World In Flames (The Lehezan Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  The Wildfire Trilogy:

  World In Flames

  A Lehezan Chronicles

  A Novel by

  R. G. Dillard

  Copyright © 2021 Makayla White

  Book art and design © 2021 by Makayla White

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any manner of form – except for brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews – without the express written permission from its author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any reference to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously or coincidental. Names, characters, and places are products of the authors imagination.

  First paperback edition June 2021

  All rights reserved.

  Content Warning:

  The contents of this novel contain inappropriate scenes for younger audiences. Rated R for language, violence, grisly content, mention of suicide and depression, drugs, and alcohol.

  To everyone who supported me on this crazy journey.

  Family, friends, coworkers, the magic crafter for the universe Hyrum Carman, and the love of my life Jayden Cummings. Thank you.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Someone Else

  Someone Else

  PART ONE

  III

  IV

  V

  VI

  VII

  Someone Else

  IX

  X

  XI

  XII

  XIII

  XIV

  PART TWO

  Someone Else

  XVI

  XVII

  XVIII

  XIX

  Someone Else

  XXI

  XXII

  XXIII

  Someone Else

  XXV

  XXVI

  XXVII

  XXVIII

  XXIX

  PART THREE

  XXX

  XXXI

  XXXII

  Someone Else

  XXXIV

  XXXV

  XXXVI

  Someone Else

  XXXVIII

  XXXIX

  XL

  XLI

  Someone Else

  Someone Else

  Someone Else

  Someone Else

  Someone Else

  Kyrazin

  A Prologue Part One

  T he pungent odor of metal filled the air and spiteful roaring of two beings resonated through the throne room.

  The king’s guards, who overheard it all, slammed the doors open to the room with great force and rushed in from the inner courtyard, allowing for a frigid breeze to trail behind them. They spotted one individual in the room, in which they scurried to: their king, King Carnwell.

  A young boy hiding behind a pillar previously watched his father collapse on the ground with blood staining his shirt. The jeweled crown that once laid upon the king’s head gone, taken by a man the boy witnessed run out of the room. The events and reasons for it flew over his head, leaving him in confusion. One minute his father argued with the man and the next, blood spilled from his chest and the man responsible escaped. The boy caught a few words during the argument, one being the man’s name. Karlile.

  He recalled his father as jubilant, sharing his authentic smile with the people of Kyrazin. The six-year-old boy looked up to him ever since he comprehended what ‘no’ meant. He never forgot how fast that exact smile went dark in that moment. Like a star disappearing from the night sky. The light flickered like a fire losing its spark, then vanished all too quickly.

  He stepped back once, twice, three times, before he left the throne room, finding himself running to his parent’s chamber. Climbing up five flights of stairs to the highest room of the castle, he wheezed deeply and wiped the tears from his crystal blue eyes. His trembling hands prepared to push the two doors open, however paused and peeked through the crack as voices caught his ear from the other side.

  Karlile already located the room, and his tall figure blocked half the view. The man tossed the crown of the king towards the feet of the two people threatening to fight him, and his glistening green eyes scanned everyone in the room until they landed on two cradles beside the large bed.

  “Surrender your twins, Lucillia Carnwell. We can end it all here and now if you just make the sacrifice,” he said.

  Eyes fell upon the crown with a pained silence washing over the room. Karlile inched to the right, away from the doors. His blue cape rippled with the breeze that blew in from the window. His coal black hair fell into his face and his heavy armored boots thumped on the floor as he moved. Two people, who the boy knew to be Arienna and Eugene Kasperov, unsheathed their swords and kept between Karlile and his next target.

  “There is so much more at stake that you do not know about,” Karlile added, extending his own sword, “so, tell your guardians to back down so we can clear the air.”

  “We trusted you, Karlile Pomeroy. Finnik trusted you and you killed him,” the soft voice of Queen Lucillia Carnwell accused, “I will not let you near my children.”

  Karlile snarled, “there’s reason behind everything.”

  “Arienna, Eugene,” Lucillia called out to the other two, her eyes lifting from the crown to her two guardians.

  Knowing her husband and Karlile were close friends, which ended with betrayal, made her heart sink to her stomach. She thought twice on all her friendships, and who she considered family. If a friendship that lasted many years could end that easily, who was to say it couldn’t happen to anyone else they knew? She gulped down the lump in her throat and forced the next command out of her mouth.

  “Kill him.”

  At the command, Arienna nodded - her bright blonde hair coming loose from her braid - and drew her second blade from her back, then swung both at the intruder. Her hazel eyes that once tuned with kindness and cordiality turned dark as vengeance filled them.

  Too quick for her blades, Karlile counter attacked, slicing her arm. When she stepped back, Eugene dove to take her place, swords crashing three times before Eugene struck Karlile’s metal plated arm with his honed blade.

  The boy’s eyes widened, and he backed away from the crack. Footsteps echoed from the stairs he ascended before.

  “Aunt Esme,” he sniffled as the female reached the top.

