Chapter 1

Darras turned and swung his staff at the attacker, though to no effect. The shadow ignored the weapon as it had no power to hurt the creature. What it did do, though, was cause the creature to hesitate, giving Darras a chance to finish off its compatriot, which crumbled away and dissipated on the ground. This also caused the attacking creature to pause and back away as it realised the man could destroy its type.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Darras snarled as, in an amazing turn of speed and agility, he leapt forward to grab the creature by its throat and begin its destruction.

Despite the creature’s desperate struggles as it slashed at Darras with its limbs, Darras was too strong, and the creature collapsed and dissipated on the ground.

“Getting stronger ... smarter, too,” Darras sighed as he checked his armour for damage.

‘That they are, my Darras, ’ Erren replied within Darras’s mind.

“What were they after?”

‘One of Callani’s ladies in waiting, I suspect, ’ Erren explained, mentioning Lady Callani cor Rachtele, wife of Rigilo, the youngest Prince of Rachtelin and currently in dispute with the King’s Council over their attempts to place his older brother Joffar on the throne of Rachtelin.

Joffar, unfortunately, due to birthing complications, was an easily distracted, easily led incompetent, which was why the King’s Council favoured him as he would enable their corrupt practices to flourish. That Joffar hadn’t been named heir by the current King of Rachtelin was down to the King refusing openly to favour either son and leaving the matter to the nobles’ conclave.

This was typical of King Ferril of Rachtelin, a man who struggled to decide on anything and who’d more or less abrogated his responsibilities to his Council. Ferril, however, was aware that Joffar was incompetent and had baulked at naming him. This, unfortunately, caused the King’s Council to try and force the issue, though currently to no avail. Erren was pretty much convinced that Ferril’s days were numbered now and had used Darras to eliminate any threats to Rigilo and his immediate family. In this, Darras had some aid from his friend Balat, the agent of Doriel, goddess of the woodlands and Tiruk, agent of Crannok, the god of lost causes. Darras was the agent of Erren, the goddess of light and protector of life and growth.

“Well, it’s over for now,” Darras sighed.

‘Yes, come home, my love.’

“Long ride to Frestap since I dare not attempt to use either of the two gateways in Rachtelin.”

‘Yes, the Council declared you outlaw, though they are currently in dispute with my temple over this, and it’s likely to be overturned soon ... officially.’

“Yes, I doubt any bribe will allow easy entry,” Darras chuckled, as until recently, a two silver bribe would make the gateway officials look the other way.

‘If it were anyone but you, it would. You stand out too much.’

“And I’m the only one who can kill these things, too,” Darras sighed.

‘True, ’ Erren replied. ‘Now get home soon. I miss you.’

“On my way.”

Darras made his way silently from the inn where the shadows had been possessing two merchants on their way to Miront, where Rigilo and Callani were in residence. The two merchants were currently unconscious, an event that occurred when Darras forcibly removed a shadow from its possession. This had only gone slightly awry when the stronger of the two shadows escaped Darras’s grip, though fortunately, it had remained to aid its companion and not run into the night.

Leaving the village, Darras made his way into the woods where his horse was tethered, finding it guarded by a silent woodnymph who acknowledged Darras’s return with a nod and indicated a path for Darras to head down.

“May Erren bless you, sister of the woods,” Darras gave a benediction to the nymph as she merged with a tree.

As Darras could see exceptionally well in the night’s darkness, it was merely twilight, so he could easily follow the indicated path. As he did, he noticed several forest folk peer out to watch his passage, even as the way seemingly closed behind him.

‘Popular as ever, ’ Erren giggled.

“Yes,” Darras chuckled. “They’ve always done that since my first trip to Fordel.”

‘You may be going back soon, ’ Erren informed him. ‘Balat may need your help as they’ve taken to holding hostages ahead of negotiations on the lumber harvest.’

“Didn’t they learn from the last time that Doriel takes a dim view of that sort of thing?”

‘Apparently, they have them held in the city of Fordel, where most of Doriel’s worshippers cannot go, ’ Erren explained.

“Another jailbreak,” Darras nodded. “Wonder if Amina’s people can help?”

‘I’ll ask Crannok.’

“Good. If anyone is skilled at getting into and out of buildings, it’s the Thieves Guild of Dobra.”

‘That they are, Crannok is quite impressed with them, though not so impressed with the title god of thieves, ’ Erren replied.

“Understandable, though it doesn’t appear to bother him that much.”

‘I don’t think it does either.’

Welcome home, my love,” Erren greeted him happily as the gateway in Frestap permitted his transit to Erren’s domain, a hidden area that no mortal could reach without her permission.

As ever, Darras became clean-shaven the moment he arrived, and he moved to hug the avatar of the goddess Erren whom he had come to love. Although the avatar wasn’t the real goddess, the young woman represented contained all of the being that Erren was, and because it had human emotions, it was deeply in love with Darras. And so the pair had bonded to the mutual happiness of both.

“You stink of horse,” she giggled as they hugged.

