A Princess of Last Resort

By Natalie Marten and Bill Ricardi

With the elflands in flames and the royal family silenced, a distant heir must flee from murderous invaders. Will Sarah and her half brother Granite survive the frigid wilderness and find the allies that they need to fight back?

Sarah, a half elf mage attending the Arcane University and very distant heir to the throne of Civilia, thought that this was going to be a nice walk in the woods. She had dragged along her older half brother Granite, a half orc journeyman ranger, so that he could help her to collect some material components for the new school year.

Neither of the Blackstaff siblings expected their little trip to be interrupted by fire raining down from the sky. And they certainly had no clue that a ragtag mercenary army would use this natural disaster as an opportunity to invade the sovereignty of the northern elves. In desperation, they leap through an unstable portal and find themselves ill prepared for the snowy mountains that surround them.

Now the clever young mage and her fiercely loyal brother not only have to survive, but they also need to find new allies that can help answer the questions that haunt them: Are their parents still alive? Why can nobody reach the elven royal family? Was the firestorm a natural event, or something far more sinister? Finally, who are these invaders, and what do they want with the Blackstaff siblings?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bill Ricardi
• Release date: Sep 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781916454019

Book preview

A Princess of Last Resort

By Bill Ricardi

Book 1 in The Blackstaff Siblings

Version 1.15: ‘Technical Edit’ - Copyright Bill Ricardi - 2019 - All Rights Reserved.

Reminder: Members of the Bill Ricardi fan club and mailing list get access to ‘Another Stupid Spell’ (and many other cool Panos resources) for FREE. Full details on the benefits and how to join are at the back of the book.

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Foreword

Welcome friends, new and old, to the world of Panos.

‘A Princess of Last Resort’ would not have been possible without the hard work, talent, inspiration, and support of the following amazing human beings (and one cat).

To my fans coming from ‘Another Stupid Trilogy’: This is your home as much as it is mine. There are plenty of Easter eggs strewn around the new trilogy. Happy hunting.

To my fans coming from ‘Rhythm’ and to all of my new fans: Thank you for trying something different. I’ll try to keep you engaged and entertained as you explore the world of Panos for the first time.

Maps and resources can be found at: http://billricardi.com/

True addicts can be found at: https://www.patreon.com/billricardi

To my beta readers Tim Vecchiarelli, Ian Lee, and Scott Gomes: I know this was a tough one. Rest assured, your sacrifice of time and energy is greatly appreciated. Much love.

To Natalie Marten, our amazing cover artist: You’ve brought Sarah and Granite to life. I was moved to tears the first time that I saw the cover. For anyone seeking amazing fantasy art, check out Natalie Marten Art at: https://nataliemarten.wixsite.com/nataliemarten

To R. A. Salvatore and Lawrence Watt-Evans, two of my earliest fantasy inspirations: Thank you for creating a sense of wonder. That wonder was the crystallization of a young man’s passion for writing.

To the greats who have passed, in particular J. R. R. Tolkien and Roger Zelazny: Your spirit lives on in every fantasy world. From the vast lands found in bestsellers, to the groups of gamers laughing with friends in their best cellars. A piece of you is in all of us.

To Stephen King, the mentor I’ve never met: ‘On Writing’ continues to guide my professional writing career. Without you, I wouldn’t be doing this. Thank you.

To my family, particularly Rick and Loki (the one cat): I’ll do the dishes now, I swear. I love you.

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Prologue

Excerpt from ‘The Divine Fiat’ by Lew Rush - Ice House Religious Press

It is said that there is a second moon circling Panos; a moon that nobody sees. The clergy of Melflavin, using their wonderful lenses and other scientific toys, says that they have enough physical evidence to prove that a second celestial body orbits around us.

Why, then, do we never see this second orb in the sky? Apparently it is located directly behind the first moon at all times. Over time their orbits have somehow become locked to one another in perfect harmony. And for some reason the second moon, presumably smaller than the first, is not crashing into the larger one. Perhaps it is too distant, or perhaps other celestial influences are simply stronger than any attraction between the two moons.

