The Fortress of Donmar (The Tales of Zanoth Book 2) Read online

  The Fortress of Donmar

  The Tales of Zanoth – Book 2

  By Aaron J. Ethridge

  Additional info can be found at:

  AaronJEthridge.com

  Copyright © 2016 by Aaron J. Ethridge

  All rights reserved. This book 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.

  First Printing, 2016

  ASIN: B01KEQ2K5M

  Kindle Edition

  Ethridge Publishing

  2311 Lake Drive

  Williston, SC 29853

  Aaronjethridge.com

  Before You Begin…

  The Fortress of Donmar is the second volume in The Tales of Zanoth series. Although you can certainly enjoy the books out of sequence, you may find it even more enjoyable to read them in the correct order. The first volume (The Tower of Daelfaun) is currently available on Amazon.com. If you’re interested, you can purchase it using this link: The Tower of Daelfaun

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: Forth and Back

  Chapter 2: Nobody Home

  Chapter 3: The Latest Gossip

  Chapter 4: Amongst the Foe

  Chapter 5: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

  Chapter 6: With a Rebel Yell

  Chapter 7: That's Gratitude for You

  Chapter 8: Hit and Run

  Chapter 9: A Long Road

  Chapter 10: Madness There and Nothing More

  Chapter 11: Peace and War

  Chapter 12: Meaningful Conversations

  Chapter 13: False Flags

  Chapter 14: Much to Do

  Chapter 15: A Place of Their Own

  Chapter 16: A Revelation

  Chapter 17: What Was Not Lost

  Chapter 18: Not Again

  Thanks!

  Chapter 1: Forth and Back

  “So, you haven't managed to figure anything out?” Paul asked, glancing over at his friend's monitor.

  “I didn't say that,” Joey pointed out. “What I said was: those e-mails look like they were sent from your home PC.”

  “Well, they couldn't have been.”

  “Obviously,” Joey ceded. “But my point is, just like it was last week, that somebody's gotta be messin' with you. I mean; this has got to be part of some practical joke, man.”

  “Right,” Paul chuckled. “And, whoever the joker is, just happens to be able to read my thoughts and know when someone's about to drop a package off at my house.”

  “That's easy enough to explain,” Joey asserted. “Whoever's behind it had the delivery guy wait at the door until you were up, then they sent you the e-mail right before he knocked. I bet he wasn't even a for-real delivery guy. You're positive you didn't recognize him?”

  “I am,” Paul assured him. “But, that's hardly shocking considering I'd just woken up from living for weeks in another world. As you can imagine, I was a little distracted.”

  “I can see that,” Joey laughed. “If you don't stop talking like that, though, they're gonna put you away.”

  “No, they won't,” Paul replied. “If they come to get me I'll just say I was joking.”

  “Good plan.”

  “Anyway,” Paul continued. “How do you explain the fact that those e-mails came from Freezanoth.com and the name of my dream world is Zanoth?”

  “Deja vu,” Joey suggested.

  “So you think I'd been there before?”

  “No,” Joey chuckled. “What I'm saying is that you'd just woken up. When you saw the word Zanoth, you thought you recognized it, even though you didn't.”

  “Okay,” Paul nodded. “But then, why is the name of the world referenced in the book Zanoth?”

  “Practical joke,” Joey replied. “Whoever sent the e-mails, sent the book. Obviously, they'd use the same name in both.”

  “I guess that's a sound theory,” Paul admitted. “Except there's no way it was a dream. I've just got no way to prove it to you.”

  “Well, dream or not, it doesn't matter,” Joey asserted. “Whatever the case, you're back here now. You need to pick up the threads of your old life.”

  “What threads?” Paul asked. “I didn't even miss a day of work.”

  “I mean; the office goddess. When you fall off a horse, you have to climb right back up on it.”

  “How would you know? You don't ride.”

  “Not my point... Go talk to her.”

  “Two things,” Paul replied. “First, she's not my type...”

  “You said she was a nine just last week!” Joey interrupted.

  “Looks aren't everything,” Paul pointed out. “Plus, she's only like an eight... or maybe even a seven and a half... And, like I already told you: I'm seeing someone.”

  “No, you're not,” Joey corrected. “You've got a dream girl, but that's not exactly the same thing, is it? For one thing, when you're seeing someone you can almost always actually see them.”

  “Well, dream or not, Sylvia's no Myra.”

  “Sylvia?”

  “Miss office goddess,” Paul replied.

  “Oh, right,” Joey nodded. “I haven't used her name for so long that I'd almost forgotten. Office goddess just seems to suit her better than Sylvia somehow. Either way, real woman trumps dream girl every time in my book.”

  “That's because you've never had a dream girl like Myra.”

  “Well, it's been over a week, brother. How long you gonna carry a torch for this girl?”

  “The rest of my life.”

  “You say that now,” Joey chuckled.

  “Anyway,” Paul replied, shaking his head. “Can't you trace the IP address where the e-mails came from or something?”

  “Yes, I can. And, I did. Which is how I know they look like they came from your home PC.”

  “They can't have.”

  “I know that,” Joey pointed out. “But, that's how I know it's a joke. Someone faked the IP address.”

