Mandrean Revenge by Rival Gates
Author Rival Gates
was born in Port Huron, MI and moved to a suburb of Toronto, Canada at age 5 due to his father���s work as an editor. He was educated through high school in Canada and then returned to the United States for college at Michigan State University. Rival began working on this series of books at age 13 and spent his life honing the stories to be just right. His first book, ���Quest for the Red Sapphire��� drew excellent reviews and was followed up by his second book, ���The Sapphire Crucible��� which was received even better. Now Mr. Gates has published his third book, ���Mandrean Revenge��� and plans to carry his readers along on the battle tested trail of Linvin Grithinshield. His story awaits.
Mandrean Revenge
(Synopsis)
It has been more than 2 years since Linvin Grithinshield returned from his life altering quest with the Red Sapphire as his prize. Apart from surviving the regular assassination attempts he thought life had returned to normal. Far to the north in the Mandrean Empire, however, trouble was festering. In spite of Linvin���s best efforts, Lord Mandrean the 13th survived their confrontation and has been plotting his reprisal. With his empire on the verge of revolt he needs a show of force to display his dominance. Dispatching Linvin in front of his subjects would fill that role most handsomely. With the help of his evil Necromancer, Mandrean kidnaps Linvin���s Uncle Anvar. The elderly elf is the closest family Linvin has remaining and has been a father figure to him for much of his life. The emperor promises to release Anvar only after Linvin has surrendered himself for execution. Though Mandrean���s word has slight credibility, Linvin is given a terrible decision to make. With little choice Linvin sees no other option but to set out for the empire. He cannot delay as Anvar���s life will expire at the first frost of fall. That will become more troubling by the obstacles he faces along the way.
Mandrean & Necromancer
(Excerpt)
���What can I do to be of service, Sire?���
Mandrean leaned forward. ���I want to know what you have
found out about the staff for the Blue Sapphire. I charged you with
finding it some time ago. Having found its mate in the red staff it
should pose no problem for you.���
���That being such a simple task, I suppose you think I should
have found it by now?��� Necromancer quipped. ���But you fail to
remember that the only reason we located the red staff in the first
place was because an agent told me that Dirk Grithinshield had it
in Sartan. That was a stroke of luck. Such luck does not happen
twice. Surrender your quest.���
���Don���t be a fool. I could no more surrender my quest than I
could my right hand. The stick you made me does not give me full
access to the Blue Sapphire���s powers.���
���That stick,��� Necromancer defended, ���gives you nearly all the
ability of equally the most powerful magic in the world you could
possess. No one other than I could have made you that stick. Be
thankful for what you have been given.���
���But that still does not give me the power I need to defeat
Linvin Grithinshield.���
���The blue staff won���t either. It will only make your magic equal
to Grithinshield���s. Your magic will just cancel each other out. The
colors are opposites in the magical hierarchy. Did you not learn
that in your battle in the Valley of Broken Soldiers? A fight would
come down to your strength against his, your will against his and
your skill against his. If you could be honest with yourself for one
moment, you would admit that you will never be his equal there.���
Necromancer paused while Mandrean seethed. He returned to
antagonism after reading his master���s expressions. ���Why keep
pressing the issue with the half-elf? What? Is that stomach wound
still hurting? If not for me, you would be a corpse.���
Mandrean erupted. ���And you waited long enough to heal me. I
was nearly dead.��� He dismissed the servants tending the fire and
swam to the edge of the bath near the wizard. ���How long did you
wait? Hmm? How much of my blood did you let spill before you
saved my life? You waited as long as you could in hope that I was
dead, didn���t you? Any longer and my men would have thought you
didn���t want me to live. In fact, if I had not been awake to order you
to save me, I think you would have let me expire right then.���
Necromancer smiled with a wicked expression only he could
make. ���Of course, I was eager for you to die.��� Necromancer said it
in a deep, monotone voice. ���It���s a shame you bleed so slowly. I
was nearly rid of you. As for that wound, even my magic cannot
heal another person. I could only repair some of the physical
damage Linvin inflicted. Your lack of permanent healing is
influenced more by your flimsy body.���
The words shook Mandrean to his roots. He maintained a front
of anger to cover his distress. ���Oh no, Necromancer, you will
never be rid of me. I will make your life as horrible and demeaning
as I possibly can without end.���
Necromancer chuckled under his breath and knelt by his lord.
���You are wrong, and you know it,��� he whispered. ���I have all the
time that will ever be. And I have something you do not possess
despite all of your possessions. Patience.���
Deep inside Mandrean knew his wizard���s words to be true but
wouldn���t admit it even in his mind. He rose from the tub and
donned a robe. Still dripping wet, he approached his underling.
Mandrean bent down to bring his face directly in front of
Necromancer���s. ���You say you���re patient, but you���re not. You want
me dead so badly it���s eating you up inside. I know you just as you
think you know me. You wanted Grithinshield to murder me. The
fact that he failed is tormenting you day after day.���
Necromancer looked away during the speech and then focused
on the emperor.
���The only thing tormenting me is your minute intellect.���
���Say you are a spineless coward who can���t do things
himself���Say it,��� Mandrean ordered as he stepped back.
Necromancer stood and looked Mandrean in the eyes. ���Very
well, Sire. You are a spineless coward who can���t do things
himself.���
���Not me, idiot! Say I���m a spineless coward,��� Mandrean raged.
���But I just told you that you are a spineless coward. If your
grace has forgotten, I would gladly tell him again.���
The master lost his temper and threw a stool across the room.
He stood by Necromancer shaking from his anger in frustration at
not being able to let it out at the wizard.
���Now,��� Mandrean bellowed as he began to circle the albino,
���you didn���t help Grithinshield by any chance, did you?��� He paused
and heard nothing in reply. ���I didn���t think so,��� Mandrean said with
sarcasm. ���Because if you had helped Linvin kill me, that would
violate our little arrangement and present serious repercussions for
you.���
Necromancer did not speak. He merely looked away. Mandrean
found the silence more infuriating than the rude comments the
servant normally made.
Author's Contacts:
Web Site: http://www.rivalgates.com/
Blog: http://www.rivalgates.com/blog
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1qqrjiB
Twitter: @RivalGates1
Book Purchase Links:
���Quest for the Red Sapphire���
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1npYd0S
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1mSIAkT
���The Sapphire Crucible���
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1lGfOVN
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1n8o0yN
���Mandrean Revenge���
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1L9c76S
Barnes & Noble : http://bit.ly/1QYOL2y
