Secrets of Terra Silenti: The Falling

By Armanis Ar-feinial

Kac, once a proud wood elf left his homelands, his friends, and what was left of his family. Abandoning all of his ties, burning his bridges. Knowing perfectly well he couldn't return home, he settled in the town of Malitu, a month's journey up north, out of the woodlands called Kinasa, home to the wood elves. He took up what he knew, hunting and started his new life, and lived among men, in the world and of the world, he slowly lost his self, until one last hunting trip, that would force him to go back into Kinasa, and find out who he truly is. With the help of some friends, old and new, discover the ancient remains of a forgotten city, and an ancient evil from within. One of the lesser evils from the Time of Great Trials, with even more perilous adventures to come.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499028058

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Copyright © 2014 by Armanis Ar-feinial.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 06/17/2020

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CONTENTS

Foreword: Kacy Granitsas Editor

Chapter 1 Terra Silenti

Chapter 2 The Dangerous Hunt

Chapter 3 Ghosts of the Past

Chapter 4 Attack on Malitu

Chapter 5 The Old Forest

Chapter 6 The Road Less Traveled,

Chapter 7 Flee Glentor Flee!

Chapter 8 A Strange Blessing

Chapter 9 The Forest of Kinasa

Chapter 10 The Last Stand for Malitu Begins

Chapter 11 Rest and the Serpent

Chapter 12 Dorio’s Departure

Chapter 13 The Missing Elf

Chapter 14 On the Run

Chapter 15 Elven Rescue

Chapter 16 Talin’s Tomb

Chapter 17 Researching the Serpent

Chapter 18 Venturing Into the Deep

Chapter 19 Freed!

Chapter 20 The Funeral

Chapter 21 Kora’s Secret Meeting

Chapter 22 The New Age

Chapter 23 Dorio’s Surrender

Dedicated to Shabba. Life was always crazy up there. I

know they say a dog is man’s best friend. That couldn’t

be any more true for you and me. Rest in peace.

FOREWORD

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KACY GRANITSAS EDITOR

U pon re-reading his novel, Armanis Ar-feinial asked me to pick up the pieces where there were noticeable typos and errors within the original manuscript, as well as fixing the plot-hole of someone being dead, mistakenly brought back to life. I have taken two deep dives into the editing of this new manuscript and have kept the original style from the original manuscript which was published back in May of 2014. Typos have been fixed and now it reads much smoother than it had before.

Upon reading it for my own enjoyment, it delves into the heart of many topics, exploring the themes of alienation, friendship, trust, and betrayal, and home. This book has an impressive cast of characters, most of which are very much fleshed out and feel like actual people. I have read also: The Covenant and The Desecration of the World by the same author, in the same world and in the same series. There are some things that are mentioned within this novel that seem insignificant, but they make an appearance or are better explained in the subsequent novels.

Upon discussion with the author, we came to an agreement to erase the Prologue, which was written in such a way that paid homage to the Lord of the Rings, from which is the original foundation of this book, and subsequent books in the series. The prologue set up the world and the long-term conflict between good and evil but did nothing for the overall structure of the story as there is a time lapse of 4,000 years. There may still be some manuscripts circling around that will have the prologue in it.

This novel would best fit within the classic adventure fantasy genre. It has many classical elements such as the classical races of elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins. There are also some horror elements which come into play in later novels, but are introduced here, towards the end of the novel through the existence of these Wraiths. These wraiths are exceptionally feared in this world as no one knows what they are, who they were, or how to kill these creatures.

This book reads much like a Young Adult novel, as the world building is very subtle, and the syntax is simple enough as to not jar a simple reader. This book is not as heavily detailed as The Lord of the Rings, or even the Wheel of Time.

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CHAPTER 1

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TERRA SILENTI

Y ears have passed. Images, events pass into memory, to history, to myth, to tale. There are few today who still remember what happened, how it happened. Through years of recording, the truth was distorted. Men alive during the Time of Great Trials are dead, so too are the dwarves and halflings. There are only so many elves who can recall that time. Only those who still live remember. Legends pass, like the legend of Kora, the Ranger Princess. Yula, the one who drove Decrepantaur out of the land of the elves. The kings and queen, Gergo, Arenia and Crillion now live.

