Blades of Destiny: Heritage

By Clifford Hatton

Blades of Destiny: Heritage is a tale of another world where war rages in the kingdom of Domus. An evil sorceress and her army of assassins attempt to gain control, but hope remains. It is prophesied that the Crystal Children will find the ancient Blades of powerful magic which were lost, and they will restore peace to the land. Follow Danyielle and her friends in their quest to defeat the darkness forever!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664139275

Clifford Hatton

Clifford Hatton is a retired aircraft mechanic who lives near Sacramento, California. He has four children, and lives in a home with several friends and a couple cats. He likes Italian food the best, and enjoys yoga, meditation, and has a hobby of reading tarot cards for himself and others. He is a huge science fiction fan. Star Wars is his favorite movie, book, video game, etc. He graduated from Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ in the year 2000. This is his first attempt at writing a book, and he sincerely hopes that you enjoy reading it as much as he did writing it.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by Clifford Hatton.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-6641-3928-2

               eBook          978-1-6641-3927-5

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. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 10/27/2020

Xlibris

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Contents

Prologue

PART 1: WHISPERINGS

Innocence

Opposition

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothes

On Patrol

The Best Thing

Revised Strategy

Fork in the Path

PART 2 EMERGENCE

Anticipation

Hedge Your Bets

Secrets Unearthed

Sweet 16

Becoming a Crystal Child

Training

Progress

Dark Affinity

Turning Tides

Proud Prince

Cause for Alarm

Star Attributes

Interlude

PART 3 CONVERGENCE

Unforeseen

Disbelief

Commendation

No Time to Mourn

First Blood

Grief

On the Hunt

Beasts of the Field

The Howling Peaks

Endings and Beginnings

Thanks

About the Author

This book is

dedicated to my children;

Evan, Sedona, Aldeana, and Adaila.

PROLOGUE

I N A WORLD not so different from our own, strife and conflict plague the land of a people who wish only for peace and harmony. But those who oppose them wish for something else--total domination through fear and the ultimate power...the ability to wield the legendary Blades of Destiny, swords crafted by ancient technology, each infused with a magic drawn from the energy of one of the elements.

In our tale of the epic search for the Blades, we visit the kingdom of Domus at a time which is reminiscent of medieval history on Earth. One would be reminded of the history lessons for the 16th century if we were to appear in their midst.

The King has battled an enigmatic foe for over a decade...they strike in one place and then retreat, causing as much damage as possible on the townships before help can arrive, taking minimal losses most of the time. The goal of these raiders seems not to be one of conquest, but rather to inflict pain on the citizens of the land.

The subjects grow weary of these skirmishes, they are tired of rebuilding their homes and planting their crops over again after another raid. Not to mention the pain of loved ones lost, and the never-ending anxiety and fear that comes with the thought of imminent future attacks.

But they have hope. As we begin our adventure, they are entering a time in which their constellations of stars are beginning to align in patterns predicted by ancient prophetic writings. Excitement is beginning to stir the masses, for it has been foretold for generations that when this time of change comes to the heavens, the youth of the land will lead the people into a glorious age of peace and happiness.

The evil ones do not wish for these prophecies to be fulfilled. These are those who twist the minds of their offspring to their own ends, to make them into weapons against the predicted coming new age of freedom. And they are very good at what they do.

So begins our dance of light and shadow.

PART ONE

WHISPERINGS

I know that I don’t know all that I think I know.

-Jherine N. Saine

INNOCENCE

(Danyielle at 9 years prior to her Star Crystal affinity test.)

D A, PLEASE TELL me again the story of the Crystal Children. It’s my favorite. Danyielle, the little girl with long yellow hair, dressed in a faded white nightgown, had crawled into her wooden bed for the night, which was located not too far from the fireplace of the one room house. She snuggled down into her pillow and waited for the soothing sound of her father’s storytelling voice to lull her to sleep. Her favorite story always made her feel safe enough to sleep.

Very well, my darling, said the tall thin man with sun-kissed skin. "It warms my heart that you take such an interest in those stories, especially since you’re only seven.

"It is told that in another time, long before your grandparents’ parents were born, there was a war between heaven and earth, between two very different races of beings, and the hateful ones scorched much of the surface of the planet with their unholy fire, making it uninhabitable.

