Free The Tower of Endless Worlds by Jonathan Moeller Page A

Alastarius, his voice strained. “I Prophesy once more!”
    Marugon raised a hand, and Goth-Mar-Dan froze. “Oh?”  
    “I shall return.” Alastarius’s voice trembled, blood dripping into his white beard. “This is not over. The cycle of fate shall turn. The last hope will remain. The son of the King shall bring me back, and we will undo everything you have done…”
    Marugon growled. 
    Goth-Mar-Dan’s clawed hand shot down and plunged into Alastarius’s chest, ripping flesh and cracking bone, and the old Wizard howled. The winged demon ripped out Alastarius’s heart and held it high. His deep-throated howl of triumph echoed over the courtyard. Goth-Mar-Dan devoured the heart in three bites, the blood smearing across his pale face. 
    “Spread out through the castle!” said Marugon, his voice triumphant. “Kill everyone and everything you find, but return to the gates in one hour. We march on Carlisan!” The winged demons threw back their heads and roared. Liam stared Alastarius’s crumpled corpse, rage burning through him. His Sacred Blades trembled in his hands. He would stalk through the castle and hunt down those winged demons one by one. He would cut out Goth-Mar-Dan’s black heart. And he would strike down Marugon…
    Liam closed his eyes and stepped back into the shadows of the corridor. “No.” If mighty Alastarius could not prevail against Marugon and Goth-Mar-Dan, what could Liam do? “No. I must go to Carlisan. I must warn them of what comes.”
    But without the Wizards, how could Carlisan and the other High Kingdoms hope to defeat the power of Marugon’s guns?  Dread roiled in Liam’s heart. He shuddered to think what Marugon and Goth-Mar-Dan’s winged demons would do to the High Kingdoms.
    He sprinted down the stairwell and ran for the gates, his breath rasping in his throat. Alastarius’s last words played in his mind. The old Wizard had Prophesied that Lithon would one day defeat Marugon. Liam had to find Lithon and keep him safe.
    Liam managed to avoid the winged demons and dashed through Castle Bastion’s ruined gates. He found his horse and rode with as much speed as he could coax from the tired mount. Tears streamed down his bearded cheeks. He scrubbed them away and focused on the road. 
    He had to reach Carlisan before Marugon.
    And he had to find Prince Lithon Scepteris before Marugon did.

Chapter 6 - First Date
    Anno Domini 2002

    “Yes, many challenges face our nation today,” Simon read from his computer monitor. “The economy staggers, and we face threats from abroad. But times will change. The problems that confront us will soon pass away…”

    Simon groaned. “No good. They’re industrialists, not New Age types.” He hit the backspace key and erased everything he had just written. He glanced at the clock and yawned. It was already an hour to midnight. He had better call his mother before she started to worry.

    Simon dropped back into his chair, scooped up the phone, and dialed for home. He glanced out the window and grinned. He had an office with windows. Of course, the windows overlooked a loading yard filled with empty pallets. 

    Still, it was an improvement over his last job. 

    The phone rang, and Maura Wester picked up. “Hello?”

    “Hi, Mom.”

    “Simon, where have you been? It’s almost midnight.”

    Simon rolled his eyes. “It’s only eleven, Mom.” 

    “It’s five past eleven,” said Maura. “That makes it almost midnight, boy. Mind telling me where you are?”

    Simon watched a truck maneuver into a dock. “I’m at work.”

    “I thought you were going to be done at nine.”

    “Yeah, so did I,” said Simon. “But Senator Wycliffe’s giving a speech next week to the Chicago Economic Club. He wants a rough draft by Monday morning.”

    “He works you too hard.” His mother’s disapproval crackled over the phone line. “I still think you should have gotten another job.”

    “Mom.” Simon rubbed his forehead. “This is a