fascinated with it.”

  “Well,” Kelik says as his phone buzzes, “it really is time they start to learn the truth.” He looks down at the phone and reads the message. “Yentroc says it's all clear. You ready?”

  “Yea,” Kel'ana answers. “I was careful not to eat too much. I still get a little dizzy with gate travel sometimes, and throwing up would not be a good way to start the day.”

  “No, it wouldn't,” Kelik laughs. He puts his phone into one of the pockets of his coat, and when he takes his hand back out, a five dollar bill falls to the floor.

  Kel'ana says, “You dropped something.”

  “What?” Kelik asks, not noticing the money that had fallen from his pocket.

  “You dropped something,” Kel'ana repeats, pointing to the floor.

  “Oh, thank you,” Kelik replies with a smile. He picks up the money and says, “For once you were actually USEFUL in mentioning that.” Kel'ana simply smiles as Kelik looks out the window of the shop to make sure no one is watching them. He then places his hand on the large brick archway and closes his eyes. The wall inside the arch has been finished with a special black paint so the wall can be used as a chalk board. Currently written on the wall is a sign that reads: “Buy one sundae, get one at half price.” The writing fades and is replaced by what appears to be a picture of a storage room full of crates. The image of the room ripples as though it was made of liquid. Kelik immerses his hand inside before stepping through the rest of the way. Kel'ana takes a deep breath and follows him.

  For Kel'ana there is a bright flash of light, and then she finds herself in the cargo hold of a ship. T
here are a few crates around and as she turns to look behind her she can see a large steel hoop with a rippling image of the ice cream shop inside. The hoop is held up by two poles on either side by straps. It is about eight feet in diameter, the same height as the arch at the Daily Scoop.

  There is a hum from the ship's generator, and the room is brightly lit. “Welcome aboard, Kel'ana,” Yentroc says. Just like Kel'ana and Kelik, Yentroc now has human ears. Other than that, she looks remarkably unchanged since her time in Runefell. She has on a white lab coat that contrasts sharply with her long dark hair, currently up in a bun to keep it from getting in the way of her work.

  “Hello, Yentroc,” greets Kel'ana. “Or should I say Courtney?”

  “You should probably stick with Courtney in front of the crew,” replies Yentroc.

  Kelik places his hand on the metal hoop and ends the gate spell.

  “I didn't expect to see you, Kel... I mean, Danielle,” Yentroc says.

  “I just wanted to get out of the apartment. I need some sun and fresh air,” she replies as they begin to walk up a stairway. “It's been a while since I swam in the ocean.”

  “So,” Kelik says as they make their way into another room, “what is this discovery that you made?”

  The room they enter has several tables with high, ridged edges. Hoses hang down from above with shower heads. A woman sprays water as she rinses some sediment from a small object in her hand. Once she is done, she walks over to another table, places a gold coin down on a towel, and says, “This makes the tenth one.”

  Yentroc and the others walk over to the table and see ten gold coins. “Very good, Shelia. Why don't you go ahead and take a break.”

  “Yes, ma'am,” Shelia replies.

  Yentroc picks up one of the gold coins and hands it to Kelik as Shelia exits the room. “Do you see anything unusual about that coin?” Yentroc asks as she closes the door.

  Kelik looks at the coin closely. “I don't believe it,” he says as he hands it to Kel'ana.

  Kel'ana studies the coin for a moment. “Is this from Runefell?”

  “Yes, it's a gold crown of Ravenguard,” Yentroc replies. “We found a ship a week ago. There wasn't much left, but we did find these. There is more to explore and a few more objects of interest, but we haven't had a chance to dive again.”

  “That's incredible!” Kelik says as he looks at another coin. “Do you know how long it's been down there?”

  “As far as we can tell,” Yentroc answers, “it's been about four hundred years.”

  “That's roughly the same time we came here,” Kel'ana says.

  “That is odd,” says Kelik. “Do you think there's a gate here?”

  “There could be,” Yentroc replies, “but you know that most of the Bermuda Triangle stories are either exaggerated or nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “Well if there's a ship from Runefell here,” Kelik says, “anything is possible.”

  “We don't know for sure if the ship is from Runefell,” Yentroc says. “We know the gold is, but it could have come through like we did and just ended up here.”

  “I was hoping you found a way home,” Kelik says with a laugh. Just then Kelik's cell phone rings. He looks at the caller ID and says, “It's Lyra.” He answers the phone and says, “Hello, Nica.”

  On the other end of the line, Lyra, now known as Nica, replies, “Hello... Kyle, I have Josh, Haley, and Laura here. They wanted to read the story about the Third Orcnea War.”

  “Yeah,” Kelik says, “is that going to be all right? I know it’s an old book, but I figured maybe they could read it there downstairs. Can you help them?”

  “I can do that,” Lyra says as she looks up at the three kids and smiles. “I just wasn't sure how much of the story you told them already.”

  “I got to the part that you—I mean, the Amazon—got to the other side of the mountains,” Kelik says, “and Fernando just found out that Red Beard was still alive. I'm sorry, I don't know what page that would be on. I was just telling them from memory.”

  “It's all right,” Lyra says, “I am sure I can find it for them. I'll talk with you later.”

  “Okay,” Kelik says, “bye.” He hangs up the phone and says, “Wow, they're already at the library.”

