Rise of The Mortokai: The Second Chronicle of Daniel Welsh

By D. G. Palmer

A young mage on a mission. A destiny he must avoid. One mistake could bring down his world...

 

Albino half-faerie Daniel Welsh may have won the Beltane Festival Games, but he still has a job to do. And when the grimoire he's tasked with deliv

• Language: English
• Publisher: DGP Creative Solutions
• Release date: May 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781838038427

D. G. Palmer

D. G. Palmer is a naval veteran and battleship sailor who is an avid reader and world and military history buff. While in high school, he began writing his first sci-fi adventure, which later evolved into two handwritten, single-volume trilogies that now rest on a shelf in his home. This is his first novel.

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RISE OF THE MORTOKAI - THE SECOND CHRONICLE OF DANIEL WELSH

By

D G Palmer

Also by D G Palmer

The Chronicles of Daniel Welsh

Birth of The Mortokai

Rise of The Mortokai

Standalone

The Choices of Man

A Call To Action

Thank you for taking the time to read this book from the mind of

D.G. Palmer!

If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave a review at Amazon, Bookbub or Goodreads to help spread the word, increase its visibility and help it reach more readers.

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Chapter One

Forests and glades are usually thought of as being benevolent mystical places. Places that you would go to reconnect with nature or for quiet reflection. The forest Trinity Evergreen now found herself in wasn't so idyllic. Far from it.

She walked along its woodland path surrounded by dark trees; elms, oaks, firs, and many more, their spindly branches, stripped bare of leaves, looked like the elongated fingers of an old crone as they stretched up into the sky, allowing only a few of the sun’s rays to penetrate the darkness below.

Trinity didn't know where she was much less how she got there and as the druid with the teenaged appearance looked around and saw no one else, the realisation that she was all alone struck her.

Like any master-level spell caster, she had some control over her negative emotions, the ones that would impede magic use. Fear was counted among them meaning that not much could scare her but this place certainly made her anxious. A sense of foreboding was definitely in the air, the hairs on her arms standing on edge were testament to that fact. But it wasn't the trepidation of death that she felt, it was more like the feeling you would get in the presence of something divine.

‘This is the darkness the Mortokai brings,’ a voice in the shaded woods suddenly announced, but it wasn't just one voice, it was many; different tones, different pitches, different accents, all saying the same words. ‘This is the future you see before you. This is the future the Mortokai will bring about. This is the future Daniel Welsh will unleash on this world.’

‘Daniel?’ Hearing her friend's name along with this Mortokai again caused Trinity to recall the conversation she had with the hazel dryad back on Earth, when it had tried to convince her that Daniel was a danger; but she had defended him then, and she would do the same again now. ‘I've heard all this before.’

‘And you did not heed the warnings of the hazel dryad, now the Mortokai has been born.’

‘Daniel isn't this Mortokai.’

‘He is a faerie with a soul. He is the trophy of the dark fae. He will herald their return.’

‘I was told that there were other human/fae offspring, perhaps one of them is the one you speak of.’

‘Gydion was right, there are others. Not all the kidnapped children were left at Almedia. Some were kept by the dark fey and, when the time was right, they would be used for experimentation. But the offspring those unions bore were either wholly human, with no essence, or wholly fey, but all were monstrous deformed creatures.’

All of a sudden Trinity could see several figures shuffling out of the shadows towards her. The few rays of light that had pierced the darkness illuminated random features of the grotesque misshapen beings. Their unexpected appearance compelled the youngster to take a few steps back until, without warning, she was grabbed from behind.

The malformed entities surrounded Trinity and, no matter how much she struggled, she couldn't break free as they lifted her into the air and carried her towards a large trunked ancient tree.

‘You must forsake Daniel and fulfil your destiny; only then will you be able to stand against the Mortokai.’

‘You're wrong! I won't do it!’

‘You have no choice. A darkness is coming. You must accept your destiny. Forsake Daniel. Accept your destiny.’

