The Dark Mountain Saga: Return Of The Necromancers

By C.A. Staff

The world known as Danovian, where Necromancers rule is under threat!
Vampires, zombies, ghosts, and ghouls are hiding in the shadows. They rule their world from the Necromancer Realm, watched over by Danovians Guardians. Some say those who rule the dead must be evil. There can be no good from raising the dead. Can there be?

Danovian's human race do not totally understand all this, but fear it has something to do with the dark days of the Great Necro War. When Lord Stelau, an air Necromancer, turned evil, the entire world of Danovian became chaotic.
When young warrior girl Enilorac's village is attacked by vampires and her parents left for dead it becomes her quest, given to her by Alatli, Queen of the Necromancers, to go to Dark Mountain and fulfil her destiny. The Elder Necromancers only hope of regaining control, and bringing back balance to Danovian, lies with the royal children.
Follow Enilorac and archer boy Rovert on the start of their new magical quest in the first book in the Dark Mountain Saga, Return Of The Necromancer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9780991588046

Book preview

The Dark Mountain Saga

Book One

Return of The Necromancers

Authored by C. A. Staff

T.G. Staff Editor

Cover art created by Wolfgang Schroeder

Table Of Contents

Chapter One

Attack On Sparevene

Chapter Two

Rovert’s Journey

Chapter Three

Enilorac’s Quest

Chapter Four

A Magical Beginning

Chapter Five

Someone Special

Chapter Six

The Truth Disguised

Chapter Seven

Long Road Home

Chapter Eight

Unusual Occurences

Chapter Nine

Pontus Port

Chapter Ten

Supernatural Visitors

Chapter Eleven

New Beginnings

Chapter Twelve

Princess Returns

Chapter Thirteen

The Teachings Of Zakir

Chapter Fourteen

Stelau Pass

Chapter Fifteen

Darnok Discovers Portals

Chapter Sixteen

Lorgon Poaching

Chapter Seventeen

Teaching & Healing

Chapter Eighteen

A Great Disturbance

Chapter Nineteen

Danovian Gets Shook Up

© C.A. Staff 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical

means,including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except in the

case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review.

The Dark Mountain Saga is a series of fictional books.  Every person, place, and thing written in The Dark Mountain

Saga, book one, The Return Of The Necromancers, is purely fictional, meaning it all derived from the Author’s

Imagination.  Any similarities of people, places, or things are purely coincidental. 

Chapter One

Attack On Sparevene

You cannot ring the bell if you are dead!  The stranger hissed in his ear. 

Just then the bell ringer felt the stranger’s teeth sink into his neck.  His body tensed at first, but within seconds his twitching body was nothing but a lifeless clump of bones and skin.

As the stranger drained the life from the bell ringer, others grabbed onto nearby villagers.

The people of Sparevene began to notice their neighbors falling to the ground, their eyes seemed focused on some

unseen terror.  Chaos struck their hearts. 

Then when the first house was lit on fire, panic took hold of the villagers. 

Leave no-one alive!  A voice hissed from amongst the crowd of panic-stricken  villagers. 

Sparevene’s people ran in every direction, some made their way to their under-house, others were not so lucky.  Blood

stained the stone streets of Sparevene.  Homes were still smoldering as the last stranger morphed into a hideous bat,

flying back to its cave.   

Only once in the seasons of moons had Sparevene’s people witnessed such devastation.  It was a time too long ago for

the young to remember, when the Necromancers struggled to keep balance in Danovian.

The very reason every home in

Danovian was equipped with secret under-houses.   

Enilorac had been at Espus, a city twenty miles east of her home village, Sparevene.  She had warrior-skills practice

twice a week at Espus, and was just returning home from her second practice of the week.

Enilorac was a beautiful young girl with chestnut brown hair that fell gracefully over her shoulders and down to the center of her back. Her eyes were a striking blue with light lavender streaks, that seemed to draw a person’s attention right to her pupils that swirled into a black dot.  Some whispered that she looked somewhat Elfin.