  “Lusio, what are you-”

  The boy, Lusio, cut her off as he panicked, “he is in there! The man who killed poppa!”

  Esme Carnwell, his aunt, tied up her loose, blonde curls as she hurried to his spot in front of the door. Her yellow shirt almost untucked from her black pants that hugged her legs as she jogged.

  “I know, kid. I need you to stay out of it and stay out here. We’ll take care of it,” she soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder.

  He nodded frantically and moved away from the door as she pushed through them. He peeked around the corner to see Esme extending her arms, creating a glowing, forcefield of light around Lucillia. Her arrival caught Karlile off guard, and he sneered, but he continued his fight with the two guardians. Karlile removed a hand from his sword and whirled it around, causing the shadows to reach from the dark corners of the room towards Lucillia and her children. However, Esme muttered strange words that conjured light to fight against Karlile’s shadows. The two magics clashed together. Esme ensured no shadow snuck past her to reach Lucillia without being destroyed by light. Esme struggled to concentrate on both things, as did Karlile.

  Her abilities always fascinated Lusio. She refused to let him touch her special book and it drove him insane. She gained the title of Magic Keeper of the royal family, the
only one allowed to know every magic formula, spell, ritual, and magic combination. She could study all three magic categories: Light, Shadow, and Neutral. She had to possess the strength and patience to learn such power, however. They gifted the royal children the ability of neutral magic, with permission from the gods. With that, not even the keeper themselves used neutral. Some people called the magic keeper, not just the keeper for the royal family, but for the gods themselves. The Heavenly Sage, everyone knew her as. She denied access to her small book of notes to everyone, even her own nephew.

  Despite being proficient in Shadow and light magic, Esme preferred light magic, while Karlile only mastered one category in shadow magic, which gave him the title of a Shadow Stepper. He dared not dabble further into shadow magic for the consequences following it. Only a select few sought out to learn the ways of the shadow magics, while the rest aimed to stay away. Fortunately, the magic he knew was enough to fight strong against the struggling blonde.

  Esme moved towards Lucillia to block the path between Karlile and her. Lusio examined his aunt's swift movements to protect his mom. His mind urged him to rebel against Esme’s commands and fight Karlile with his Neutral ability. Surely, he contained limited knowledge in his water bending abilities and a light grasp of control, but he could do something. Anything to help. Water dripped from his fingertips, and the droplets slowly formed a stream of water, spiraling around his finger.

  When Lucillia spotted her son peeking around the doorway with water forming around his hand, she shook her head at him. His fist clenched at his side, and all water fell to the ground. He could not just sit around and watch everything fall apart without doing something about it.

  Eugene noticed Lusio as well, to his blunder. In that one, swift moment, Eugene’s guard lowered. Karlile slashed his blade at the protector, cutting the cloak he wore diagonally from his shoulder down to his waist, and leaving the skin underneath sliced. Blood quickly soaked his shirt. His sword dropped from his hands as he stood there, stunned. His hands quivered as he felt his chest, and his green eyes raised to his wife.

  “...Arienna...”

  His soft voice of his last words resonated through the room before he fell to his knees. His eyes landed on Karlile, who stood above him.

  Karlile pressed his blade on Eugene’s neck and spoke the words of a different language in a hushed, venomous voice. Without a second thought, the blade slid across the dark olive skin. Eugene fell lifeless to the ground at his feet.

  Arienna stood frozen, her grip on her swords firm. The other bodies in the room fixed in their spots as well.

  “It was never meant to be this way, Lucillia,” Karlile voiced, peering over his shoulder.

  “Tell me how it was supposed to be,” Lucillia demanded, then asked, “why are you doing this? What are your reasons?”

  He peered to the twins as he said, “I am stopping a monster from being created.”

  Esme’s hands dropped and a frown tugged at her lips. She questioned, however quiet, “monster? Are you talking about-”

  “Madam Carnwell, you need to get you and your children to safety! Initiate Project Rose,” Arienna insisted, lunging forward at Karlile.

  Their swords clashed viciously.

  “That plan involves the Lehezan! You can’t possibly be thinking of getting involved with a hitman group like them! Do you know how dangerous they are?” Esme argued.

  “The Lehezan isn't just some hitmen group! They are a very scientifically advanced species and can help us in any way we need. Just, don’t bicker and be ready!” Lucillia hissed, eyes falling to the floor where Eugene’s cadaver lay.

  She stepped away from the twin’s cribs and in a couple of steps, stopped at a cedar chest at the end of the bed. Her long, chestnut brown hair covered her face as she desperately dug through the chest and pulled out a small device. It beeped when she pressed a couple of buttons and sent a message. After shoving it in the pocket of her scarlet gown, she wrapped something around her shoulders that held up a sword.

  Esme glanced at her sister, nodding once. Her attention drew away from the forcefield and focused on something entirely different. Her hands waved a shape in the air, creating a blue light which quickly grew to the size of a single doorway. As her concentration focused on the doorway, the shadows crept closer to them. Sweat dripped from her forehead. Her eyes drooped, reddening with irritation and begging her to rest them from the excessive use of magic and strength.

