Fantasy Novel

OK this is the start of a fantasy style novel I'm writting

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The room was simply too small to fit everything in it. Various weapons of all descriptions hung from the back wall. The side walls consisted of nothing but bookshelves stuffed to bursting with ancient tomes and scrolls. Random artifacts were strewn haphazardly across the floor. A single man sat in a large throne-like chair behind a dark wooden desk.

A book fell from the shelf with sharp smack that drew his attention. He sighed and picked himself up off his throne when a stuttering voice interrupted him. An apprehensive voice began speaking in stops and starts trying to inform the room’s kingly occupant of something that needed his attention.

He ignored the message and picked up the fallen book. Leafing through the pages of the book he briefly considered that it might be helpful to put expand the office to make space for the books he had collected. Looking at the solid granite walls he dismissed the plan as impractical. Suddenly a passage in the book caught his attention.

A voice interrupted from no where “Hey Hank.”

“What?” he shot back

“Did you get the message?”

“Yes, but I have chosen to ignore the complaints of people who want me to solve their problems for them.”

“. . .”

“Anyhow, Karen” he sat back down on his chair examining the book carefully “I need you to find some people for me.”

* * *

A tall man with skin like bleached bones looked with interest at the image before him. He was aware of the sight he made in a long black coat and matching wide brimmed hat but there was no one around to care anyway. He waved his hand and the image vanished. He leaned back and pensively examined the endless expanse in front of him. The man smiled and called into emptiness.

“Third, I’ve found something that you might enjoy.”

A chink of light appeared out of nowhere and an old man in flowing black and gold robes stepped through it. He smiled wryly as he looked at the man before him “I doubt that Second”

Second adjusted his hat and smiled “Seriously, this has the potential to be quite fun.”

“Alright, fine. What exactly is about to happen?”

* * *

Hank paced back and forth carefully checking his office. It was always best to make a good impression when people arrived. To their credit the cleaning crew had done a very good job. The books were ordered and in place, his various gadgets and artifacts had been placed onto shelves he didn’t remember having and the room had been brightened significantly. Suddenly a voice imposed on his silence.
“I’ve found them.”

“Good, send them in.”

A blinding flash of light illuminated the room and immediately it descended into utter chaos. Two of the room’s six new occupants were at each other’s necks. Another glared at Hank and jumped toward him murderously. Reflexively Hank defended himself and, with a single gesture, hurled the assailant across the room smashing her into the wall. Instantly all motion in the room stopped. Hank leaned over his desk to see what had become of his attacker. The back wall was covered not with blood and intestines as he expected but rather with water. As everyone watched the pools of water began to coalesce and take the form of a strikingly attractive woman. She had crystal blue eyes and matching hair. Long silk robes swirled in constant motion around her body.

“Ah, a naiad.” sighed Hank obviously relieved

“What the hell was that about!?” she yelled back

“You attacked me.”

“You could have killed me with that kind of spell if I was human. Besides”, she cracked her neck “It really hurts anyway.”

“I was merely trying to defend myself.” he responded calmly

She looked at him and backed down. Something seemed off about the man in front of her. He gave no outward signs of malevolence and, although she hated to admit it, his actions were somewhat justified. Nonetheless, the room’s light seemed dimmer around him.

continued

“Fine, whatever. Aren’t you going to pry those two apart?” she gestured to her right. A tall man had his fingers locked around the neck of a young woman who was doing the same thing, albeit with less success. Seeing that attention was now focused on them the two quickly detached but never removed their eyes from the other. After watching them warily for a moment Hank looked up at the ceiling and called out.

“Karen what were those two doing before you brought them here?” he asked waving toward the uncoupled duo.

“The man intended to kill the young woman, who had in turn prepared a magical array that would have almost certainly have killed him. Interestingly, he would have had just enough time to crush her throat before the spell killed him. However her spell was interrupted by the teleportation.”

“Then why didn’t he kill her the moment they arrived?”

“The teleportation temporarily disrupted some aspect of his power and severely reduced his ability to penetrate her defenses.”

“Hold it” the young woman interrupted “First of all my name is Laura and secondly that thing is not a man it’s a demon.”