“I need a bath.”

“You certainly do.”

“Any more threats?”

“Lots of them, and yes, I know you’re being run ragged.”

“It is what it is,” Darras nodded as they reached Erren’s bathing area, and after disrobing, they both slipped into the hotter area.

“Rigilo and Callani are still safe, though,” Erren replied. “The actions of the King’s Council are dividing the nation, though they still hold the upper hand in numbers of knights at least.”

“And then there are the shadows,” Darras sighed. “Keeping me busy in Rachtelin whilst elsewhere they run loose.”

“That does appear to be part of their plan,” Erren agreed.

“Well, it’s working,” Darras nodded. “How are your other plans working out?”

“Amina and a few of her people are now in Fordel town and scouting out the jail for me. I am financing them as normally they’d struggle to cope ... honestly with the high prices there,” Erren replied.

“How would you do that?”

“I control the gateways, so I just ensured the bulk of their copper coins became silver and their silver coins, gold,” Erren explained with a smile. “I also added several precious gems too.”

“Bet they were impressed,” Darras chuckled.

“They were, even Amina.”

“When do you need me there?”

“When Amina offers an answer via an offering to Crannok,” Erren replied. “He has a shrine there.”

“Anything else going on of note?”

“Orcatia, Ralketh and Treen are aware of the potential civil war in Rachtelin and have plans to seize land and/or raid if an opportunity arises.”

“Vultures,” Darras grated out.

“Very much so, though I’m working on Torgillon moving their troops up to the borders of Orcatia and Ralketh to give them something to worry about.”

“Mirion’s doing?”

“Yes, her duties as the agent of Hallis allow her access to the Torgillon noble houses, and they generally support Rigilo, though they have not stated so openly yet.”

“Rigilo’s success in Thenarron will have helped there,” Darras nodded.

“Yes, the Graccen family were deeply impressed, and he’s a good friend of the Earl, their leader,” Erren agreed. “The Earl has the ear of the King and considerable influence within the noble class.”

“And no issues with Mirion being an Elf,” Darras chuckled.

“Not in Torgillon, no.”

“Klavin?” Darras asked, naming the agent of Pelegard, the god of blacksmiths and craftsmen.

“Busy in Burral,” “Erren replied. “Burralsteig mostly, he’s having the proscriptions on you from entering the city removed.”

“Good, still leaves me with most of Rachtelin cut off for me other than by horseback, however.”

“That won’t change any time soon, though Harinas in Iversirion passed on an offer from King Leandomus to place Firios, Tinara and Traskis at your disposal to get you through the woods of Rachtelin to your destinations.”

“That will help, though they’d be in danger if caught in the open,” Darras nodded thoughtfully. “No Annos?”

“She’s retired along with Sondrast to teach at the university.”

“Ah, good.”

“Firios has been appointed a new team member, but Harinas has not mentioned their name to me or simply does not know yet.”

“Guess I’ll meet them if they come along,” Darras shrugged. “Tiruk?”

“Busy in Hilliam, the capital of Crusal, gathering information for me,” Erren replied.

“He’ll not blend in too well there,” Darras chuckled as the people from Crusal had pale skin and blonde to white hair. Tiruk was as dark a skinned man as Darras had ever met.

“He isn’t mistrusted as you were for having the skin tones of someone from Asul,” Erren explained. “As far as they are concerned, he’s from the southern kingdoms of Keelem, the main continent.”

“And is he?”

“No, he’s from Ducloman, a desert kingdom of Golsten.”

“Does he hide that?”

“Yes, the Duclomani have a reputation as bandits and thugs,” Erren replied.

“He seemed pretty ... refined last we spoke,” Darras chuckled.

“He is ... now,” Erren smiled. “Crannok smoothed a few rough edges off him in the last sixty years.”

“Mirion’s worried about outliving her husband and children, you know,” Darras changed the subject to bring up a delicate situation.”

“Hallis will deal with it, trust me.”

“So her husband at least gets an extended life, or she retires from her position as an agent?” Darras asked.

“Probably retires.”

“Tiruk had to lose his wife and children,” Darras replied.

“I know, but they found good lives under the blessings of my brother, Darras,” Erren explained. “We aren’t heartless ... well, most of us.”

“Oh yes, Colanthus,” Darras grimaced.

“Yes, he’s the reason the King’s Council in Rachtelin became far more proactive in keeping you out,” Erren nodded.

“And as the god of war, he’ll try to make the eventual civil war both lengthy and extreme in the way of massacres and reprisals,” Darras sighed.

“I’ll do my best to stop that.”

“I know you will, my love.”

Toting a heavy pack, Darras stepped through the gateway of Fordel to face their customs official, who efficiently took down his details and charged him a silver for entry. This was a sum that bordered on outright theft, though, as with much of the economy of Fordel, more was needed to prevent trade. Once given his papers, Darras followed the instructions of Erren to one of the less salubrious parts of Fordel town to an inn where he’d been informed Amina’s people were staying.