The Shattered Quartet: Harmonic Worlds, #1

By Cody J. Sherer

The land of Corvalia falls into turmoil as kingdom is turned on its head at the utter desolation of a town frighteningly close to the capital. King Decaine's efforts to track down the perpetrators of this gruesome act result in the disappearance of a beloved Prince, a trusted General, and a skilled commander. Will the three be able to bring justice to the knaves that rained destruction upon their homeland? Will the over-stressed King keep hold the rein of his kingdom in time for his son to return and win back the people? Find out in this thrilling kick-off of the Harmonic Worlds Series!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cody J. Sherer
• Release date: Aug 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386573876

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

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.

Harmonic Worlds Series

The Shattered Quartet

Copyright ©2018 by Cody Sherer

All Rights Reserved.

Tales of Canai Series

Book 1: The Wizard’s Council

Book 2: The Tomes of Magic

Book 3: Fall of a Guardian

Other Works

Legends of Canai Short Story Compilation

Sanctuary

Scourge of the Dragons

Restoration Series

Book 1: Resurgence of Magic

Lesser Gods Series

Book 1: Fall of an Empire

Chronicles of George Jackson

Book 1: Pioneers of the Stars

Chapter 1

The raucous sounds of the marketplace fell to whispers as Rilen and Vycki rounded the corner. His guards stood tall as they escorted their Prince and his betrothed in closer to the shops. A brave merchant called out to the Prince, but he ignored the man. No time for browsing today , Rilen thought. He held out his arm for Vycki before heading toward the herbalist’s cart. A smile formed on her face when she spotted her regulars. Her husband, a local woodsman named Alric, raised an eyebrow at the dozens of guards who were beginning their inspection of every nook and cranny of the massive, mostly open air, marketplace. Rilen shrugged as he approached the small cart. Vycki kissed him on the cheek before perusing the herbalist’s latest offerings. Alric began to bow, but Rilen rushed forward and offered his hand. The woodsman gave him a nod before shaking hands.

Why such a large escort, m’lord? Alric asked.

Please, call me Rilen. Father has been rather paranoid of late. You know the man as well as any. We’ve received word that Kirin Tor is on the brink of rebellion. To make matters worse, nobody has heard from Kallsher in a day or two, the Prince replied.

Kirin Tor is always on the brink of rebellion. I’m surprised the King still considers it a sister city to Kirith Tor. As for Kallsher, that is a wee bit strange. If something were to happen to a city that close to our fair capital, one can only wonder at the sort of panic that could cause.

Let us hope that we are left to wonder. Father has already dispatched scouts, we should know by sundown today. Any news from outside the walls? I feel trapped inside a cage here.

The woods are getting dangerous, lad. These walls keep us safe from more than just bandits and invading armies. We barely made it here today for the market. Helena would have been crushed if we hadn’t, but the danger is something we can’t ignore.

Have you thought to tell my father of this? Rilen asked.

Your father and I don’t see eye-to-eye anymore, Rilen. He wouldn’t listen to me even if I tried.

I’m sorry, Alric. Don’t give up on him, ok? He may not admit it, but he still needs people like you ensuring that our forests are safe for merchants, hunters, and other travelers.

Fine lad, for your sake and the sake of your siblings.

Thank you, Alric. Keep an eye on her, will you? Rilen asked as he motioned toward Vycki.

Of course, we are always happy to see either of you. Dorian too, though he rarely makes it out here.

He rarely makes it anywhere. I’ll be back once I’ve finished making the rounds, the Prince looked away for a moment and then turned back to face the man, if it helps, I argued in your favor when father sought to get rid of you.

Alric nodded as the Prince headed out. Seeing the former Captain of the Guard was always bittersweet for the Prince. Though he still worked for the King in some capacity, his current job was far less prestigious than before. Whenever possible, the Prince tried to bring him in on simple jobs around the castle so that he could see his guardsmen were still worthy of the fame they had earned under his command. Rilen’s small contingent of guards signaled to those patrolling the market before allowing him to take the lead. More often than not, just the sight of heightened patrols was enough to put the populace at ease. However, the added unrest in Kirin Tor had King Decaine on edge. Rilen had convinced his father to allow him to take up the mantle of guardsman. His father always sent extra guards on patrol when the Prince joined them, but it was better than nothing. When will he see that I’ve got as much skill and far superior training than his own guards? Rilen wondered as they headed into one of the seedier parts of the capital. Kirith Tor’s underbelly was nothing compared to that of most cities across Corvalia, but the dangers were still real. The Prince motioned toward the alleyways on either side of the inn as he approached the door. His soldiers nodded as they split into three groups. He glanced up at the ugly sign of the Split Pig and took a deep breath. The smell of drunken revelry flooded his nostrils as he shoved open the door.

