After undressing he quickly dove under the blankets to escape the cold air. His thoughts drifted to the magnitude of the events they had dealt with that day, and he wondered if this ‘Sceptre of Oblivion’ was going to be so easily recovered. The idea that Pacian was going to the dwarven city of Stonegaard to ask nicely if they could hand over the relic, if they had it, was laughable to Aiden. For all his cunning, Pacian was impatient and lacked subtlety. Although he was initially surprised by Nellise’s offer to go along, Aiden realised she could probably keep him on a tight leash, if necessary.
Nellise herself seemed to have pulled herself together for that last battle, and Aiden hoped she was finally able to move on with her life. Taking on this challenge was a good sign, though he did wonder what Sir William thought of it. He would ask the old knight in the morning, as they were gathering supplies for the journey.
Sayana, despite her assertions that she would be needed, was probably travelling with Pace just to get away from Aiden. It was a selfish conceit, but one he couldn’t let go of. She too had seemed to cross a personal barrier in the last fight, gathering her strength when they needed it most. The only thing that had Aiden worried was the smile on her face as she blew half the senate’s wall to dust.
Tossing and turning with all of these thoughts crossing through his mind, Aiden opened his eyes, unable to sleep. He stared up at the ceiling and lamented he was able to see it, despite having blown out the candle he’d used to find his way up to the room. Glancing around, he saw a blue light coming from his belongings, inviting him closer to investigate.
He got up and opened the pouch, to see the glowing cube resting on a pile of coins, forgotten in the events of the day. Taking it in one hand, he held it before him and marvelled at the curious light softly emanating from the device. Out of instinct, he touched it with his thumb and almost dropped it when he saw the top panel of the cube pop open and light up.
It was a solid, constant light which outlined strange symbols and runes across its surface. He had seen these symbols before, inscribed on the side of the cylinders that both Dale in Bracksford and Desmond in the University had in their studies. The letters shifted and scrolled around, moving a little too fast for Aiden to make any sense of, even if he could read the language.
Several other dots of light had appeared on the side of the cube, and Aiden’s heart quickened as he realised that the cylinder had somehow repaired the ancient relic, and its secrets were now his to behold.
Touching one of the glowing dots, Aiden fell back in surprise as the flickering images of runes and symbols jumped out of the screen and hovered above the cube itself, far larger than before. Enraptured by the display, the hours passed by as Aiden delved into the mysteries of the strange device and slowly but surely, he began to learn.
About the Author
Stephen L. Nowland resides in Melbourne, Australia, where he pursues his twin interests of art and writing with all diligence. Slightly more information can be found here:
www.amazon.com/StephenL.-Nowland/e/B005GRRPP0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_2
Further information on this novel and upcoming titles in the Aielund saga can be found at his website, and you can follow his progress on Facebook and Twitter.
https://www.facebook.com/stephenlnowland
www.stephenlnowland.com.au
@stephennowland
The Aielund Saga
Nature Abhors a Vacuum
In Defence of the Crown
Ruins of Legend
Legacies of Fire & Steel
Upon the Fulcrum of War
The Akashic Throne
Other titles by the same author
The Ballard Chronicles
In the Wake of War
Table of Contents
Map
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
About the Author