Safe Travels: Run for Your Lives

By Tim Dale

On Kainosa planet very similar to Earth in many waysa young thief named Morgan awaits her fate. Trapped in a dark dungeon, beaten but not broken, she silently vows to gain both her freedom and revenge. But time is running out as her date of execution draws near.

Morgans is a world of dark magic and cruel ambition, a culture where witches and sorcerers battle for control or independence against regimes that will do anything to control them. Life is a constant struggle to keep the dark forces at bay.

Megan and Alexandra have been sent from Earth to save the young thief from death by fire, but time is not on their side. With the help of their mentorthe mysterious Mr. Greenthey must now devise a plan to outwit Morgans many enemies, including a band of ruthless lawmen, terrifying witches, and the daunting power of the corrupt nobility. Together, they will fight the fight in any way they canor die trying to save this woman and her planet.

Rich with intrigue, magic, deception, and stirring adventure, Safe Travels brings you into the alien society of Kainos. Can the forces of good outwit the more powerful servants of evil, or will Kainos be forever lost to the dark arts?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Jun 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781480817685

Tim Dale

Tim Dale has been a fan of the world of fantasy since before kindergarten when he saw his first comic book. He attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. A native of Washington, DC, he grew up in Bowie, Maryland, raised his family in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and now lives in Munfordville, Kentucky.

Book preview

SAFE TRAVELS

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES

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Tim Dale

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Copyright © 2015 Timothy M Dale.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Cover artwork by Timothy M Dale.

Archway Publishing

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-1766-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-1767-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-1768-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015907114

Archway Publishing rev. date: 6/12/2015

Contents

Chapter 1 It Begins

Chapter 2 Woman in Black and the Toad

Chapter 3 What’s in the Box?

Chapter 4 Enter the MacBaers

Chapter 5 Everyone Wants Morgan

Chapter 6 Information Revealed

Chapter 7 On Their Trail

Chapter 8 Riding Dirty

Chapter 9 Business to Attend To

Chapter 10 Confused Thoughts

Chapter 11 Soup Bowls and Threats

Chapter 12 In the Rain

Chapter 13 Seeking Shelter

Chapter 14 Ambushed

Chapter 15 The Challenge

Chapter 16 Irwin’s Tavern

Chapter 17 Talk before Bedtime

Chapter 18 MacBaer in Waiting

Chapter 19 Three More

Chapter 20 Road to New Anvindr

To my beautiful wife, Sandy. Thank you for helping me create the best things in my life. And to my father, Thomas Dale Sr., and mother, Diane Manzon.

Thank you for always being there. I love you all very much.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to thank Ashley, Theresa, and Sheryl for pointing out my many mistakes.

Amber, Ashley, Alexandra, Timmy, Braddock, Justin, Abby-Rose, and the newest addition, Aidan: thank you for inspiring me to finally do this.

I also want to thank those that helped fund this project: Joey, Amber and Justin, Diane and Andy, Susie, Chad, Ashley, Theresa and Steve, Tony, Christy and Steve, Sheryl and Tom, Nikki and Tommy, Barbara and Jim, Suzanne, Tina, Katie, Centon Enterprises, James, Kenneth, and Erin.

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CHAPTER 1

It Begins

K ainos was the name of the planet. It was similar to Earth in many ways, populated with humans and many of the same plants and animals. The climates were comparable to those on Earth as well. Different regions had different governments, customs, and religions. Most areas were divided into kingdoms and ruled by kings. Unlike Earth, Kainos had two moons. The smaller of the two was located closer to the planet. Technology was more than several hundred years behind Earth on the vast majority of the planet, and in some areas, it was further behind, but in a few rare locations, there were some surprise advancements with unknown origins.

This planet was also riddled with magic and many forms of sorcery. It was prominent in some areas and run out of others. There were forms of dark magic that were practiced and carried out by evil beings and horned creatures from the shadows and dark pits that forever attempted to spread their evil influence across the lands. There was a constant struggle to keep the dark forces at bay.

The northern continent of Junia had constantly acted as the battlefield of the conflict against darkness. On the western side of the continent rested the kingdom of Walcaster. This kingdom was large with many prominent cities. Once nearly overrun with witches, Walcaster had now been absent any witch for about twenty years. That was about to change. A notorious thief had recently been detained there, in the town of Coulterfield. The witches wanted her and were willing to risk returning to Walcaster to get her.