For nearly four thousand years, the past, the fires Decrepantaur built were now gone, long forgotten. The ancient ruins of Terra Silenti remained silent, waiting to be disturbed. Many treasures were associated with this once great city, but it was never found, for those who ventured into the deep wilderness never return. It was assumed from that time that such a ruin no longer existed and the people who went searching died from starvation, thirst, goblins, bandits, or even accidents. Their skeletons litter the grounds of the forest that surrounds where the ancient city was presumed to be. Until now, the ruins remained undisturbed.

There was a woman who wore a green cloak, who stood over the basin of Terra Silenti. The moss covered the ground, like a thick bed of wet grass all the way to the city walls. The walls extended to the blackened sky, mist coming out of the stone walls from various collapsed parts. The walls were made of thick gray stone, such as that used in the grand halls of the dwarves. Much of the city walls were also taken back by the forest. With no one to care for it, the vines and trees began to regrow inside.

She carefully walked down the mossy basin, feeling much of the squishy surface through her toes. She carefully observed her surroundings before entering through a crack in the wall. It was damn near impossible to see anything, and the mist inside was so thick, like a heavy fog on the road, where even light would only impede her vision further. She raised a hand and the mist began to fade away, revealing the damage the city took years before. Some of the remains of the houses appeared burned, while many skeletal remains lay strewn across the streets.

The skeletons no longer held their white healthy color; however, having turned yellow and green in some parts: the dye received from the mossy ground. She walked through the ground and threw her hands up in the air, crying, Decrepantaur, give unto me the strength you gave me before! Call forth and give me the will to raise up the dead in your glorious name!

A dark purple light emitted from her hands and touched the skies, crackling like the lightning, and purple lightning veined the sky in all directions. She became the epicenter of this storm. Smoke filled the air and the creatures from the ground rose. The groaning of the dead and bones upon bones filled the air. She turned to the dead and nodded. The storm subsided. Thank you, Lord Decrepantaur! Prince of the world! she said.

She proceeded to walk through the city until she came to the castle, greeting many of the dead as she walked by. The castle could not protect itself from the forces of nature without anyone to care for it. The castle was covered in vines and mold, emitting an age-old indescribable stench. Part of the huge double doors were rotted away. She pushed the doors open and beheld the throne room. She observed the scene, pushed the skeleton king off the throne and took a seat. The skeleton came apart, his crown rolling down the aisle as it collapsed on the ground.

Ah, King was it? she asked, talking to the skeleton she did not raise. Ah, I remember you. You were the foolish king. Trust is for the dead, is it not? You trusted me in your foolishness and look at you now; you are just as much a fool in death as you were in life. You shall serve my will! She stood up and raised the skeleton with a spell, her hand propped up and formed a purple ball in her hand, and a stream of purple air flowed from her hand to the skeleton until it rose from the ground. It picked up his crown and took its seat back on the throne.

She turned to the wall on the right side and observed small cracks that made the shape of a door. She pushed the wall in and beheld a room with an empty fountain. Ah, a pool, she mused. It is indeed the pool of foreseeing. I think I shall change this. She reached her hand over it and chanted. Gertu Litnu Forti. The fountain was being filled with a mysterious thick green fluid. It filled up at the top and emitted a glow onto the room. The woman gave a small smile, saying, A pool of seeing no more. Now, you are a pool of despair and curses. See that you remain corrupted. She left the room.

She walked back to the throne, and in between it and the chair of judging was a lever. She pulled it and a passage was revealed. It was dark and the smell of carcasses filled the air. Truly the prisoners died there when it was left abandoned. The passage led downward and she followed it. She lit the long-dark torches along the walls as she passed by; coming to the dungeon moments later, she beheld many locked cages. The remains of the prisoners lay here, just as she presumed. Serves you right. After the dishonor and desecration of my body, you shall serve against your will! She rose the dead and they remained stuck inside the cells. She let out a chuckle and continued down the halls. The corpses let their limbs hang, dangling from the cells in their stench, their eyes emotionless and blank: nothing more than black orbs in those sockets.

She went down even further, following the dark and rocky corridor. She hurried and then entered a dark room, so dark that the catacombs could barely be seen, rather only mistaken for a simple rock structure. She drew a sword with a light green blade, which gave off a light throughout the entire room. There were pillars full of tombs. Some lay on the wall, much like the bunks in the barracks. She continued walking through the catacombs, admiring the thousands of dead.

