Read Of Heroes And Villains (Book 4) Online
Authors: Julius St. Clair
Of Heroes And Villains (Book 4)
The Last of the Sages IV
By
Julius St. Clair
Copyright © 2014 by Julius St. Clair
All rights reserved. This story or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Now Available (at a discounted price for a limited time):
The Dark Kingdom (Book 2 of the Sage Saga)
Hail to the Queen (Book 3 of the Sage Saga)
Another epic fantasy series by Julius St. Clair that you will fall in love with:
Obsidian Sky (Book #1 of the Obsidian Saga)
Dear Reader,
First and foremost, I just want to say that I do not believe in continuing a series just for the sake of it, and I certainly hate the “shameless cash grab.” I have come across many series that continue on into 10 books or more, while the story just continues to get weaker and weaker with each installment.
I love a good story, but in order to ensure that it maintains its integrity, there has to be a time in which it has a definitive end. If you are fan of
Star Wars
in any way, then you know that the series is about to continue on with Episodes 7-9. Now, if they were to simply continue the story of Anakin Skywalker, it would be terrible. For example, they could raise him from the dead somehow and have him go through more adventures in episodes 7-9. To that, I would say,
please just stop
. That tale is over. Just leave it alone.
However, that doesn’t mean the Star Wars universe can’t continue on with new characters, stories and adventures. That is how I feel about the Sage Saga. It started out as just a trilogy, and I had no intention of creating a fourth installment. None whatsoever. But as I do with nearly all my books, I found myself leaving little mysteries and a few unanswered questions. This is not because I wanted to explore those ideas in a fourth book, but because that is how I believe life is. We don’t get the answers to everything. Neither should the characters in books, and to some extent, the readers. There has to be room for a reader to speculate and draw their own conclusions on certain matters. Here is one example I’ve left open to a degree: is there really a Paradise and Oblivion? Or is it just a belief of the Sages, since the Langorans, Prattlians and Quietus don’t mention it at all within their cultures? (Notice that it is the only the Allayans that have seen the souls of others, and if you want to argue for Thorn’s plan, remember that he was also of Allay, so…what does
that
mean?). That kind of unanswered speculation excites me for some reason.
Anyways, to continue what I was saying, I love leaving some things open (not open endings, mind you), and I hope that you, as the reader, appreciate those little things as well. With that being said, there were a couple questions I left unanswered that I just kept on thinking about once the trilogy was done. Over time, a new story began to etch itself out within my mind, and I realized that I couldn’t leave the world of the Sages alone. I had to go back. I wanted to create an entirely different protagonist though, because let’s be honest. For the most part, James’ story arc is complete. Although we all keep on growing throughout our lives (or at least, we like to think so), there does hit a moment in which we have pretty much become the person we’re going to be (minus extreme circumstances occurring).
Thus, Bastion was born. I hope you’ll like him, though like James in the first Sage book, he’ll have his own growing up to do in some ways. It’s all part of the journey. Rest assured though, all that survived Thorn’s wrath are back as well, and so...within this book, you will find that there will be a lot of new, and some of the old. Either way, I hope you’ll have fun.
From here on out, I will be emulating that Star Wars model I mentioned earlier, because I think that’s just what works best. Personally, I don’t want to see James taking all the spotlight for a ridiculous number of installments. That’s just…boring.
So here’s what will happen. Each set of 3 books will be a NEW TRILOGY. 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, etc. That means, you can be at ease knowing that each set of 3 is a complete narrative that will have a definitive beginning, middle and end. For example, Book 6 is going to have a true ending for Bastion, and if a book 7 did get written, it would in many ways be a brand new story. For the record, I don’t even know if I’m going to write a book 7. It’s only if a story comes to me—which is also good for you too, because if for whatever reason, you start getting tired of this world, you could finish a set of 3, and then ignore the next one. I think that’s fair, and I always try to do what I as a reader would like to see happen. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this novel. There’s a bit of mystery, some romance, political intrigue, plenty of good old Sage action and a few surprises. Thank you for all your support, and again, if you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to e-mail me.
Appreciative and grateful,
Julius St. Clair
Chapter 2 – The Order of Things
Chapter 3 – Say That One More Time
Chapter 21 – Under the Moonlight, We Fight
Chapter 22 – For Your Soul, I’ll Die
Chapter 1 – Talented
“Stop running away!” his mother shouted for the third time. Once again, he disobeyed. Before she could swing the dagger down onto his right shoulder, he dove to the left. Even after he had hit the dirt, he continued rolling frantically, kicking up the dried out soil. His mother sucked her teeth and decided to cease her attacks, which only made him more anxious. The cloud of dirt that had kicked up from his escape stung his eyes and coated his tongue as he tried to catch his breath. His new white cotton shirt was now a rusty copper color, and his hair was tussled, raining down pebbles and dust onto his nose. He sneezed, and his mother shook her head in disappointment, watching him carefully through her long, frizzled brown hair.