You had best have a good reason to come in here with your toy soldiers, prance Rilen, the innkeeper called out when he spotted the Prince.

That’s Prince Rilen to you, swine! One of the guards yelled as he stepped through the door with sword drawn.

Patrick, this simpleton’s words are far from damaging. You know why we are here. Daedel’s mouth may be putrid, but that isn’t against any laws that I’m aware of.

Several of the inns patrons stood up from their seats as more guards entered the inn. All but one of them made a run for the other exits. A cloaked man with a beard motioned for the Prince to join him at the corner table. Rilen ordered his guards, including the ones dragging the attempted escapees back through the other exits, to begin their routine check of the inn. That should keep father happy, he thought as he watched them go about questioning the inns patrons. Daedel complained, as he always did, but the soldiers paid him no heed. Prince Rilen smiled before heading toward the corner table. The man at the table had a dangerous look about him, which only encouraged the Prince to confront him. He motioned to the seat across the table and then waited for the Prince to sit down.

What exactly is it that you want with me? Rilen asked as he sat down.

Just a moment of your time and your ears, the man replied.

Fine, might I have a name to go with the face?

Daedel calls me Keth, that’ll do fine for you as well.

Never heard of you.

Which is the way I prefer it. You see, the criminal underbelly of a town tends to draw an undesirable amount of scrutiny from those in power. While I may not be a criminal, your father tends to lump people in with their associates and I tend to prefer the anonymity a place such as the Split Pig provides.

What’s that got to do with me? Rilen asked.

Your father is making anonymity a hard thing to keep. While I understand the sentiment, I cannot agree with it. More to the point, the people will grow tired of these sort of incursions. You’ve got the King’s ear, perhaps you can get him to ease things up a bit, Keth replied.

You want me to convince my father to lessen the patrols? Why would I do a thing like that?

Look, kid. I’ll be straight with you. It serves my interests, which is why I’ll push for it. However, it also serves your father’s interests. Cracking down on Kirin Tor just makes them hate you more. Why would it be any different here?

How do you know about Kirin Tor?

Simply put, I’m the kind of man who deals in information. That puts me in touch with all manner of dangerous sorts, but I keep clean. If your father is willing to ease up his grip a tad, I might be able to assist with some of the harder to obtain information that he, as King of Corvalia, will be wanting to get a hold of.

I have heard of you. You’re the one that they called the Silver Spider. They say that you’ve got a web of spies that spans the entire continent.

Informants, kid. I’ve spoken my part. Let your father know that Xavian is willing to do business with him.

One last thing, why not contact one of the Generals or the Captain of the guard? Rilen asked.

Ask your father.

Xavian nodded before excusing himself. The Prince motioned for his guards to let the man leave. He stood up and looked around the room. His soldiers had managed to capture eleven criminals. Not bad for my third patrol, he thought as he motioned for the others to follow. The street outside of the Split Pig was among the few that most foreigners avoided. His father had sought to punish Daelel by ordering his underlings to stop their weekly cleaning of the street. The move had backfired on him in a most spectacular fashion, though his pride wouldn’t allow him to admit it. His own guards refused to patrol the street except for the days that Daedel’s workers cleaned the street. The result was an influx of unsavory characters at the Split Pig, most stayed away on the cleaning days, but there was still a small number that were too careless, too stupid, or uninformed.

Your father will be most pleased, Patrick said as they exited the inn.

I certainly hope so, Patrick. This will make it twenty arrests in three patrols. Those numbers are nearly impossible to replicate. Father can’t possibly tell me that I made the wrong choice enlisting, Rilen said.

Don’t be too sure of that, lad, Alric said as he approached.

What are you doing here, Alric?

Your betrothed said that I’d find you here. The King has called a city-wide meeting at marketplace. He’ll need your help cleaning out the carts in time. This one is an important one, lad.

Any clue as to what he plans to say? My father rarely calls these sort of meetings.

Your guess is as good as mine.