She entered a small room, with a few chairs laid out at a table. She moved them around to the corner. A study perhaps, but whose? The room was full of stone, just as the doors were. She opened the second door and slammed it shut. She continued down a long narrow hallway, again, just as dark as the rest of the place. She chanted a spell, Litnu. The torches on the hallway and the rest of the place instantly lit up.

So, these halls are much longer. I wonder if the king of old knew how much of these halls were here, she said to herself. She sheathed her sword and continued walking along the halls. She opened a door and entered another room with a large boulder in the middle of it. There were three doorways. She went down all the way to the left and walked deeper into the gloom. The air grew heavier with every step. She felt its weight press down on her, but it did not deter her. At the end of the hall was a room, and it was full of gold and treasure. A vast amount of it lay on the floor in chests and it glimmered on the wall. Gold, the root of greed, I think—or was it? I cannot remember. But not my vice was it; that belonged to Avara, that poor miserable wretch!

She turned her back on the gold and went back up to the room. She welcomed the air as it seemed to normalize under ordinary pressure. This place must have been nearly one thousand feet below the surface of the basin. She entered the next corridor. This narrow passage went deeper, and it was much narrower. She began to lose her patience—a virtue, but not to her. Damn these lengthy halls!

She found another room, again large and dark. There were no torches to be lit here. She took out her sword and brought a small light to the place. It was very empty and contained many huts of a sort. There were many other wooden structures that went along the place, seeming to stretch for miles and miles. This looks rather promising, she mused. Her patience returned and she continued across the barren, dark room. She looked around, hoping to find something else, but so far, there was nothing. There was however a small room, with a mysterious red light emanating from it.

She walked into the room and beheld a bright red orb standing on a pedestal. Going over to it, she placed her hands around it. Feeling a surge of power, she resisted. Red lightning filled the room, and she could feel the flesh return to her fingers. Such immense power! Decrepantaur!

Yes, Fakino, have you reclaimed Terra Silenti? His voice echoed across the halls. The ground shook with his powerful voice. It is the first step! The others are regaining their control over the areas now, even as we speak. Is it reclaimed?

Yes, master, she answered, staring deep into the orb. The dungeons of this place run deep; I am exploring all these halls now. I have just found this, and I will give you all I have to offer.

And I expect nothing less! boomed his voice. I am proud of you; when the time comes, we will strike! I want you to know that what you do here is crucial! If you fail here, we will not.

I will not let you down, Master.

Explore the ruins you made all those years ago as you wish. But heed my call when it comes; it will come, eventually.

She nodded and left the room. She went through the dark halls and through the wooden structures. Going back up, she found another room, an office, it seemed. There was a desk, with a few parchments and a quill with an inkwell. They were seemingly untouched, and she carefully took off the cobwebs and blew off the dust. She pushed in the chair and underneath it was a book. She held it in the air, to examine it. I will look at this later. She put it in one of the drawers and locked it.

Continuing through the hall, she came to another lit room. The floor was covered with a green fog. Another tomb, perhaps? She looked around, to the left, then to the right and found little or nothing worth looking at. She went up the steps and was welcomed by the warmth of daylight. She took it in and said, Wonderful light, ’tis such a shame this world will know the light no more as darkness will cascade over all creation. Unverdus, you will pay dearly for what you did to us.

She went back into the dungeon of Terra Silenti. She remained there for years, studying and turning the traps and spells of the ancient city to her advantage. No one would disturb her without her knowing it first. Years went by and people would stumble upon the ruins and she made sure that none of them escaped, and none would ever see the light again.

CHAPTER 2

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THE DANGEROUS HUNT

M alitu was a traders’ town. Men, dwarves and a few orcs came in from time to time to trade goods. It flourished, had a great economy and was one of the few towns in the land of men that had no poverty. It was very diverse in its population, people came from everywhere and many stayed because they realized that to make good money, all they needed to do was stay in this place. People traded weapons, gold, gems and even ancient artifacts. There was very little chaos among the people, except of course the dwarves, who normally had a problem with orcs anyway. The road was of dirt and the hoof prints were clearly visible with all the horses coming in. All the buildings were decently made, there were no signs of rot in the wood, but neither was it polished. This town was on the Glenwood road and the Suralo road to the south.

