A Veil of Shadows: The Shadow Gate Chronicles Book II

By Michael W. Garza

A desperate search leads to a new world.

Naomi and Gavin are on the run. Having narrowly escaped Azzmon’s clutches, they find themselves hunted by Malick, another Shade Lord. He has amassed an army of foul creatures, and the city-state of Tarravale stands on the brink of chaos. Naomi’s ability to open Shadow Gates makes her an alluring target, and the Shade Lord will stop at nothing to possess her. The children must find a way to escape before their new world is buried in an unwinnable war.

Begin your search for the Shadow Gate today.

THE SHADOW GATE CHRONICLES:

Book 1: The Last Shadow Gate
Book 2: A Veil of Shadows
Book 3: The Shadow of War (Forthcoming)

• Language: English
• Publisher: neverhavenpress
• Release date: Mar 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9780997900446

Michael W. Garza

Michael W. Garza often finds himself wondering where his inspiration will come from next and in what form his imagination will bring it to life. The outcomes regularly surprise him and it’s always his ambition to amaze those curious enough to follow him and take in those results. He hopes everyone will find something that frightens, surprises, or simply astonishes them.

Book preview

Book II

By

Michael W. Garza

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including

photocopying, recording or by any information and retrieval

system, without the written permission of the author, except

where permitted by law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and

incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, or

are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events,

locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-0-9979004-4-6

Copyright © 2017 by Michael W. Garza

All rights reserved.

Proofread by Karen Robinson of

INDIE Books Gone Wild.

No, no! The adventures first, explanations

take such a dreadful time.

-Lewis Carroll

Also by Michael Garza

The Decaying World Saga

The Hand That Feeds

The Last Infection

Tribes of Decay

Season of Decay

Cult of the Elder Mythos

The Elder Unearthed

(A collection of tales)

Vision of the Elder

NeverHaven

Children of the Mark

Rise of the Elder

Drums in the Abyss

The Shadow Gate Chronicles

The Last Shadow Gate

A Veil of Shadows

1

Gavin held on to the horseman like his life depended on it. The mount was a powerful beast, and it pushed through the dark landscape with long, galloping strides. Gavin took every chance he could to look for his sister. Naomi was riding behind another horseman, but Gavin had lost sight of them some time ago. The only real comfort came from the feeling of his sword swaying against his side. He knew he couldn’t fight against these hardened men, but the fact that they let him keep his weapon gave him hope they meant to help him.

It felt like they’d been riding for hours. Gavin scanned the horizon and found no hint of color that would mark an oncoming sunrise. It was impossible to tell what strange land he and his sister had arrived in, but he was sure they were not home. The children had flung themselves through the Shadow Gate with few other choices. The war-torn land they left behind promised only the rise of the Shade Lord Azzmon and an assurance that Naomi would be hunted down for her ability to open the Shadow Gates. This new world had some strange connection to the land they’d escaped, but Gavin didn’t know how.

The horsemen who found them spoke of Malick, a name both children knew. He was said to be the second Shade Lord believed to have been destroyed by their great-grandfather. They’d heard different versions of the outcome of that battle but could never confirm the truth of it. The kids set out from upstate New York in search of their great-grandfather a month ago, but it felt like a lifetime. Gavin had far more questions than answers and the peculiar situation they currently found themselves in wasn’t a promising one.

There were more than a dozen horsemen in their escort, all dressed in similar fashion. Gavin knew very little about their captors including why they’d taken them. At twelve years old, he felt he’d seen more in the past month than most people saw in a lifetime, but some things were beyond him. He was sure his sister, three years his senior, would agree with him on that.

The horsemen’s armored chests glimmered in the moonlight like something out of an Arthurian legend, but there was far more science fiction about how the armor fit and moved. Gavin focused his attention on the rolling hills in the distance. A thick row of trees peeked out from the low lands beyond the rises, growing with every stride of the horses. The outline stretched farther than his eyes could make out in the muted light, but his senses told him it was vastly larger than it appeared.

The galloping stride never slowed nor did the urging of their riders. More than once, Gavin found himself blinking in and out of sleep as exhaustion tugged at his mind. A lavender hue finally bled into the darkness and pulled his attention to a vast tree line that replaced the hills. They were within a stone’s throw of the trees before the extent of it settled on him. It was less of a forest and more of a tropical jungle by his estimation. He could imagine it as part of the deepest portion of the Amazon. The cool wind from the night faded, and a thick heat replaced it. Wild sounds flickered to life from somewhere within the tree coverage with little to identify the makers.