The words resonated deeply throughout the forest, and try as she might, Trinity, couldn't block it out. She wouldn't abandon her friend; she couldn't do that to the person she cared so much about.

The roots of the ancient tree suddenly burst from the ground and wrapped around her arms and legs. Her scream was cut short as they forced their way down her throat until they erupted from her nose, eyes and ears. Trinity was no more.

SHE SHOT UP IN HER bed. Strands of her red hair clung to her sweat-drenched face. It was the first time that Trinity could ever remember having a nightmare and one thing was certain, she didn't much care for them.

After gathering her thoughts for a moment, she slipped out of bed and padded across her room to the wash basin. She splashed some refreshing water onto her face and as she dried herself with a towel, her mind flitted back to the nightmarish events of her slumber.

Forsake Daniel. Accept your destiny. She didn't know what destiny it could be, but if it involved the rejection of Daniel from her life, then she would just forge a new destiny for herself. But even as she said it, something was troubling her. This was the second time Daniel’s name had been mentioned along with this Mortokai; first by the hazel dryad and now in her sleep. Sheer coincidence, or could there actually be something to it? Before he returned from within the Shade she would have vehemently said no, but the way he seemed so distant before he collapsed made her question her judgement, if only for a moment.

She knew Daniel, the real Daniel, the shy and reserved Daniel who loved history and gaining knowledge, the Daniel she was developing feelings for.

Trinity’s mind drifted back to when she had first arrived at the college and seen him. She had been intrinsically drawn to Daniel. Throughout that day she had found herself stealing glances at him and, on occasion, their eyes would lock momentarily. She had put it down to her sensing his Essence, but now she knew it was something more. Especially after they had had that moment when he had been released by the Council of Three. When she had felt his breath on her lips. If either one of them had the courage to take that final step, it would have been her kissing him and not Finn.

Fungal had been right; it was difficult seeing them embrace like that, and she promised herself that if she was ever given the opportunity again, she would grab it.

Chapter Two

Daniel opened his eyes , looked around and realised that it hadn’t been a dream. None of it. Not the magical journey on the London Underground, not the fact that he is the son of a fae hero and not the fact that he was in a bedroom in a palace on another realm. It was all real. Everything! Daniel Welsh was a mage! A mage in training, but a mage all the same. Just saying it put a broad smile on his face. ‘I am a mage!’

Suddenly a groan from beside him and an arm coming to rest on his chest shocked him out of his reverie. Perhaps this was a dream after all.

Daniel looked sideways and saw the distinctive violet hair of Finn Jesson.

He was more than a little shocked to find the free-spirited girl sleeping next to him and he slowly slipped out of his bed, trying desperately not to wake his unexpected companion. He found himself dressed in rather comfortable dark blue silk pyjamas and racked his brains as to how he got into them and then about the previous night’s events as a whole.

Bits and pieces came slowly back to him, like a fog dissipating in the wind. The Beltane fire festival had culminated with the crowning of its goddess and her consort, namely Finn and Daniel. This had been followed by a closing ceremony in which all the households took a firebrand from the fate chosen pair, which was taken from the bonfire they had all contributed to, in the hope of receiving luck for the coming year. After the ceremony, the celebration began, and Daniel’s memory about that got a little fuzzy.

There was drinking, lots of drinking. In fact, he remembered being amazed at just how much ale Finn was able to put away and still have enough presence of mind to win more hands than she lost at Assault and Conquer. He also remembered the way that whenever he had a moment alone with Trinity it wasn’t long before Finn would find her way over to them.

At that moment, a deep loud yawn signalled to Daniel that Finn had roused from her slumber. She scratched her stomach and looked around in confusion with her blurry eyes, then she saw Daniel and smiled broadly. ‘I hope I didn’t snore too loudly,’ she said slightly embarrassed.

‘To be honest, I have no idea. Most of last night is still a blur.’

‘That’s the sign of a great night!’

‘I don’t even know how I got into these,’ Daniel said indicating the pyjamas.

