Mike Jefferies - Loremaster 2 - Palace of Kings.pdf - Mike Jefferies - margozap

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Palace of Kings

MIKE JEFFERIES was born in Kent but

spent his early years in Australia. He

attended the Goldsmiths School of Arts and

then taught art in schools and in prisons. A

keen rider, he was selected in 1980 to ride

for Britain in the: Belgian Three Day Event.

He now lives in Norfolk where he works,

among other things, as an illustrator, with

his wife and three stepchildren.

by the same author

Loremasters of Elundium

1. The Road to Underfall

2. Palace of Kings

3. Shadowlight

The Heirs of Gnarlsmyre

1. Glitterspite Hall

2. HallofWhispers

MIKE JEFFERIES

Palace of Kings

Fontana

An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublis/,ers

To my wife, Sheila, who heard the Nightbeasts' roar

and lit the first spark against their darkness. To you I

give all Elundium.

A FONTANA ORIGINAL

First published in 1987 by Fontana,

an imprint of HarperCoOir~s Publishers,

77~,5 FuOlam Palace Road

Hammersmith, London W6 8JB.

9876543

The Author asserts the moral right to be

identified as the author of this work

A CIP catalogue record for this book

is available from the British Library

Printed and bound in Great Britain by

HarperCoOins Manufacturing, Glasgow

CONDITIONS OF SALE

This book is sold subject to the condition

that it shad not, by way of trade or otherwise,

be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated

without the publisher's prior consent in any form of

binding or cover other than that in which it is

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published and without a similar condition

including this condition being imposed

on the subsequent purchaser

Palace of Kings

King Holbian, the last Granite King of Elundium, is trapped,

siege-locked within the Granite City. He waits in terror,

bravely trying to master his fear of the dark as the black

shadowy Nightbeast army swarms against the walls of his once

beautiful city. Unknown to the King during these desperate

daylights as the great wall crumbles, Thanehand, the candleman'

s son he despatched with a last message to the fortress of

Underfall, has survived his dangerous journey and risen from

humble messenger in the shadows of World's End to lead the

warriors of Underfall to victory on the high plateau of

Mantern's Mountain before the Gates of Night.

Krulshards, the Master of Nightbeasts, has fled from

defeat back into the darkness and Thane waits with bated

breath between the black gates, stretching his hand up

towards the owl that hovers with his grandfather's sword held

in its talons. He knows that with that sword in his hand he can

enter the darkness and destroy Krulshards.

Into the City of Night

Thanehand balanced lightly on the balls of his feet, stretching

his hand towards the hovering owl. Laughing, he closed his

fingers around the hilt of his grandfather's sword and took it

easily from Eagle Owl's talons.

'Thoron is somewhere beyond the black gates,' he whispered

to the owl. 'But I will find him no matter how thick the

darkness becomes.'

Thane turned towards the plateau and lifted his sword to

catch all the evening light, sweeping it in a glittering arc above

his head. The warriors surged forward, a shout of victory on

their lips.

'Who will follow me into the darkness?' he cried, taking a

step towards the black marble gates that led into the City of

Night. Behind him an eerie battle silence spread across the

plateau. Thane hesitated and looked back towards the warriors

beneath the standard of the owl in blue and gold and

saw their fear of the dark pass like a shadow across their

faces.

'Is there none brave enough to hold my spark while I fight

with the Master of Night to free Thoron?' he shouted.

All the Marchers, Gallopers and Archers had shuffled to a

halt, unable to face their fears and look Thanehand in the eye.

Tombel, the greatest Marcher Captain in all Elundium,

shouldered his way through the press of warriors until he

stood before Thane. Lifting his broad Marching sword he

pointed at the body of Amarch, Thoron's warhorse, where

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I will lead you, Thane,' rang a clear voice near the black

gates.

Tombel spun round and stared in bewilderment at Willow

Leaf, the tunnel slave who had helped to defeat the Nightbeast

army at Battle's End from within the City of Night.

'Who in all Elundium ...?' gasped Tombel, his look

passing from Willow's shell-like ears and huge round eyes to

his white, almost transparent, skin.

Thane laughed, for a moment forgetting his haste. 'Willow,

come and meet the greatest Lord of the Marchers ever to

cross Elundium.'

'The horse at Willow's side is a greater lord than I could

ever be!' said Tombel, admiringly.

'He is the Lord of Horses, Equestrius,' Willow replied,

proudly, moving forward to stand before Tombel. 'He is

the greatest warhorse ever to live. He took me back into the

City of Night and helped me to rally my people into a great

army. Together we won the black gates and the beautiful

sunlight.'

Then he remembered the old mare, Evening Star, who had

started it all an age ago when the Lord of Horses had served

her while the Nightbeasts slept; and his large eyes grew soft,

filling with a far away look. 'Well, almost the greatest horse

ever to live.'

Equestrius snorted, nudging Willow with his head. Tombel

laughed, saying, 'You go too fast for an old Marcher, child.

Start at the beginning, tell me who you are.

Thane turned impatiently towards the setting sun. 'Thoron's

life may hang on each word we waste. Let it be enough

for now to know that without Willow and the black warhorse

she lay, stabbed to death, before the black gates. He lowered

his eyes and wept.