The horsemen slowed their pace and made no attempt to draw closer to the jungle. The growing light revealed a well-traveled path hidden in the night. Gavin was glad to finally find Naomi farther behind in the pack. Her eyes were heavy, lined with dark circles, but she managed a smile for his sake. The landscape came alive, highlighted by a flock of enormous birds rising up from the treetops and rushing away from the jungle. Light crept in from the horizon at a painfully slow rate. In his condition, Gavin couldn’t determine if he should trust his estimates, but there appeared to be something off about this world that he couldn’t place.

It was another hour before the way ahead was truly revealed. A structure came into view, and Gavin held his eyes on it as they ascended the landscape. The jungle on one side remained unchanged, but the grassland on the far edge sloped away as they climbed a narrowing high point. He focused on the structure and noted distinct towers on four corners rising up from an immense wall circling the entire site. It took him a few glances to place it as a castle like many he’d seen in books and movies.

The fear of their situation never left his gut, although the boy found a spur of excitement growing in his mind. The thrill was similar to what he’d felt the moment he and Naomi realized the Shadow Gates were real and they had been transported from their great-grandmother’s home in Gum Springs, New York to an incredible new world. That world was filled with creatures the likes they’d never imagined and impossible dangers they had to overcome. He wasn’t sure if his mind could handle going through that again, but somehow he knew there would be many challenges ahead if he hoped to ever see home again.

They drew closer to the castle, and the details of the structure and the surrounding land crystalized. A city of considerable size lay around three quarters of the stronghold, composed mainly of flat, one-story buildings. Thatch-covered roofs were lined with clouds of thick, black smoke from fires hidden within. The castle wall towered over the city, its considerable shadow blocking out the morning light. Figures dotted the tops of the walls as well as open windows along the towers.

Gavin felt the horseman pull back on the reins and the mount slowed to a trot. The galloping sounds were replaced by voices up ahead. The roads running into the city were littered with people, some carrying on conversations while others pushed carts filled with a variety of foodstuffs. Closer inspection called out an odd mix of old world and futuristic elements.

The buildings were made of stone blocks stacked in a familiar pattern, and most of the structures were lined with a patchwork of copper piping. The pipes ran over the roads and between the buildings in an intricate design Gavin couldn’t rightly understand. Something gliding on the pipes hinted at their purpose. A spherical device chugged along, clinging to the pipes like a miniature railway line. His concentration was pulled away when the rest of the horsemen gathered into a loose formation, bringing Naomi up by his side.

You okay? he asked.

She grinned in a tired response and then nodded. Fear dominated her eyes beneath the fatigue, a kind that had become all too familiar as of late. She adjusted herself behind her horseman to get a good look of what was ahead and then focused back on her brother.

I’m guessing that’s where we’re going.

It was Gavin’s turn to nod. We’ll probably have to meet their leader.

The assembly elder.

The children heard the correction, but it took them a moment to locate the speaker. A horseman slowed his mount enough to bring himself between the children’s riders. Gavin recognized the man’s stubble growth beneath his helm as the one who spoke to them in their initial encounter. He’d known the name of Azzmon but didn’t give away why he knew it or what it meant to him. He looked from Gavin to Naomi.

You will be brought before the assembly elder, the horseman said. It will be for him to decide your fate.

What do you mean by fate? Naomi asked. We haven’t done anything to you.

The horseman studied her for a while before answering. These are troubling times, he said. War is afoot, and we cannot risk allowing the enemy any advantages.

Malick, Gavin said. That’s your enemy, right?

You should mind your tongue if you know what’s good for you, the horseman said. We do not speak his foul name aloud.

But we’re on the same side, Gavin said.

The horseman’s eyes narrowed before his attention was drawn toward the front of the formation. We shall see. He kicked into his mount and moved up ahead of the pack.

The formation neared the edge of the city, and the road opened up, leading directly through the heart of it. Gavin wanted to finish his conversation with his sister, but before he could start, her horseman veered away and the distance became too great to bother. Stuck in his thoughts, he leaned down far enough to see underneath his horseman’s arm. The city was far greater than it appeared from a distance, extending around the entire exterior of the castle. Large structures mixed among the low houses, all of them built of similar stonework. A thick smell encircled them all at once, composed of burning wood, heavy sweat, and a mix of lingering provisions.

The first close encounter with the city’s populous was stranger than Gavin would have imagined. He wasn’t positive if some of the figures would qualify as people at all. Something rolled across the wide cobblestone road on metal wheels, connected to a central core of copper. The device lurched out of the horse’s way as the party approached, bringing the figure within an arm’s length of the new arrivals. Gavin was fixated on the thing which he could only think to call a robot although he couldn’t imagine it to actually be one. The angled head turned toward him as they rode past, and pale-blue eyes stared at the horses before turning and rolling away.

A million questions crossed Gavin’s mind, but he had no time to consider what he’d seen. The buildings were all around them, and the city’s population was out in the morning air. They were dressed in a familiar fashion, mostly composed of long pants and button-down shirts for the men and dresses for the women. The glow of the horsemen’s armor was represented by some of the passersby, but they were few and far between.