‘Probably the same way I got into this,’ replied Finn as she pulled her matching blue silk nightdress over her head and threw it at Daniel. ‘As if I wear that kind of stuff to bed.’

Luckily for Daniel, the offending item of clothing landed on his head obscuring his view as Finn strode pass him towards the armoire. ‘Jeez, Finn! A little warning next time.’

‘Where’s the fun in that?’ She smiled, ‘I would have missed out on seeing you squirm.’ Finn grimaced at her reflection in the mirror and as she desperately tried to tame her wild bed hair, she stole a glance at Daniel. She might have worried if her not-so-flattering morning-after image might change his opinion of her, if she were some other girl. But she was Finnoula Jesson, she was who she was and people could either take it or shove it! ‘Now, let’s see what we have here.’ She threw the doors open wide and was greeted by dress upon dress upon dress. ‘You have got to be kidding me,’ she groaned.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and after throwing the nightdress back at Finn and pleading with her to cover up, Daniel bid them enter. It was a servant come to tell them that a bath had been drawn for Finn in the adjoining bathroom. Daniel’s own bath was next to his room... down the hall.

Finn broke out into laughter hearing this and teased Daniel about him sneaking into her bedroom to be close to her, no matter how much he professed his innocence.

With mounting embarrassment and even more confused questions about his antics the previous night, Daniel followed a servant back to his room and to his scented bath, he also swore off touching another drop of that ale.

ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT have been palace etiquette, Daniel refused the helpers offer to attend him; much to his chagrin, he had been hoping to spend as much time as possible in the presence of the consort hero. The servant had laid out suitable court attire for Daniel consisting of a dark grey jerkin, loose fit cotton shirt and dark brown pants. There was also a note from Bertram, the major-domo, laying out the itinerary for the day. Breakfast would be served in Finn's room (as her balcony afforded better views of the gardens), followed by a guided tour of the palace and grounds by the major-domo himself. This would take them to lunch where they would dine with the Council of Three and their distinguished guests.

As he finished reading the note the servant returned to escort him to breakfast. Whilst walking down the corridor Daniel’s mind reeled with images of Finn fighting off her attendees as they tried to wrestle her into yet another dress. He chuckled as he imagined the inevitable sight that was about to be revealed with the opening of the doors to Finn’s chambers.

But the scene that greeted him was one he was not expecting at all.

Not only was Finn not battling with the servants, but she was also actually directing them! Making sure her boned, off-the-shoulder bodice was accentuating all it needed to and that the drapes of her skirt were hanging perfectly. At several moments, she was actually acting like a petulant princess, much to Daniel’s amusement.

‘And what are you gawping at?’ Finn said when she saw Daniel at the door. ‘I thought you’d done enough of that yesterday.’ She shooed the servants away so they could bring the breakfast and once they were alone, she struck a pose, ‘So, how do I look?’

‘You look great!’

‘I do, don’t I?’ she enthused. ‘And no blast goggles this time. And no guns,

either.’ Finn began pulling the hem of her skirt up to prove the point.

‘Finn!’ Daniel’s shriek stopped the hems advance just as it reached her knees.

‘Daniel!’ she mockingly imitated. ‘When are you going to stop being so bashful?’

‘When you stop being so brazen.’

There was a moment of silence, then they both burst out laughing. After they had calmed down and got a hold of themselves, Finn led the way out onto the balcony and into the warming rays of the twin sunrise above the city of Almedia.

‘You look like you’re getting used to this dress-wearing thing.’

‘Well, after being attended to in a bath and then being pampered, you kind of start feeling like a princess, so I thought I’d go with the flow,’ she said with a giggle. They were quiet once more as they took in the beautifully landscaped gardens.

‘You know something, Daniel,’ Finn finally said after mulling things over in her mind. ‘Usually I don’t have any problem sharing my feelings with somebody. But things are different with you and I don’t know why. Ever since I first saw you arrive here it’s like something has come over me. Made me less sure of myself when I’m around you. Made me do things I wouldn’t normally do. I don’t usually give a vekt what other people say or think about me, but I had to make sure I got you alone to give me the strength to tell you. Love or lust? I don’t know, but I do know that Trinity is my rival for you and that she may have the advantage of knowing you longer, but I have the advantage of being with you... now.’

