The Third Power: The BlackMyst Trilogy, #3

By Kelly Hess

The struggle for the Dagger of Torrill has brought Delvengard and Sorak to war. But a long forgotten third power has risen, scheming to bring destruction to both kingdoms. 

Meanwhile, Beynn and Fritz learn the full extent of the green dagger’s third power as they journey through BlackMyst and through time itself in this exciting conclusion to the BlackMyst Trilogy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dragon Moon Press
• Release date: Jun 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781988256054

Kelly Hess

Kelly Hess grew up with a love of reading science fiction and fantasy that inspired him to write his own fantasy trilogy. He lives in Vacaville, California with his wife and son, and continues writing great adventures.

Book preview

The story so far…

Book 1: Eyes of the Enemy

Twelve-year-old Beynn Firehand lives in the peaceful village of Veiled Gorge, where he has lived with his father Gerran his entire life. His mother, Beynn is told, died giving birth to him. His best friends are Fritz Daggard, a smaller boy from the village, and Rani Mosler, a village girl on whom Beynn and Fritz both have secret crushes.

On the night of the Summer Solstice celebration, the outcast General Akkrid and his rogue band of the white-eyed Sorak attack Veiled Gorge, burning homes and killing many. Sent by his father, Beynn escapes into BlackMyst forest with Fritz on a quest to seek help for his village. His father’s instructions to Beynn are to bring help to the village and deliver a message to your uncle, Will: It’s time to talk. Along their journey, Beynn begins to realize the power to do magic is growing inside of him.

When Fritz is attacked by a white-haired Sorak in the forest, Beynn’s magic flares and he defeats the enemy, yet he fails to kill him. But with this powerful release of magic, Beynn’s eyes turn white. He fears that he is somehow becoming a Sorak. Using Fritz’s eyes as a template, Beynn learns to use his new magic abilities to disguise his white eyes to look human.

They soon encounter Dorvina, an old hag that lives in the forest. Dorvina reveals herself to be a Sorak who grew up in a human orphanage, only to run away when her own eyes changed. She warns Beynn that he must abandon his old life because as a Sorak his human village will never accept him. Beynn dismisses her warning, refusing to believe that he is really a Sorak.

When Beynn and Fritz reach Uncle Will’s home, they explain all that has happened. When Beynn delivers his father’s cryptic message, Will tells them that Beynn is, and always has been, a Sorak. Sorak children, it seems, look like human children until they reach puberty when their eyes change and their potential for magic is revealed.

Beynn’s doubts are erased when Raldon, a Sorak and friend of his uncle’s, arrives and confirms his uncle’s story. Beynn is a psilokk, a Sorak with magic abilities. Raldon is a member of the Sorzen, the Sorak Order of psilokks. Beynn learns that he is the child of two Sorzen and that his true name is DanShal, which means Hand of Fire. Beynn’s mother, Serraif, gave him up to a human man she had fallen in love with so that her son might be raised peacefully as a human child. She also wished to protect him from his true father, an over-ambitious Sorzen that wanted to raise Beynn as a warrior. Since his birth, Beynn has become a sort of legend to the Sorak: The lost child, stolen from Sorak, one day to return a hero.

Beynn, who is in shock to learn that he is not the true son of the man who raised him from infancy, refuses to go with Raldon to Sornnia, the Sorak capital, where Raldon wants to help Beynn begin a new life.

They agree to seek help for Beynn’s village at the Imperial outpost in Tarrine, a town not far from his uncle’s home. But before they can leave, a group of Sorak sent by Akkrid attacks, killing Will during their escape. Beynn and Fritz ride with Raldon to Tarrine, where they find the town already decimated by Akkrid’s squad.

Raldon convinces Beynn to accompany him to Sornnia, where he can plead for help from the Sorak themselves.

Beynn and Raldon set off together while Fritz remains behind, determined to return to his village and help in whatever way he can. Before leaving Tarrine, however, Fritz meets a young woman named Tabitha, the lone survivor of the devastating attack on Tarrine. Fritz helps Tabitha and tells her his plans to return to his village. Tabitha tries to change his mind but he is undeterred.

In gratitude of Fritz’s kindness, Tabitha gives Fritz a dagger that had belonged to her brother before he died. The strange dagger’s curved blade is green in color. Fritz accepts the gift and leaves Tarrine and Tabitha, who tells Fritz that she plans to return to her childhood home of Haverton.

Fritz returns to his village where he finds Sam Conley, a villager and member of the Village Council, who claims to have escaped capture and is now seeking a way to help other villagers being held prisoner. Unknown to Fritz, it was Conley who had betrayed the village to Akkrid and the Sorak in the first place.

