Epochs Read online

  Contents

  Epochs

  For news, books, and bonus content

  Part One: Visions

  Part Two: Clocks

  Part Three: Under

  Part Four: Embers Catching

  Part Five: City of Fire

  Part Six: Twilight Time

  Part Seven: The Benevolent One

  Part Eight: The Darkening

  Part Nine: Escape

  For news, books, and bonus content

  Author's Note

  Copyright

  Epochs

  (Clockmaster’s Shroud #1)

  Stormborn Saga Book Seven

  J.T. Williams

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  STORMBORN SAGA

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  Stormborn Saga Trilogy

  Ranger’s Fury (Ranger Trilogy #1)

  Black Moon (Ranger Trilogy #2)

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  Stormborn 7,8,9 (2019)

  HALF-ELF CHRONICLES

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  Seer of Lost Sands

  Shadow of the Orc Star

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  The Last Dwemhar

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  Rogues of Magic Trilogy

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  Part One: Visions

  The wind, cold against his skin. As fog rolled over the deck of the Aela Sunrise, veiling his vision, Braei and Evurn cast their wards in an overlapping shield.

  Spells burst atop them. The massive bronze-and-wood vessel was within only a ship’s breadth from the front of the Aela Sunrise.

  Valrin kept his heading, turning slightly and sending a wall of water pushing up against the opposing ship. The Aela Sunrise was powerful, but this ship’s deck towered over them.

  “You’re too close! You’re going to strike!” Ordak shouted.

  He held fast, adjusting the levers at the helm and sending the crystals spinning along the deck. Energy was building. It had been some time since he’d faced off another vessel, but the dwarven pirates were nothing like this.

  The fogs around them split, and a winged form struck them. The entire front of the Aela Sunrise was pushed under the ocean.

  He shifted his track, spinning the wheel to the right to disengage. The winged form shot upward, and blasts of magic tracked after it.

  Fogs rolled over them from a different way; the fogs did not look the same. Valrin switched weapons, sending energy into the mast to blast fire at the other vessel. He hoped the Verit Gamblers had gotten far out of range of it by now and the fogs had blinded the vessel enough to where it kept its attention on them. He just needed to disable the other ship. That was it.

  Suddenly, he saw the image of a masked form, blackness, and then nothing.

  The deck of the Aela Sunrise was still. Valrin could see nothing save a white fog surrounding his vessel and his companions, frozen in time. They did not even seem alive. Somehow, though, he was able to walk around.

  He looked over the edge of the railings and saw that the water was still.

  You are the Stormborn of the North. You have a path. You now take another one, one you must see to completion. Perhaps it is a terrible fate to meddle in the affairs beyond your calling. Only time will show you the truth.

  The voice was sudden, and in a burst of white, everything returned to as it was. But it wasn’t the same. Nothing was the same. Valrin looked up at orange skies and a large island covered in green.

  Ordak jumped around in place. “What happened? What happened! Valrin, why are you not at the helm?”

  Braei looked around. “Where are we? The ship, it was just there. The fogs.”

  Evurn lowered his staff and stared at Valrin. “Did you activate something on the ship? I know you have been studying the texts of the shipbuilders for some time now.”

  “No, nothing. I saw fog and then all was still. A voice spoke. The voice called me Stormborn. It said I was taking another path, one I must see to completion. Time will show me the truth.”

  “The Clockmaster?” Ordak questioned. “Clock and time, makes sense to me.”

  “The question I have is where are we now?” Evurn asked. “This place does not look like any place I have seen, especially in the North.”

  The island before them was dark but green. The orange sky came from a low-hanging sun just above the horizon, but the waters itself looked red in the hue of light. A single blue glow was on the island ahead.

  Valrin flipped up the map they had used for navigation, but nothing showed up.

  “Are we in a different realm?” Braei asked. “Like when we went to Urlas?”

  “Perhaps, but that took deliberate action on our end. Something, or perhaps someone, has directed us here. Well, Captain?”

  “We’ll go ashore,” Valrin said. “The place where the light is coming from is a good enough beacon as any.”

  “Or like a lighthouse, telling us that rocks are ahead,” Ordak said.

  Valrin directed the Aela Sunrise toward the beach and found an actual dock of stone, not too dissimilar to other Dwemhar docks, but the ship did not get taken into the grasp of the structure. Braei and Ordak jumped off to secure the vessel to the docks.

  “What do you think?” Valrin asked Evurn.

  Evurn looked around, and they both looked at the dense jungle before them.

  “It looks quiet, no monsters, especially. No damn monsters. The jungle reminds me of the South, but the sun has not moved position at all and does not seem to be doing so.” He looked up. “No stars, nothing but darker orange. I think we’re in a different realm.”

  Valrin ensured his sword was at his hip.

  “Hopefully, we won’t need that,” Evurn said.

  “Well, I’ve had it nice for the past few days. I’d say it’s about time I get my hands dirty in the fight again.”

  “The vessel seemed to be unable to damage that other one,” Ordak said. “Surprising.”

  “It always is with us,” Braei said.