The dungeon was dim. With the majority of it being underground, light was secluded to one small window. The bars going across let in only a minimal amount of light. The dungeon was old and leaked in the corners, and it smelled of mold and mildew and rotting prisoners’ bodies. Chains hung among the columns that filled the room, with more along the walls. In the far east corner lay a skeleton of a man sentenced to life in prison. Two old men were in chains for raping and murdering young women throughout the town. These cases were usually dealt with by execution. However, being former workers of the magistrate allowed them their lives. Rats made the place their home, lurking in the shadows and eating off the prisoners.

A woman was chained in the corner of the dungeon. A steel collar was around her neck and chained to the wall. She sat on her knees with her hands tied behind her back. She wore only skimpy panties and tattered shoes. Everything else had been ripped off of her when she was captured. Her name was Morgan. She was young with short, blonde hair and was in good physical shape. The door opened, shining light on her, and revealed fresh bruises and running mascara. The chain was unlocked from her neck. One of the guards grabbed her arm and yanked her up, then dragged her through the door. The collar was replaced with a rope. With her hands still tied behind her back and her body still barely clothed, Morgan was led outside and down the street of the town square, barely able to see over the brightness of the sun.

As Morgan was dragged through the town square, her eyes adapted to the sun. Being in near-death situations her entire life afforded her the ability to remain calmer than one would expect. She looked for ways to escape while she was pulled to the other side of the wide square. She couldn’t help but notice the beautiful town she had come to visit. This was the town of Coulterfield, one of the wealthiest cities in all of the kingdom of Walcaster, only second to the Royal City. This kingdom was enriched by its extremely productive timber industry. Walcaster was known for having the tallest trees on the entire continent. As she continued to look for a way out, she saw that the town was as clean as she had been told. With everything in its proper place, she saw no horses to take or structures close enough to run behind. The area was wide open with spaced out trees and bushes that were as well manicured as the lawns where they grew. In either direction, the buildings were close to a hundred yards away, and they looked to be built by true craftsmen with the finest-quality materials. They had stone exteriors with large, hand-hewn, wooden beams for decoration. They surrounded the town’s entire square. The roads and walkways were paved with cobblestones.

The sun shone brightly in her face as she tried to look forward. As they approached peddler stands, she hoped one might be a blacksmith that sold weapons or at least something sharp, but because of the brightness of the sun, she had to turn away. The guard dragged her like an animal on a leash, tugging forcefully as she turned, jerking her closer to him. When she regained her footing, she noticed the many faces of patrons gathered there. They gawked at her. Women covered their children’s eyes and turned them away. It was a hot, sunny day and almost noontime, the busiest time of day for the square. She looked forward through squinted eyes at the stands that were now within reach.

They entered the area designated as the farmers’ market. Morgan became a little angry when she noticed what kind of stands they were. She saw nothing of use to her. On each side of the main road were dozens of fresh produce stands set up with every vegetable imaginable, along with various fruits and herbs. Frustrated, Morgan jerked and pulled away from the guard, trying to resist. He held her leash with both hands and jerked her forcefully back toward him. She fell into him and down onto one knee. She looked up and saw the many people looking at her. The guard forced her back up to her feet, choking her as he pulled on her leash.

More people took notice of the nearly naked woman being led by leash to the execution platform. Crowds of people began to form. They all wanted to see the beautiful, young lady who was being led to her death. The center of the town was populated with men and women of middle class. They were clean and looked like they didn’t deal with the suffering and sickness found on the outskirts of town. Morgan remembered the poor and sickly folk, mostly outcasts, she had seen when she arrived. They were now gathered in the square. During this time of day, all of the different classes of citizens came to this busiest part of town to buy or sell wares. She became overwhelmed with the amount of people that surrounded the area. The crowd continued to gawk at her. She heard whispers from people as they tried to find someone who knew who she was. Not once did she hear her name as she was dragged through the growing crowd.

A second guard grabbed her, and they dragged her away from the people toward the execution platform, which stood in front of the town courthouse. She saw a glimpse of a man standing on the platform waiting for her as she was thrown forward to a different guard. She tried to resist, but a forceful pull from the guard holding the rope was all it took to keep her moving the way he directed her. She was extremely tired and weak from the night without sleep as she recovered from the poison they used the night before to drug and capture her.

She was led up to the stone platform and tied to the wooden post with blocks of wood surrounding her feet. This town, known for its history of burning witches, had become accustomed to using this method for all of its executions.

She looked into the eyes of the extremely tall man who had been waiting. He was the magistrate. He stood there, all seven feet of him, wearing his uniform armor with mail underneath. His chest armor was adorned with the kingdom’s insignia. His head was shaved bald, and his face was beaten, his left eye black and bandaged.