Still, it was a good day.
He was fortunate that he had received a reprieve at all. Too often, his mother would charge and attack him relentlessly, as soon as his father was out of eye shot. It was a horrible ritual that paralyzed him with uncertainty every single day. His father would kiss his mother lightly on the cheek, nod his way, and then begin his long trek to the village. Living on the outskirts was never fun, but that was the price one had to pay for privacy and a few acres of land. Still, the journey would have surely been made easier if it wasn’t for his fractured leg. A nasty fall from a village roof when he was in his youth. A Sage would have been able to heal it. Or a Quietus. Or a Langoran. A Prattlian. But he was none of those things, according to him.
Everyone knew that he was just fooling himself. He had the power deep within. The entire world had the same, as long as they had touched one of the stones of power at some point. But once his father set his mind on something, it latched onto him like a parasite. Bastion wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
His mother was a monster though. Of that, he was sure. Perhaps not the creatures of his nightmares, but close enough. She certainly made the Terrs hanging out in the woods nearby seem tame. Per his father’s expectations, she played the sweet and adoring housewife when he was at home, cooking him meals with tender and care, massaging his feet, lavishing him with praise…but as soon as he had departed, she transformed, embodying every letter of the word.
She donned her Sage robe like a judge and executioner, summoning a beam of light from the sky to engulf her. She manifested it before his eyes so quickly that he fell onto his butt the first time. Where there was once a large, spotless white apron covering her long and frilly yellow dress, there was now a red robe, with streaks of blue ripping across it like lightning. Her hair would go from long to short, and the tips would become curled, like snakes wrapping around a tree branch. Her eyes lost their merriment, and for the next minute, all she would do was stare at him. Intimidating him. Goading him.
He had taken the bait once, because back then he was stupid and naive. He thought that the woman who laughed and sang throughout the day was actually her. He believed that although her appearance had changed—her personality had not, for a Sage was said to be pure of heart and mind. Now he questioned that doctrine every morning.
The first time she had struck him across the cheek, it felt like his head was going to roll off its post. He went sprawling into the dead patches of grass, clutching his face hard and trying to fight back the hiccups. It hadn’t hurt physically, but a wound to his heart had been made. He couldn’t control the tears. Instead of wiping them away, he let them flow, turning toward his mother, and showing her the damage that had been done. She met his gaze with a regular dagger, plunging it hard through his left shoulder.
He screamed in shock as his mind flooded with questions. What was going on? Wasn’t he her child? Didn’t she love him anymore?
“You are going to heal that wound before your father comes home,” she said, pulling out the dagger swiftly. “I know you can do it.”
“Why did you do that?!” Bastion cried out.
“SHUT UP!” she roared in his face, the dagger in her right hand edging closer to his chin. “You’re lying. I saw you outside in the woods. You can manifest an eidolon.”
He didn’t know what to say. He thought it was his little secret. A glorious secret that he would reveal one day when the time was right. Maybe it would be defending a girl’s honor, or saving someone from a burning house. The best daydream was the one where the Kingdom of Allay was attacked, and all the Sages had left for an away mission. The villagers would be terrified and they would cry out for someone to save him. And then he would appear, standing before the intruders with an eidolon so powerful and massive, they would cower and run. Apparently, he had to beat his Mom first.
“I can,” he admitted. “But I didn’t want to tell you, and especially not Papa. He would hate me for it.”
“You’ve seen me transform,” she said as she stood up straight, the dagger no longer in striking distance. “I’ve sensed you watching.”
“I did see it once…but I didn’t think anything of it. You just transformed your clothes.”
“Does your father know about me? Did you say anything to him about it? Even if it was unintentional?”
“No,” Bastion replied truthfully. “I knew he would hate you, just like he would hate me.”
“It’s because he’s stubborn.”
“I guess,” Bastion’s eyes widened in alarm. He had tried to shrug his shoulders, but his left side had gone numb. Without hesitation, he began concentrating on closing the wound.
“If he wanted to, he could become a Sage. He could become anything he wanted.”
“I don’t know why he doesn’t want to,” Bastion replied.
“It doesn’t matter,” she sighed. “You can do what he can’t. Therefore, you’re going to be the man of the house from now on. So get up, and release your eidolon.”
“No,” Bastion said, his eyes became wet again. “You’re my mother.”
She slapped him across the cheek, but this time, there was no retort, whether physically or mentally. He accepted it. She slapped him again, and though it stung his heart even more, he braced himself for a follow-up. He couldn’t reveal his eidolon. Not now. She wouldn’t understand.
It was only by a miracle that his father had come home early that day. His leg had been bothering him and he had barely made it a mile before he headed back. His mother’s robe fell off of her as if it was made of the dirt beneath her feet. One moment it was there, and in the next, it was her yellow dress and apron all over again. Her signature smile spread across her face as she waved at Bastion to hurry up his healing process.