  They disembarked. Evurn’s staff was their only real light as they began into the jungle and followed a break in the trees to an actual stone road, where they were surprised to see torches that seemed to lead them along a long and barren pathway.

  “Are we expected?” Ordak asked.

  “I swear this better not be one of those gods,” Evurn said.

  “Oh?” Braei asked.

  “You can never trust gods, even though Etha has helped us out a lot of late.”

  “She’ll want payment or sacrifice,” Ordak said.

  “She doesn’t take sacrifices,” Braei said.

  “Studying religion, Rusis?” Evurn asked.

  “A bit. I had nothing better to do back in Taria.”

  “So, scholar, what do you suggest we do now? Keep down the path?”

  Braei laughed. “I was studying religion, not geography. I have no idea where this leads us!”

  Valrin noticed that the road was climbing upward, and it was here they came to a large bridge made of wood and stone. He looked over the edge of the bridge and saw nothing but blackness on either side of the bridge, which reached far across the chasm to an elevated land mass seemingly floating in the middle of the air.

 
Valrin led them across the chasm. The bridge swayed ever so slightly as they began the climb up the precarious passageway. He kept his hands on the rope railings, but with each step, he could feel the movement of the rest of the crew in the palms of his hands, the ropes moving with each step. He looked out, seeing the sea to his left and the dark jungles to his right. The air wasn’t cold, yet wasn’t warm. It was like there was no temperature at all. He looked back behind them. The Aela Sunrise was visible, sitting at dock far below them, and Braei made a movement with her eyes.

  “Get going. I don’t like being up here!”

  He turned around and quickly made his way to the upper portion of the bridge, coming to the last bit that took a sharp incline to a stone platform where a torch basin glowed brightly.

  He noticed that here, the jungle spread out around a large, open grassy plain that surrounded a stone wall that seemed to be more aesthetic than anything, as it was not high enough to prevent one from climbing it.

  As the rest of the crew made it up, Ordak sniffed the air. “Smells like nothing. Like, I suspect it should smell of something—but nothing. It really smells like nothing.”

  “I swear this is a different realm,” Evurn said.

  “Or time?” Braei asked.

  “Time?” Valrin questioned. “The Aela Sunrise has no such power.”

  “It wasn’t the Aela Sunrise that did this. You said that yourself.”

  Evurn pointed forward with his staff. “There is a gateway in the wall. We should proceed.”

  Valrin kept his hand on his blade as he guided the rest of them to the wall and the gateway flanked by large figures holding orbs above their heads. Intricate patterns in the rock were reminiscent of Dwemhar structures, but dissimilarly, they had no light to them.

  The gates were open and, though ornate, did not reveal any further information to their origin. As they followed a dark tunnel, they came to a courtyard overgrown with grass but with many large pools that mirrored the orange sky above them. To their right were several trees that were flowering white petals that, though there was no wind, lifted into the sky and followed a line of torches back up to the left. To their left, they saw a massive stairwell that led up to a doorway that was open but dark beyond the void of the entryway.

  They proceeded, ascending the stairs and noticing that from there, they could see much more of the jungle around them. Evurn pushed ahead of Valrin and looked within the temple.

  “I have never seen a structure such as this, though it reminds me slightly of temples we have in the Shadowlands.”

  “Minus the floating flowers without wind,” Ordak said.

  Evurn nodded.

  Valrin and Evurn walked in together as everyone else followed slowly behind. The interior of the temple structure was dark and surprisingly quite humid. They could hear water falling almost as if a waterfall were nearby, but in the darkness, they could not see. Evurn used his staff to create life, and as he did, the entire temple seemed to produce a whistling sound and then began to glow blue. In front of them, a glowing orb of dazzling white appeared floating on an elevated platform.

  “Stormborn of the Glacial Seas,” a voice said, “and crew of the realm ship Aela Sunrise, welcome. Welcome to what is, what isn’t, and what still remains.”

  Valrin paused. “Where are we?”

  “A few more moments, and you’d have been dead. I called out, used what ability I had, and pulled you to this place.”

  “Not quite the answer to his question,” Ordak said.

  The orb shifted to that of a glowing old man. “No, it isn’t. But it is still true. You are Ordak, the half-orc. Evurn, Shadow Elf, and Braei, Rusis. I knew the gods spoke your names. Etha worked to guide the Ranger and the rogue, as all seek redemption.”

  “Then you know Fadis and Kirla are not with us. Do you know if they are safe?” Valrin asked.

  “I am no god, Captain. No, far from it. But I have my workings in the world. I have been many things and have hid in many places. Even now, this form before you is but one form.”

  “A half-god,” Ordak said. “Or, demi-god?”

  “No, I am just a man of science and mechanics. Some would say a master of time.”

  “The Clockmaster,” Evurn said. “The one Marog is working with?”

  Evurn’s staff rippled with energy, but the man just stared.

  “I do not work with that entity, but I will not explain such things as of yet. Urughui has fallen—that is good. He and his rings trapped many for Marog, and in such, they moved into hidden places and captured that which was lost to the world. Aieclo, the ancient city, has been awakened. The Scourge Siren yet exists in spirit alone. Aieclo has spoken after her long sleep; once again, another is formed into the evil that is the Scourge Siren.”