"Then the beings of light from the sky brought down a new technology, weapons infused with the energy of the stars and of the very essence of life. Magical weapons that drove back the dark ones into another place where they could never cause harm again. There was peace on the surface for over a thousand years. Mankind was able to return to a normal life.

"The sky dwellers returned at the end of the age to entrust humans with a noble secret--the mystery of the Crystal Blades. They said they were going away forever, and it was up to us to protect the Blades and to use them only for the highest good of mankind, if necessary. They said they had foreseen our destiny and were aware of a time when the Blades would once again be needed to restore balance and harmony. They advised that the Blades be kept hidden away for just such a time, for safekeeping, out of the hands of those who would use them for evil.

"But alas, when the star people left us to our own devices, the men entrusted with the Blades used them for their own purposes, and appointed themselves the protectors of the peace, knights of justice, if you will. They used their newfound power as they saw fit, each dealing out justice in his own way according to the whim of his feelings. One of these self-appointed protectors used his power selfishly, to acquire wealth and to dominate others. His mind and heart were filled with darkness, and his Blade became infused with the energy of hate and murder, and he was feared throughout the land.

"Eventually, all these men grew old and died, and those who had witnessed their frightful lives decided that it was best if their power died with them. So it is said that each knight was buried with his magical sword, because mankind was not ready. Those who buried the knights kept the locations of the tombs a secret so no one would find them. Eventually those who knew passed away also, and all knowledge of the Blades was lost.

"But before the sky dwellers left, they had made a prediction. They gave drawings of the stars, showing a time far in the future, when certain stars would align in certain parts of the heavens, and they said that when that age was upon us, it would be time once again to draw upon the power of the Crystal Blades. They said that a new breed of children, pure of heart and courageous, would arise and seek out the fabled weapons of old. They called them the Children of the Crystal Light, and said that they would save humanity from a path of pure misery and despair, and lead us into an era of great joy and peace, which would last for countless ages.

They said that the strongest of the Crystal Children would unite them all in a bond of strength and hope, during a time of much strife and turmoil. The path of the Crystal Children was said to be filled with heartache and chaos, until the day of the great victory when the Blade of Darkness, known as Drakkhul, will fall into obscurity, When its power is shattered by the essence of Light, the hold of evil over the land will be broken, and we will be free once more. This event and the struggles leading up to it were referred to in the prophecy as The Rainbow Bridge."

"At the end, the struggle will be great, and it is said that the Dark One will use his power to try and enslave the forces of good, and it is on this moment that the fate of our world hinges. In the end it will be simply a pure choice for good or evil that decides the battle. That is why our people place such importance on raising our young to be sound of mind and heart, so that when the time comes, we will not fall again as we did countless generations ago. And as always, I end the tale with the prayer my mother taught me:

"Our time appointed

So long ago,

As above, So below.

Crystal Guardian

Keeper of the unknown

Grant us thy wisdom

And peace to our souls

Heed our ever faithful

Cry for mercy and justice

In time of need."

Danyielle’s father listened to her rhythmic breathing as she slept, and the hint of a smile crept up around his lips. Sweet dreams, little one.

OPPOSITION

(2 years before the attack on the Star Crystal Academy.)

T HE OLD CRONE sat in her perch, a wooden throne on a dais several steps up from the main floor. She wore a cloak of the deepest purple, and her complexion was ashen to match her gray hair. She silently assessed the one who stood below her for several minutes before addressing him. He did not move a muscle as she peered into his eyes. His black hair reached his shoulders, and he wore a red robe tied at the waist by a golden sash. Welcome, Rasputin, my son. Recite for me the Prophecy of the Sinister One from the Book of Forbidden Knowledge.

"Yes, O Exalted One. It reads thus:

Time draws near to a close,

Whence comes this one which

The world of men has yet forgot?

A twist of fate draws ever nearer-

The blade-sharp tongue of

Him whose path has not been writ.

Those who oppose in fear will taste

His vengeance on that day.

His name will not be writ,

And Drakkhul shall be his legacy."

Very good, the old woman leered. Now recite the Code of the Keepers.