Finn closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around Daniel’s neck before passionately kissing him.

It was the kind of kiss that you never forget. The kind of kiss that all subsequent kisses would be measured against. It was the first time Daniel had experienced a real kiss so, not knowing what to do, he just held her tight around the waist and mimicked her actions.

It wasn’t until the servants arrived with breakfast that they separated. Finn’s cheeks were slightly flushed and Daniel was taken by how a woman so feisty and fiery, as Finn was, could suddenly look so demure, like Trinity.

Chapter Three

Bertram led Daniel and Finn down a passageway, at the end of which were a pair of huge gilded doors. A page stood at the handle of each door and as the procession approached, with drilled-in precision, the doors were opened.  

The major domo entered first. Curiosity pushed Daniel and he poked his head in and looked around in awe. Before them were four rows of tables each seating twenty-five dignitaries from all around Ariest. Colourful crested flags and banners, representing one of the houses of the region, hung down from the vaulted ceiling.

‘Finnu—’ began the announcer before correcting himself after feeling the look Finn gave him. ‘Finn Jesson, Beltane goddess and Daniel Welsh, consort of the goddess!’ 

There was a resounding round of applause.

‘Are you ready for this?’ Finn asked Daniel.

‘Not in the least.’ He glanced at her and slowly shook his head in disbelief. ‘Aren’t you nervous at all?’

‘Nope. I’ve been waiting for this day. For too long I’ve been told that I won’t amount to anything, that I need to change my ways and now I get to shove it right back up their noses that they looked down at me with. Come on, take my hand.’

Daniel was glad to and with their fingers interlocked together they crossed the threshold into the banquet hall. They followed Bertram down the central aisle and the youngster could see that something was troubling the major domo. 

‘Is something wrong?’ Daniel asked.

‘What? No, no, no, nothing at all. Everything is just fine,’ Bertram replied, waving off Daniels inquiry.

Daniel didn’t believe that for a second. He could see how flustered Bertram was, no matter what he said. And at least one over person noticed the major domo agitated state, a rather plump man in a rather garish green and yellow outfit.

Applause accompanied them all the way to the top table, where the council of three and only the most important of guests would sit. Since the council always sat together it meant that Daniel and Finn would be seated apart. But Finn, ever the opportunist, saw this as the perfect moment to pull Daniel towards her and kiss him before they were separated, which garnered several hip-hoorays from the gathered crowd.

‘Just so you don’t forget me, while you’re sitting all the way over here,’ she whispered.

Once the goddess and her consort had assumed their seating, a fanfare rang out signalling the arrival of the council of three at which point everyone stood up. From a door Daniel hadn’t noticed, until now, behind the top table, the three ruling royals of Almedia filed in and took their seats. The royal luncheon for the goddess and her consort could now begin.

This celebration was a complete contrast to the one Daniel and Finn had attended the previous night; that one had been loud and rambunctious this one was far more sedate as you would expect in the presence of royalty.

Daniel knew a little about the pomp and pageantry surrounding state visits from watching the news about the British royal family. And although this was more akin to what he would expect in a medieval kingdom as opposed to that of Elizabeth II, that knowledge still helped a little.  Basically, he knew enough not to make a complete fool of himself.

As he sat at the top table, he wished Finn were sitting next to him. Her confidence in herself and attitude of not giving a damn what people thought about her would be perfect for him right now. He felt a little self-conscious being the centre of attention but if he was with her then he could deflect some of that her way.

He glanced down the table; Empress Xu ping was to his immediate left followed by King Ewynn then Chief Seydou and finally Finn, stuffing her face whilst cracking a joke with the chief.