The sounds of the city grew with every step, and an eruption of voices soon called out from each corner. Several side streets turned off the main roadway leading into the heart of the city. Gavin was only able to gather a snapshot of what lay beyond as they passed each street, never straying from their heading. The piping that intrigued him from afar was even more mesmerizing as he rode underneath it.

The horses reached a central point of the city, and the road widened considerably. The fortress loomed ahead, and Gavin found himself awestruck by the size of it. Towers capped the surrounding wall with several armed figures marching in between, some peering down at the new arrivals. The edge of the jungle ran up to one side of the wall and skirted around the edge of the city. Gavin was left with the impression that the builders positioned the structure to keep watch on the endless tangle of trees and undergrowth. He didn’t have time to consider the meaning of the formation before his attention was drawn to a wide gate centered on the wall at the end of the road. Heavily banded metal over wooden slats creaked as the gate parted, giving the first glimpse at the interior of the castle grounds.

The horsemen urged their mounts through the gate in full stride and then brought them to a sudden and jarring stop. The open grounds between the gate and the castle was filled with figures marching in one direction or another. Groups of soldiers strode in formation, some headed toward the main gate while others moved between the towers. The horsemen dismounted, and the children were urged to follow their example. The leader among them gave a quick set of orders before the horses were led away.

Gavin and Naomi were guided toward the castle by the lead horseman without any further explanation. The stronghold reminded Gavin of a medieval construction. The massive stones looked to have been in place far longer than the city buildings or the surrounding walls. Both the extensive pipe work seen in the city and the odd railcars moving along the lines were nowhere to be found.

The main entrance to the stronghold stood open, guarded on either side and offering another glimpse of the peculiarity of this place. One of the guards was a mirror image of the horsemen, but the other was like nothing the children had ever seen. Its dark skin was marred by thick patches of fur at the elbows, knees, and along the neck. It was dressed in similar armor as its horsemen counterpart save for the materiel cut off at the thigh and biceps. Bulbous eyes sat up high on either side of a head much too large for its body. The pair of eyes locked onto the children as they were led toward the entrance. Gavin drew away from it instinctively as they passed, but it made no attempt to stop them.

The central corridor was tall and wide, dwarfing the children by several feet. The horseman led them directly toward the center of the keep, passing numerous intersecting halls. Gavin took notice of the side corridors and found men and others resembling the guard at the entrance. A noticeable buzz hung in the air, hinting at something else afoot far more important than the children’s arrival.

Naomi took determined steps to get around their guide, moving up alongside Gavin. She slipped her hand into his, and he gave it a squeeze for good measure. The trials of their adventures had hardened his role as her protector, and he’d grown to take pride in his charge. He guessed she was waiting for the right moment to whisper a question, but before the opportunity came, their guide spoke up.

It is not my place to decide what to do with you, he said without turning his head to look at them. The assembly is fair and will offer you the chance to speak. He motioned toward the far end of the hall where a number of men stood outside a set of opened doors. If you speak the truth, they will know. His pace slowed as they neared the door, but he offered no more words of advice.

Gavin wasn’t sure if the guidance was meant to calm his nerves or serve as a warning. The tightening of Naomi’s grip told him she had taken it as the latter. They reached the doors and the awaiting men moved out of the way, a few nodding to their guide, but no one risking a word. They were warriors by their dress and armament, but something about the cleanliness of their equipment said they were not among the horsemen the children encountered.

The parting group revealed a great hall the likes the children could not have imagined in such a place. A row of steps ran the entire perimeter of the circular chamber lined with stone bleachers, leading down into the center of the room. An assortment of people sat along the steps, most locked in intense debate. Sunlight illuminated every inch of the floor from extensive panes of glass lodged in a domed ceiling.

The horseman came to a stop at the top step and surveyed the crowd. The children waited beside him, each trying to take in the details of the chamber. Gavin focused on a small group making its way into the space from another hall directly across from the entrance. A low murmur of conversation settled over the crowd, echoing off the sides of the space. The men and women in the chamber did not wear armored suits, but an array of colored togas appeared to identify them.

They’re not warriors, Gavin said.

The assembly does not fight, the horseman replied. Now stay close. He started down the steps, and the children did as they were told, falling in step behind him.

Their guide was obviously searching for someone in particular, but he made no mention of whom or what he was looking for. The children took in the faces of the crowd and discovered the differences among them were more diverse than the color of their clothes. Scattered amid the assembly members were several of the odd race of the guard at the entrance to the keep. The bulbous-eyed creatures spoke as clearly as any of the human members. The shade of their skin and color of their fur was as diverse as the tint of the clothing in the room.

