Rise of the Druid

By Duane Harris

The nation of Al Garoth has been destroyed, and the citizens spread throughout the land. The founder, Alvaroth, sent his soul into his life crystal just before he was killed and is planning on restoring himself and Al Garoth for the people to come home to.

However, a new enemy will stop at nothing to keep the woods natural and free from other inhabitants. This is when Alvaroth chooses four strangers to come together and aid his mission.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798890437686

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Rise of the Druid

Duane Harris

ISBN 979-8-89043-767-9 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89043-768-6 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Duane Harris

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Characters

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

About the Author

Characters

Sakson—a hermit and ranger; a male in his fifties; has rough appearance and is about five feet, eight inches tall. He has a wise, calm demeanor and uses a staff and a longbow. He has four pets: two dogs, Scaalt and Chaalt; a falcon, Zehar; and a horse, Ecca.

Zaxon—a beggar and thief; a male in his midthirties; six feet, two inches tall; has thin muscular build; always looking for the next score; has quiet personality; a rapier and dagger thrower.

Pilon—a blacksmith and fighter; a male in his midtwenties; six feet, six inches tall; has thick and muscular build from blacksmith work for the last two years; has a brash personality, quick tempered, and is ready to rush to a fight; uses a longsword.

Maali—an adventurer and mage; a male around sixty; five feet, eight inches tall; has a long gray beard and thin frame but not frail and uses a walking stick and a cloak.

Hebron—a priest and healer; a male in his midforties; six feet tall; has a good reputation, is looking to aid people regardless of their background, and is calm with a hint of arrogance. He uses a staff and has a healing and cursing talent.

Shaala—Hebron's wife; in her late forties, five feet, five inches tall; has a laid-back demeanor and long light-brown hair.

Kehar—herbalist; midthirties; an average five feet, eight inches tall; with bronze-shaded skin; has a cat named Gleam, which is larger than a normal cat.

Klym and Shyv—Klym is short at four feet, nine inches and robust with reddish beard and hair; uses an axe. Shyv is tall at fix feet, one inch, with long light-colored hair, and uses a longsword.

Baalvin and Caalvin—guards of the tower; seven feet tall, with a dark-tan skin and thick and muscular build; uses mostly swords in battle.

Chaam—a master blacksmith; a male in his fifties; six feet tall; has a rough appearance with burns and scars but, overall, is neat, with long black hair and beard.

Kavilon—a jail master in Silac; five feet, nine inches; heavyset with an unkempt beard and overall sloppy appearance; likes to wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Quaal—a woodland villager; a female in early twenties with dark-tan skin and long dark hair.

Kaatvory—a freight driver; a male in his midforties; six feet tall; wears a black top hat over long black hair and has thin wiry frame.

Prologue

On a ho t, humid day on the south edge of town just north of the forest known as Al Garoth, there is a small hut with a horse tied outside. Inside, a man is hard at work reading over scrolls he discovered inside a tower, deep in the forest. Even though they are written in an archaic language, he had spent years studying languages so he can make out that these are old spell scrolls. From an early age, he has been able to do small manipulations with earth and fire and hopes he can finally use these scrolls to advance those manipulations. Many villagers have explored the woods and gossiped about strange loud noises that can be heard faintly from deep within. So a little over a week ago, he packed up provisions and put on his cloak, brought his staff, and went off to find the answer to the mystery.

It was deep inside the woods in the middle of a vast clearing that he discovered a single tower overgrown with moss and weeds. After examining the tower for an entrance, he discovered what appeared to be the top of a stairway at the base. Realizing the rest must be buried, he was able to magically dig a pathway down along the tower where he discovered a door for the only way in that he could see. Once inside, he climbed down a winding staircase about a hundred feet, where he discovered a room. Inside were crates, barrels, and chests which were either foodstuff or empty but in one chest were