Daniel chuckled to himself. He had to admire her for being so ballsy. Secretly he wished he could be like her. In the few days he had been in Ariest he had become somewhat of an overnight sensation; rescuing the boy you were accused of killing and becoming the consort of the goddess would do that, but he didn’t crave the limelight. That’s for the Finn’s, Tristan’s of the world, he thought, and probably his dad back in the day. For Daniel however, it wasn’t that long ago that he would have been hiding and avoiding contact with people, being the centre of unwanted attention. He still was, to some extent, but the looks he got here were of admiration not the stares of curiosity he got back home.

It may just have to be something I need to get used to, Daniel mulled over in his mind as he listened to the empress tell him stories about Gydion battling a Wyvern singlehanded and others about his dad, Eric Mondragon, saving her daughter, Princess Sun Siu Ping from a varg, the description of which sounded much like that of the Fenris wolf from Norse mythology to Daniel.

‘So, tell me, what great adventures has your father had in your world?’

‘Adventures? Well, he got married and they had me,’ chuckled Daniel, who instantly got embarrassed after seeing his joke drop like a lead balloon. He cleared his throat and began again. ‘Earth is a very different place to Ariest. Sure, some things might look familiar to you but they are things from our history. There are no quests to be had, no vargs, no princesses needing rescuing. No magic.’

‘And what of war?’ King Ewynn asked. ‘Surely a great warrior such as your father must be leading an army in some campaign.’

‘He’s a builder now. He builds houses, but he has seen the news reports about war. In my realm there is no glory in war. War is waged because of greed. They kill people because of commodities. Or they interfere with other countries politics. But there have been a few times the world has united to battle a common enemy, much like Ariest has done in the past, but every time it’s the innocents who suffer.’

‘And that’s where the glory can be had. It’s not by killing ten gnolls by yourself, it’s by defending a building full of the very young and the very old from ten gnolls. That’s where you show traits of your father, Daniel, and your mother. Both try to help those that can’t help themselves. And you have done the same. You are a credit to them. I’m sure they will be proud of you.’

He hadn’t thought about his parents for some time, but the king was right, saving people is what they did. And when Daniel was put in a similar situation, he instinctively did exactly what they would have done, even if it meant saving someone that apparently hated him like Jimbo.

As a child, you always hold your parents in high regard, put them on a pedestal. But to hear other people, people of such high standing, do the same, gave Daniel a huge sense of pride, but also trepidation. People would expect him to carry on building the legacy his dad left behind. Eric Mondragon may have retired but his presence would live on.

The weight of expectation rested heavily on Daniel’s shoulders.

Chapter Four

‘I can safely say, that without a doubt, that meal was fit for a goddess,’ Finn announced as she and Daniel, arm in arm, were led back to their rooms by Bertram and two guards. ‘Namely me!’ She concluded with a cheeky grin. 

Even though Daniel agreed with her, in that the whole experience was amazing, he could tell that something was still not right with Bertram. The way he creased his brow and slightly shook his head from time to time was a giveaway.

‘Come on, Bertram, I can see something’s on your mind.’

‘As the major-domo,’ Bertram relented, ‘I take pride in performing my duties well. It may be a small thing to others but to have a dignitary seated in the wrong place could be seen as a slight by the council.’

‘Do you mean that man in the brightly coloured clothes?’

‘Yes. That man is Prince Gillygon of Mionechinko.’

‘Really? Isn’t he supposed to be a handsome man?’

‘The most handsome of his people!’

‘I see.’

‘Anyway, a man such as he should be seated near the top table, as is the custom, to reflect his standing.’

‘So why was he sitting near the door?’

‘I have no idea.’

‘Surely, being a prince, he should know the proper protocol?’

‘Well, yes. And when I offered to have him moved to where he was supposed to be seated, he declined. He even left the luncheon early.’

‘That’s a bit odd,’ Daniel thought aloud.

‘And that’s even odder,’ Finn added as they rounded the corner and into the corridor their domiciles were located. ‘Isn’t that your room the prince is coming out of?’

‘And where is his escort?’

‘Oi!’ Daniel shouted.

The prince stood stock still for a moment before he turned away from them and walked down the corridor in the opposite