Prowling the Darkness: Rayden Valkyrie Tales

By Stephen Zimmer

Dark rumors and whisperings of unholy sorcery bring Rayden Valkyrie to the remote city of Sereth-Naga.

There she finds a populace cowering in fear of the city's ruthless, mysterious rulers, who remain behind the high walls of their citadel.

An even greater mystery surrounds the city.

Something is prowling the darkness.

Something that has kept the enigmatic rulers for centuries from escaping Sereth-Naga to spread their wickedness to other lands.

Prowling the Darkness is a stand-alone novella that is part of the Rayden Valkyrie Tales. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seventh Star Press
• Release date: May 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781948042734

Stephen Zimmer

Award-winning author and filmmaker Stephen Zimmer is based out of Lexington, Kentucky. His works include the Rayden Valkrie Saga of a Lionheart TV Pilot, the Rising Dawn Saga, the Fires in Eden Series, the Hellscapes and Chronicles of Ave short story collections, the Harvey and Solomon steampunk stories, and the Rayden Valkyrie Tales. Stephen currently resides in Lexington, Kentucky.

Book preview

1.png

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Information

Dedication

Prowling the Darkness

About the Author

Connect with Seventh Star Press

Prowling the Darkness

A Rayden Valkyrie Tale

Stephen Zimmer

Copyright © 2019 by Stephen Zimmer

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be copied or transmitted in any form, electronic or otherwise, without express written consent of the publisher or author.

Cover art and design: Olivia Pro Design

Cover art in this book copyright © 2019 Olivia Pro Design & Seventh Star Press, LLC.

Editor: Holly Marie Phillippe

Published by Seventh Star Press, LLC.

ISBN Number: 978-1-948042-73-4

Seventh Star Press

www.seventhstarpress.com

[e-mail]

Printed in the United States of America

Prowling the Darkness is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are the product of the author’s imagination, used in fictitious manner. Any resemblances to actual persons, places, locales, events, etc. are purely coincidental.

Produced in the United States of America

First Edition

Dedication

To the One Who one day will root out all evils that dwell within this world.

To my mother and father, steadfast guardians who never wavered in their watch.

To my beloved Holly, who watches over me and wards always against those who would try to cause harm.

To my sister, for knowing that evil must not be given leave to spread and grow.

Prowling the Darkness

The walls, towers, and citadel of Sereth-Naga emerged little by little out of the haze in the far distance. Each crunching step upon the parched soil brought Rayden closer to the feared city, the reputed lair of the Sharir-Mord.

Despite approaching a walled city, Rayden had encountered almost nothing in the way of traffic over the past couple of days, save for a small party of men in flowing desert garb accompanying a few pack mules. Eyeing her with curiosity and apprehension, the men did not attempt to speak with her and continued on their way to the west.

The few villages that Rayden had come across when nearing Sereth-Naga reinforced everything that she had been told about the remote city. While the people living in the small, hilltop communities had not rebuffed her, she had not been made welcome either.

The handful of individuals who had dared to interact with Rayden exhibited a great fear of Sereth-Naga, though none would answer any of her questions about the nature of the city.

Gaining a little extra food each time, and refilling her water skin in the village wells, Rayden never lingered any longer than she had to. The tension that she sensed from the village inhabitants teetered on the edge of violence.

After setting her eyes on the walls of the city itself, the reticence of the people to interact with her and the stark nature of the wilderness enhanced the unease growing within Rayden. Sereth-Naga looked like a massive, predatory beast, hunched down and ready to spring upon any foolish or audacious enough to come within its range.

Every instinct within warned her to avoid Sereth-Naga, but she continued her journey toward the city without hesitation. Her mind set on a firm course, Rayden could not be dissuaded from her chosen path.

About a day after leaving one of the villages, a prominent hill crowned with a majestic, ancient tree drew Rayden’s attention. Much taller and broader than any of its ilk within the surrounding terrain, the tree held a commanding view of the main approach to the city gates.

Rayden’s focus had nothing to do with the tree itself; but rather what she espied within the robust boughs.

A dark, elongated shape rested on one of the lower branches. Beneath the thick wooden limb, a long, black tail dangled, flicking back and forth from time to time.

Rayden harbored no illusions about the seemingly idle state of the creature. She knew that the great black cat lying on the branch watched her every step with a keen scrutiny.

She made no move for the weapons at her side, nor did she change her pace. Had the cat desired to hunt her, Rayden would never have seen the creature until it leaped from a place of concealment to attack.

A second large, black cat sauntered into view, having come up from the other side of the hill. Atop the summit, standing below the branches holding its kin, the creature turned its head and stared toward Rayden.