  Lucillia waved Lusio over to her. With no hesitation, he bolted past the two fighting adults and into his mother’s arms. Tears welled in his eyes as he attempted to speak, to no avail. After picking up the twins, Lucillia guided Lusio through the doorway.

  Karlile grimaced as his sword clashed with Arienna’s, and he spoke quietly to her. The same thing he said to Eugene. “You may rest now.”

  He snatched a dagger from his side, and in a short opening, jabbed it into her stomach, and twisted it. She hunched over. Shadows wrapped around the blade and seeped into the wound. Her skin paled and the blood leaking from her mouth blackened. The clinking of her swords falling to the ground resonated through the room. Her eyes drifted to Esme before they clouded, begging Esme to not help her, but her son who’d be parentless after that moment. Esme nodded, reassuring Arienna her son would be safe in her care. Arienna’s body fell limp in his arms. As he gently lowered her to the ground, Esme backed up towards the portal and stepped through.

  “Your reign is over, Carnwell. I will find Lucillia’s children no matter where they go,” he warned, barely audible for the woman.

  “Go rot in the Shadow Realm, Pomeroy!” Esme snarled.

  He raised himself and peered over his shoulder as she commanded the portal to shut. As soon as the passage closed, she exhaled the breath she held and relaxed, however she winced when the sobs of her sister caught her ear.

  “How did he know about the prophecy, Esme,” Lucillia hissed.

  Esme rubbed the bridge of her nose as she eyed the children. She knew everything. Of course, she did, but whether she decided to tell her sister the truth was debatable.

  “I’ll take Lusio to the Kasperov’s cabin. Get the twins to Miranda and initiate Project Rose. I’ll meet you at the cabin,” Esme muttered.

  Lucillia’s lips parted to argue, but she slumped a bit and nodded, huddling the twins closer to her body. She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut, then said softly, “inform the Representative of Liurus that Miranda will be meeting up with him about everything and the twins.”

  “And you’re sure we can trust Miranda? That she wasn’t working with Karlile?” Esme asked.

  “Miranda is my head knight. She would not think that way even if she were bribed with the most power or money in the world. There’s a reason she is working with the Representatives,” Lucillia stated.

  “Momma, please come with us,” Lusio begged, throwing himself at his mom to wrap his arms around her.

  After kneeling, Lucillia planted a soft kiss on his forehead. He gazed at his twin sisters and groaned, knowing he’d most likely never see them again. He did not want to lose his only siblings and mother. He already lost his father. What more did he have to lose?

  “I need you to be strong for me,” she insisted.

  He looked down at his feet and grumbled, “I do not want to lose you, too.”

  “It’s okay, Lusio,” she whispered with a warm, trying smile, “I’ll be back before you even know it. I’m only going to go see Miss Miranda for a bit.” Her attention turned to her sister as she demanded, “I need you to go now.”

  Esme shook her head in understanding. Lucillia held her breath and watched as Esme focused on creating another portal, climbed through with Lusio, and closed it behind them, leaving Lucillia alone with the twins.

  Without the sounds of her son or sister, Lucillia listened to the chirping of the night creatures around her. It soothed her like a lullaby, calming her down after the tragic event.

  She examined the expanse aro
und her, her home village, and a place she had not been to for years.

  Her eyes gazed up to the statue of two hands holding a rose at the village center. The streets ran empty due to the night being late, leaving her alone in the cold, bitter darkness. She trekked down the trail, stepping on damp leaves that made no sound, and dirt piled on her shoes. When she reached her old family cottage, she entered without reluctance.

  A man swiftly stood from the chair he sat on and spoke her name softly. After revealing the situation to him, he rushed to put armor on. A chest plate with a black rose imprinted on the chest and a sword on his side. He offered to take her to the Lushine Center, the building containing bridges to most worlds.

  “Thank you, Selik,” she thanked, following him out to where he kept his wagon and horse.

  “He couldn’t have chosen a better time to overthrow the kingdom,” Selik huffed. “Right in the middle of a holiday when Lushine is closed.”

  “He must have planned it for some time now.”

  He assisted Lucillia onto the wagon. Then, the two of them rode off to the Lushine Center, where Lucillia would have to shut it all down in conditions to the Trinity Alliance, an alliance of the main three worlds: Earth, Liurus, and Kyrazin. Only certain personnel had the authority to shut it down and start everything back up, but it would only be opened if the Representative of that world straightened out the situation. She pondered how long that would be, or if she would even live to see it happen. She could only hope.

  Between the bumps of the ride in the speeding wagon, Selik spoke up, “are you sure you want to go through with this?”

  “No,” Lucillia croaked, her eyes glued to the sleeping children in her arms, “but I have no choice. Neven and I made a deal. Estienne will be under his protection and grow up to take his place. We all knew that’d happen whether we initiated Project Rose or not.”

  “What about Everly? There’s more of a chance of him getting to her if she stays here,” Selik fretted.