'Dearly would I love to avenge her death and help you to

free your grandfather but without a glimmer of starlight, no

matter how faint, how can I? I fear the dark and I cannot be at

your side, not even to hold the spark.'

you would have found us trampled beneath the Nightbeast

army.' ~

'Lord, I will lead you to the very heart of our torment,

through black chambers that are choked with the forgotten

bones of our people. I will guide you to the chamber where

Thoron hangs, but you can only travel that road if you are not

afraid of the dark, for within the City of Night there is a

blackness so complete that you will be lost, even within

yourself, if night holds any fear for you.'

Willow turned, grim-faced, towards the warrior army and

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called in a loud voice. 'I will take anyone who is not afraid of

the dark.'

Thane laughed, moving into the entrance. 'I was born to

the Candlelighter in Candlebane Hall. I fear nothing in the

dark.'

'There are no candles in the City of Night,' added Willow.

'I will stand by your side,' cried out Kyotorm, a little

nervously. 'The dash to World's End made us brothers. I will

go with you.'

Tombel moved close to Thane and whispered, 'My heart

yearns to follow you, but I cannot face the darkness. Forgive

me.'

Thane took Tombel's hand and gripped it tightly. 'Oh,

Lord and greatest Marcher Captain, when I came to your

house, a low and humble Candleman's son, you made me

strong with patient hours of teaching. You readied me for this

task and taught me that we must use the strengths we have.

Your place is here beneath the stars, marshalling day's end

and setting fair the wreck of battle. Wait for us two daylights

on the high plateau. If we have not returned by then, go back

to Underfall and strengthen it against the Master of Darkness.

We are ready to go now.'

'There are no candles beneath the mountain to light the

way,' repeated Willow.

'Nor were there candles on the road,' answered Thane.

'l~ulcade, chief Loftmaster Owl shall come with us and be my

eyes for he can see in the dark.'

Esteron, the Warhorse who had carried Thane the length

of Elundium, snorted and pawed the ground. 'Esteron shall

come, for he fears nothing that moves by night.'

Kyot hesitated between the great marble portals as a hot

wind blew on his face and cries of terror came out of the dark.

'I cannot come with you into that blackness!'

'Take my hand, brother,' Thane whispered as Rockspray

the Battle Owl stooped to Kyot's shoulder and hooted a

challenge at the darkness.

Kyot laughed, lifted his hand and caressed the owl's chest

feathers. 'You will be my eyes, great bird of war. Now I can

follow!'

Willow passed into the darkness, his eyes widening as the

Mghtshapes closed off the last shades of evening light, and

followed the main highway into the heart of Mantern's

Mountain. 'Take care,' willow whispered, 'for the Nightbeast

armour has poison in the spikes.'

They carefully picked their way between the fallen carcasses

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that littered and in some places almost blocked their road.

'You fought a great battle here in the darkness,' Thane

called out softly to Willow, lighting his spark to find a way

through the heaps of dead.

'Put out the light!' hissed Willow. 'I can hear voices far

ahead of us retreating into the high chambers.'

Seeds of Revenge

'Curse you, Thanehand!' screamed Krulshards, the Master of

Nightbeasts, withdrawing further into the safety of the City of

Night, forcing a passage through the piles of Mghtbeast dead.

'Thanehand!' he snarled, halting between the now lifeless

Gatewatchers and turning to stare hatefully at the figure of

the young warrior standing defiantly between the black gates.

'I know your name, foul Galloperspawn,' he cried, drawing the

battle-torn black malice he wore tightly around his shoulders.

'And I curse the day you crawled out of your mother's belly to

seek my ruin.'

Sobbing with rage Krulshards, the Master of Nightmares,

spat at the ground. He looked past Thane at the Marchers

and Gallopers of Elundium crowding towards the gates and

saw the measure of his defeat. The last shadowy mass of his

Nightbeast army was being trampled and overrun by the wild

Warhorses.

'Thanehand! Galloper's spawn!' he ground the name of

Hand between his teeth, watching the boy reach up towards

the owl stooping out of the clear evening sky, stretching his

fingers for the long Galloping sword in the owl's talons.

Krulshards struck his fist against the rough tunnel wall and

began to turn towards the secret roads that led to his high

chambers in the centre of the city, far away from the light, but

Thane cried out to the stooping owl, making Krulshards turn

back and lis'Eagle Owl! I am Thanehand, Thoronhand's grandson,

and I have great need of the blade you carry, for Grandfather

is still a prisoner in the City of Night. Lend me the sword, so

that I can rescue him. Please help me.'

'Thoron! Thoron!' Krulshards whispered, creeping back

towards the black gates, searching his memory, going through

each and every black chamber of his nightmare city; trymg to

remember where he had chained this Thoron.

The owl was shunning Thane's hand, taking the sword up

away from him, casting fear and doubt through the advancing

warriors. Krulshards laughed and cupping his bone black,

skinless fingers to his mouth, called back into the darkness,

summoning the Nightshards he had bred to defend the high

chambers.

'Come to me, blind beasts!' he shouted. 'Link your spare

blades and defend me here in the entrance of night. Form a

shadowless circle in the dark while I seek the weakness in this

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Mike Jefferies - Loremaster 2 - Palace of Kings.pdf

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