The young soldier nodded. “Of course, Master Arbiter. I live to serve. But if I may ask…?”

  “What is it?” D’Arden asked.

  “Exactly what did Captain Mor do, sir? He was the best Guard Captain that Calessa had seen in a decade.”

  D’Arden considered lying to the soldier, to tell him that Mor had been a good man who’d simply been overwhelmed by the power of evil. Instead, though, he elected to simply tell the truth in this circumstance. “Captain Mor was a disguised demon.”

  Mayer’s jaw dropped. “Really?”

  “Unfortunately,” D’Arden said. “I liked the man, too.”

  “So did I, sir.”

  “You understand the duties that I now require of you?” D’Arden asked him.

  He nodded sharply. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good, then,” D’Arden said. “I leave the city in your hands… Captain Mayer.”

  **

  The sun was setting over the western horizon when D’Arden retrieved Elisa from the stables. His great destrier, Tyral, seemed unusually happy to have her aboard, and had nipped at D’Arden’s hand when he tried to take his own saddle back. With amusement, D’Arden had purchased a second horse for him to ride on their way back, since Tyral was so taken with the girl.

  Elisa had changed into some of his spare clothing – a breach of protocol, but a necessity, since they had no time for fitting and her fine white tunic was crusted so heavily with blood that it was a total loss. As they mounted their steeds and began to ride towards the gate, D’Arden cast a glance backwards at the inn that stood in the trade square.

  In the doorway stood the strange innkeeper, who gave a half-wave and a crooked smile in his direction.

  ###

  About the author:

  Christopher Kellen is an IT specialist who thinks he's got what it takes to spin the occasional swords-and-sorcery yarn. His heroes of literature are those who are fearless in telling an uncompromising story. He wishes that there were more people who wrote like Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Karl Edward Wagner, and while he knows that that he can never live up to their genius, he hopes to contribute something to the genre that they so loved. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and their monstrous black dog.

  Connect With Me Online:

  Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/christopherkellen

  My blog: http://christopherkellen.wordpress.com

  Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/eisengoth

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  Table of Contents

  Part I: The Mausoleum

  Part II: Calessa Heights

  Part III: The Low Quarter

  Part IV: The Old City

  Part V: Confrontation

 

 

  Christopher Kellen, Elegy (The Arbiter Codex)

 

 

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