  “That is Aeveam,” Valrin said, stepping forward. “A member of my crew and a friend.”

  The figure landed before Valrin, and Evurn, as well as Braei, quickly moved forward to stand beside him.

  “I mean none of you harm,” the man said. “I am he who you claim, the Clockmaster. I have made many demons and friends alike. I was once quite well regarded within the world, but my name became a cursed one. Marog is but a fiend I have not defeated. But I offer hope. The new Scourge, this one you call Aeveam, she is yet not fully formed. Think of Aieclo as a giver of life. While for many eras, it created massive creatures to soar the skies and swim the oceans, and was a place for creating life within the world, all creatures within it have been released. The rudimentary calculations used to ensure its life-sustaining force is enough have focused into one form—your friend. Like a mother chicken sitting upon eggs, your friend grows into the power bestowed upon her. Aieclo is like an incubator. The key will be stopping the process upon her, silencing the gears that turn within the ancient city.”

  “How do we turn it off? How do we take its magic?” Ordak asked.

  “A direct way is not available, though I do think there is a way. I did not call you to this place to converse this way for no reason. I have already placed an enchantment upon the deck of your ship. In the simplest of words, it is a device. You must sail east, away from this island. Activate the device, and you’ll be upon your world again, and then continue heading east. There, you’ll find a tower. When you are before that tower, activate the device again. Proceed, as you will see your path. Look for a blue structure. I assure you, you cannot miss it if coming from the sea."

  “How can we trust what you’re saying?” Braei asked.

  “I have been asked that before. Know me as the Clockmaster and know that not all know that others have worked in my image for nefarious purposes. I attempt to right what I allowed to be led astray. You are the Guardian of the Seas, Valrin,” he said, now staring at Valrin alone. “The gods of the North know my purpose and trust this task to you and your crew.”

  The man shifted back to that of an orb, and in a flash, the temple was dark. Valrin turned to the others, and suddenly, they were back aboard the Aela Sunrise and adrift.

  “What?” Ordak asked.

  Valrin went to the helm, shifting the vessel to the right.

  “East?” Braei asked.

  “Well, before we ended up here, we were headed north. I can’t tell which way we’re oriented right now, and the maps do not function. We’ll head this way and see what happens.” Evurn went to the rear of the ship where the many crystals that powered it seemed to all elevate for a moment. There was a silver device with gears and cogs. A center portion of it was made of pure crystal.

  “Captain, it seems he did put . . . something . . . on the ship.”

  Ordak snorted. “Did anyone else see what happened? Did you not see that we were in a temple and now we’re here?”

  “It happens,” Braei said. “Lots of strange things happen to us.”

  Evurn laughed. “It is okay, my friend. In time, you’ll get used to such happenings.”

  Ordak shook his head and looked up at the sky. “What about that?”

&n
bsp; They looked up to see the sky was becoming dark.

  “Activate the device,” Valrin ordered.

  Evurn did so, and they were upon the Glacial Seas once again. The sudden frigid cold was stark but not too unexpected. They were no longer near Aieclo, and wherever they were, it did not look familiar considering there was nothing around them.

  Valrin attempted to bring up the map once again. This time, the image of the Glacial Seas appeared.

  “Where are we?” Evurn asked.

  “East, far east. There is ocean around us, but it seems that there is nothing showing up. I do not even see that we are upon ocean, yet we are. Are those mountains on the map?”

  While normally the map of the Aela Sunrise would show the actual ocean and clouds as one would expect as if flying high above them, this time, they looked as what a bird would see upon land.

  “We are most definitely upon the ocean,” Ordak said.

  “Then where do we go?” Braei asked.

  “East, until a tower. Perhaps this will all make sense in time.”

  Their journey continued without any trouble. Braei showed Ordak where their stores were and made some tea for each of them. Evurn poured over the guides to the Aela Sunrise but could not find anything referencing the Clockmaster. At this moment, Valrin realized he had not slept in some time.

  “You’re just now realizing that? I expected you to sleep in Saelmark. You were lying down,” Braei said.

  “Yes, but I could not rest. I closed my eyes, thought of the ocean, but no real sleep.”

  “No sleep?” Ordak asked.

  “He only sleeps when the ship is at dock and I guess,” Evurn said, closing the book he was reading, “when he feels safe. I can only imagine that it was because the ship’s energy was restored at Saelmark that you were restored as well.”

  “The power of the Stormborn,” Braei said.

  Ordak laughed, chugging the hot tea. “Weird friends, Evurn.”

  Valrin laughed. “We are a bit strange.”

  The sun had fallen from the point it was when they’d first emerged upon the Glacial Seas again, and now a near-dark sky was before them. The stars were shining already, and in the distance, they could see a lonely mountain, a lone peak, surrounded by water. Valrin looked at the map, and it seemed they were upon a lake with a circle of mountains around it, the largest of the mountains directly in front of them, but he saw no other mountains.