As Enilorac drew closer to home an eerie feeling swept over her.  At the sight of the bloody streets of Sparevene she dismounted her mighty steed, Axel. Enilorac tethered her horse to a nearby tree. Cautiously she made her way through the once beautiful streets of her village.

She stepped over the lifeless bodies of friends and neighbors, occasionally stooping to close their eyes as she made her way to her parents' home.

What has happened here?  were her thoughts as she approached.

She could see her father's seemingly lifeless body blocking the open door of their still smoldering home. Enilorac drew her sword, ready for a fight.

A wave of anger and despair swept over her as she knelt at her father's side.  Enilorac’s attention was quickly averted when she heard moans from inside the house.

Momma? she cried out.

No need to check your mother, she is dead. A somber voice replied.

Enilorac spun around, sword ready, as she tried to focus her eyes that were now full of tears.

Show yourself! Enilorac cried.

Enilorac, I cannot show myself, I am wounded, said the intruder.

She steadied her emotions as she slipped further into the room to have a closer look at who or what might be there.

How do you know my name? She asked.

Your father summoned me, the stranger replied.

Please help me he whispered.

Realizing this plea for help may be a trick to lure her in, Enilorac cautiously moved further into the family room of her parents’ home. 

She stood above the intruder, then looking down upon him she could see that her father had summoned an Elf.

Enilorac, my satchel, give me my satchel. The Elf was struggling to hang on. Enilorac quickly untied the satchel that was attached to the Elf’s belt. The Elf took a small bag out of his satchel.

Open it and sprinkle the contents over my wounds. He gasped.

Enilorac sprinkled the powder on the Elf’s wounds, as he spoke in his native tongue. Within seconds the Elf was looking much better.

Thank you for saving my life. I was trying to help your mother, when I got attacked. I am sorry for her death.

"This attack was by the vampires. They came into your village as if they were looking for something.  Your father

unknowingly summoned me here.  Quickly, we must clean this mess up. The vampires will not be back, they think they

killed everyone, however we do not want the dead to rot in the streets.  I must take your father’s body to Donishnia

Castle. He is part Elf, you know."

My father is human, my mother is human, Enilorac protested. I must bury them together, it is our way.

I do not have time to explain this to you. Come to the Elf castle on your way to Dark Mountain.

Enilorac was  astonished. 

WHAT? she cried. 

You will be receiving a mission soon, the Elf explained.  I have to go now! The Elf crouched next to her father’s body, then in a flash of bright white light they were gone.

Enilorac had never felt so alone  or confused.  She knew nothing of the under-house, as her family had never had the need to use it.  Her search of the family home discovered nothing of her mother’s remains.

Enilorac headed to the barn thinking maybe her mother had been in the barn at the time of the attack. 

As she walked out the door, she was shocked to see nothing. Only Enilorac’s faithful horse was in sight, and he was still tethered to the tree.

This is not even possible, Enilorac thought to herself, as she headed towards Axel. 

Some sort of Witchery must be happening. 

The bodies she had stepped over on her way in were all gone. There was no blood on the streets.  It was as if nothing

had happened.  Yet there was absolutely no sign of anything living except herself and Axel. 

My poor faithful Axel. Enilorac softly whispered to her four-legged companion as she approached him.

You must be starved, let us go to the barn, boy, so you can eat while I look for signs of momma.

Axel flipped his mighty tail at the sight of his friend. He knelt for Enilorac to mount.  Enilorac smiled at her horse, as she thought about his loyalty to her. Enilorac had raised Axel from an awkward, wobbly pony to the mighty steed he was now.

Axel was a magnificent dark brown horse the size of two normal horses. His silky black main flowed down the center of his neck, gracefully falling to either side. Enilorac had never put a saddle on Axel because she believed her horse to be her  companion, not a beast to be used only for work.

Axel gently boosted Enilorac onto his back with his massive nose. At Enilorac’s soft pats the mighty horse slowly walked towards the barn and his food.

