The Quest for the Trilogy: A Rover Novel of Three Adventures (The Rover) - Hardcover

Odom, Mel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0765315173 ISBN 13: 9780765315175

Verlag: Tor Books, 2007

Inhaltsangabe

Warned by the old wizard Craugh about an ancient threat know as Kharrion's Wrath that endangers the entire world, Juhg, a young halfer and new Grandmagister, must search through the secrets contained in the journals of his absent mentor Wick, "The Rover," as well as in a trilogy of missing books, that could hold the key to salvation. 12,500 first printing.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Mel Odom is a bestselling writer for hire for Wizards of the Coast's Forgotten Realms, Gold Eagle's Mack Bolan, and Pocket's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel book lines. His debut SF novel Lethal Interface made the Locus recommended list. The Rover was an Alex Award winner.  He has also authored Apocalypse Dawn, the first spin-off novel from the bestselling Christian series “Left Behind” by LeHaye & Jenkins as well as two sequels and another Christian military series.  He lives in Moore, Oklahoma.

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Quest for the Trilogy

BOOK ONE

BONESLICER

FOREWORD

"Education Is Overrated, Grandmagister Juhg!"

"Having second thoughts, Grandmagister?" a deep voice asked from behind Juhg.

Startled, Juhg turned and faced the speaker. He hadn't even heard him approach. But that was usual for the man. Craugh had spent much of the last thousand years skulking in shadows.

He stood on the loose cobblestones of the street. Dressed in dust-stained russet-colored homespun garments, he didn't look like a wizard. Instead, six and a half feet tall and skinny as a rake, he looked like a weary traveler, days from his last meal.

A wide-brimmed, peaked hat shadowed his face from the noonday sun, but it didn't completely smooth out the crags years had left stamped upon him. Scars lay there too, from knife and sword and arrow. Still, his hawk's beak of a nose and his bright green eyes implied power and a relentless nature. He leaned upon the rough staff he carried, hand resting idly on the crook at the end of it. He drew his other hand through the tangled mess of his long gray beard.

In all the years past that Juhg had known the wizard, Craugh had only referred to him as "apprentice," as if he were the only Novice Librarian that Grandmagister Lamplighter had ever taken on to train at the Vault of All Known Knowledge. Now, with the Grandmagister's departure and Juhg's naming to the position of Grandmagister, Craugh addressed him by his title. Most of the time.

(Sometimes the wizard still referred to Juhg as idiot and buffoon, and those weren't meant as terms of endearment. Theyboth missed Edgewick Lamplighter, for reasons each their own, but that didn't mean they agreed how to proceed without their friend.)

"I'm long past second thoughts," Juhg muttered. He drew himself to his full height, still only a little more than three and a half feet tall. He was a dweller, much thinner and more wiry than most. Dwellers tended to be short and stout, and fat in their later years when they could afford to succumb to their innate selfishness. Juhg was pale at present, with fair hair and a youthful appearance. Today, instead of Librarian robes, he wore finery that he felt uncomfortable in.

"Eh?" Craugh said, holding a hand to his ear.

Juhg sighed. He hated it when the wizard pretended not to hear him because he couldn't speak tall enough.

"I'm long past second thoughts," Juhg said more loudly, curbing at least three--no, four--sharp retorts that came to mind to address Craugh's hearing ability as well as his advancing years.

At the moment, though, he didn't wish to lose Craugh's support and--perhaps it would stretch the very nature of the definition to call it such--friendship. As the new Grandmagister negotiating with the important leaders of the dwarves, humans, and elves along the Shattered Coast, Juhg felt inept and very much alone these past few days.

"Good," Craugh said, and smiled grimly. "You should be of a more positive mind."

"I'm probably on forty-sixth or forty-seventh thoughts," Juhg admitted. "And that's just today. After lunch." In truth, he felt sick. Even so, he felt driven to at least attempt to accomplish the goal he'd set for himself. "I just don't want to botch this."

