Legends of Canai

By Cody J. Sherer

Enter the world of Canai in this fun-filled collection of Fantasy short stories!

A Beacon of Light: Eril finds that joining the Holy Order is not as simple as she once believed. Will she be able to tackle the difficult tasks ahead and become a member of the order?

Rise of the Warlords: Kelos ambitions lie beyond that of a mere clan war chief. Will he succeed in uniting the Valorian Isles under his rule?

A Thief for the Light: Maria finds herself in a tricky position when the Holy Orders recruits her to steal a valuable artifact for them. Will she be able to put aside her opinions of the order and complete the task at hand?

The Ogre Hunt: Serith has been tasked with assisting the Barbarians of the north in defeating the ogre menace. Will she be able to secure an alliance of will the fragile pact fall to pieces?

Flames of Wrath: Alek finds himself beholden to the Holy Order, a prospect that he does not enjoy. Will he be able to put aside his grievances and complete his task?

Defenders of Gloomvale: Champions Cadrin and Damoth must face an opponent unlike anything they have squared off against before. Will they be able to come together and defeat this new menace or will the Gloomvale Isles be subject to a new leader?

The Blade of the Red King: Nathan finds himself in the position of an ancient artifact thanks to the Holy Order, but something is not right about the sword. Will Nathan be able to combat the evil magic at play or will his fate be sealed?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cody J. Sherer
• Release date: Nov 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519913401

Cody J. Sherer

Born and raised in Southern California, Cody J. Sherer was always fascinated with Science Fiction, Fantasy, and other similar genres of movies, books, and shows. He began his writing career at the age of 20, though he did not publish his book until a few years later. His journey from reader to writer started when a friend had the idea of writing a non-fiction book of short stories together. At the time, the then Accounting major thought that writing sounded enjoyable. They began writing the book and writing stuck with Cody. Now, he mostly writes Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but also tends to dabble in Mystery and Detective genres as well. You can find his books on various major book selling websites. Cody is currently working on more books that are scheduled to be released out in the coming months and years. You can also find Cody on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Codyjsherer

Book preview

Legends of Canai

By Cody J. Sherer

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.

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Tales of Canai

The Tomes of Magic

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Cover by www.selfpubbookcovers.com/LadyLight

Copyright ©2014 by Cody Sherer

All Rights Reserved.

Contents

A Beacon of Light

Rise of the Warlords

A Thief for the Light

The Ogre Hunt

Flames of Wrath

Defenders of Gloomvale

The Blade of the Red King

Author Bio

A Beacon of Light

Eril took her place alongside the other initiates. Her cheeks reddened as the others whispered comments about her attire. The majority of the other potential candidates wore their finest attire. She spotted at least two outfits that would put noblemen to shame. Her garb looked much more akin to that of a farmer. They were the finest clothes she could get a hold of. Ignore the past, she thought, focus on the future. Her father had always encouraged her to make her own future. The Holy Order recruiter paced back and forth in front of the newcomers. He walked to the front of the group and began examining each person in the front row. They all went silent as he passed by them. His eyes eventually fell to her. She looked down as fast as she could, not wanting to draw attention.

Do any of you know what I see when a look at a group like this? The man asked.

No, sir, one of the recruits answered.

I see potential. Each and every one of you has a certain level of potential. I love potential.

You always have been a strange one, Louis. I’ll tell you what I see. I see a bunch of arrogant fools seeking glory, a tall man in gold armor said.

Louis shrugged as he backed away from the initiates. The other man stepped forward. Eril felt her heartbeat go up as his eyes fell upon her. He ran his hand through his beard as he examined the recruits. Each of the others bent backward as he closed in on them. His size alone intimidated them to an extent that she had never seen before. Add to that his poise and attitude and each of them would have barked like a dog had he requested it. Eril did her best to stand up straight as he came to get a closer look at her. She watched in awe as he returned to the front of the hall. This hall truly fits him, she thought as she took in her surroundings.

Perhaps I was wrong, Louis. One or two of them have the spark of courage in them. The man slapped his underling on the shoulder before turning to face the recruits. No matter, we will train all of you. Some of you will want to stay. Even fewer of you will make it to the end. One or two of you will be selected. Those of you who are selected shall become Crusaders of the Light. Any who make it past the test, but are not chosen, may stay on as Soldiers of the Light. Initiates and Soldiers may refer to me as sir or Grand Crusader. Crusaders may refer to me as Joshua. That is an honor that very few have received. I believe Brother Louis has more to say."

This process is not to be taken lightly. There is a chance, however slim, that some of you will die. We are looking for the qualities that put you a step above your competitors. Many of you will assume you know what qualities I am referring to and many of you will be wrong. I will tell you this, we will be watching your every move. Now, please exit through the main gate and find the drill instructor that we have assigned to you. They will have signs with the first letter of your name, Louis said.

Eril took a deep breath and followed the others out into the courtyard. The drill instructors were already busy with their Holy Order soldiers. They barked orders at their students and expected immediate results. The majority of the initiates stood and stared at the sparring troops. Eril pushed past her competition and made her way to her assigned instructor. She glanced around to see that a few others had followed her lead. The instructor ignored her and continued shouting at his men. She cleared her throat as she approached the man. He looked at her with his eyebrow raised. They must not be used to women, she thought as she stared at him.

Can I help you? He asked.

We have been assigned to you, she motioned to the others that had gathered around her.

Great, just great. What am I supposed to do with a bunch of green recruits? I cannot turn dirt into iron. Warriors are forged in battle, have any of you even been in a fight?

Eril raised her hand. She looked around to see that she was the only one who had raised a hand. A smile formed on the face of the instructor when he looked at her. He grabbed one of his better students and told him to take over. Now it begins, she thought as he made his way over to a weapons rack. He motioned for the recruits to join him. They all crowded around him, but made certain not to get in front of Eril.

Now, this is your standard training rack. None of these weapons should be able to kill any of you. At least, not when wielded by any of you, that is. The Holy Order is open to different styles of combat. A lot of groups will force you to learn the sword or the spear. We encourage you to learn multiple weapon types, but we will never force a weapon on you. The higher up you want to raise through the ranks, the more weapons you should know how to use and I’m not just talking about these weapons. Understood? The man said.

When do we start? Eril asked.

Ha! Fiery, I like that. I want each of you to pick a weapon. Doesn’t matter which you pick right now, you won’t be using it. I just want you to get a feel for having a weapon in hand. Now, I’m your instructor so you will call me Instructor Talos. There will be no arguing that point. Get your weapons.

Eril waited for the others before grabbing a weapon. She wanted to appear proactive, but her memories didn’t allow it. Only a sword remained when she approached the rack. Why did it have to be a sword? she asked herself as she lifted it. All of the training weapons were made of wood to prevent unnecessary injuries. She preferred the wooden sword, but for different reasons. Her father had always told her not to pick up a weapon unless you meant to use it. A wooden sword’s purpose differed from that of a steel sword. The instructor allowed them to get the feel for their weapons before ordering them to put them back.

Now that you’ve seen what a weapon is like, I am going to teach you how to defend yourselves without one. Seems a bit unorthodox, I’m sure, but ol’’ Talos knows best. Who wants to volunteer? he asked

I will, Eril said as she stepped forward.

He smiled and motioned for her to come at him. She lunged forward and thrust her palm at his face. He ducked to the side and then threw her off balance. The other recruits burst into laughter as she hit the ground. She grabbed her shoulder as she stood up. Talos motioned for her to attack again. She took a moment to study his stance before making her move. Her leg whipped out in a sweeping motion as she tried to knock him off his