The Lost Heir's Promise: The Inheritance Ring Series, #3

By Chris Gourley

She is the searcher, her daughter is the promise.

A long-awaited promise emerges in the form of a daughter, destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Hidden away until her fifteenth year, she is thrust into a reluctant journey, leaving behind her adoptive family to follow a mysterious woman she neither knows nor wants to know. Amidst the echoes of resentment, the daughter learns the art of the desert ca'leethi, the intricacies of the sword, and the subtleties of the knife from her enigmatic guide.

They embark on a quest foretold to bring forth the return of the waters and the Lost Clan to a dying desert world. Yet, the Searcher and the Promise are not alone. Unexpected alliances challenge the belief they can face their trials without help. The desert Wind whispers otherwise hinting at the interconnected threads that bind their destinies.

This is an epic adventure rich with belief, hope, and trust—a narrative that unfolds against the backdrop of a world teetering on the brink of annihilation. They stand at the crossroads defying the Darkness. Will the strength of their belief be enough?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chris Gourley
• Release date: Apr 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224743636

Chris Gourley

Chris Gourley is an artist, playwright, mother, and dreamer steeped in the oral storytelling traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although she currently resides in Wilmington, Delaware, the world created in her mind is forever pulling her down other enticing pathways. She is living proof of the old adage from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings: "Not all who wander are lost."

Book preview

The Lost Heir's Promise

Book Three of The Inheritance Ring Trilogy

Chris Gourley

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Two Rabbits Press

Copyright © 2024 by Chris Gourley All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Cover design by BoBooks

For my Bill…

Without you, this amazing journey would have lost its way.

Praise for The Lost Heir's Promise

5-Star Review by K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite

Author Chris Gourley's vivid descriptions paint a compelling picture of a desert world teetering on the edge of collapse, offering readers an immersive experience filled with rich storytelling and intricate world-building. The characters' individual and collective journeys unfold with a keen sense of emotional resonance. I was really impressed with the close, personal narration style that gave us an intimate insight into their thoughts and feelings at crucial moments. The themes of belief, hope, and trust resonate throughout the narrative, driving the characters forward as they confront the challenges ahead and keeping the suspense in the quieter moments of the plot before the next twist takes us by surprise. The exploration of destiny and the interconnectedness of the many lives that are explored give the work a sophisticated complexity rarely found in YA fiction, yet one that is easy to access for the target age range. Overall, THE LOST HEIR'S PROMISE delivers an epic adventure that will certainly thrill fans of the series so far.

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5-Star Review by Uma Kiran, eBook Fairs

The Lost Heir's Promise is a stimulating action fantasy, set in a magnificent world of its own making. If you like novels depicting desert cultures, unique norms, diverse languages, and different customs, then this novel will keep you spellbound and mesmerized throughout your reading journey. I didn't have the opportunity to read book one and two within this fantastic series. But based on the outstanding writing present in book three, I believe those novels are worth the read as well.

All in all, I absolutely love the world-building and character development in this novel. It's hard to choose which moments I love the most. I love it all!! At first, I didn't like obnoxious persona, but the girl's been through a lot. So, I've grown to admire and respect brave and resilient spirit. I think the most impressive character of them all would be Button (evidently). She is an amazing mother, and a competent leader, who sacrifices a lot for her children and her kingdom. I see where she gets her courage and assertiveness from. I really wish I had read the previous novels, though. I would advise other readers to read them before reading book three. The storyline would be more impactful this way. When all is said and done, I give this incredible fantasy novel 5-stars. It is an obvious must-read for other fantasy lovers. The ending is exciting and suspenseful. I sense a book four in the making (hopefully)!

Also by Chris Gourley

The Lost Heir

(Book One of The Inheritance Ring Series) 2021

She is The Lost Heir , last of her line... but the secret she carries with her won’t put her on the throne.

Standing atop a promontory, she sees them coming... interlopers in the desert, clumsy outsiders whose caravan blazes a trail of dust. Alisutton d’ere Lihter, who her brothers once called Button, was abandoned in this wasteland years ago. Is it those who betrayed her, returning? And if so... why?