He moved in close to Morgan and whispered, You should have accepted my offer last night. Then he slightly raised his voice. Now you can burn, whore.

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In the center of the town square stood a copse of cherry blossom trees in the center of the road on a raised bed. Surrounding the trees were manicured bushes and stone steps to the road. Within the trees, three women hid. They watched as a blonde, topless girl was dragged through town to the platform.

The blonde whispered, Is that Morgan?

The tall brunette replied, Not sure. But she does fit the description we were given.

They watched as the magistrate turned away from his prisoner and faced the crowd and said, Ladies and gentlemen, behold, here before you stands the infamous Morgan. She is wanted for theft in over fifteen western territories.

The crowd shouted loudly now that they knew who she was. Their excitement for an execution grew stronger.

The tall brunette looked at the blonde beside her and said, That answers your question. That’s definitely her.

The third woman, a brunette in red, added, Megan, let Green know we found her.

The brunette, Megan, lifted a necklace with a large jewel from inside her shirt. As she lifted it up, it began to glow. Megan spoke to the jewel. Mr. Green, we found her. She’s here in the town of Coulterfield, like you said. Perplexed, she added, She’s about to be executed.

The other two women gathered close to look at Mr. Green’s image in the stone. You can’t let that happen, said a panicked Mr. Green. You have to stop them. You need her.

The one in red turned away, irritated. This is about to get ugly before we even start this mission.

Do what you have to do. We need her, said Mr. Green.

Don’t worry. We’ll have her in a minute, replied Megan.

Good to hear, girls. Let me know when you have her. Safe travels. He disappeared from the stone as Megan tucked her necklace back into her shirt.

I really hate when he says that. Every time he says, ‘Safe travels,’ we end up running for our lives, said the blonde.

The one dressed in red pushed past the branches of the cherry blossom trees, down the few steps, and toward the cobblestone road. Let’s get this over with, she said as the others followed. They stepped out onto the road and marched toward the crowd.

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The magistrate’s men finished tying Morgan to the post and stepped away. She thrashed about and tried to wiggle loose. The magistrate continued to speak to the crowd. She is also charged with prostitution, murder …

The crowd gasped, for they did not know of such acts.

I’m no prostitute, and I’ve never murdered anyone! Morgan shouted.

The people shouted her down. A man screamed, She is a liar!

The magistrate spun around to face her. You’re walking around naked, he said while he tugged on her nipple. And you killed two of my men last night.

Punish her! a voice in the crowd screamed.

She deserves to burn! said another.

The townspeople taunted him to finish her off.

You ripped off my clothes! Morgan screamed. And the two men you speak of were helping you.

The crowd lowered its volume.

How dare you? the magistrate growled. Outraged, he backslapped her face. I’ll hear no more of your lies! If this is some sort of weak attempt to get someone to feel sorry for you, you are mistaken.

The three women worked their way through the crowd, getting closer to the platform.

The magistrate shouted, You are hereby sentenced to death for the murder of two of Coulterfield’s guards!

The crowd cheered, as they had come to expect an execution. Now that they knew she had killed two of their own, their excitement to see her burn grew.

You took their lives without the slightest hesitation. You even smiled with satisfaction as you did it, the magistrate added.

Burn her now! taunted the crowd.

You showed no remorse, no compassion for life! Now you can repay your debt to Coulterfield! He lowered his volume as he spoke directly to Morgan. You can pay by burning. He was handed a lit torch.

The crowd cheered, and Morgan looked up to face the crowd one last time. She wanted to curse them. As she thought about her last moments, she scanned the crowd, looking at their faces. As they begged for her to die, she noticed the three women that pushed through them. The one with a red hood and cloak walked toward the platform, headed directly for the magistrate. The other two spread out around the one in red.

Morgan looked over to her left. There was the tall brunette. Her hair was braided on each side. She wore a button up, white-collared, long-sleeve shirt that was open at the top and revealed a large amount of cleavage. It tied in the front at her waist and showed her midsection. Her sleeves were rolled up above the elbows. She wore a very short, plaid skirt and white, thigh-high stockings. She carried a long staff and twirled it, ready to strike, as she got closer to the platform. Morgan had never seen anyone dressed in such a way.

Morgan quickly glanced over at the blonde on the right side. She also wore an outfit that left little to the imagination. Lots of cleavage, a bare midriff, an extremely short, pleated, blue skirt, and thigh-high stockings with blue and white stripes. She carried two small crossbows.

Morgan looked again at the third woman that approached in the middle, but the magistrate blocked most of the view. All she could make out was that she was the shortest of the three and wore all red. Some brunette hair was visible, hanging out of her hood.

