The Knights of Aragon

Teaser: The Order of Old

Get excited everyone! Book 2 of Samsara Chronicles will coming out soon. And as seen from the chapter title, the title of the next book is called 'The Order of Old'. The release date is coming soon so stay tuned on those tbd dates.

Enjoy the teaser!

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Boas quietly wanders through the corridors of Benwick lost in profound thought. No matter how hard he tried to move on or forget about it, his mind went back to that day. His mind was nagging him, consistently whispering, trying to get his attention. It was infuriating! Mostly because poor Boas couldn't decipher what it was. Unbeknownst to him, those very whispers led his feet to an abandoned room in an uninhabited part of the manor.

It catches him by surprise how far he wandered. No one else had dared to explore the grounds that once belonged to a legendary hero. Merlin has been the only one comfortable enough to venture into the most private places of the manor. But of course, Boas thinks to himself, he's the only one of us who has been here before. Draxum had told everyone else how Val found herself here. 'How' and 'why' were the only questions that were left unanswered. The only thing he could say was that this was her home for many years. Her apprenticeship with Lancelot is still a mystery to everyone, but Merlin refuses to say anything about that until they find out what happened to Valencia. He's the only one who believes that she's out there somewhere. Somehow.

This wing of the manor has been left in disarray for many, many years. Dust clings to every nook and cranny Boas lays his eyes on. The wallpaper lifts from the walls underneath and the stench of mildew makes him grimace. And yet, it did not stop him from walking through all of that. Then, he hears it. A voice. An inaudible whisper. Something is alluring about it-so much so that Boas follows it through the rumble of this forgotten wing. There's something in the back of his mind that tells him to retreat and go back but the entrancement is too strong. It leads him to a boarded door. Or, a once-boarded door. The nails have been pounded off. The wood panels splintered through.

Boas' thick brows furrow in confusion. Something powerful enough, strong enough, desperate enough to get inside. Boas gently swings the door open, causing it to creak and fall with a loud thud.

The other side of the door had been gnawed. "What in th-"

The whispers abruptly stop.

Boas' tiny hairs at the back of his neck stand at its end. He stands up straighter. There's a moment of quiet that weighs the air around him. A familiar sensation begins to burn in the inner part of his wrist. He ran second before he heard the roar sound from deep inside the dark room. The burning sensation had become excruciating. The danger was imminent and nearing closer. The sound of the creatures running steps shook the walls of the wing. The coats of dust lift off the surrounding surfaces and float in the air around Boas. It was almost magical.

Boas reaches the end of the hall before he is caught in the hands of the monster. It brags him back as he does his best to fight against it. His whole arm seems to sizzle now. It hurts him more than the claws of his captor. Boas turns his whole body to look at death firmly in its face. The terror paralyzes him from the inside out. It sends Boas into a spiral filled with fear and regret.

The beast is as big as the walls of the manor. Its teeth are extraordinarily sharp, meant for killing its prey in one swell swoop. Boas could only tremble in silence as the beast surveyed him. It looked at Boas with its giant cat eyes. They slowly sharpened as they bared their teeth and roared. There was no escape. It was then that Boas screamed with all his might. The burn on his wrist had become an inextinguishable fire.

And that fire poured out of him. It latched onto the beast and it immediately eviscerated before Boas' eyes. The body of the clawed beast deflates into piles of ashes. Boas quickly crawls away but his agony is far from over. He flips over his hand to check on his wrist. And there, stamped on his wrist, is a golden tattoo that has not flared since Valencia's death all those months ago.

Across the mansion, Gawain falls on his knees in the middle of his chamber as his own mark flares brightly on his back. He claws at it blindly, trying to soothe the fire that burns at his back. Two rooms over, Vera numbly stares at hers with the first smile she's shown in months.

Over 50 miles away, up in the dark canvas of night, Goosey and Rhydian double over at the sudden flare of their as well. They both stare at each other with confusion and hope. To Goosey, it is a call from a friend. To Rhydian, it is a warning of danger. Which is right? It is what Merlin thinks to himself. Whatever it is, they are no longer safe in this world.

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