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  The Lost City:

  King’s Inheritance

  D.L. Colón

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2015 D.L. Colón

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means without prior written permission of the copyright owner. This is a work of fiction

  Acknowledgement

  I want to say thank you to those who have supported me, no matter how small or big your support was, it is appreciated. I want to say a special thanks to some selected people.

  To Christina Escue, my editor, for her friendship and support and also for being patient with me and being there to support me no matter what, thank you for everything.

  To D.N. Simmons, who is a great author and my mentor, thank you for giving me your opinions and being there whenever I needed a hand. You are a great friend and I hope that this friendship continues to grow.

  I want give thanks to my friends on Puerto Rico who have been there since the beginning. Daniel Lugo, Miguel Pagan, Erick Melendez, Bernard Mudaford, Michael Sierra, and my martial arts Sensei; Frank Leon, you have been there to laugh with me and give me your opinion when I needed it.

  Now I want to say a huge thank you to Patricia Statham from Books To Curl Up With Book Blog, for being the first to support me when others didn’t gave my story a chance. Your friendship and support means the world to me.

  To my beta reading team, thank you for joining me on another wild ride. I hope you are ready for the next one and all the ones that follow.

  To the new readers, thank you joining the ride and giving my books a chance. I hope you find as much enjoyment in this one as you did the last. This book is for all of you.

  Prologue

  Year 537 during Battle of Camlann

  King Arthur is severely wounded and is taken to the isle of Avalon to be healed, but his wound has gone deep and can no longer be healed. Arthur, who is lying on a bed with Merlin at his side, asks his best friend, “Merlin, now that my time has come I must ask, will I ever set foot on this Earth again?”

  Merlin, seeing the sadness in Arthur’s eyes, uses his powers to look into the future. “You will set foot on this Earth again Milord, but it will not be in this place. You will be reincarnated. You will set up a new Kingdom elsewhere, but you won’t remember anything of this life.”

  “I want to retain my memories from this life. I want to let them serve as a lesson for me, for my new Kingdom. Will you make sure Excalibur makes it to my hand in my next life, my friend?”

  Merlin thinks about what Arthur is saying. “Milord, give me your hand with the ring.”

  Arthur does as he asks. Merlin gets Excalibur and puts the pommel in Arthur’s hand. He uses magic on the ring and sword and when he’s finished Arthur asks, “What did you do, my friend?”

  “I used my magic and made it that once you touch Excalibur and your ring again in your new life you will remember everything from this life.” Merlin seeing that King Arthur doesn’t have much time left in this life touches his forehead. “Rest my King, for we will meet again.”

  King Arthur closes his eyes and his hand goes slack; everyone on the Isle of Avalon mourns the loss of a great King.

  A millennium later

  The reigning family of the Caribbean is the King family. Tyrone, who bears a strong resemblance to King Arthur, but they don’t know that, is the new King of the Caribbean. He is going about his duties one day when he receives a gift from an old man; it is a ring and the most beautiful sword he has ever seen. Tyrone, who is currently thirty years old and in his prime, puts the ring on and picks up the sword. Suddenly he is bombarded by the onslaught of memories; he doesn’t know whose they are or where they come from.

  When everything kicks into place he remembers that he was King Arthur of Britain. He has no idea why he has been reincarnated in this time and place, but he knows that the need is great here and he will establish a better Kingdom than that of his last life. “Merlin? Are you here? Where are you?”

  Merlin appears beside him, “Yes Milord, I am here.”

  Tyrone sees that the old man who gave him the ring and sword is Merlin. “So the same old man who gave me the gift is Merlin?”

  “Yes Milord. I have been paying close attention to you and your time to return is now. Your father just granted you the throne so you are the true ruler now.”

  “Well Merlin, here is what we’re going to do. We are going to hide Excalibur from everyone. I need you to make me, once I die, its protector until someone worthy of it appears and faces me to claim it. The only catch is this person will be from the King family.”

  Merlin agrees and during the course of Tyrone’s reign he is just, fair and loved by his people. He gives himself the last name King so his descendants will be born under that name. When it is time to say his last goodbyes, Merlin fulfills his wishes and hides Excalibur behind a wall in the Throne Room. He leaves it there with Tyrone to watch over it until someone comes to claim it. He makes sure to leave details about the sword for someone in the King family to find it, but during the years no one is able to find it. The King family created a story of the sword, but still, no one ever finds it. Merlin leaves a note that only the current ruling member of the King Family could find and read. When they are killed the message is passed down to the next ruling member of the family.

  Year 3014

  Merlin sees that the last remaining member of the King Family, the son who was sent away during the attack, has returned. When he sees this he goes to see Tyrone, who is waiting by the sword, which he removed from the Throne Room. “The one has come Milord.”

  “Well it is about time.”

  Chapter 1

  The portal is opening in front of the gate that leads to the castle and a devilish laugh is heard from the portal as Noryad steps out. “Welcome home, Your Majesty.”