When Fritz is seriously wounded by the Sorak, Conley tells him the dagger that Tabitha gave him is magic and will save his life. Conley claims the dagger belonged to his father and was long ago stolen. He tells Fritz that the dagger rightfully belongs to him, but Fritz dismisses his claim.

Meanwhile, Beynn arrives with Raldon in Sornnia, where he meets his true father, DanKorr, a Sorzen with ambition to become Overseer, the leader of the Sorzen. Beynn learns that Raldon is also a hopeful to become Overseer. The third hopeful for the seat, Beynn discovers, is none other than Khorslin, the white-haired Sorak who attacked Fritz in BlackMyst forest. He is Akkrid’s right-hand, though he keeps this secret.

While in Sornnia, Beynn also meets Tarra, a Sorak girl who teaches him about her country’s language and culture. It is on Beynn’s thirteenth birthday that he realizes he is in love with Tarra.

To keep his identity secret, Khorslin later kills Beynn’s father DanKorr and attempts to kill Beynn. However, Beynn is triumphant and Khorslin is killed instead.

Beynn and Raldon return to Veiled Gorge with a force of Sorak to liberate his village. There, they meet up with Fritz and Conley. Fritz still keeps the dagger close while he continues to recover from his wounds. Raldon recognizes the Green Dagger as an ancient weapon of evil and tells Beynn of its power to defeat death, its dark curse, and its unknown third power. Raldon claims the dagger is the property of Sorak.

In the final battle to rescue his village, Beynn realizes that he has the unique ability to overcome the natural immunities to magic that all psiloks possess. He defeats Akkrid and then with the combined forces of Sorak and Delvengard troops, Veiled Gorge is liberated.

Shortly after, Beynn and his human father, Gerran, leave Veiled Gorge behind. As book one ends, Beynn sets off alone to find his mother, who still lives, and begin a new life as a Sorak.

Book 2: The Green Dagger

Five years later, Fritz has remained in Veiled Gorge and still secretly possesses the Green Dagger. He has fallen victim to the curse of the dagger and become obsessed with the weapon, which he discovers gives him the power of magic. He and Rani have become involved in a relationship, and Rani helps Fritz to be elected to the village council, but he longs for the mayor’s seat.

Fritz becomes associated with Krigger, a rodentian who works for Fritz and secretly does his shadier business. Fritz’s father is killed by a shade-bear while travelling through BlackMyst and Fritz’s nature darkens.

The once shiny blade of the dagger blackens with Fritz’s disposition and Rani becomes frightened. She ends their relationship. Fritz is devastated and finally realizes the dagger’s effect on him. He begins searching for ways to rid himself of the weapon. At the same time, news reaches the village that the kingdom of Delvengard is offering a reward for a green dagger, called the Dagger of Torrill, which matches the description of the one Fritz possesses. They say the queen of Sorak is demanding the weapon’s return, under threat of war.

Krigger tells Fritz of a being named Shutterpot, who has knowledge of the Green Dagger and will sell his information, but at a high price. Fritz gathers his fortune, which he has amassed thanks to Krigger’s criminal activity and sets out to find Shutterpot, but not before Beynn reappears and demands that Fritz return the dagger to Sorak, its rightful owner.

Beynn and Fritz argue and Beynn secretly puts a magic trace on the dagger. In anger, Fritz attacks Beynn and escapes. Rani confronts Fritz about his dark behavior and Fritz lashes out in frustration, accidentally breaking her arm. Horrified by his own actions, Fritz runs away into BlackMyst. Beynn uses the trace he put on the dagger to follow Fritz into the forest.

It is not long before Fritz is captured by a gang of bandits led by John Kastel. He is soon rescued by Krigger, who has been following him through the forest, and they recover the dagger from Kastel, who had meant to sell it.

Elsewhere, Beynn is attacked by a shape-shifter named Draxil. Unknown to Beynn, Draxil is from a faraway society of Sorak called the Dornn, who have sent her to kill Beynn. Beynn survives the attack but Draxil escapes.

When Fritz and Krigger come to the town of Haverton, Fritz seeks out Tabitha, who he learns runs a tavern in Haverton. He visits her, but after she overhears Fritz and Krigger discussing the dagger, Tabitha warns the authorities and they confront Fritz. The dagger unexpectedly reacts on its own, setting the tavern ablaze and killing the soldiers. Fritz escapes with Krigger only to meet up with Beynn, who agrees to help Fritz overcome the dagger’s grip and accompany him on his quest.

At last they reach Shutterpot, an ancient being who explains the history of the Green Dagger and the legend of the weapon’s mysterious third power. Shutterpot suggests that if Fritz were to obtain an object of equally powerful good magic, it might balance out the dark power of the dagger. They decide on the Autumn Stone, a magic stone kept in the Imperial city of Renor, the capital of Delvengard.

