Christopher Keene - War of Kings and Monsters

Books and Series Featuring Christopher Keene

A Beginners Guide to Summoning

A Short Story

Dream State Saga

Stuck in the Game

Back in the Game

Ghost in the Game

Lost in the Game

First in the Game

A Short Story

Super Dungeon Series

The Kings Summons

Adam Glendon Sidwell and Zachary James

The Forgotten King

D. W. Vogel

The Glauerdoom Moor

David J. West

The Dungeons of Arcadia

Dan Allen

The Midnight Queen

Christopher Keene

War of Kings and Monsters

Future House Publishing

Cover image copyright: Shutterstock.com. Used under license.

Text 2020 Christopher Keene

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of Future House Publishing at .

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

ISBN: 9781950020027 (paperback)

Developmental editing by Emma Snow

Substantive editing by Emma Hoggan

Copy editing by Isabelle Tatum

Interior design by Amanda LaFrance

Dedicated to Hayley. Heres my attempt to take something you lovemonster battlesand mix it with something I lovemedieval fantasy.

Nathan sat at his bedroom desk, nosing through a heavy tome. At this stage of his studies, he knew most of what there was to know about first-circle Melkai, but given the wide variety of second-circle Melkai, he had to constantly brush up on them. The bloated tome depicted the stupidly large second-circle Melkai, matching the monsters from the other world with animals that inhabited his own.

Although supposedly above his reading level, at fifteen, Nathan found the book only mildly challenging, mostly because he took the wisdom it contained with a grain of salt. From his experience, men who wrote such large books got out from behind their walls as rarely as he did. The author seemed to be pulling descriptions out of his rear end. Even so, drawn in by the detailed pictures and colorful descriptions, Nathan took pleasure in being a voyeur into the dangers of the world outside the castle walls while still being safe and sound behind them.

Flipping back through the section showing the smaller and weaker first-circle Melkai, he saw that many of them were still much larger than his own, though he doubted any of them would be as loyal as Taiba, his little friend from that other world.

He stretched a hand out toward his bed. Hey, come out here.

A small blue reptile, no larger than a gecko, rushed out from his sheets, jumped onto his hand, then climbed into the folds of his hood. The Melkai deemed that part of him not only the best vantage point to observe their surroundings, but also the best place to nestle down in if he became too cold. After spending three years with the curious creature, Taiba had become his closest confidant, and he was fond of feeling his cool tail coil loosely around his neck above his chain necklace. He reached up absentmindedly to pat Taibas head in the place he knew his friend liked best.

There was a loud knock at the door, and they both jumped in surprise.

Nathan, your presence is needed, Master Morrow called from the other side.

Dont tell me another apprentice has tried to make a pact with a Melkai in his room again.

Worse. You have been summoned to the throne room. Best not keep the king waiting.

Nathan squeezed his eyes shut and cursed under his breath. Although he often saw the king on his usual walks through the castle, Nathan had only been in the throne room a few times: once when he had first arrived and several times when he and the prince had gotten caught making trouble together as children, usually for exploring forbidden places in the castle.

His master continued with further knocking. Nathan, hurry up now!

Okay, okay! Im coming!

He opened his door to find Morrow, the Master of Pacts, waiting for him in the sunlit hallway, a grave expression on his wizened, bearded face that belied his usual jovial nature.

Come on. Morrow strode down the hallway, his long robes billowing behind him.

Nathan hurried after him but glanced back at his bedroom door, yearning for his lost comfort. As had been his routine for the last four years, hed stayed up late last night sitting through one of Morrows lectures and didnt want to start yawning in front of the king.

Being called on like this... its a bit unusual. Nathan jogged to keep up with his teachers long gait. Does this mean lectures are canceled for today?

Morrow ignored his question. Over the last several nights, our court astronomers have noticed a red hue on the moons horizon. Since then, that sliver of red has become a thin crescent. According to the Kairen texts, this is meant to signal a warning that one of the Kairens ancient spells is weakening. We have less than one month before it breaks entirely.

Ill take that as a no on todays lectures.

Which spell?

Morrow didnt answer him.

Wait, youre not talking about the barrier to the Melkairen, are you?

The Melkairen was the world containing the Melkai. So long as they were trapped within that world, they were limited to their spirit forms until a caller bound them to a pact item. But if the barrier between the worlds were to go down, the Melkai would roam freely, endangering all they came across. If Morrows lessons were anything to go by, few if any were as friendly as Taiba.

Morrow gave an almost imperceptible nod but only said, Best leave your questions for the king.

They approached the throne room doors. Frazzled by the prospect, Nathan combed his sandy hair and attempted to remember the etiquette required for an appearance before the king. It had been so long since hed needed to draw upon such knowledge.

The guards on either side of the entrance opened the doors, and Nathan followed his instructor into the large hall. The throne was on a high dais at the back of the room and faced not forward, but to the left. White ribbons hung in arcs above where the king sat with a thin-lipped expression.

When Morrow and Nathan reached the end of the long red carpet, Nathan shuffled nervously, shifting his weight from leg to leg as Taiba fidgeted in his hood.

Two people stood on either side of the old king. To his left was his Lord Chancellor, a long-faced man with graying hair. He had a strict, almost menacing focus in his cold eyes.

Prince Michael stood to the kings right. Despite the tension in the room, Michael failed to hold down his smile. The smile didnt suit his giant frame or stubbly face, for Michael appeared more intimidating than he actually was. Nathans first memory in the castle was of Michael, still a young boy himself, saving him from a squad of soldiers who believed him to be an urchin sneaking into the castle. They had been like brothers ever since. Now the prince was twenty and in command of those soldiers. He had the armor and broadsword to prove it.

Come forth, the king called.