And now perhaps an even bigger ‘why’: Why am I talking about moons in a text about religion?

Yvaroline the Banished.

Yvaroline the Banished was the old orcish god of destruction. Mentions of this god within the orc community are rare, because his name was to be stricken from all records. Effectively, Yvaroline was erased from orcish history. However elven records from prior to the First Great War do shed some light on this particular subject.

It is said that Yvaroline had originally agreed to the accord of the gods. But the resulting detente was so boring to the orc, he actively sought out ways to torment the other gods. Yvaroline started to ignore Panos itself, drawing power directly from the heavens and the underworld. He corrupted demons and even certain angels, enticing them to ignore the great game and worship him directly. After amassing a great army, Yvaroline start attacking the strongholds of the gods themselves.

Yvaroline ultimately failed in his attempts at deicide (the act of murdering a god), and thus earned the second part of his name. He was banished to a place where none could see him. It is said that he is tethered to a great mountain in the sky, tormented by both fire and ice on a daily basis. The other orcish gods forbade their people from even speaking his name. It came to pass that the symbol of Yvaroline the Banished evoked an unnatural, irrational rage in others. These measures have been effective in suppressing any active worship of Yvaroline on the face of Panos.

So where is the final resting place of Yvaroline? Where is this great mountain in the sky?

Well nobody knows for certain. However, it is said that there is a second moon circling Panos; a moon that nobody sees…

Isn’t it lovely when a story comes full circle?

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Chapter 1

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful half elf princess... and her stupid brother.

Granite murmured, Sis. That's not nice.

Sarah sighed. She started over.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful half elf princess... and her older brother. Sarah was ten years old. And Granite was an eleven year old ogre.

Half orc!

Sarah hid a smile. Fine. Half orc. He wasn't as smart or talented as his sister. But he was brave.

Granite had no objection.

They had the same wonderful mommy but different daddies. Sarah's daddy was a professor at the Arcane University. And Granite's daddy...

The young half orc said, Saved the world.

Sarah nodded. Saved the world. But he died. That's why the beautiful princess allowed her annoying brother to play with her: Pity.

Granite snorted.

The half elf continued, They grew up in the Arcane University. While Princess Sarah was interested in magic and music and ponies, her brother Granite loved bows and arrows, and other gross boy stuff.

Like lizards.

Sarah laughed a little bit, then said, Like lizards! But that was okay, because while her silly big brother was off in the woods, the princess could visit the elf lands. The family was always welcome in the elf lands, because mommy’s mommy was an elf princess. And mommy’s daddy was-

Granite’s hand quickly covered Sarah’s mouth. He looked at his sister, wide eyed. We’re not supposed to talk about it. the half orc whispered, in harsh tones.

Sarah pushed at her brother’s wrist until her mouth was uncovered. She whispered back, Come on, nobody is around. It’s my story!

The half orc looked around warily.

Sarah, to her credit, lowered her voice significantly as she said, And mommy’s daddy was the avatar of Melflavin. He who wept.

Both of the children waited in tense silence. There was no bolt of lightning, no thundering incrimination.

The half elf continued, So the princess was treated like a proper princess, and her brother could run around the woods all day with some old ranger.

Granite said, primly, Sarah, please respect the name of Master Ranger Corineth.

The silly old ranger’s name was Corineth. But he was nice too, since he sometimes brought back little birds that would perch on Sarah’s fingers and sing songs to her.

Granite smiled.

Sarah said, One day, Sarah’s silly brother got them lost in the woods.

The half orc looked puzzled. Sarah, we’re not lost, the camp is right over th-

His sister cut him off, Got them lost in the woods. The princess was scared, because the woods could be deep and dark. So for once, she was happy to have her silly older brother around. Because he was always brave, and he knew how to hug Sarah when she was scared.