The answer will bring a girl the world thought dead back across the desert, home to a place she barely remembers. The secret she carries won’t put her on the throne. Instead, it prompts a race across the land, a daring rescue, and brings to light yet more mysteries. Who is hunting her along the way? Can she trust what’s left of her family or the strangers who have taken her into their fold... or only herself?

With her bow and her spear, her heart and her wits, and an indomitable will to survive, Button will find the answers. But she will also learn, like the wind in the desert, what we learn can change us. For good or ill, she will never be the same.

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"The Lost Heir… a brilliant epic fantasy that will sweep you away, have you hanging on every development of every character, caught off-guard by the unpredictable twists. I cannot wait for book two… I highly recommend book one to any lover of true Epic Fantasy/LitRPG novels." Katherine D. Graham, Reedsy 5 Stars

The Lost Heir's Redemption

(Book Two of The Inheritance Ring Series) 2022

What she believed is no longer true.

Alisutton, who was called Button growing up, rescued her brother from torment and death… now he wants her dead. Can she bring peace back to the green world that was her home? Can she change the past without killing her brother and becoming like him? The evil that twisted her brother is not the only threat. There are underlying currents wanting to use her and force her to their will.

In her struggle to set wrongs right, she will be fighting for her life and that of her friends. Button doubts but she does not hesitate.

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"Following a successful opening book in a series is a challenging prospect, but here we have a masterclass in how to do it as every box is ticked… spinning an exciting tale. The author's prose sublimely moves the story along at an exciting pace. The Lost Heir's Redemption is a must read for readers seeking their next epic fantasy series." K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite 5 Stars

Contents

Dear Reader...

Prologue

1.Before...

2.No mercy...

3.Embler Elix

4.Tell no one

5.We must all die sometime...

6.Or else!

7.Someone follows...

8.Damesh e'lar

9.Hunters

10.Not just anybody...

11.Another Chance

12.The Knowing Owl

13.It's all in how you play the game.

14.Now you know...

15.Paramour

16.Anos

17.Chess Pieces

18.How do I say Good-bye?

19.The J'nooth

20.A Deadly Reflection

21.The Obelisk

22.Bait

23.Weeds

24.Water Dying

25.The Lost Clan

26.Beyond Death

Epilogue

The Last tu'ac

Lexicon

The Story of the Drunken Duck

Acknowledgements and Thoughts

About the Author

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Dear Reader...

Please note the names of the people native to the desert and Damesh e'lar are ALL intentionally lowercase, even when the name begins a sentence or a new paragraph. This is not a mistake, but one I chose. It applies only to the desert people and goes along with their belief that only the Whisperer and those images larger than themselves should be capitalized.

Another choice I made is with the words teabrew, alehouse, and alekeeper. The english language is littered with joined words, i.e. barkeep, housekeeper, lighthouse, to name a few. In this world, alehouse and alekeeper just needed to go together.

There is a LEXICON in the back for reference.

Enjoy!

Chris Gourley

Prologue

His hand lovingly traced the flatness of her abdomen. Life . Button placed her hand over D'vid's, tears filling her eyes. They had been blessed with two children early in their marriage. First, Suttonet, named after the mother Button never knew, and Elec after D'vid. Suttonet would be the one to rule over the Qorth after Button, and Elec would rule over Durristin after D'vid. But one was missing. The blue-eyed daughter that was to come. Both Suttonet and Elec had dark hair and brown eyes like their father.

Button had waited and hoped. She no longer hoped, she knew. A missive was sent to Damesh e'lar for e'lsh.

Chapter one

Before...

War!

The Qutai were once again gathering at the northern border. Scouts came almost daily, reporting incursions, raids that left everything dying. The Qutai did not kill. They left their victims broken, close to death without dying. The true skill of the Qutai was in the length of the dying. Too soon and they were reviled by their own. Days, and a warrior would receive accolades of wreaths hung around his neck and a brand upon his arm. In battle, they separated individual soldiers and fell upon them, leaving them unrecognizable and dying a lingering death.