With traders also came bandits to this great trading town. Malitu also had one of the strongest guards, the size of a large militia. This was composed of dwarves, men and very few orcs. One such guard was a kuai from Cadrasar. His name was Kridrik, who was exiled when he lost a wrestling match to the current chieftain of the Kuai. He was originally shunned when he came to live down here but proved his worth as a guard, when he went around killing bandits and returning stolen goods to the town. He was one of the few orcs that grew away from the path of destruction. Such qualities are not often found among the orcs.

He was permitted to be a guard by Cardur, the Captain of the Guard. He was a dwarf of middle age. He oversaw almost everything, almost like the mayor, but he only cared about what came in and what left the town. He enjoyed the peace and wanted to maintain it. He enlisted people into the guard when his budget would allow it, making sure to keep a blacksmith on hand so that they would never have to pay to repair their weapons. It was a smart financial decision. Many of the townspeople looked to him for aid when they needed it. Their problems were brought to him, never to any of the politicians working for the mayor.

One of Cardur’s most trusted officers was Jorre. He was married and had two kids, a boy and a girl. He was raised inside the kingdom of Grento. The chaos and fighting finally got to him, the orcs and men killing each other. The city guards could not handle it there. Being sick of it, he left and came down south where it was a little quieter. He came down when he was thirty and was now one of the best guards the town had. His military training is what got him up near the top. He was happy here, and he felt that his family were safer here, far more so than in Grento.

Quarala was one of the town’s healers. She was born in this town but had never been outside its walls. She spent years studying the arts of healing and other forms of magic. In time she had become one of the best healers in the ward where she healed people of many diseases and injuries. She had seen many people. One such individual usually came to her frequently. His name was Kac, who she was very fond of in all her years knowing him. She was always fascinated with the outside world and wanted to know more about it, experiences that could not be found in books.

Kac was a wood elf who used to be one of the Ranger’s Guild and left it years ago. He chose a quieter life and decided to go live in the world, through his travels finding the town of Malitu a good substitute for Kerina, his former home in Kinasa. He stayed in a small hut near the outer walls of the village. He had never given up his bow and went on several hunting trips during the month to provide for himself. Once a week he went hunting and would always sell his game to the nearest butcher. There was one last hunting trip that would change his life forever. It would bring him back to his roots, in Kinasa.

It was the first day of the week. Kac woke up just before dawn, the stars illumining the cloudless sky. He scratched his head and yawned as he began to start his day. He ran down the stairs and pulled out some crispy tarts from his pantry, which was partially filled with food. He slowly closed it, careful not to make much noise, despite him being the only one in his hut. His thoughts drifted to the hunt and he peered outside to watch the sunrise. He saw the blazing sunlight coming through the trees.

He remembered that his bed was still messy and desired a clean one when he came back. He went to his bedroom and smoothed out the sheets. He went back downstairs and started packing. He looked for food supplies, and his adventuring gear, which consisted of leather made armor, a long sword and bow. He went outside to put his supplies on the carriage, pulled by his brown horse.

Kac had gotten all his things packed up just as the morning light lit the village. As he packed up his last water skin his thoughts lingered. He looked all the way to the south and shed a single tear before straddling the carriage. He missed home but could already feel that he was no longer welcome back. He had left abruptly after a heated argument with the King, that foolish King.

"Why is it you that are here? Kac, how dare you come into my throne room?" blurted the King as soon as he sat down on the throne, his eyes glaring at Kac, his chin propped up on a bent elbow.

I am here on business, as I always am, Kac replied composedly. Truly I say unto you, the orcs of Cadrasar are amassing; you, Sire, must do something about it. I know you do not like me, nor do I have love for you; but respect my duties as one of the Ranger’s Guild, and I will respect yours as my King.

"You cannot enter unannounced! How many times have I told you this? I am a busy King and I need to schedule things accordingly!" he retorted.

I tried that before, Your Majesty, rejoined Kac, letting out a deep sigh. "But it would take months to get something to you that you need to know now, which has cost us dearly, remember? Orcs almost came into the kingdom of Kinasa once, but we elves, humans, and dwarves of the Ranger’s Guild put a stop to it. We knew what happened! Not you, for you would not listen to me! I do not know what I have done to earn your distrust, but I must say, I have heard enough of it."

"You nearly let them in! the king yelled back. If you had let me know, I would have sent my armies to meet them."