The half elf smiled when she felt her brother’s arms wrap around her from behind, protectively.

And even though it was going to get dark, and even though her silly brother should have paid more attention to his rangering lessons, Sarah knew one thing would save them. Magic!

Granite gasped when he saw what his sister had taken out of her pocket. You took that from Dad?

Sarah murmured, Naw, he lent it to me. For the story.

The half orc nodded. Oh, good.

Sarah opened up the beautifully crafted steel compass. She continued, All Sarah had to do was hold the compass in front of her and invoke the magic words: Direct me!

Both of the children flinched a little bit at the sudden glow. A phantom compass needle hovered over the mundane one, shedding a blue eldritch light upon the two of them.

The half elf squirmed out of her brother’s hug, and took him by the hand instead. They started walking, following their new magical guide. And so the beautiful princess was able to lead her dumb brother…

Hey!

...her brave brother out of the woods, and back to camp in time for dinner.

They walked in silence for a few moments as the glow of a campfire got larger in their vision.

Sis?

Sarah said, Yeah?

That was a good story.

The children walked into the light.

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Chapter 2

A firm shake was enough to wake Sarah from her unexpected nap. Years passed in a few hazy moments.

A kindly old elven nursemaid smiled down at Sarah and said, Begging your pardon Princess. Your brother has sent word that he’ll be waiting outside of the stables near the South Arch. He begs your rapid attendance.

The half elf groaned a gentle protest before she was able to will her body to sit upright. She slurred, How long was I out?

The reply was soft, Only an hour, dear. Of course mid-day naps are often indicative of poor bedtime discipline.

Sarah rubbed the sand from her eyes as she admitted, I was up late reading a paper by Grace Tybalt on the significant representations of the element of air in ritual magic.

I see.

The nursemaid’s dry response spoke volumes. The young mage immediately realised that this woman was unimpressed by the way that Sarah spent her nights. She probably just wanted her cot back in case a real patient showed up.

Sarah managed to roll out of the hospital cot and find her feet. The white marble floor of Saint Hodgeth’s Hospital was frigid. It inspired Sarah to get her boots back on as quickly as possible. The nursemaid watched the process in silence. Sarah realised that the woman probably had orders to never leave her unattended. Even distant royalty could be troublesome, particularly if something happened to them on one’s property.

Feeling a little bit guilty for monopolizing this woman’s time, Sarah thanked the old elf for the hospitality before shouldering her backpack. She hurried down the hall and out through the oaken double doors that would take her back into the heart of the city.

Civilia. The capital of the northern elflands, and the crown jewel of Panos’ magical achievements. Sarah gazed up at the majestic stone buildings. Centuries ago, geomancy had torn these towers of obsidian and marble directly from the earth. Their profiles hung against the cityscape, impossibly large and impossibly tall. From afar they looked like keys on a grand piano. Up close they simply served as reminders of elven arcane dominance.

But as tall as the buildings were, nature was not to be outshone. Trees, far older than the towers that they shaded, surrounded Civilia on all sides. The ancient pines stretched for miles in every direction. Each step away from the city’s center was a step towards a different kind of magic.

On every other street corner, illusionary signs were projected on slates that hung from obsidian posts. Some of them provided directions to nearby attractions and events. Others advertised the goods and services of particularly affluent businesses in the area. Civilia was not only the pinnacle of magic on Panos, it was an economic powerhouse. It was said that a mere fraction of the taxes paid by the city’s banks and merchants funded the legendary Arcane University in its entirety.

As Sarah padded South, the sticky scent of sap filled her nostrils. Gone were any thoughts of attending court in the royal castle that dominated Civilia’s northern quarter. Any temptation to visit the Temple of Vinara and take a Circle of Transport to parts unknown vanished. Instead Sarah inhaled deeply, greedily. As much as she enjoyed the city itself, the forests of Civilia were as much her birthright as any palace or concert hall. By the time Sarah passed the multitude of inns and restaurants that flanked Civilia’s South Arch, she had broken into an eager jog.