Button groaned at the news. It had been three years since they had forced the Qutai to surrender, sending them back over the mountains. If all the reports were accurate, that previous battle had been an incursion to find the depth of her people's resolve… their weakness. D'vid pulled her attention back to the present. This is one battle you cannot fight, D'vid said. You know it's true.

I may not be by your side… she choked on the words, But I will be there. She fell into his arms, feeling an unknown dread. Always, it had been his back to hers. They fought as one. Instinct danced between them. Who? she asked.

Alrick and Giord have been practicing with me ever since the first message came through, D'vid said as he felt her stiffen. It will be hard not having you next to me, he said. It was both a lie and the truth.

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They had been fighting a guerilla style war for the last month, hitting pockets of Qutai as they made their way south. They needed time to bring soldiers and supplies forward. Desperate calls for aid and reinforcements were sent to neighboring lands, to no avail.

They were alone.

The one Qutai taken alive sneered when questioned. His heavily scarred face attested to his ferocity. The Qutai Shal'avart inflicted ritualized cuts, left to heal unaided as marks of of a warrior's worth. It was a brief interrogation, ending in a battle cry as he fell upon a hidden knife.

Preparations continued as trails were blocked by rock slides and bridges destroyed. They had chosen the ground well, forcing the Qutai through a pass with insurmountable walls on either side. What could be done was done.

The very air was tense as fewer and fewer reports came through. The numbers of Qutai reported were staggering.

Button sat quietly, her hand resting on the life growing within. D'vid's eyes found hers and smiled. They were outnumbered and an enemy like no other threatened their world… she smiled, resting in the comfort of D'vid's gaze. Button stood. Those gathered quieted. Save your words, my friends. Go to your people. Speak of home and family and honor. All of which we are, all of which will meet an enemy that knows none of this. I am honored to be here with you at this moment.

No one spoke. They brought their fists to their hearts, bowed and left the tent, leaving Button with her closest friends and advisors.

G'lid sat back in his camp chair and blew his nose. Damn… I hate emotional… whatever that was.

Foley rested his mud covered boots on the camp table, his fingers steepled in deep thought. I agree with Clete, though it pains me to admit it. Placing his people in the western cliffs with their tamasite shields reflecting the morning sun will give us an early advantage.

Better hope it doesn't rain, G'lid grumped.

High Lord Clete of the Toltafar People nodded in acknowledgement of Foley's support. He didn't for an instant believe Foley's antagonism toward the Toltafar leader was in any way diminished. If anyone could hold a grudge it was Foley, especially since he couldn't kill the little bastard.

The tent flap jerked aside as Brai rushed in. The I'larit have come!

We have indeed, Superior Marimus said, entering two steps behind Brai. His disciples, the I'larit, were renowned fighters, feared and deadly.

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Button ignored the lightening sky of morning. She lay in the curve of D'vid's arm, trying not to think of what was to come. He had argued unsuccessfully that she should move further back from the expected battle line. I need to be where our people can see me. If I send them into battle to die, but seek my own safety, what does that make me? The guilt and worry of not fighting by your side tears at my heart. They sat close, no space between them, as they ate their morning meal. D'vid raised her hand, kissing each finger and then her open palm, his love for her a testament of all that was right and good.

Are you two done? G'lid asked as he kicked D'vid's feet. Reports say the bastards are up and moving. I can smell them from here. H'nor snorted at his side. He gave her a quick hug. And the answer to your insinuation is it isn't me.

Foley called out, Let's get moving. I have better things to do this afternoon.

Like what, for instance? D'vid asked.

I found where G'lid keeps his teabrew stash. Anyone interested in joining me this afternoon? Foley chortled as G'lid gave him a murderous look.

Touch my stash without me and you won't have to worry about any Qutai making your life a misery, G'lid growled, trying hard not to laugh.

Mid-afternoon, your tent? D'vid asked G'lid.