Rilen nodded as they headed back toward the market. Aside from announcing Dorian’s birth, the Prince could only remember one time in his life that the King had gathered his people at the market. Everyone knew that the marketplace far too small for the entire populace of the city, but it was the only way that the King could directly access a larger group, aside from inviting them in to the palace courtyard, a move that Decaine had not done since the death of the Queen. The guards were already assisting the merchants in packing up their stalls when Rilen and Alric arrived. They pushed through the chaos until they came to Helena’s cart. Vycki smiled when she spotted her husband to be. The Prince returned the smile and joined the two in packing up the herbalist’s cart. Helena thanked them with an extra bit of something that Vycki had been looking at earlier.

How much longer? Rilen asked when he spotted Patrick rushing some merchants along.

Your father is almost ready to speak. Shall I escort you to his side?

That won’t be necessary.

The crowd gave a short cheer, a great deal of which came from the guards, when the King exited from his carriage. His once salt and pepper hair was not fully gray and neither time nor his love of food had done much good for his waist. Still, Rilen’s father looked the part of King. The silver crown, when paired with sapphire topped scepter, fit well with his reputation for being both regal and eccentric. His eccentricities did not end there. A red robe nearly covered his shining armor. The sword at his hip painted a picture of a warrior King, though Decaine had not joined a battle in almost a decade. Always trying to push forth the image that he thinks best, Rilen thought as he spotted the engraved lion shield at his father’s side. There was no doubt that the crowd was about to be addressed by Decaine the warrior King.

My guess is that the Kirin Tor rebellion has started once again, Rilen said as they announced the King.

Good afternoon, people of Corvalia. As you all know, our yearly festival is nearly upon us. This year will mark the hundredth anniversary of the coming together of two kingdoms. More than usual, we will see an influx of visitors from around the kingdom, especially from Kirin Tor. As such, our soldiers will need to be extra vigilant. In preparation for the event, I am increasing the scrutiny with which we will operate. Guards will be posted at checkpoints around the capital. I’ve already ordered increased patrols. These changes may seem intrusive, but we must remember that they are for our own safety. Once the festival is over and things have quieted down, we will return to our standard operating level. My countrymen, your safety is my top priority, the King paused and surveyed the crowd after delivering his speech.

Something is amiss, darling. Let’s join my father on his way back to the castle, Rilen said as he extended his hand to Vycki.

What could it possibly be? She asked as she took his hand.

Nothing good.

They wound their way through the crowd, using the guardsmen to part the throng of citizens when necessary. Rilen kept an eye on his father as they wove through the empty stalls. Decaine’s grave expression was one that the Prince recognized immediately. This is no good, he thought. The King’s guards parted just as Rilen’s soldiers arrived to join them. Without missing a step, the two parties formed a circle with the royals in the center. Decaine held up his hand as they continued down the street toward the keep. The crunch of the soldier’s boots echoed down the road as the townsfolk watched their King pass in silence. A shiver crept down Rilen’s spine as he looked at the faces of the King’s guards.

I had hoped to take the carriage back, but your presence makes that difficult, Decaine said.

Father, I know something is wrong, the Prince said.

I suppose that we are close enough to the castle for me to tell you. You know of the town of Kallsher, yes? The King asked.

The closest town to Kirith Tor of significant size. A port town, or near enough to it, that is a significant trading hub within the kingdom.

Yes, it was completely destroyed.

How is that possible? Vycki asked.

We are trying to find that out. I’ve dispatched the Honorguard and the Deathstalkers. More than likely, the culprit will be found in the Fields of Sorrow, Decaine replied.

All efforts to clear the area have failed, what makes you think we can change that now? Rilen asked.

I have no reason to believe anything will change, but if we can pinpoint the Fields as a problem area, we have no choice.

Have you consulted with General Sergen?

Yes, he has some ideas on how to change our tactics. We may just have a chance this time.

I’ve got something else to tell you, father. A man named Xavian wanted you to know that he is willing to work with you, Rilen said.

How is the old ruffian? Decaine asked.

He seems well, how do you know him?

I thought I’d already told you. He’s your uncle.

You have two siblings?

That I do. Xavian never wanted to be a part of running the kingdom. Our sister always wanted him to live up to his potential, but that was never the case.

Why wouldn’t you tell us about him? Rilen asked.

Now is hardly the time to discuss my estranged brother, though we should take him up on his offer. He has the sort of resources that an honorable man does not.

Why is this the first time I’ve heard about him?