Stepping out of the city was like stepping back through time. The South Arch was primarily used by soldiers and commercial caravans. Log cabins and lashed shelters were the norm out here. This was the domain of the practical, and it was ruled by trappers and quartermasters.

Yer late.

And rangers, of course.

Sarah was breathless from her jog out to the stables. Still, the accusatory greeting offered by her green skinned half brother made Sarah laugh.

She admitted, I fell asleep. I was just grabbing a glass of water at Saint Hodgeth’s. Honestly, I’m not sure how it happened.

Granite let out a long suffering sigh. It wasn’t anything that he hadn’t heard before.

You know I’m skipping practice for this, yeah?

Sarah hid a smile. Her brother had just taken up jousting. And although he wasn’t very good at it yet, when he managed to connect with a practice lance people went flying. It was a sight to see.

She said, I know, I know. Sorry about that. I’ll make it up to you, I swear. Special plans. Very special.

Sarah gazed solemnly at her brother as he considered the sincerity of her apology. Although Granite had inherited the musculature of his orcish father and stood a little bit taller than Sarah, she never felt daunted or overshadowed by him. He was family, even if his black hair and pale green skin might indicate otherwise to the uninformed. And there was infinite kindness in his aquamarine eyes that made intimidation impossible, at least when he was looking at his half sister.

Eventually the half orc pushed himself away from the wall of the stable and headed inside to grab their horses. Both of the twin bay equines had already been outfitted and saddled.

Granite murmured, Hour and a half to winter camp. Ready?

Ready.

---

Sis. You really don’t need that thing.

Sarah ignored her older brother, preferring instead to peer at the face of the steel compass. After orienting herself, she pointed northwards and confidently said, It’s this way.

When silence met her proclamation, the half elf looked up at the half orc. Granite’s expression was pained. She knew that her brother wanted to point out that he had been a student of Master Ranger Corineth for seven years now. She knew that he would love to mention that he was the youngest journeyman ranger in Civilia’s history… though that wasn’t a shock given that he matured so much more quickly than an elf would.

Sarah also knew that he was too humble and polite to verbalize any of what he was thinking, which made her playful torture all the more perfect.

After letting out a little sigh, Granite murmured, Okay. Let’s go.

The apprentice mage allowed her brother to lead the way. Watching Granite weave lithely through the woodlands was always a pleasure. The eighteen year old made himself one with nature, in a way that would put most elves to shame. Each step was measured, tested with the ball of his foot before rolling his full weight into the stride. He was in control of his place in the world. Her brother on point and on the stalk was one of the most comforting sights that Sarah could imagine.

Towering pines provided some shade from the early winter sun at their backs. They were far enough North that jackets weren’t yet required, unlike the poor sods living closer to Panos’ frigid equator. But their parents always made them pack the foul weather gear, just in case a squall blew in from the Northwest coast. Even through the boughs of the pines, a winter rainstorm could be punishing.

Still, the Blackstaff siblings were travelling fairly light. Neither of them brought a tent. Granite had a thin blanket that they could share should the two of them be unexpectedly caught out. However Sarah’s expectation was that they would gather the final material component that she needed, and she would be able to take the Circle of Transport back to the Arcane University before sunset.

So there was no need for overnight gear, or even a change of clothes. Sarah donned her green adventuring robes and light brown pants, mostly so that she would look sporty and worldly when she met her friends in the University’s cafeteria that night. The seventeen year old would smell of pine trees, and tell tales of daring-do like the hardened adventurer that she wasn’t.

Still, Granite was taking this seriously. Most of Sarah’s material components were trivial to find, but this last one had the siblings straying far from home. Professor Sevritz had asked Sarah for something special: Mineral water directly from the source of the Gemkin river. Being an up-and-coming elementalist, Sarah knew that getting into the good graces of the old lizardman conjurer would pay off next year, when she applied to be part of his Foundations of Summoning Elementals class. It would be the last class he taught before he retired. Sarah wanted to learn from the legend himself while she had the chance, so of course she said ‘yes’.

