Darkness Holds the Son

Companion novel to Sword of Cho Nisi

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This story is the sole work of

D. L. Gardner.

No portion may be copied or used in any form without the consent of the author except for brief review passages.

@ 2022 D. L. Gardner

Information may be obtained by contacting

Dianne L Gardner at gardnersart.com

All characters are fictitious and any resemblance to any place or person is purely coincidental.

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More works by the author as well as video and audio are listed on the author’s website. https://gardnersart.com

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They left Tuluva and followed the road along the Great Wellstone River, a body of water whose distant shores launched the mightiest empire in the modern world. Casdamia. A land known for its cruel rulers and uncontrolled magic.

Some told tales of an abyss—the Neverworld they called it. They borrowed the term from travelers who referenced mysterious caves and tunnels where sorcery had its roots.

No one in the modern world spoke of sorcery. The country had been rid of such evil ever since the princess of Prasa Potama had destroyed the black wizard in the caves of Mount Ream and his curses had been driven away with the death of the dark wizard, Skotádi. The giants disappeared and the flying beasts had vanished. The once possessed Prince Barin had been healed and crowned king of Potamia. Even the emperor of Casdamia who had been blinded by Skotádi’s magic, regained his eyesight.

Those battles had quickly become legends and stories and ballads spread of King Barin’s sword swallowing the wizard’s magic, a dragon blessing it, and the king locking the weapon away in a dungeon.

But rumors of other supernatural events found their way into pubs and inns across the land—rumors that the governing bodies quietly refuted to avoid panic—rumors of other curses, stolen children, and war.