Yes, but you did not. You even refused to listen to me, Kac stated. As captain of the Ranger’s Guild, I am concerned with what goes on inside these lands, as well as outside the kingdom, just as much as you are; but when I come out with something, you toss it aside as old news, like moldy bread! We rangers can only do so much. We are not part of the Wizards’ Guild, who would do us Rangers some good now. We have some spell casters; however, we ask them to hone their skill as a spell caster first, before going off into the field. I do not think you under—

"Do you dare mock me? Think you know what is best for my kingdom, do you? interrupted the king. Do you not think that I already know what goes on over in Cadrasar? Do you think I will gladly turn a blind eye to it? Certainly not!"

Then why have you done nothing? Kac demanded. People die every day. You who were once filled with the fire of the spirit, where did it go? Why are you refusing to reach out to the world like the rest of us do? The rest of us try to do what we must, die if we will, but we know it is not in vain. Why do you sit back and allow these things to happen?

If it does not concern our people, it is of no concern to me.

"How can you say that? Kac queried, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. If your daughter Kora were here, she would see that there is something wrong. Where is the justice in all of this? We were to be a light in this world. Can you not see that without us doing our part, the threat of Cadrasar will grow and will be completely on us. If it affects the world, it will destroy it. What happens then, when the kingdoms of men and dwarves fall into the hands of Cadrasar? Will their lust for power stop, or will they go on? Who then will they march against but us?"

Do not dare bring war into this! replied the king. You have not seen the things I have! You have not faced the ultimate destruction I have! You did not see your daughter die in your arms! Do not speak to me about war, for you know nothing of it.

There is a war going on even as we speak, but of a different world, parried Kac. This one I have seen, and I must tell you, this war is far from over. I have seen more things than you could possibly imagine. I may not be as old as you or saw the destruction of the Time of Great Trials, nor do I have a daughter to watch die in my arms, but what I have seen, he took a step back, is inside the Abyss of Hell. My King, just spend one hour in that realm and everything else you have seen will appear very small against the things in the abyss.

Get out, you demon! The King stood and pointed an accusing finger at him. Get out of my kingdom, my forest—I do not wish to see you here again! Leave your duties behind. I want you out of here by nightfall! Pack your bags and leave!

Time goes by, Kac replied, feeling like a failure. I will do as you say.

He went to his home in the middle of the afternoon. He took out many papers and grabbed his coin bag. He saddled his horse and left the forest, seemingly never to return. He never spoke to anyone about his departure.

Kac carefully examined everything that he said to the king. What could I have done better? Kora, why were you not there? I needed you. He felt there was nothing more he could do, that he did what he could, but he also left unannounced. He did not think that the Ranger’s Guild would come after him. They were not assassins, nor did they hold grudges, not usually. This was over fifty years ago.

Everything was in his carriage, including food and water. He donned his armor and secured his sword at his waist. His bow and arrows were strung over a shoulder. He walked into town just before the sun rose. He was in the center before he was stopped by Quarala.

Ah, the mighty hunter approaches! she said mischievously, leaning up against her staff, her blue cloak swaying in the early morning breeze, eyes studying him elatedly. To fend off his hunger, as well as those around him. Such a noble thing indeed.

Well, Quarala, Kac replied, turning ever so slightly to face her. It was always a joy to see her face in the morning. It will be a rather long week ahead of us. The winter is closing in and food is necessary. It is one of those things I enjoy from time to time, he laughed. There was always something to laugh about and this elf was never one to hold back, not even with his jokes, some funnier than others. He was thought of by many as the most optimistic and funniest of people. But the joy of the great hunt brings peace—it is so much simpler than many other things, more so than finances and even more than living a day at the ward, or even on guard duty. Do not let these petty things shape you in life. It is not worth the added effort.

Quarala laughed at the elf’s take on the world, the people of it, anyway. What is the outside world like? she asked. It had long been her dream to see outside the village walls, but she had never gotten around to it. Even now, she was tied down by her duty to the village, which was to see to the ward, make notes on patients and assist in their recovery. Oh, how I desire to know what it’s like to walk along the roads.

It can be a dangerous thing, just walking outside your yard. Some things outside you will never forget. The things you do not forget are the things you wished you never had seen. This is the truth, Kac explained, his face turning grim. He was haunted by many things he had seen. A tear rolled down his cheek. "There are many things I have seen that I wish I