Suddenly, Granite froze in place. His leather armor creaked a bit at the sudden arrest of momentum. Sarah stopped dead in her tracks. It was instinct. Her brother told her dozens of times over the past six years: ‘When I stop, you stop.’

Only when the young ranger curled a finger back at Sarah did the half elf pad up to join him.

Granite was slowly sliding the recurve bow from his back. The gesture put Sarah on high alert. Unlike herself, her brother had seen his share of adventure. She supposed that was part and parcel of being a ranger.

When the half elf was shoulder to shoulder with her brother, Granite leaned in and murmured, Wild boar sign. It was across this path, and recently.

Sarah strained her eyes, staring at the forest floor in front of them. All she saw was twigs, pine needles, and the after effects of a heavy morning frost. It took her a few moments to find the hoofprint that had tipped her brother off.

She whispered back, Just one?

Yeah. Think so. Older though, with a heavy stride.

Sarah shivered. Big wild boars near Civilia were usually driven off to a safe distance by the wolf riders. Then again, the siblings were pretty far out today. This might be considered ‘safe distance’.

Sarah mused that the Arbitros wolf riders, situated on the Southeast coast of the main continent, probably would have run the boar down and eaten it for breakfast. But comparing the southern and the northern wolves was much the same as comparing the southern and northern elven governments. The Southern Elven Nation was wild, independent. Their wolves preferred executing lightning raids and on-the-spot justice. The Northern Elven Nation was traditional, monocratic. Their wolves preferred patrols in metal barding and strictly observing their territorial rules.

After deftly stringing his bow, Granite selected a broadhead arrow from his quiver. He nocked it loosely at a quarter draw before saying, Step where I step.

Despite the tension in the air, Sarah had to smile a little bit. ‘Step where I step’ was a game that the two used to play, when Granite was just starting to learn the tools of his craft. They would drive their parents mad, trekking all over the Arcane University in their ankle socks, literally following each other’s footsteps.

But the practical application of such childhood foolishness had just come into sharp focus. Sarah took great care to fit the profile of her foot within the boot print that her brother just made. Their progress slowed to a crawl, but nary a twig was snapped, nor was a branch bent. Thanks to her brother, Sarah was as quiet as a church mouse.

After a tense 15 minutes of stalking, the half orc stopped again. This time there was no warning, which left Sarah stranded with one foot in the air, balancing precariously on a flat stone.

The tension melted from Granite’s shoulders. He slipped the broadhead arrow back into his quiver, and then unstrung the recurve bow so that it would slide back into the attached carrying sock. He’s gone. Must have slipped back East at some point.

It wasn’t until Granite turned that he spotted his sister’s antics. A low laugh bubbled from the half orc’s lips. The sound was a rarity, one that Sarah cherished.

She intentionally overbalanced, and fell forward into her brother’s chest. He caught her and gave his sister a warm hug. You did great. the ranger assured her.

She returned the embrace with her slender arms, and teased, I would have done even better if I had used my ‘Silence’ spell.

That drew a harumph from her brother, who promptly set the half elf back on her own feet. Yer not supposed to know that spell yet. Yer gonna get in trouble.

Sarah waved off her brother’s concern, So I’m a little ahead of my class. It’s to be expected, I’m surrounded by elves all the time, and two magical parents, one of whom is a professor.

Granite pointed out, sourly, You stole Dad’s spellbook.

I borrowed Sorch’s spellbook from your brother. He didn’t seem to mind.

He thought we were reading history stuff!

We did read the history stuff. I just read… more.

Hush.

Besides, Benno would probably have taught me himself if-

A big, meaty, light green hand covered Sarah’s mouth. Granite hissed, Hush a sec.

The Blackstaff siblings stood in silence as a new sound drifted through the trees. From off in the distance, there was a loud ‘crack’ followed by another. Then the sound of an angry boar, halfway between the growl of a bear and the scream of a child. Then, after a few more moments… nothing at all.