  “Can't you figure out what the real IP was?”

  “No...”

  “What kind of security guy are you?”

  “A better one than you are a programmer.”

  “Funny,” Paul replied with mock disdain. “But, it seems to me...”

  The young man's thought was interrupted by an e-mail arriving at his work station. He glanced over at the screen before quickly dropping into his seat and opening it.

  “Come take a look at this, doubting Thomas,” he said, staring at the monitor.

  “What is it?” Joey asked, climbing from his chair and stepping up behind his friend.

  “Read it for yourself.”

  “It's from [email protected].”

  “Well done,” Paul smiled.

  “Subject: Be Ready,” Joey continued. “Dear Paul, this evening will likely be a busy one for you. I hope you've gotten some rest, as well as spent a little time reading. All the arrangements are being made, so you don't need to worry about anything other than getting yourself mentally prepared. Oh, and invite Joey to spend the night at your house tonight. He could prove useful. Your Friend, -The Administrator.”

  “So, what do you make of that?” Paul asked.

  “Practical joke,” Joey replied.

  “You wanna spend the night?”

  “Why not, man? It's Friday, I’ve got nothing better to do, and I want to find out what the joke is.”

  “Oh, you will,” Paul laughed. “I’ve got no doubt about that.”

  The two young men refrained from discussing the subject for the rest of the day. It was likely they would get s
ome answers to their questions later that evening, so there wasn't much point in discussing any more theory. After work, the pair headed for Paul's house, where they quickly ordered a pizza with pepperoni, black olives, and mushrooms, before settling in for some serious gaming. Just before midnight, they decided to get some sleep.

  For one thing, Paul figured that sleeping was probably the key to getting to Zanoth. Joey, of course, was convinced that Paul was out of his mind and that whoever was pulling the prank was either running late or wanted to wait until they were asleep to scare the life out of them. Whichever the case, however, both young men decided it was time to crash. Paul headed to his room as Joey sprawled out on the couch.

  As Paul half-expected, but his friend certainly didn't expect at all, the pair woke up just moments after falling asleep; laying side by side in a circle of glowing runes. The young man looked up to see the familiar faces of the ogress Alena, the ogre Sarrac, and the former lich Myra Kel Marran staring down at him.

  “Evening all,” Paul said with a wide smile.

  “Surprised to see us?” Sarrac asked.

  “Not really,” the young man replied, climbing to his feet. “But, I'm happy to see you, nonetheless.”

  “Who is he?” Alena asked, pointing at the second young man.

  “A friend of mine. His name's Joey. What have you got to say now, bro?”

  “What kind of mushrooms were on that pizza?” his companion replied, gazing around in disbelief. “I hope you weren't involved in slipping us whatever it was. I mean; I like a joke as well as the next guy, but I draw the line at LSD.”

  “I feel where you're coming from,” Paul replied with a laugh. “I was kind of like that at first.”

  “How did the spell summon two, though?” the ogress asked, her eyes locked on Sarrac.

  “I don't know,” the ogre admitted.

  “The Administrator told me to have Joey spend the night at my place back home and that everything else would be taken care of,” Paul explained.

  “Who's The Administrator?” Alena asked.

  “Actually, I have no idea,” the young man admitted. “But, you can be sure Joey's supposed to be here.”

  “Why is that?” she asked.

  “Well, whoever The Administrator is, they seem to be on our side. They sent me a message hinting that you might be summoning me tonight and, as I already mentioned, told me to bring Joey with me.”

  “That's good enough for me,” Sarrac smiled.

  “Okay,” Joey interjected. “It's obvious that your rambling over the last week or so has seriously crept into my subconscious. I mean; slipping me psychedelic drugs would obviously trip me out but, why would that make me believe I was in Zanoth?”

  “Because you are,” Paul pointed out.

  “No, it's not that,” Joey replied, shaking his head. “That's not even in the realm of the possible. What's actually happened is that all your babbling has gotten into my skull. I fell asleep thinking about Zanoth and this is the result. Either way, I've heard that when you're on a trip, the best thing to do is just roll with it.”

  “That would be my advice,” Sarrac smiled.

  “Right,” Joey said, stepping over to the ogre and extending his hand. “So, I might as well just act like all this is really happening. Since you're like six-foot six or so, and a dude, I assume you're Sarrac.”

  “I am.”

  “This must be Alena,” he continued. “As she's taller than me, stronger than me, and could almost certainly kill me without even trying.”

  “I am and I could,” the ogress agreed.

  “And, you two are ogres?” Joey asked.

  “We are,” Sarrac nodded.

  “I always thought ogres were ugly and not nearly so human. Not to mention just generally stupid.”

  “People from Earth have a gift for being offensive, don't they?” Alena observed, looking at Paul and shaking her head.

  “Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just surprised, that's all. Either way,” Joey continued, turning his gaze to the former lich, “seeing as how this young lady here is clearly an easy ten; she must be Myra.”

  “I am,” the maiden replied with a slight blush.

  “I need to spend more time using my imagination,” Joey said with a smile. “I had no idea I could dream up women as fine as you.”

  “Thank you...” Myra said slowly. “I guess...”