  “They didn't waste any time, then, did they,” Kel'ana observes.

  Far from the ocean, Lyra puts away her phone and says to the kids, “Follow me.” She leads them down a set of stairs and to room that has only a table in the center with four chairs around it. “I'll be right back,” she says.

  Lyra walks over to another door and enters an adjacent room. It is a small room with a desk along the far wall and book cases along the side walls. She slides one of the book cases to the side, revealing a safe hidden in the wall. She spends a few moments entering the right combination and opens the metal door. She pulls the Infinitus Libellus from inside. She closes her eyes and says quietly, “Third Orcnea War, written by David Michael.” She opens her eyes before opening the large magical book. From the Infinitus Libellus she pulls out a leather book with thick parchment pages. Though the book is extremely old, magic has kept it well preserved. She places the Infinitus Libellus back in the safe before taking the book to Laura and her brother and sister.

  “Here it is,” Lyra says. “The Third Orcnea War.”

  “Wow!” Josh says, “That book is huge.”

  “How old is it, Aunt Nica?” Laura asks.

  “It's pretty old,” Lyra replies as she lays the book on the table. “It's an original, and you won't find it in any other library, so be very careful.”

  “We will, Aunt Nica,” Laura says as she reaches for the book. When Laura's fingers touch the book, she feels a tingly sensation, and quickly pulls her hand away.

  “What's wrong?” Lyra asks.

  Laura looks at the book, puzzled. “Nothing,” she replies as she touches the book again. She feels the cover and says, “It just felt weird when I touched it.”

  “Let me feel,” Josh says as he places his hand on the book.

  “What do you mean, weird?” Lyra asks.

  “Like a shock,” Laura explains, “but it didn't really hurt. I don't know how to describe it.”

  “It just feels like old leather,” Josh says.

  “I guess so,” Laura says as she runs her fingers across the cover.

  “I'll find the spot that Kyle says he left off at,” Lyra says as she opens the cover and begins to look through the pages. Soon she finds a spot about one third of the way through the book and says, “This is probably close. Now, I have to go back upstairs. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “Thanks, Aunt Nica,” Laura says.

  Lyra leaves as the others pull up chairs around the table. “Are you going to read it to us?” Josh asks Laura.

  “I guess so,” Laura says as she looks at the large scribed words. “Yes, this looks like where we were. Kristieana is pointing the crossbow at Isen.” Laura turns a few pages and says, “Here it is. Red Beard just told Fernando that he was Ariella's father. Is everyone comfortable?”

  “Yes,” Josh says as he sits back in his chair.

  “I'm ready,” Haley says.

  “Okay,” Laura says, “here we go.”

  Laura takes a deep breath and begins to read the account of the Third Orcnea War to her brother and sister.

  ------------------

  Day 12 Continued

  Fernando looks at Red Beard and then at Allen and Marie. “You are Red Beard?” he asks.

  “Aye,” the dwarf replies, “I am.”

  “I thought you were dead,” Allen says.

  “It is a bit of a long tale,” Red Beard says, “but the short version is, I'm alive and well.”

  “Why have you not told Ariella?” Fernando asks.

  “Well, lad, that too is a long story,” Red Beard says with a sigh, “I suppose I ought to tell ya, otherwise you'll be tempted to tell her yourselves. It's important for her safety that no one knows I am alive.�
�

  “Why is that?” Fernando asks as he sits down.

  “The night of the mutiny,” Red Beard explains, “I took something from Corthag. It is the key to his treasure. It was on a necklace that he wore, and I managed to free my hand and rip it off just as he pushed me over the edge of the ship chained to an anchor. I knew he would have it tracked by magic, so as I was pulled down into the dark depths of the sea, I put it in my pouch. The pouch is magical, and once the key was inside, Corthag would never be able to find it.”

  “What's so important about his treasure?” Allen asks. “And besides, Corthag was killed and thrown off the ship right after the mutiny.”

  “Aye,” Red Beard replies, “that he was, but the same enchantment that kept me alive has also kept him alive.”

  “Corthag is alive then?” Fernando asks.

  “Yes,” Red Beard replies. “Many years ago Corthag, Torgus, and myself found a book. It was full of dark spells. One of them was called Soul Keeper. The spell requires a crystal ball. Once the spell is cast on someone, the crystal ball acts as a tether to their soul. We acquired three crystal balls, so Corthag cast it on each of us.”

  “What does that mean?” Marie asks. “A 'tether to your soul'?”

  “It means you cannot die,” Fernando says, “at least not by normal means.”

  “Aye,” Red Beard says. “I never knew the spell worked until Corthag threw me overboard. I lost consciousness, but when I awoke I was at the bottom of the sea. There was no light, but fortunately I had a spell for that. The pressure from the depths was crushing me, but I was alive. I looked around and there was nothing but sand. It was like a desert under water. I was hungry, but did not need to eat. I did require sleep, and even though the pressure and the cold made it uncomfortable, I eventually would pass out from the exhaustion.”

  “How long were you down there?” Fernando asks.

  “I lost track of the time,” Red Beard answers, “I would try to break the chains while I was awake. I do not recall how many times I slept or for how long. Eventually the chain gave out, and I made my way ashore. When I asked what the date was, I learned that I had been down there for nearly half a year.”