The Trials of Tiarsus: Crimson Prophecy Novella, #1

By Derrick Hall

When fourteen-year-old elf Tiarsus' mother and sister are taken by slavers, he finds himself without a family but filled with new purpose. Hell-bent on finding those that he has lost, and the captain that took them away, Tiarsus builds, and ultimately destroys, a career in the Qetran Navy. After three decades of searching, Tiarsus finds an intriguing young girl and aligns his purpose with hers, but is it too late for him to overcome the darkness inside himself?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Derrick Hall
• Release date: Oct 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223514336

Book preview

Derrick Hall

The Trials of Tiarsus

Copyright © 2022 by Derrick Hall

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

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Contents

I. TWO SCORE PAST

1. Farm

2. Loss

II. ONE SCORE & TEN PAST

3. Ships

4. Ghosts

5. Progress

III. ONE SCORE & FIVE PAST

6. Privateer

7. Luckless

IV. FIFTEEN YEARS PAST

8. Alone

9. History

10. Beginning

Author’s Note

About the Author

I

Two Score Past

1

Farm

Tiarsus stood atop the bluff that marked the divide between his home and the sea, the moist salt wind whipping his cloak about like a flag in a gale. He could feel the chill in the air and knew instinctively that it would be winter soon. Even though he was only fourteen, his father had made sure he knew the changes in the weather and what they meant. Winter was coming early this year. He pulled up his hood and turned back to the flock he was supposed to be tending.

Field maggots. He muttered.

Tiarsus hated sheep. They were oily and stinky, and had no sense about them, always wandering into trouble. Not at all like their two cows. Those were much easier to tend to, even if they were a bit stupid. He readjusted the grip on his staff and walked to intercept a sheep that was eating its way to the cliff, likely to walk right off if he didn’t stop it. He caught up and gave the animal a sharp nudge with the wooden staff. It bleated in protest at having mealtime interrupted but reluctantly turned back.

From where he now stood, Tiarsus noticed several black dots moving along the beach toward the river, and by extension, toward the trail that led to their cottage. He squinted in an attempt to see a bit clearer, but it did little good other than to solidify that the dots were in fact men. There was a small boat pulled up onto the sand, and a line of tracks along the beach where the men had passed. He did not see a ship, but that meant little, as it could easily be hidden by the bluffs further along the coast.

Tiarsus was intrigued by these visitors, but his father had left a warning before he left for the market just over a week ago to sell the last of the autumn harvest and a load of fish.

These are dangerous times, and strange things happen. We have been lucky, but luck has a way of running out. There have been reports of slavers along this coast. Keep a keen eye, be wary of strangers, don’t wander too far, and take care of your mother and sister. Father had said as the last sacks of grain were loaded in their small boat.

I will, Da. Tiarsus nodded.

That’s a good lad. I should be back within two weeks.

Slavers!

The realization suddenly hit him that it was wash day, and his mother and sister would be down by the river at this time, right in the path of the strangers. A glance at the sheep confirmed that they were either bedded or wandering away from the bluff, and Tiarsus took off at a full sprint, staff in hand, following the well-worn path along