“It’s
a cross between Lord of the Rings and the Wizard of OZ where you will be swept
away into a magical land of Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings.”
—Brae Wyckoff
Voted #1 BEST
fantasy book under the radar!
Voted #1 Best
Christian Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book!
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Synopsis:
In the hundreds of years since the Holy City
disappeared, darkness has fallen over the land. Human kingdoms have seized
control of the realm, scattering the other races into hiding.
Bridazak, a skilled thief, and his friends, a Dwarf
and a fellow Ordakian, have dared to remain within the human communities and
live relatively quiet lives, until they discover a mysterious, magical
artifact. The three friends are thrust into an adventure that will challenge
their faith, their purpose, and their destiny as they chase a forgotten and
lost prophecy across the realm of Ruauck-El, where they hope to discover the
origins of the strange item and their place in its history.
An ancient, unknown enemy threatens the completion
of their journey at every turn. Bridazak is about to face the biggest adventure
of his life, one that may change the known realm, and answer the questions he
has carried all his life. Will they unlock the truth?
Chapter 5: Lonely Tear
Dulgin went off to
settle things with the stable caretaker and then they walked into the Lady Luck
Inn. The stone building was a two-story structure with a thatched roof and
double paned windows. It was very plain outside; a simple sign dangled above
the entryway. Inside was much the same; nothing adorned the walls, and a few
small tables were set around a fireplace where sparkling embers faded. There
stood a small registry station to the left of them, but no one was present. All
was quiet, like the town. A dim light from behind the counter in a back room
mingled with the darkness of the main lobby. They tried to peek over the
human-sized wooden counter to see where the innkeeper might be. They had hoped
their entrance had alerted someone, but not a soul stirred from the back room.
“There is no one
here, late night travelers,” said a creaky, unknown voice from behind them near
the fireplace. “Come, sit by the fire while you wait for the innkeeper,” the
midget voice spoke again.
The fire suddenly
erupted, illuminating the lodge enough to see more clearly. In the light, they
recognized that the small creature was a Deep Gnome, an underground race with
wood-brown skin, pure white hair, gray-blue eyes, and a plump nose, pitted and
almost three inches in length. Smaller than the Ordakians, he was only three
feet tall. He wore earth-toned clothing, leather boots adorned with strange
writings, shiny gold bracers around its arms, and a small, thin, dark brown
cape that was slung over his left shoulder.
The Deep Gnome glared at them with a cocky confidence.
“Who are you?”
Bridazak asked suspiciously.
“My name is Mudd, but
you can call me Aloysius Davadander Ashenkoombi, for short.”
The Dwarf and Daks
looked at each other, bewildered and confused.
“I don't like him,”
whispered Dulgin.
“And I don't care,”
the mysterious Gnome grinned, apparently hearing the Dwarf's comment from
across the room.
“What do you want?”
asked Bridazak.
“I wanted to see with
my own eyes the ones that are causing so much grief.”
“Grief with whom?”
Dulgin questioned as he took a step forward.
“Yes, an interesting
question indeed,” he sighed, “You have no idea what is happening, do you?”
“No, we don't. But we would appreciate some answers,” chimed
Bridazak as he moved into the sitting room and sat on the end of one of the
benches. His friends followed, but did not sit.
“Things are changing
rapidly--things that no one can stop. You, Bridazak, have awakened the destiny
of this realm. The prophecy has been unleashed. I have seen much over my
thousand years, and have found that men of all races are springs without water
and mists driven by a storm. The blackest darkness is reserved for most, but
for what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they
will understand.” Mudd narrowed his eye
slits while staring intently toward Bridazak.
“Since you know who I
am, are you the one Ember spoke of?” asked the Ordakian.
“Not even close, but
interesting that you should mention her name. She told you of him, didn't she?
Now I see that she has granted you protection, for what it is worth,” Mudd
pointed at the medallion around Bridazak's neck.
“What is it worth?”
Spilf’s interest piqued at the thought of getting a few more coins in their
purses.
“Worthless to those
it was not given to, and no help in preventing me from locating you. What
matters now is the time of the prophecy. It has called out for centuries, but
none have heard, until now. I will give you a word of advice before I depart.
Keep moving, because as I found you, so can others. You can stay in my room, if
you dare, and the key I leave behind opens more than one door.” The mysterious
gnome became blurry and slowly transformed into a ghostly image. He produced a
soft aura as he rose from the chair and hovered.
“The creatures of
this world never cease to amaze me. We will see if you are one of them.” Mudd
flew up higher and then soared down toward the group. They ducked and watched
the apparition as he plummeted into the roaring fire. A burst of flame erupted,
and then reduced to its original dying embers. Spilf noticed a glint of gold,
and upon inspection, discovered a golden key on the chair where Mudd sat.
Bridazak sighed as he
put his hands over his face. “What have I gotten us into?”
(To read more of this chapter, head over to
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Book Links
About the Author:
Brae
Wyckoff was born and raised in San Diego, CA and is working toward a Psychology
degree. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Jill, for 20 years, and they
have three children; Tommy, Michelle, and Brittany. He has a beautiful grandson
named Avery. Brae has been an avid gamer since 1985. His passion for mysterious
realms and the supernatural inspired him to write The Orb of Truth, the first in
a series of fantasy action adventures. Brae describes The Orb of Truth as a cross between the Lord of the Rings and the Wizard of OZ
where you will be swept away into a magical land of Dwarves, Elves, and
Halflings.
Author Links
Enjoyed the excerprt wish Brae all the best with it
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me on your blog.
ReplyDeleteMany blessings,
Brae
You're very welcome!
DeleteThank you for being here :)
Thanks for featuring this awesome author and great book.
ReplyDeleteIt's my pleasure. Brae and his works are welcome back here any time :)
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