In The Dark

By John Bustrak

Kel, an unconventional Knight, confronts Zurst, a Warlord of intense military and personal power, in his first truly challenging duel since he completed his apprenticeship. Even beyond encountering survivors of Zurst's campaign across the plains, things do not go as Kel expects; nor do they meet the Warlord's expectations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Bustrak
• Release date: Oct 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301816897

John Bustrak

I'm an author, by nature, and by intended trade. Intended trade, because I've yet to make enough off of it to earn a living, so need to worry about things like day jobs. Before I am an author though, I am a Christian. And that means there are things I'm willing to die for; if there's nothing that matters so much to you to be willing to die for it, what then are you *living* for?

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In The Dark

By John Bustrak.

Published by John Bustrak at Smashwords.

Copyright 2013, John Bustrak

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When Kel encountered the first patrol from Zurst's army, a day had passed, and he was nearly eighty miles South of where he had left Ben. He had spent the night riding a piece of driftwood downstream, dozing lightly atop the board, and trusting in his sharp hearing to wake him if he approached a set of falls or other hazard. It had allowed him to make good time, but if he had known that the nearest hostile forces were that close, he wouldn't have taken the chance.

Still, he could hardly afford to let such an opportunity for further intelligence-gathering go to waste, and began moving to to lay an ambush on the group of five men.

Pietr Storm Horse cursed silently as he eyed the chasm before him. It ran down the center of The Cut, hundreds of feet deep, almost as many wide, and stretched as far North and South as he could see. That in and of itself was no great threat; it would be difficult while carrying his sister, but Pietr could fly across the chasm. It was the fifty-some soldiers from Zurst's army keeping watch over the chasm that made the obstacle dangerous. Unfortunately, it was also an obstacle that he needed to pass, and there was no way that he would be able to manipulate enough Wind to get them across, or even to the canyon's bottom, without the other magi nearby noticing.

Pietr was reasonably skilled, though no master, at damping his own presence; any Plainsman who had been part of a raid team needed to be, otherwise the watchers of other tribes would sense them coming long before they arrived. If he was alone, he might still have been able to manage it; but he wasn't as skilled in the air as he was on horseback, and while carrying his sister, he would be much less capable of maneuvering to evade arrows and spells.

For a moment, a traitorous part of his mind contemplated abandoning his sister, and making the crossing alone, but he ruthlessly crushed that part of himself. After a moment's further thought, he began to more seriously contemplate trying to use himself as bait to draw off the soldiers watching, and sending Sarah on alone; she was young enough yet that her power had not developed to the point of being readily noticeable at distances beyond a dozen or so paces, and she might be able to slip through.

Pietr's thoughts were cut off by a commotion breaking out amongst the soldiers on the far side of the chasm, and he stared across, trying to make out just what was going on in spite of the distance. It wasn't until a screaming body was cast off the edge of the far cliff, that he realized someone else was making trouble for Zurst's men, and in a snap decision, he swept his sister up and launched himself out towards the far side, hoping the distraction would last long enough for him to make the crossing.

Pietr had