Looking effortless, the beast sprang from the ground into the tree, gaining purchase on another long branch. The muscular cat settled into place, though it kept its head oriented toward Rayden.

The appearance of the second beast came as a surprise to Rayden. Black panthers in the wild tended to be solitary creatures, but perhaps the pair on the hill had come together for mating.

Using her peripheral vision, Rayden kept a steady watch on the two lounging beasts. While continuing to remain in the tree, both creatures kept their gazes fixed upon her every step.

It took a long while for Rayden to move beyond them. With every moment that passed, she expected them to leap down from the tree and disappear from sight, taking up the hunt.

To her continuing amazement and surprise, the pair remained in place.

After passing by their hill, Rayden fought the urge to look back. Keeping her gait steady, she sought to project a confident air, to help deter the creatures from pursuing her. Nothing drew predators, whether beasts or humans, like a display of fear.

After many days crossing the open wilderness, she did not have much longer to go. At the pace she maintained, Rayden knew that she would reach the outskirts of the city a short time before sunset.

The prospects of entering Sereth-Naga on the cusp of night did not appeal to her. But Rayden did not want to spend a night outside the walls, knowing the kind of formidable hunters that prowled the wilderness around it.

Another distinctive sight came into view before she reached the city walls.

A sprawling array of low-profile hide tents marked the position of a large caravan encamped a short distance from Sereth-Naga’s main gates.

A multitude of camels had been gathered on the eastern side of the camp. The pungent scent of the animals carried along the winds.

Keeping herself out in the open and in plain view of the camp, Rayden walked at a slow pace toward the tents. A few indistinct figures could be seen moving about the camp, and the spiraling tendrils of smoke from a couple of fires wended their way skyward.

Others stood in place, watching her approach. When she drew close to the outermost tents, a couple of the caravan’s guards moved forward to intercept her path.

Their heads wrapped in low-profile turbans, both of the men wore the long, flowing garb common to those of the desert. At the moment, the guards had their faces exposed, displaying thick, black beards and a light-brown tone of skin. Armed with swords, the two had wary looks in their dark eyes.

One of the guards began speaking to Rayden, using words from an unfamiliar tongue.

Shaking her head, Rayden replied to him, I do not understand your words.

The guard frowned at her response. He looked over to his companion and said something in the other language to him. The second guard nodded back, turned, and headed at once into the cluster of tents.

The first guard fixed his gaze on Rayden, and they waited in a state of mild tension. A little conversation drifting from somewhere among the tents and the faint, melodic sounds of a flute were the only sounds to disturb the stillness, other than the guttural noises of camels farther off.

The second guard returned shortly after in the company of a tall, older man, whose weathered face had a narrow, hawk-like appearance to it. Dressed in a similar manner to the others, he carried no weapon in hand.

We did not expect to have any visitors here tonight, he stated in a thick accent. Certainly not a woman traveling alone in this accursed wilderness. Who are you? What brings you to the camp of Telran?

My business is my own, once an agreement is made, Rayden answered in an even tone, looking straight into the man’s hazel eyes. My sword and axe require a price, but I am willing to journey far for those who hire me ... to separate breath from the lungs of those I am sent to. It has been said by many that the rulers of Sereth-Naga always have a need for one such as myself.

A look of understanding passed through the other man’s eyes. Breaking through his dense, gray beard, a smile widened upon his leathery face.

The rumors are indeed true, he said. The rulers of Sereth-Naga are known to have a long reach when it comes to their enemies.

Rayden forced a cold smile upon her face. That is good to hear.

Yet you arrive here at the edge of dark, coming from the west, the older man responded. The gates are soon to close, and no business is done at night in the city.

No business? Rayden asked, seeing a chance to probe for some tidbits of information. Surely in a city as large as Sereth-Naga there is much to do at night ... business or otherwise.

The older man shook his head. Not here. None dare to walk those streets at night. It is why I keep all of my men outside of the walls when we come to trade.

Rayden did not miss the fearful sheen that crept into his eyes while speaking of the dangers within the city.

What plagues the streets at night? Rayden asked.

Something that leaves bodies like husks, and no witnesses, the old man said, looking more nervous. It is nothing of the natural order. It is why we brave the beasts of the night out here, and lose some of our camels at times, rather than go anywhere inside those walls.

Rayden looked off in the direction of the city, knowing that somewhere within the high walls the Sharir-Mord dwelled. The rulers of the city and cause of the nightmare plague, the Sharir-Mord had established a wicked sanctuary to feed their dark