A Killing in the Air - The Further Adventures of Bander Read online



 

  Bogwood Press

  bogwood.com/press

  A KILLING IN THE AIR - The Further Adventures of Bander

  4th Edition - January 2014

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. 

  Copyright © 2014 by Bogwood, Inc.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, translating, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Cover by The Trixie Agency

 

  To my fellow adventurers, Tom and Michael

  PEOPLE & PLACES OF HARION

  Bander - Former Captain of the Guard and Imperial Investigator, now retired

  WATERSIDE

  Vala - First Woman of the Falward secret police in Waterside and a friend of Bander’s

  Silbra Dal of the White - Young sorceress serving as the Guild representative in Waterside

  Tobin Leroth - Mage and researcher who worked at the Esoterium, a magical research facility. He was Bander and Vala’s old friend

  Abuth Asryn IV - The Lord Governor of Waterside

  Rolo Caldward - Waterside’s Magister of the Shield

  Aglaard Shie of the Black - Waterside’s Magister of the Wand and Mage-in-Service to Lord Governor Asryn

  Eaith Garfaen - Elderly mage who worked with Tobin Leroth at the Esoterium

  LAKETON

  Bryn Eresthar - The Lord Governor of Laketon and Bander and Vala’s longtime friend

  Dusk, Wegg, and Faramir Boldfist - Three Laketon criminals

  Tarthas Jorr - Captain of the Guard in Laketon; served with Bander in Rundlun many years ago

  Isan Lagurian - Laketon’s Magister of the Measure

  LHAWSTER

  Harnotis Kodd - Mage in Lhawster; family friend of Silbra Dal’s

  Raggur Nil - Battle mage

  RUNDLUN - THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL

  Yrian Gast - Imperial Viceroy

  Etthar Calain - Imperial Magister of the Murmurs (spymaster)

  Grandmaster Meomannan Quill of the Black - Imperial Magister of the Wand and Guild Leader of the Black

  Grandmaster Ramipoor of the White - Guild Leader of the White

  THE RANGELANDS

  Gredarl Kar - A notorious crime lord

  Daras Mirth - Gredarl Kar’s lieutenant

  Morin of Thect - A dark mage of an ancient order thought to be extinct

  GET THE MAP

  A properly-sized map of Harion doesn’t work very well on an e-reader screen, but you can download a color map/desktop wallpaper right here:

  https://www.randynargi.com/map/

  A KILLING IN THE AIR

  TOBIN LEROTH WOKE UP—ALTHOUGH HE WISHED HE HADN’T. A rough cloth sack was bound tightly around his face and neck, obscuring his vision. He could taste blood in his mouth. His arms and legs were restrained somehow. And his head ached from hanging upside-down.

  He shifted his weight and tested his bonds. His skin pressed against the cool metal and his worst fears were one step closer to being confirmed. He cleared his mind, began breathing deeply, and tried to tap into the magical energy around him. Nothing.

  It was as he dreaded. The shackles that held him were made of relorcan, a rare metal, yet exceptionally effective in disrupting the flow of magical energy.

  “He stirs,” a voice said. Not deep. Not threatening. Just matter-of-fact. With a hint of rangelands accent.

  “Time?” Another voice. One word spoken, but it was with authority.

  “They are just leaving the north entrance.”

  “Well, he woke just in time, I’d say. Make the preparations.”

  An intense pain jabbed into his gut, horribly burning his insides. Acid. A moment later Tobin Leroth felt his arms and legs jerk together, like a stag being trussed for slaughter. His body swung in the air. He considered briefly making a plea for his life, but dismissed the thought. He knew who held him and he also knew why. They were not interested in pleas.

  “They’ve reached the statue,” a third voice said. This voice was lighter, younger.

  “Keep clear. On my mark.”

  Tobin Leroth heard the men shuffle away. A cool breeze blew through the sack and he felt the salt air on his face. He cleared his mind once more. Not to attempt to invoke magic, but to make peace with the universe.

  “Now,” the authoritative voice commanded.

  Tobin Leroth’s body jerked savagely and he was flung 100 yards into the air. Mercifully he lost consciousness before he hit the ground.