The young man continued,

"Many are they who unite

Under the flag of justice.

They must be ruled.

Many are the weak who gather

To be ruled by the powerful.

They must be taught

By discipline.

Many are they who in fear

Would abandon rulership.

They are sheep to be tended.

Many are they who think

To rise and dominate yet fail

They are fodder beneath

The feet of Drakkhul."

Excellent. the matriarch replied. Now go and meditate upon these concepts for two hours, and I will summon you when your next assassin’s training is scheduled.

WOLF IN SHEEP’S

CLOTHES

(4 months before the attack on the Star Crystal Academy.)

G OOD EVENING, THERON, said the old woman, still atop her throne. I trust you bring good news. Report! She looked at the man with greedy eyes, taking in his silver hair and nondescript black cloak.

Yes, Your Excellency, I do bring good news! General Raymond took the bait, never suspected a thing. He’s got his full battalion on route to Westport. He has no idea what you’re actually planning, I’m certain of it.

Perfect. That leaves my forces free and clear to do whatever we like elsewhere, which may or may not include an attack on Lady Gunilda’s estate.

Yes, whatever your intents and purposes may be, Madame, I assure you that the King’s troops are out of your way for now.

Very well, you are dismissed!

Certainly, Madame Amarynth--there’s just the matter of my regular fee and then I’ll be on my way.

Amarynth glared coldly at Theron for a long moment and then replied, I think you’ll find that since our last transaction cost me quite a bit more than it should have, I owe you nothing, and your debt to me is paid in full. Begone!

Just because you’re a witch doesn’t give you the right to act like one!

Watch your tongue, you snake, or I will make sure you never use it again.

Theron whirled on his boots and stormed out of the hall and up the stairway, back into the fading darkness of dusk, and fresh clean air. He was always glad to be moving away from her, no matter what day it was. Like most folk, he did not enjoy being manipulated. He hated being a pawn in this game. If he could just get some more profitable transactions, he could afford to move on to someplace quiet, away from this war and all the treachery that came along with it.

Back in the hall underneath the stairs, Amarynth summoned a trusted messenger and sent word to the leader of her secret army to go ahead with the raid as scheduled.

Amarynth had been fortunate to find a trustworthy ally in Tatyana, the lovely olive skinned leader of a band of roaming mercenaries called the Horde. At the beginning, about eleven years ago, when the idea of toppling the kingdom was but a whisper, she had doubted that anyone reliable would answer her secret messages placed in the lowest of lowly out of the way pubs, where only the desperate or monstrous would dare to go. She had daringly called for the hardest of killers who would do anything to see a job through, no matter what the job was, and she found the ones she was looking for. They came from the Outlands far to the east of the realm, and called themselves the Horde.

Tatyana was tough on the Horde, but they were a tight family unit, two hundred and thirty-seven in number, loyal to each other and to their benefactor, to the bitter end. And with the dark magic that Amarynth provided for their armor from the Forbidden Knowledge she had perfected over the years, they usually came up with hardly an injury worth mentioning, which is surprising when you consider the fact that they often had to go head to head with the finest military troops, cavalry as well as infantry straight out of the royal barracks, each man well-armed and well-trained.

The Horde’s battle tactics were to not engage the army directly, just make tactical raids on the general population that seemed random, burning and pillaging, attacking civilians and then disappearing into the night with magically enhanced stealth shoes and disguises. They always took the long way around, undercover to each target location, avoiding encounters with royal troops as much as possible.

Amarynth in this way had amassed a small fortune of the populace’s treasure, and she wanted for nothing. But she was still not as rich as the King, and not nearly as much as her wildest imagination or dreams, so it wasn’t enough. Yet she could afford to spare no expense if the occasion required it. She used her modest wealth and secret political ties to make it appear as though she were simply the lonely widowed Baroness Graves of a lowly estate rather than a powerful evil sorceress.

Her only true concern was her twin children Rasputin and Lucinda, 18 in age, who bickered constantly and didn’t seem to have the inner drive or focus necessary for what she was trying to prepare them for, which was dominating the general populace. They seemed to enjoy learning about dark magic, but Rasputin was not as advanced in his magical abilities