Visibly distressed the man decided it was time to speak up. He gave a small polite bow and a quick smile before speaking.

“I am Camael demon of the . . . 8th circle. But please call me Cam, everyone does. I am not an enemy nor is Miss Laura, although I am sure she will endeavor to convince you otherwise.”

Hank examined Camael. At a cursory glance he looked like a normal, if overly tall and thin, person with extremely bright violet eyes. However upon closer inspection a cold unearthly glow was apparent around him. Still, the man’s face was far more disturbing. His superficially noble features were overly sharp and almost artificial as though they served as more of a mask than a face.

Hank turned his attention turned to Laura. Like Camael an aura surrounded her, although hers was warm and almost comforting. Though she was clearly human her robes marked her as an extremely power witch and advanced mage. She was probably a match for almost anyone Hank had in working for him. Her eyes appeared to be those of some unearthly creature and their steel gray color pierced into his soul.

“Well whether you’re my enemies or not is irrelevant. You both work for me now.” Hank said passively

Camael’s bright eyes darkened and anger flashed across his face. His kind demeanor became icy and threatening. “I do not work for anyone.”

Hank laughed “I see. Well you don’t really have a choice.”

A wave of eldritch energy arched from his hand toward Camael. His aura suddenly brightened and he grabbed the spell with one hand. He forced his arm violently to the side sending the energy crashing into wall. Hank mage leaped from his desk closing the gap between him and Camael in an instant. He grabbed the demon by the throat and crushed him into the wall with a surprising amount of strength.

Hank released his hand “Now, let’s try this again. You work for me. Understood?”

Camael ground his teeth but was competent enough to judge his assailant “Understood”

“Excuse me” a voiced interjected “If you’re quite done making a scene would you mind telling us exactly why we’re here?”
The speaker was a tall fit woman in heavy plate armor, long brown hair fell in waves from her head. Her bright red eyes burned into Hank with even greater intensity than Laura’s had. Her face had the hard chiseled appearance of one who had lived a hard life and escaped danger too many times to care about it, at her side was a large war hammer.

“I asked you a question. Why the hell are we here?”

Hank grimaced “I intend to use you and the others here to purge this world of corruption”

“You’re insane.”

“Perhaps, but I intend carry out my plan regardless. I didn’t catch your name.”

“I never offered it.”

He leaned forward “You’re, Amber”

She stepped back “How’d you figure that out?”

“I have ways of learning what I want to know.”

Hank’s attention moved to the only people in the room he had not spoken to and quickly realized why. Neither seemed particularly interested in communication. The nearer one was a cadaverous man with skin tinged gray from malnutrition and lack of light. He was staring intently at the cover of one of Hank’s books completely unmoving.

“Umm” Hank hesitated to approach the man “Could you tell me your name?”

“Yes”

Hank frowned “Okay, what is your name?”

“Dimitri.”

“Do you understand what has happened to you?”

His expression suddenly changed and he turned to stare directly at Hank. “You have kidnapped me and five other people as part of what you claim is an attempt to purge evil from the world.”

His pale blue eyes turned back to the book as if he had never been interrupted. Hank scrutinized the man uncertainly. It was probably better to not to delve into this one’s history. Karen’s information had been extremely limited.

Hank shrugged his shoulders “Well if you don’t have any questions I’ll leave you alone.”

He turned to the last of his assembled captives. The man was dressed in green and brown druidic robes that covered much of his face and obscured his entire body from view. Although it was impossible to see the man’s expression he was clearly attempting to avoid eye contact and make himself as inconspicuous as possible. Around his neck was a golden amulet set with a softly glowing emerald.

A sympathetic quality entered Hank’s voice “I need to know your name.”

For a moment neither spoke.

“Everybody calls me Justin. I don’t know why. I don’t think it’s my real name but I can’t remember my original name.”

“Very well Justin it is” Hank replied with a laugh

He returned to his desk without any apparent motion or magical gesture. Laura took a sharp breath and Camael’s eyes narrowed. The others merely examined him curiously waiting for some sign of what he wanted them to do. He began to look through his stacks of paper.

Hank looked up from his desk “You’re all dismissed”