On their way to Renor, they encounter Wattle and Borlo, two rodentians who witness the boys’ magic. The rodentians offer to help them sneak into the castle in exchange for their help in defeating a pair of rock trolls that continually terrorize the rodentian clans.

Beynn and Fritz begrudgingly agree to help and after a difficult fight, the trolls are vanquished. Unfortunately, Borlo is killed in battle, but Wattle agrees to uphold his promise to help them enter the castle. Draxil shows up again and attacks Beynn, but this time Fritz defeats her using the dagger’s magic.

With Wattle’s help they later sneak their way into the castle. A distraction created by Krigger allows Beynn and Fritz to locate the Autumn Stone and steal it. But in their escape, Beynn neglects to disguise his white eyes and is discovered as a Sorak. An alarm is raised throughout the castle.

As they’re fleeing, Wattle sees Krigger take a nasty fall to his apparent death.

While Beynn and Fritz run from Delvengard soldiers, Fritz fortuitously unlocks the dagger’s third power by stopping time to save Beynn from the attack. Using this newfound ability, they escape the castle only to hear from Wattle of Krigger’s demise. With nothing left to do, they begin to plan their journey home.

Meanwhile, tension between Delvengard and Sorak over the dagger has grown. Raldon, the Sorzen Overseer in Sorak, dispatches his apprentice, Etach, to deliver a message of the queen’s war plans to Serraif in Delvengard. Etach is secretly a spy for the Dornn and son of the Dornn leader, Dor-Lorddon.

But Etach is captured and his message intercepted by Delvengard soldiers. As book two closes, Delvengard forces gather along their eastern border in response to the Sorak buildup of troops. Based on his knowledge of the information obtained in the captured message, General Stonefoot of Delvengard gives the order to attack …

Glossary of Characters

Beynn Firehand Our hero. Grew up in Veiled Gorge believing himself human. Discovered at age twelve that he is actually a Sorak with powerful magic abilities.

Fritz Daggard Our other hero. Beynn’s best friend. In possession of the green dagger, which both torments him and gives him magic abilities.

Rani Mosler Childhood friend to Beynn and Fritz. In tumultuous relationship with Fritz.

Etach Dornn spy, son of Lorddon.

Krigger Fritz’s rodentian partner in crime.

Tarra Sorak girl. Beynn’s love-interest.

Gerran Firehand Beynn’s adoptive human father.

Raldon Sorzen Overseer and mentor to Beynn and Etach.

Dorvina Old fortune teller who lives in BlackMyst Forest.

Serraif Beynn’s Sorak mother, member of the Sorzen.

Cheylarre Queen of Sorak.

Tabitha Survivor of Akkrid’s attack on Tarrine. Lives in Haverton. Gave the green dagger to Fritz.

Lorddon Etach’s father, Leader of the Dornn.

General Stonefoot Commander of the Delvengard forces near Tarrine.

Deemer Rodentian working in the service of the Dornn.

Captain Vett Leader of the Dornn Chameleon Troops.

Warlord Fayddor Leader of the Dornn Inferno Troops.

Prologue

The Blade of Torrill

In the time of legend before the great underground cities of Sorak, the land was divided into many smaller territories. The powerful Sorak ruled over all but one. Only the kingdom of Delvengard remained a home to the humans of the land. In the country of Dornz, the Sorak realm that bordered Delvengard, the Dornn people desired war with Delvengard, for Dornz was overcrowded and in desperate need to expand its borders. But their leader, Lord Pelltar, was a man of peace and would not hear of attacking the humans, who he considered allies.

There came a time when Torrill, King of Delvengard, was gravely injured on a hunt. News spread throughout the land that the king was near death. Lord Pelltar considered Torrill his friend and upon hearing the news sent for his three best sorlokk, the Sorak magic-users, and bid them to create a gift of magic for the King of Delvengard that would aid him in his recovery.

A green dagger was chosen as the object of magic, for a fierce dagger was emblazoned upon the green flag of Dornz. The first of the sorlokk, called Rayyth, enchanted the blade so that no matter how badly injured, its bearer could not die as long as the dagger was in his immediate possession. This was a handsome gift, worthy of only a king.

Kernn, the second of the sorlokk, hid his hatred of the humans in his heart and secretly doomed the weapon, cursing anyone who defeated death by its magic to be consumed by greed, paranoia, fear, and obsession for power. More than any, he desired war with the humans, and he believed this would surely drive Torrill to battle.

The third among them, a wizened sorlokk called Tarrldon, infused the dagger with his greatest power, for he knew that his own death drew near. He had long feared that this power, which he had spent his