He didn’t approve of your mother. The last time we spoke was a week before the wedding. I told him that I wished he would die. He told me that he’d try his hardest to make that my wedding gift. To be honest, I had presumed him dead.

You seem cavalier about all this. We aren’t through, you know.

Yes, Rilen, I know that you won’t let it drop. It will have to wait. I need you to head the expedition out to Kallsher. We are setting up an outpost there from which we shall strike at the heart of the Fields of Sorrow.

Chapter 2

Marcus placed his thumb and his middle finger in his mouth. He waited a moment before letting out a whistle. His troops disengaged the enemy. Using the reach afforded them by their spears and the speed provided by their horses to keep the enemy from charging, the soldiers slowly backed out of the fight. Their opponents followed as they pulled back into a ravine. Marcus let out another whistle before drawing his sword and entering the fray. He engaged a mounted bandit who had gotten out in front of the rest of his army. The sound of metal on metal echoed through the ravine as the two armies clashed. Corvalian soldiers stuck to their mounts to keep the small advantage that they had against the surprisingly organized bandit army. Their commander toyed with his opponent, pulling the man and his fellow bandits further into the ravine. He ran the ruffian through just as a horn sounded in the distance. The bandit army turned to flee and were intercepted by another Corvalian battalion. Marcus sheathed his sword as he watched his allies mop up the enemy army.

Worked like a charm, sir, Kolin, his second in command, said as he joined the commander.

As it should, my friend. These bandits, though some are skilled combatants, they all lack the tactical knowledge to spot such a maneuver. They also lack the discipline to keep their army together and attempt to fight through the ambush, Marcus said.

Will we ever get to fight in a real war? One of his soldiers, a man named Ramiel, asked.

I certainly hope not, Ramiel. Eliminating bandits may not seem like honorable work, but it keeps us alive. The real wars, those leave men scarred and deformed in more ways than one.

How is dealing with this riffraff helping the populace?

The average civilian can’t contend with a bandit, especially not organized bandits like these. We may not be living the life of regular soldiers, but we are doing some good. Do not be so quick to rush toward glory, sometimes it comes with a price.

The Honorguard reformed and began tallying their wounded and dead. Their fellow Corvalian battalion did the same as their commander and Marcus headed to meet in the middle. He recognized the other man based on reputation alone. Captain Sylus was well-known within the Corvalian army. He was among the most successful battalion commanders in the history of the kingdom. The Captain wore a distinctive helmet that looked almost like a hawk. This man is the hero that my troops would love to follow, the Honorguard leader thought. Sylus took off his helmet and nodded to Marcus. He was older than one would think from the stories, though that was not too surprising for Corvalia. Their commanders were uncharacteristically old or young, with very few being in between.

Commander Marcus, is it? Sylus asked.

That would be me. Excellent work with the ambush. Those bandits didn’t expect any part of it, the Honorguardsman replied.

We executed it perfectly, there is no reason to believe that it wouldn’t have worked. They were untrained rabble and there was little that could have done to counter either of our battalions.

Unlike the normal ruffians we run across on a regular basis, these bandits were organized. We would be foolish to ignore that.

You are right, I shall add that to the report that I will send to the King. It has been a pleasure, I hope that we can work together in the future.

That was quick, Kolin said as he watched the Captain leave.

Most Captains and Generals know better than to spend too much time with the Honorguard. Decaine’s personal forces, as they call us. Most of them see us as a joke, the rest think that our command structure allows us to operate outside of the law.

You almost sound as if you bear some ill will toward our King.

Who among us doesn’t, at some time or another, wish the King would treat us like the rest of his soldiers? Marcus asked.

Seems like a reasonable request to me, Ramiel replied.

We do seem underappreciated at times, I’ll give you that. However, the King has also kept us far from danger. Our battalion has the lowest deaths per engagement of any in the Corvalian army, Kolin said.

At what cost? We are the most experienced in our entire division, yet the Honorguard will never receive the respect that other divisions receive.

I suppose we chose this life, didn’t we? It would be nice to see my family more often. Do either of you get much time off? Marcus asked.

A week or two in-between each excursion, sometimes more, Ramiel replied.

Same here. You get half as much, don’t you, sir? Kolin asked.