The crowd was so fixated on the magistrate’s torch that they barely noticed the women as they stepped out in front of them.

The magistrate took a step closer to Morgan. Any last words? he asked.

The blonde turned her body halfway around so she could face the crowd and still keep an eye on the magistrate. She lifted her crossbows into the air and pointed them at the armed guards. Yeah. I got your last words right here. Everybody stand down and nobody gets hurt, she shouted out confidently.

The crowd began to laugh at the blonde, because they assumed it was some kind of joke. But the interruption infuriated the magistrate. He threw the torch down onto the wood piled up around Morgan’s feet and turned quickly as he growled through his teeth, What? Interrupt me?

While he turned, the brunette ran up behind him, out of his view, and knocked the torch off the wood with her staff.

The magistrate was turned completely around, and his scowl faded when he saw the beautiful woman in red before him. Oh … uh. Hello, ladies. What can I do for you? said the awestruck magistrate.

The crowd laughed even louder.

The woman in red approached the magistrate and faced the blonde, They’re laughing at you, Alexandra.

The blonde, Alexandra, responded, I think they’re laughing at all of us.

Can’t be. No one laughs at me. The one in red looked straight ahead at the magistrate, who had a perverted grin on his face. She jumped up in the air and elbowed the unsuspecting magistrate in the jaw, knocking him back. As he stumbled back, the crowd went silent. The guards had never experienced any disturbance from the crowd, so they were hesitant to act. The stunned magistrate reached up to grab his jaw while the woman in red dropped down and swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing down past the smiling Morgan, off the platform, onto his back. She leapt down beside him and kicked him in the face and then jumped back onto the platform and opened her cloak. She drew both of her katanas. The sun reflected off of them into the crowd. Her outfit was open in the front from her neck down to below her navel, revealing almost everything. It was fastened together with seven straps that went across the front and buckled together. Her large breasts were barely covered. Her legs were bare down to her leather boots below her knees. She moved across the platform, back toward the crowd.

Guards drew their swords. The tall brunette knocked away the smoking logs from around Morgan and then jumped off the platform and whacked the magistrate’s head with her staff when he attempted to move. Alexandra pointed her crossbows at the guards closest to them. The townsfolk slowly moved back.

Everyone, back off! shouted the woman in red. We just want the girl. The crowd moved back a little faster. The ones in the rear ran away. Alexandra, if anyone moves toward us, put an arrow in them, commanded the one in red.

Guards stopped advancing forward and moved the crowd back.

As the brunette untied Morgan’s feet, the one in red sliced the ropes that restrained her upper body to the post. She looked down at the magistrate while he held his jaw and slowly rolled over. Hurry this up. The big guy won’t stop moving, said the woman in red. They quickened their pace to free her. We’re rescuing you in exchange for your help.

You will help us. Agreed? asked the brunette.

Yeah, yeah, agreed! Just get me out of here, Morgan replied.

Morgan looked out at the crowd. The guards remained still, in fear of Alexandra’s arrows, but several men in black forcefully pushed their way through the crowd toward them. They’re moving in on us, Morgan blurted out.

You guys, they’re coming! shouted Alexandra. She looked at them confused. Who are these guys?

None of the women were too familiar with Coulterfield, but it was obvious that these men in black were not from around there. They didn’t fit in with the rest of the townsfolk. They looked and dressed differently, wearing all black. They had on pieces of armor and carried several weapons on their dark uniforms. Most had black or very dark brown hair, and they all looked experienced at warfare. These unknown men in black moved forward with swords in hand. The town guards stepped aside and allowed them to pass.

Alexandra aimed her crossbows and released two arrows. Each hit the intended targets. Two men in black stumbled back. One dropped to the ground but the other regained his composure and returned to moving forward. Alexandra stepped back to reload as the woman in red moved toward the crowd to engage the approaching men.

The woman in red took a deep breath and leapt off the platform. She landed in front of them and sliced into the one out front on her right. Blood sprayed out on all that stood near. As he fell, the one on her left swung his sword down. She blocked it with her left sword and quickly thrust her right through his midsection and kicked him back. He flew into two others that approached, and they all fell back into the crowd.

The crowd pushed them off while they tried to move back. She moved to her right and attacked the other men in black that moved closer. They tried to block and defend themselves, but she moved too fast, and her skills far exceeded theirs. She cut into more as they rushed toward her.

Alexandra released two more arrows and took down two more men. As she reloaded, she took notice of the magistrate, who was trying to get up. She pointed a crossbow at him, so he dropped back to the ground on his butt and crawled backward