I'll be waiting and try to keep up, G'lid said as he and H'nor mounted.

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Button paced and worried. From her vantage point, she could see D'vid moving about, talking, adjusting gear, giving encouragement. To the right, her eyes settled on the I'larit who stood rock solid. The only movement was a flutter of their capes as a breeze wafted through their ranks. On the left, she didn't have to hear to know Foley was making jokes and comic threats if anyone killed more Qutai than he did. His people laughed as they took bets. Foley looked toward Button and lifted a hand. With his ribald banter, he had relieved some of their fearful jitters.

She had never had to wait before and found it unbearable. The early morning reports had been favorable. Clete's stratagem had disoriented the first contingent through the pass. But the morning had passed and now the true fighting began. Her eyes constantly sought D'vid at the center of the fighting, Foley to the left, the I'larit to the right. The fighting was ferocious. As hard as they fought the rapacious Qutai, they were being forced back by overwhelming numbers.

Something had changed. The very air around her stilled. Where was D'vid? She saw Foley and the I'larit but no D'vid. A trumpet blared as the center gathered to push back the Qutai. It was the call of desperation. Qutai fell around G'lid and H'nor and their House Guards as they fought to regain the ground they had just lost. A rush of men came forward and gathered a body in their arms.

The Qutai started pounding on their chest plates, backing away. The fighting was coming too easily. War was a game of attrition, a game to be drawn out and savored. Yes, the Qutai relished this suffering as they turned to feast upon the dying.

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She stood still, watching. Her body refused to comprehend what her eyes saw. They laid D'vid at her feet. G'lid, H'nor, and Foley surrounded her. No words could comfort. Their loss was profound.

Chapter two

No mercy...

Her voice was raw from screaming. Grief and anger warred within her, consuming, agonizing. Revenge was what her heart cried for, to cause as much pain in return for what she was feeling. Button had opened the door and there was no closing it. She knew and did not care, as maniacal laughter was drowned out by the blood pounding in her ears.

The sound of battle surrounded her, the cries of dying soldiers and animals brutalized in war. The smell of death, the metallic taste of blood, the hopelessness of what they all feared… waited.

Button leaned down and kissed D'vid's face. A face almost unrecognizable. Sightless eyes stared into nothingness. She wanted to die, but first she would kill and kill again until there was nothing left for her to savage. There would be no mercy… no honorable surrender.

She covered D'vid's face and his mauled body with her cape. Rising, she walked toward d'ar-kamal's son, b'etnal. His eyes were wild and muscles tense, ready for battle. People followed behind her, imploring her to wait, but others walked behind this woman who they would follow in victory or death. They knew no other way.

b'etnal's withers shivered as Button settled into place. Without thought she loosened her spear in its sheath, drew her sword and pulled her black knife from its place at her back. Her knees gave b'etnal the command all war horses know. His heart exulted, and he sprang forward into the terror and blood-soaked field of battle.

D'vid was no longer there to cover her side. She did not look. She felt. Her eyes sought the hardest pressed battle line and b'etnal turned and charged forward. Her sword blade and knife brought death wherever she turned. Their faces distorted and misshapen, the Qutai's guttural cries turned from gory and fiendish exultation to a growing sense of unease. The woman on the once-white horse held death in her hands. Lost in her grief, when one of the Qutai dropped his weapons and called out his surrender, her answer was swift and merciless. Her people were no longer beaten. They saw hope. They saw the woman they had followed since she was a girl and gained strength from her fearless charge. They gave no quarter as she did not.

When the Qutai turned, Button called out, Leave none alive! She turned her horse toward the next embattled line. Her soldiers saw her coming and took heart. Her sword never faltered, it struck true and with deadly accuracy. b'etnal danced to her sword's call, biting and kicking, stomping and turning to the pressure of his rider. Only once did she falter, when her gaze looked to where D'vid should have been. Her heart lurched. Not D'vid, but Foley.

On and on it went, the battle turned. The ugliness of execution began as they cut down from behind all that ran from their retribution. There was no honor, there was no