Marcus nodded as he surveyed his small battalion of troops. They were, without a doubt, the best that the Honorguard could muster. He felt a small bit of pride for such an accomplishment, yet he also had to wonder about the King’s endgame solution. Times had gotten harder, which called for increased military presence and patrols. Yet Decaine seemed to have no plan for how to bring things back in line with how they had been before. As a soldier in his army, Marcus almost felt as though the King relished the chance to embark on what felt like a smaller scale version of a war. None dared to question the King on such matters, not even his sons. Perhaps I am overreacting, Marcus thought, or we may find ourselves wondering why nobody said anything while we slowly drifted closer and closer to war. The Honorguard commander felt no reason to share his concerns with his soldiers, not even his most trusted ones. Even Kolin tended to stand up for the King more than Marcus preferred.

What would people say about you and your short comings? The commander muttered to himself as he entered his tent.

GENERAL ELIAS SERGEN drew his sword as he pushed through the turbulent crowd. His small cadre of soldiers followed suit and planted themselves between the two groups that were itching to fight. The King needs to get his act together, the General thought, open brawls in the capital are a symptom not a root problem. Things had gone downhill since Princess Beca’s disappearance and Elias was one of the few who was actively trying to change that. He let out a sigh as the crowd dispersed. The thugs that often attempted to cause problems on the streets were still dissuaded by a strong guard presence. Elias motioned for his troops to quicken their pace so as to not be too late to his meeting with the King.

Ah, General Sergen. We were wondering if you would grace us with your presence, Decaine said as the General entered the room.

My apologies, your Majesty. The kingdom is heading toward the brink of disarray, I was forced to commandeer a small patrol to stop an uprising within our walls. This business with Kallsher has everyone uneasy, the General said.

I told everyone to keep quiet about the situation. We need to find the culprit and make an example out of him.

Father, that is hardly the problem. News like this was bound to get out there. You know that as well as any of us. Our task is to make the people feel safe and secure, Rilen said.

What say you, Dorian? The King asked as he turned to his other son.

The whole thing is obvious, isn’t it? What enemy doesn’t know that our own King is already in a fragile state? They took advantage of that by targeting Kallsher. It could be pirates, a rival kingdom, or some other threat. None of that matters as much as our people. If we lose the war for the hearts and minds of Corvalia, we lose Corvalia, Dorian replied.

Listen to your sons, Decaine. We need to ease the burdens of your people, not add to them, Sergen said.

You do not talk to me like that, Elias. I want you out of my sight! Decaine yelled.

The General held his tongue a he stared at the King. Both of the Princes stepped forward to protest, but Elias waved them off. He took a deep breath as he headed out to the castle garden. A sense of calm settled over Elias as he breathed in the fresh air. The gardens of Kirith Tor were neither renowned nor often visited, but Vycki and her colleagues took good care of them. Their majesty was in the subtle way that they made one feel at home in nature. They were truly an escape from the heavy stone walls that surrounded them. Rilen’s betrothed smiled when she spotted the General. He held up both hands and began to back away.

Please stay, Elias. Your presence is a welcome one, Vycki said.

You are kind, m’lady. My presence is not often welcome these days. Our fair kingdom shall have a superb King and Queen to look forward to, I just hope we all live to see it, Sergen said.

General doom and gloom today, is it? I’ve never much liked it when they call you that. Even Pixie is fond of you and she hates people. Vycki motioned toward her cat as it peered out from the bushes to get a better look at the General.

I’ve certainly earned the name. Your future father-in-law is allowing out magnificent kingdom to crumble into dust. Perhaps I should take a page from your cat here and stick to the shadows. The Gods know my counsel has made little or no difference.

The future Queen shrugged as she turned back to her flowers. She had a quiet, yet strong presence that Elias felt evened out Rilen’s hot headedness. Some felt that she was too shy, but the General knew her well enough to know that she spoke her mind when she felt it necessary. General Sergen took his cue from Vycki and turned to take in the flora. Though he had seen it countless times, the garden never ceased to amaze. Rilen had gone out of his way to procure an assortment of plants and flowers for his betrothed. The highlight of the garden was the rose gazebo. Prince Rilen had ordered several planters of varying heights and sizes to be built in and around the sky blue structure. Purples, reds, blues, greens, and oranges flowed forth from the gazebo in a swirling pattern that drew the eye from every angle. Let’s hope that he can translate this passion into something that can save our home, Elias thought as he gazed upon the garden’s centerpiece. Vycki and Rilen both joined him in admiring the beauty of what could only be called