Lich-El: Lich Lord Wars book 1

Chapter 4

"I gave one order and you couldn't even do that right?"

"I was able to save him."

"He wasn't supposed to be injured to begin with, Tornal!"

"How was I supposed to know he'd jump into my attack?"

"The boy is an Aguerius; self-sacrificing for others is bred into the Paladin line. Why do you think after over a hundred years, Gidon and his children are all that's left of the line?"

"I think you're forgetting about your 'pet'."

"He abandoned that line years ago and the line has abandoned him. But he isn't what we're discussing. I'll be taking the boy into my personal custody from this point. I expect that is fine with you?"

"Yes...yes Lord Lich-El."

Almas awoke with a start. He'd been having a nightmare but couldn't remember a single thing about it. He didn't take much time trying to remember it as he looked around and realized that he was still in the nightmare that his life had become.

He could remember the Lich Lord's attack. He could also remember the helpless feeling he had had as he watched his best friend get swept off a cliff. When he saw the attack on Seacra, everything had gone to slow motion and he had acted almost on pure instinct. He never even saw if Seacra made it or not. All he saw after pushing her off the cliff was the magic bolt coming right at him, a flash of pain, and then waking up here.

Here... Where was here? He was in a cave; the rock walls and cold musty air said that much. Light came from torches on the wall. He also took a moment to look himself over. His shirt was burned and torn where the magic bolt must have hit him in the chest, but he couldn't find any trace of what had to have been a serious injury. In a moment of panic, he felt for a heart beat and he looked for small bones sticking out of his arms.

His heart beat strong, and everything else seemed normal. He wasn't a revenant. The only thing that was weird was a creepy feeling he felt there in the cave. He couldn't really explain it, but the place felt like death.

"Everything in working order?"

Almas spun around to face the source of the voice. Sitting at a table behind him sat a Lich Lord that looked far older than the two that had attacked him in the forest. Even though he looked old and seemed to have a number of old wounds, including a missing hand, there was nothing frail about him. His build was more or less the same as Almas' father, which meant his build was more or less the same as a bear. The Lich Lord sat with a relaxed posture, but Almas took note of the sword strapped to his side and the largest war hammer he had ever seen sitting on the ground next to him, the handle leaning against the his leg.

The Lich Lord regarded him a moment, then spoke, "I must apologize; Tornal was under strict orders not to harm anyone in your family. So when you were accidently injured, he had no choice but to bring you here so we could heal you. How are you feeling?"

Almas said the first thing that came to his mind and answered, "Scared out of my wits," as he tried to stared coolly at the Lich Lord.

The Lich Lord chuckled and responded, "I'd almost forgotten the Aguerius humor. It's nice to see that after a hundred years it still breeds true. I've been rude; I should have introduced myself. I am Lich-El, and I assure you your safety while you're here. Please come closer so we can speak more comfortably."

Almas didn't move an inch. Lich-El was the leader of all the Lich Lords and he hadn't left the eastern wastes in nearly 75 years. Either Almas was very far from home or something very serious was happening.