There were others obviously not among the bulbous-eyed creatures. Short and slight of build, this third race had a strong human quality to them. Pale skin marked their kind, but an ageless beauty was as unmistakable as it was unnatural. The children found themselves in the center of the chamber before they received another set of directions.

You will wait here, the horseman ordered.

But—

Naomi tried to protest; however, the horseman disappeared into the multitude filling up the center gathering space. Gavin leaned in close to her as the surrounding chatter overtook them.

He must not be worried about us running away.

Naomi’s fearful stare moved from face to face. Where would we run?

Gavin decided to focus on more immediate issues. We have to convince these people that we’re not their enemy. He thought about it for a second. From what I can tell, they’re preparing for something big, and I’m willing to bet it has to do with you know who.

Naomi turned her stare onto him. "You mean the you know who that captured me or the new you know who?"

Gavin had to think about it before responding. Her mind was still on Azzmon, the Shade Lord who’d taken her prisoner, but he’d already moved on to the new bad guy in their life. Malick, he whispered. She finally nodded in recognition. The way I see it, he continued, if this is where the Shadow Gate dropped Malick after his battle with Papa Walker, then it would make sense that Papa was also sent here.

Naomi’s eyes widened. You’re right, that makes perfect sense.

But, he said and her face soured, it wouldn’t explained how the gate we took from Amerial Island sent us to the same place that Papa Walker and Malick ended up.

Naomi pursed her lips. Why can’t anything ever be easy?

Gavin didn’t have an answer for that. As best as he could tell, everything in life came with a degree of difficulty, a fact which their father loved to remind him. He found it funny that Naomi struggled with the same questions about life that bothered him. They’d spent their entire lives in separate homes, yet their minds worked in a similar manner. It was a wonder to him how after a decade of summer vacations and holiday visits he’d never noticed it before.

The crowd circled around them as it grew. A short time passed, and the entire floor was stuffed with people all trying to hold their ground. The noise level made it impossible for the children to have a conversation, and had they not been holding hands, they would have lost sight of one another. Gavin pushed up on his tiptoes and found a few open places along the stairs. He pulled Naomi as he started to walk, yelling back at her as he did.

Enough of this.

Don’t you think we’re going to get in trouble? she asked.

I don’t really care.

He led her through the crowd, slipping between people and pushing others when he needed to. It was a difficult stretch, but they reached the bottom row of stone steps and started up. They climbed gingerly, avoiding hands and feet along the way, and reached a small path above the steps which ran around the perimeter of the room. The walkway was sparse with most patrons trying to get down into the middle of the floor.

At least we can breathe up here, Gavin said.

Naomi nodded but kept her eyes on the doorway opposite their entry point into the room. Gavin followed her gaze and quickly found their guide. He was in discussion with two older men, both wearing togas trimmed with golden edges.

I’m going to guess they’re important people, he said.

You think one of them is the assembly elder?

I thought all of these people were part of the assembly, but now I’m not so sure, Gavin admitted as he scanned the crowd again and then settled back on the entrance. I’m beginning to think they’re all waiting to hear what the assembly has to say.

Naomi nodded but then threw her hands up over her head.

What are you doing? Gavin asked.

He’s looking for us, she paused. And he doesn’t look happy.

Gavin found their guide again, and the furrow of his brow gave a hint at his frustration. He was looking for them at the center of the chamber. His eyes darted across the room and spotted Naomi. He locked on to her and started toward them.

He’s coming, she said.

Gavin rolled his eyes. You think?

The horseman pushed through the crowd in a less than cordial way. The children worked their way back down the stone steps and met him at the edge of the floor.

You were not supposed to move, he said with a tempered growl.

Naomi smiled. I don’t like crammed spaces.

The horseman did not return the grin; instead he spun around smartly and started back the way he came.

Gavin gave his sister a sidewise smirk and offered some encouragement. At least he didn’t yell at us.

He took a firm hold of her hand and pressed forward. They managed to keep the horseman in view, and the trio reached the far end of the chamber and then started up the steps. They worked between the last of the arrivals and found themselves at the only other exit of the room. The two older men looked over the children and then nodded. The horseman moved out of the way and urged Gavin to lead.

The assembly’s private rooms are beyond this doorway, he said. I am not permitted.

Gavin swallowed hard. But we are?

The horseman eyed the children for a moment, and then, following a sigh, he removed his helmet. He leaned down to bring his face close to theirs. The rigid military manner subsided, if only for a brief moment. He spoke low enough that no one else could hear.

Speak the truth, young ones, and the assembly will be fair to you. He said no more, taking a step back and sliding his helmet into place.

Gavin had heard enough. They could not escape this place on their own, and at the moment this assembly was their only option for assistance; even if that assistance might be being thrown out the