"Nonsense." Craugh gazed up at the town meeting hall. "You'll do fine."

Making himself breathe out so he wouldn't hyperventilate, Juhg checked his journal to make certain it was the right one and he hadn't forgotten his notes. "I'm afraid they don't like me."

"Poppycock," Craugh said.

Juhg felt a little relieved at that.

"They don't know you well enough not to like you," Craugh went on. "It's your ideas they hate."

Those are exactly the words of confidence I was looking to for inspiration. But Craugh's assessment of the situation, however true it might be, stung Juhg's pride. He stood a little straighter and looked into the wizard's insolent gaze.

"They don't know my ideas well enough to hate them," Juhg insisted. "I've barely begun speaking."

"Then perhaps," Craugh said, "we should go inside and finish what you have begun." Without another word, he stepped toward the town meeting hall.

Sighing again, taking one last look at the ship in the harbor, Juhg followed the wizard. Craugh will lead you to your doom, he warned himself. How many times did Grandmagister Lamplighter tell you about adventures he went on because of Craugh? Dozens! At least that many. And how many times did those adventures nearly get him killed? At least nearly every time. At one point or another.

In the main hallway, dwarven and human guards dressed in heavily armored leather stood watch over the door to the meeting room. They held axes and swords naked in their fists. All of them were sworn to provide security for the important people they represented. Atop the building, elven warders stood at the ready, their hawks and falcons skirling high in the sky to keep an eye on the countryside and the sea.

One of the human guards challenged Craugh, swinging the long handle of his axe to block the way. The guard was younger, taller, and broader, and evidently full of himself concerning his fighting prowess.

"Who are you?" the guard demanded.

Drawing himself up to his full height, Craugh fixed the man with his stare. Displeasure and anger clouded the wizard's face. Lambent green sparks jumped and swirled at the end of his staff.

"I am Craugh," he declared. And his voice filled the space in front of the door like a blow.

Immediately, the guard paled and took a step back, clearing the way. He broke eye contact. His hand shook on his axe. "Forgive me. Please don't turn me into a toad."

The reputation the wizard had for turning people into toads when they irritated him was known far and wide around the mainland. It was rumored that he had increased the toad populations in some areas by whole communities.

Craugh passed on without another word.

Juhg started forward as well, but was blocked instantly by the guardsman's axe. Looking up at the guard, who had seen him both days before when he'd gone into the meeting hall, Juhg blinked in disbelief.

"Who are you?" the guard challenged, sounding fiercer than ever. Evidently he felt he had to regain his status with his companions.

"You know me," Juhg said, exasperated.

"Show me your bracelet," the guard ordered. Copper bracelets stamped with trees, ships, and mountains had been issued to those who were allowed into the meeting.

"I'm the Grandmagister," Juhg began, starting to push back his sleeve to reveal the bracelet. His wrist was bare. Feeling stupid, he remembered that he'd left the bracelet in his room aboard the ship.

"Well?" the guard demanded, as if sensing weakness on Juhg's part.

"I'm the Grandmagister," Juhg said again. "I don't look any different today than I did yesterday or the day before."

The guard leaned in more closely, obviously wanting to intimidate Juhg with his greater size.

Juhg, who had grown up as a slave in a goblinkin mine, who had carried the left legs of fellow slaves who had died in the mines back to the harsh overseers to prove the hapless individuals had indeed perished, was not intimidated. He had fought wizards (though not because he wished to), battled goblinkin (only because running hadn't been an option at the time), and faced incredible monsters (drat the luck he sometimes had when he thought about it). Juhg was not impressed.

Although Grandmagister Lamplighter had freed Juhg from the goblinkin slaves and taken him back to Greydawn Moors during one of...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Tor Books
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2007
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0765315173
• ISBN 13: 9780765315175
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 560
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Braun; https://in.pg.com/contact-us/; ; Sulzbacher Str. 40-50; Schwalbach/Ts.; 65824; Deutschland