Granite unmuzzled his sister. He cast an anxious glance off to the Northeast before saying, Let’s get your water. Fast.

Sarah had no objections to that plan. Granite didn’t have to say it aloud for her to understand: They weren’t alone in these woods.

Four hundred more swift paces took sister and brother to their destination. Although neither of them were much in the mood for sightseeing, the source of the Gemkin river deserved a wee bit of gawking. The warm spring bubbled up from a hole in the ground that was as big as two royal carriages placed end-to-end. A green glow emanated from the source, the result of natural bioluminescence in the algae that clung to the mineral-rich stone. Schools of fish often gathered just downstream, willing to battle the gentle current in exchange for an hour of natural warmth.

Sarah and Granite both started to fill their waterskins from the spring, foregoing any kind of ceremony or discussion for the moment. It was an amazing place to be certain, but both of them felt something in the air. As much as the northern woodlands had always been their second home, they were ill at ease. It was as if they had stepped over an unmarked border and were standing on forbidden soil.

The burbling of water filling empty bladders stopped, leaving the surface of the water momentarily calm. Sarah caught a brief glimpse of herself, bathed in the spring’s eerie green glow. Even in the odd light, there was no mistaking the fiery red hair of her mother, or the blue eyes and slightly tan skin of her father. She was so different from her sibling in every aspect save for spirit. But at the end of the day, she supposed, spirit was what really mattered.

As brother and sister sealed the bladders and prepared to head back, a new chorus echoed through the forest. This time, it was yelling. But not just the yelling of a single person. Dozens. It was difficult to say what was being said, but the tone was certainly unfriendly.

Sarah whispered to her brother, Were the rangers told to expect company?

Granite shook his head. He whispered back, Without escort? This far from the road? Only friends of the Crown are allowed. These are no friends of ours.

Sarah knew what that meant: Poachers, treasure seekers, or something worse.

Sarah did a mental inventory of the spells that she had available. She’d been kidding about using the ‘Silence’ spell from earlier, having opted instead to memorize a different piece of magic that originally came from Sorch’s book: ‘Levitate’. And although it wasn’t a school day, Sarah had still prepared the gamut of cantrips that most apprentices were expected to have on hand. Finally, and perhaps most importantly in a potentially dangerous situation, she had followed her father’s advice. Celestial once said that ‘Magic Missiles’ should always be prepared when facing the unknown. Sarah had done so, twice.

Granite, as always, was prepared for war. Master Ranger Corineth didn’t allow his students outside of the city limits without a bow and a sword. Sarah remembered the lithe old elf scolding Granite for running off to do an errand in casual clothes: Young man, I don’t care if you’re just going out for a piss! You strap a blade to that pale green orcish ass before a single drop flows, or you’re no student of mine. Needless to say, Granite never ventured outside without his weapons again.

The young ranger untied the peace knot on his elven longsword. It was a weapon of last resort for the natural bowman, but Granite was more than capable of using it to deadly effect. This particular blade was made of green steel, a material reserved for champions of the crown. It was gifted to the half orc on the tenth anniversary of his natural father’s death.

Granite asked, Try to head back to the winter camp? Or start hiking directly towards the city?

Sarah blinked at her brother, owlishly. She tried to figure out why on Panos he would ask her for a course of action. Then she remembered… this was her quest. Granite had dubbed her ‘party leader’, and insisted that she make all of the choices.

For a moment, Sarah was tempted to tell Granite to make the decision for her. But something stopped her. Over the last few months, she had started to take her duties more seriously. That included the ceremonial ones that went hand in hand with being a member of Civilia’s royal family, no matter how distant she was from the actual throne. Leadership and decision making were part of the regal package.

The winter camp. The horses are worth the risk. If everyone is already gone, it only costs us a couple of hours, and it takes us away from all that noise.

Granite gave his sister a nod