Free The Darkslayer: Book 01 - Wrath of the Royals by Craig Halloran

look forward to. Yet every time she went back to check on a promising race, they were gone.
    Inspiration struck. Trinos would build her own world in her infinity. She would build a world that would remain locked in strife and survival every minute, always. She would build a world that could keep her eternally entertained. It would be one that would always be there for her to come back to. A child that never grew old.
    Trinos took great care to plan her new creation. She selected the unique characteristics of that shiny blue world she was so fond of, and then added in some of the otherworldly races as well. Survival was of the utmost importance when developing their genetic codes. There were millions of details to attend to. The basic laws of their universe would apply. The laws of alignment, good and evil, were to be in place. Races would only achieve an archaic form of technology. That would prevent them from ever leaving the world. The study of science would be replaced by the study of magic. Life spans would be abnormal. Humanoids would rule. A powerful mystic equalizer would be in place to prevent either good or evil from achieving full supremacy. No evolution.
    It would be a brutal world, one that would run the gauntlet of emotions every second. Man would rule beast. Monsters would cause mayhem. Heroes would be born with great willpower, and villains with unparalleled greed.
    These people would like it here, thought Trinos. And she would like it there.
    Trinos tucked her little world away, deep in the expanse within their universe, in the hopes that no would find it. Then, after many moments in infinity, Trinos gave birth to her new world. She called it Bish.

 
     
CHAPTER 15
     
    A small group of scouts were still outside the northern walls of Outpost Thirty-One. The three men were outlanders of repute, even among the Royal soldiers that had dealt with them over the years. It was no coincidence that they were the ones that gave the troublesome news of the underling invasion.
    Dusk had settled over the thick green forest that surrounded the outpost. All around the fort were steep ravines that served to drain the heavy rains. They also created vulnerable points where foes could creep undetected right up to the fort. Deep within a ravine, the three men crouched with eyes and ears intent on finding any comers. Skirmishes had been breaking out around the fort, day and night. Shouts of pain and terror, blended with the sound of battle, came and went as the thick foliage muffled the noise. It was difficult to tell who was winning, but the trio sensed that it was only a matter of time before the fort was stormed.
    They had already encountered three underlings earlier and five the night before, but the foul creatures were no match for Billip’s deadly arrows. He possessed a special short bow and arrows that were a gift from an old Royal soldier in the fort. The man’s son, who was to inherit them, perished at the hands of the brigand army. It was clear to Venir that Billip relished the rare quality. The archer made good use of the power and accuracy, grinning each time he dropped an underling with an arrow straight between the eyes or clean through the heart. His comments to the archer irked Mikkel, who cared little for his friend’s success, who wanted the first crack at the underlings himself.
    “Come on, Vee,” urged Mikkel in his deep voice, loading his heavy crossbow. “Let me take the first shot. He can’t shoot better than me and Bolt Thrower.”
    Venir had witnessed Mikkel’s long bolts impaling two underlings at a time. The problem was that once fired there was no time to reload. Mikkel would charge like a bull into the fray with the massive studded club he called Skull Basher. Mikkel was the only man with less patience than him when it came to fighting.
    The archer cracked his knuckles and chuckled, always calm amid chaos. Indeed, the only one cooler was Melegal, but the thief cared little for venturing in the