Book Excerpt
ETHAN
PACED IN FRONT of the doors to the throne room, once again forced to wait. He
had left
Blash the task of putting together men and supplies for a larger expedition to
weed out the unseen enemy in the North. The brothers Rekin and Rylr had left
the city to gather those men loyal to Ethan who had been sent home for the
Spring harvests.
The door finally opened and he strode quickly
into the shadowy hall. He instantly noticed the addition of royal guardsmen, a
full score lined the walls. His father remained seated like before and was in
conversation with a tall robed figure. Bowing his respect of the office if not
the man, Ethan moved to stand below the throne.
The robed man turned at his approach and he
recognized the thin face and scowl of Councilman Morcant. A sneer endeavored to
pull the thin lips as he gave a slight bow to the prince. The three remained motionless for
long seconds. Suddenly, the King bent forward and held out his gnarled hand for
Ethan to take. Ethan, surprised by the gesture, gripped the hand.
Using Ethan as support, Luitger pulled his
shaking form up and stood glaring at his son, dark brows drawn together. “You
dare to stand before me! My traitor of a son, your depravity shames me in my
old age!” Casting away Ethan’s hand he bellowed, “You are no longer a son of
mine! Go back to the hell you came from.”
Ethan tried to speak, “My lord, I am unfairly
accu…” The king interrupted him by spitting in his face. Wiping the wetness
away, Ethan felt a twinge of fear and stepped back a couple paces as he glanced
around him. The guards had moved closer, hands to weapons.
Shaking his head, Luitger turned and accepted
the proffered staff from Morcant. “You are not of this family any longer, never
return.” So saying the King slowly left the room, helped by servants. Ethan
stood as if turned to ice and watched his father leave. It was over, the finality
and suddenness of it took his breath. He was no longer the son of a king, nor a
son at all. He steeled himself against the feelings of pain and confusion that
rattled through him.
Breaking
through his thoughts, Morcant whispered, “How did this happen I wonder?“ He
paused, locking eyes with Ethan. “I may know something of it.” Ethan moved to
shake what the man knew out of him, but was brought up short by the hafts of
spears crossing his way. The guards now stood in a close ring around him, blank
looks on their faces as they held weapons at the ready.
Cackling, Morcant stepped forward and took
his seat on the throne. The impudence of the act made Ethan want to scream.
“How dare you, dog of a man! You are more a traitor tenfold for taking that
seat!
About The Book
Title: An Emerging Threat
Author: Mark E. Lein
Genre: Fantasy
An evil stirs, casting a shadow across
the Islands. Two men begin quests to find the source of the darkness.
One (Oliver) is a young scholar, given no choice but to follow the path
ahead. Tragedy shapes him, nearly driving him to despair; an inner
struggle pervades his journey. The other (Ethan) is a warrior forced to
the task through a sense of responsibility. His royal blood and his
knighthood drive his course. Their searches, though separate, have the
same goal: to find whatever or whoever may be responsible for the
darkening of their world. This book tells the story of their journey and
the creatures, both friend and foe, that they meet along the way.
Author Bio
The
author grew up in small towns across the country, spending most of his
childhood in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains of Northwestern
Arkansas. Throughout his life, his favorite books have been sci-fi and
fantasy, anything Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Terry Brooks and a little
Isaac Azimov. Graduating from college in 2004, he became an Army
Infantry and Intelligence Officer and continues to serve to this day.
While deployed to Iraq for 14 months back in 2007-09, he began writing
with this book in mind. His civilian work includes Intelligence Analysis
and providing expertise with military training programs. He now lives
in Tampa, Florida with his wife of 9 years, Emily, and his three
children, Oliver, Lucy, and Alexander.
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