  “So,” Paul said, turning his own eyes to the maiden, “how did I end up back on Earth?”

  “We have no idea,” Alena admitted, shaking her head and offering Telseir, still in its scabbard, to the young man. “You were there one moment and gone the next. All your equipment was just lying on the floor in a pile.”

  “But, not my clothes obviously,” he observed, glancing down at his peasant's attire.

  “No,” Alena replied. “Those were gone as well.”

  “Well, I'm glad you found a way to bring me back,” he replied, wrapping his sword-belt around his waist, before stepping over to Myra and putting his arms around her. “I really missed you.”

  As he said this, he leaned in to kiss her, but was brought to a halt by her uplifted hand.

  “Not long enough?” he asked, a puzzled look on his face.

  “We can talk about it later,” she replied with a slight blush.

  “Okay...” he said slowly, releasing her from his grasp. “Where are Nyssa and Darek?”

  “With Thaelen and a group of the Warriors of Dawn,” Sarrac answered. “We should be able to reach them in a day or two.”

  “Sounds good,” Paul nodded. “Where's the rest of my equipment?”

  “We left your armor with the Warriors,” the ogre explained. “And Darek has The Veil. We brought your shield, your holy symbol, and The Ward.”

  “Awesome,” the young man replied, taking the aforementioned items from his companions. “But, without The Veil, won't the undead be able to track us?”

  “I've been working on a spell to keep us hidden,” Myra explained. “They won't be able to detect our magic for the moment, but you probably shouldn't turn until we have The Veil again.”

  “Understood,” Paul said with a nod before turning his gaze to his seemingly pensive companion. “You alright, bro?”

  “Alright?” Joey replied, shaking his head. “No... No, I'm not. I've never done drugs, man. And I've never had the slightest desire to do so. However, I have to admit that I had no idea trips could seem so real. But, either way, I'm gonna kill whoever did this to me.”

  “It's not a trip, bro,” Paul assured him. “This is all really happening. Either that or I'm having a really vivid dream.”

  “Oh no,” Joey replied. “This is all clearly my dream. In fact, you're not even here. I hope your dreams are going better for you than this one is so far.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “In your dream, Myra probably didn't shut you down like that,” Joey explained. “And, that's got me wondering if I'm gonna get to kiss her before all this is over.”

  “You're not,” both Paul and Myra replied instantly.

  “Well then,” Joey sighed, “this is liable to be a really disappointing dream.”

  “Maybe mine will be better,” Paul laughed.

  “Neither of you are dreaming,” Alena pointed out. “And we need to get moving.”

  “Agreed,” Paul nodded. “Lead the way.”

  The ogress immediately turned and began leading the party through the ruined tower of Daelcast, a torch held aloft in one of her hands. The twin moons were shining down from the star filled sky, wrapping the ruins in pale light and causing shattered stairways and collapsed columns to cast shadows across the cold stone floor. In mere moments, the band reached a large iron door which the ogress pulled open before beginning to descend the stairs on the far side of it. Just minutes later, the companions were mounted and riding slowly to the north.

  “I'm not comfortable with this,” Joey asserted, from where he sat riding behind Alena.

/>   “Why?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder. “Don't like the company?”

  “It's not that at all,” he replied. “In fact, I sincerely agree with Paul. You're kind of hot for an old ogress with muscles like a race horse.”

  “Why, thank you,” she scowled. “But, that being the case, what aren't you comfortable with?”

  “Well,” he explained. “Seeing as how this is my trip, I should be able to ride and have you clinging to me like some damsel in distress rather than the other way around. In fact, I should probably be able to fly and stuff like that.”

  “It's really not a trip, bro,” Paul assured him. “We'll be able to teach you to ride in a few days. We just happen to be a horse short because they weren't planning on you being with us.”

  “Then, why can't Myra ride behind you, so I can take her horse?” Joey asked.

  “That's actually a great idea!” Paul agreed with a wide smile.

  “No, it's not,” both Myra and Alena replied at the same moment.

  “If we're attacked by undead we may have to flee,” the ogress explained. “So, until you know what you’re doing, you can't ride alone.”

  “She’s right,” Paul ceded with a sigh, hanging his head as he spoke. “Still, we'll get you started soon. You'll be riding like a champ in no time.”

  “That's good,” Joey nodded. “Do you think I'll still remember how to do it after the drugs wear off?”

  “Probably,” Paul chuckled.

  “Seriously. If this isn't a trip, how is it I speak the language? Or do they just speak English in Zanoth?”

  “Good question,” Sarrac agreed, speaking ogre. “Do you understand how to speak Ogre?”

  “Are you kidding me?” Joey replied. “I can't even speak Spanish.”

  “Looks like he has the gift of tongues,” Myra pointed out with a slight smile.

  “Looks that way,” Alena agreed. “I told you it had to do with the summoning spell, Sarrac, and not Paul being the it.”

  “You could be right,” the ogre replied. “Of course, it could be a coincidence. We can't be certain at the moment.”

  “What is the gift of tongues?” Joey asked.

  “It means you speak all the languages in Zanoth,” Paul explained. “For example, you were just speaking Ogre.”