Enilorac was deep in thought when she felt Axel’s muscles tense beneath her. She leaned against her steed’s neck,  wrapping an arm as far around him as she could reach. Axel snorted, and cautiously moved into the barn, straight to his food bin. Enilorac hopped off her horse, and started looking around the barn for signs of her mother.

You will not find your mother here, a soft voice said to her in almost a whisper.

Enilorac’s hand instinctively went straight to her sword.

If I meant to harm you, do you really think you would have had  time to draw that sword, Enilorac.  the voice continued.

Enilorac slowly turned.

How is it you know my name? she asked cautiously.

She was shocked to be face to face with Alatli, Queen of the Necromancers. Enilorac had only heard rumors about the

Necromancers from the old days. Tales she thought were to frighten little children into their cozy beds at night.

Do not be frightened of me Enilorac. I am here for your help, dear child.

But I thought you were just stories, Enilorac stammered awkwardly.  Enilorac dropped to one knee, showing respect to the Queen.

Get up child, Alatli softly commanded. "I am not here to be worshiped as a Queen. I am merely seeking your

assistance. Close the barn doors Enilorac. I have a story I must share with you." As Enilorac closed the doors to the barn, Alatli magically sealed it from any potential intrusions.

Enilorac settled against Axel, as Alatli started weaving her tale of the old days.

"Long ago, our castle sat proudly atop Dark Mountain. We could see all that was good, as well as the bad, from where we lived. We kept the bad under control, never allowing raids such as this tragic raid on your village.

Crops grew in abundance, never allowing hunger in Danovian. Hunters searching for a meal  never had to cross other’s borders, as our lands were rich

with game.

Our magic was powerful enough to sustain all of this world, allowing every person, creature, and thing to live here peacefully."

"Those were also the days of Dark Lord Stelau and his wife Lady Undaria.  Lord Stelau abused his power, and refused to follow the rules of Danovian.

Stelau’s resistance brought about the downfall of all Necromancers, throwing off the balance we kept for decades, causing the great Necro War you have heard stories about." 

"It was the first Seasons of Moons that Lord Stelau launched his attack on Danovian.

His twisted mind believed that

evil could rule this land that was once beautiful and rich.  The Elders decided to banish Lord Stelau to the outer Necro Realm.  Instead he was destroyed in the great war, leaving his children to be banished in his stead. 

Lord Stelau’s children vowed revenge for their father’s demise.  In one last futile attempt, they enslaved our royal children in a cave on the glowing ledge.  Stelau’s children have been attempting their own escape from the outer realm since."  

"The Elves have been our allies, as well as the humans. There was a particular part Elf-part human who had at one

point in time disgraced the Elves. This was through no fault of his own. He was born a disgrace you see. His mother

had been human, which was against Elf law. The infant’s father was executed by the Elf King during the Great Necro

War.  The King’s mind had been clouded by evil spreading across Danovian at that time, leaving his heart as cold as the icy waters of the Great Danov River."

"The death of her one love left the human mother alone to care for her half elf child. The infant’s mother was banished from her home city because of her child. She was found wandering Danovian by my then young husband, King Zonald, who  brought the homeless mother  and child to our castle, where the mother died a few days later. We raised the boy as a human. As he became a man we knew he would have to live amongst other humans. We set him up in this very

village, erasing his memories  and replacing them with false memories of his mother, and a human father."

"Enilorac, this half-Elf human I speak of is your father. At the downfall of our kind, we

destroyed everything that could point to your father’s hidden knowledge of us. Everything except a jewel that he wears around his neck. He believes his mother gave it to him. If the true meaning of that jewel is found out, your father’s life would be in grave danger."

Are you saying a jewel got my father killed? Enilorac asked confused.

No dear child, I am not saying your father is dead. I would feel his death. the Queen replied.

Enilorac grew excited with this news.

I must go to the Elves’ castle at once.

"No Enilorac! You must not speak to your father about anything I have just told you. His life