David Bishop and the Mystic of Creation T.C. Crawford (icecream ebook reader txt) 📖

After the fall of King Krauss in the Battle of the Northern Pass against King Lionel Eldergate I of the Northern Kingdom, the Wolf Guard seized their opportunity to fill the power vacuum and took control of the Southern Kingdom with relative ease. The various tribes quickly fell under their control – those who resisted were slaughtered and eaten in front of their brethren, a strong reminder of what would happen if anyone else decided to resist.

In place of the former government, the Wolf Guard set up a caste system with their kind being at the top of the hierarchy and the former citizens making up the bottom – most being forced into slavery and manual labor, with only a select few making their way into a position of influence – mostly the business owners who ran the fisheries, shipyard, and mines, and some of the more talented armorers and other specialists of various useful occupations.

They separated the kingdom into four regions, each area covered one of the four cardinal directions: North, South, East, and West – with the Wolf Guard being in control of the overall operation of each region and their militia-like overlords.

These overlords became known as the Guild – a tribal-like military that controlled the population through fear tactics and bribery. The Guild mostly consisted of orphans that were handpicked off the streets by the Wolves and trained and manipulated into doing their dirty work.

They had no loyalty to the people, as they had been abandoned by their own kind, forced to live off the streets while begging and sometimes being chased away and beaten by local business owners for stealing from their stores.

“My lord, I’ve received news from my brother in Ashmire. As you had suspected, he came across some travelers from the Northern Kingdom. They must have reopened the Southern Tunnel” said Jakob Zander.

The deep growling voice of the wolf echoed his displeasure from his great stone throne. “Where are they now?” he asked impatiently.

“They got away, my lord, fleeing to the North along the foothills.” replied Jakob, lowering his eyes.

“Your brother’s incompetence displeases me, Jakob.” replied Bloodvayne. “My master has a way of dealing with those who displease him. Fortunately for you, I am a little more forgiving than my master. I will give you one more chance to find these travelers and bring them to me, but this time, you are to personally lead the men. My master tells me they are with a boy of great importance to him. He wants the boy alive, the others you can kill.” said the wolf.

“What will come of my brother, my lord?” Jakob dared to ask.

The large wolf growled deeply, indicating his displeasure at being asked a question that was clearly not his place to ask.

“Your brother will be given the same punishment as any other who would fail me. He will be fed to my brethren as an important reminder to all who should think of failing me again.” he growled.

Jakob bowed his head, clenching his teeth in anger. His brother had always had a way of screwing up, and now it had cost him his life. Jakob vowed right then and there that he would make the ones responsible pay with their lives if it were the last thing he did.

The large commander of the Southern Wolf Guard stood from his throne and slowly walked towards Jakob, stopping merely inches from his face. He could feel the hot breath of the beast on his face but dared not move for fear of offending him by showing any sign of weakness – the wolves despised weakness.

Bloodvayne pulled something small and round out of the cloth around his waist, handing it to Jakob.

“What is this?” asked Jakob.

“This is an artifact of my people imbued with dark magic. It will bring you back to Brineport quickly when you find the boy, no matter the distance. You need only break it when you have him in your grasp, and it’s magic will do the rest.” he growled.

“Thank you, my lord.” replied Jakob, as he stood and turned to walk away, placing the small glass ball in his pocket.

“And Jakob, I’ve always took pride in you, ever since the beginning. But should you fail me, don’t expect any special treatment.” snarled Bloodvayne.

Jakob stopped for a brief moment. “Yes, my lord. Your favor will not go unrewarded.” he replied, and he swiftly exited the room.

Jakob made his way through the pyramid-shaped desert palace to his men who were gathered outside in the courtyard. When they saw their leader alive and well, they all let out a collective sigh of relief.

The last Guild leader who had a faction under his control that failed to carry out his task never made it to an explanation. Bloodvayne simply lunged from his throne and bit off his head in one fell swoop. The rest of his body was tossed to the other wolves and was quickly devoured. All that remained were the bones which were tossed aside for the vultures to carry away and pick clean.

Jakob looked around the courtyard at his men, and they all gathered around to hear their leader, eagerly awaiting their next assignment.

“We are to hunt down the scum from Ashmire and bring back the boy. The one with the tattoo on his hand. He is to be brought back alive. The others we have been ordered to kill.” he shouted loudly, to which the men all cheered.

They lived for assignments such as this. They paid better, and they satisfied their need to kill – a need they had been trained to fulfill since they had been taken from their lives of begging and scavenging the streets as children.

The Guild had given them all a sense of purpose that left their bellies full and their purses fat. Being in the Guild was a privilege for those who lived in the sprawling desert city of Brineport. It gave them power and purpose and the