  The first thing Noryad notices is movement in one of the windows of the castle, if he recalls correctly, it’s one of the windows in the Throne Room. He puts his gloves on and takes out his staff-sword. As he walks toward the castle he feels the presence of souls around him. Noryad starts to mumble in Spanish as he walks and when he stops a soul is standing beside him. He realizes it’s one of the guards of the castle who has remained after the kingdom was brought down by killing everyone in it.

  The guard approaches Noryad, stops a few steps away from him and bows in reverence, “Your Majesty. What brings you back to this forgotten place?”

  “I have returned to claim what I need, to claim my inheritance and learn to control my powers. What made you stay here? This is not the palace you once knew so why remain here when you could go to the afterlife and rest in peace?”

  “Milord, we were waiting for you. The remnant of the power you once unleashed in your younger days made us remain because we knew the time would come and you would need us to fight what approaches.”

  “You are talking like more than just you remained. Why did the souls of the dead remain for me not knowing when, or if, I would return?”

  The guard doesn’t answer and Noryad continues walking. As he gets closer to the castle he notices that more souls are showing themselves to him, probing his senses and his defenses. With a knowing smile he unleashes his power to the extent he can control it, letting them know who has returned home. The guard smiles as Noryad looks at him, “Follow me.”

  The guard follows him through the corridors of the castle as memories of the past he vaguely remembers over takes him. He has been gone from here for the last twenty years, yet he remembers all the stuff he had to endure as the strongest, most powerful member of the King family like it was yesterday. By the time he could walk they had already
set strict rules of what was expected of him and if he slacked he would be punished by being slashed on his back. He left the scars on his back, even though he could erase them, as a reminder of those times. While he is lost in memories the guard has been talking to him, but he hasn’t realized it until he felt him touch him. Snapping out of his daydreaming, he turns to the guard, “I’m sorry. My mind was elsewhere. What were you saying?”

  The guard looks at him, understanding shining in his eyes, “I never answered your question, your Majesty, so I was going to, but you were daydreaming. I am not the only one who remained here, my King. Most of us remain vigilant in the castle and most of us, despite the fact that we cannot be seen, have been training every day while we awaited your return. We were told by a Goddess a long time ago that you would come back to us and reclaim the throne.”

  Noryad is quite surprised by the guard’s words. “Do you know the name of the Goddess who told you this?”

  “Yes Milord, I remember it like it’s my own name because there is no one more beautiful than her. Her name is Coral, the Goddess of Fate.”

  ******

  Coral is resting in her room in the secluded Kingdom of the Goddess of Fate when someone knocks on her door. “Who is it? I’m trying to rest.”

  When she opens the door her soon-to-be Consort, Albert, is the one behind the door. He pushes past her and into the room. “We have news on the King family member that returned to the Caribbean. He has arrived safely and the souls are already approaching him, but that’s all we know.” Albert notices the spark of interest that crosses Coral’s face when he mentions the King family member, but it is gone soon as he sees it. He doesn’t like her interest in Noryad King, but he isn’t overly concerned. He will claim her as his own soon and no man will ever get close to her again.

  Coral hides the sudden spark of interest that rises up at the mention of Noryad’s last name. She needs to prepare herself to meet with him because he has made the first step and has started to move. Soon he will learn that she was the one who said he would one day return to his home, but it is the only thing she ever saw of him in prophecy. She knows he rides the tides of time, he doesn’t have a specific future. Because his future is always changing, he is more unpredictable than Drake. She saw both sides of the prophecy revolving around Drake, the one that shows him destroying the world and the one that showed him saving it, but she can’t see what Noryad will do. He has more power than her, but she knows that he will never hurt her. Her gut tells her that she can always call on him and he will be there.

  She knows the time approaches for her and if she doesn’t find her true mate she will be forced to marry Albert, whom she despises with everything that is inside her. She tolerates him because she has no other choice, but if she could she would make him disappear in a heartbeat. As Albert leaves her room she hears the guard she told about Noryad’s return telling him that she was the one who said he would return. She smiles and whispers out loud to the empty room, “It has begun. The King has returned to claim his inheritance.”

  Chapter 2

  As Noryad is walking with the guard he’s thinking about how Coral predicted his return and he can’t understand how she knew. As they approach the Throne Room he notices that while he was lost in thought other souls joined him and the guard as they walked. When he opens the door to the Throne Room he sees something written on the wall behind the throne; Are you the one? He tilts his head and reads it again before he shrugs his shoulders and walks to the throne. He stops directly in front of the throne and turns around, facing the hall as he gathers as much power as he can and starts to mumble incoherently.

  As he mumbles the souls, one by one, are able to be seen. Most of them are nobles and guards, but some are common people from the kingdom. When he’s finished mumbling he faces everyone with the eyes of the King, knowing that he must learn to show his command over his subjects. Noryad gets his staff-sword in his hand and everyone in the room turns to face him. “Souls of the dead who have chosen to remain behind and await the return of the little boy who was forced to leave his homeland; I am that boy. I am Noryad King, the last remaining member of the King family, and I have returned to claim my inheritance.”

  Everyone in the room is silent. Noryad watches them as, one by one, they drop to one knee and bow their heads in reverence to their King. He’s surprised by their actions because they are dead, they don’t have a reason to remain here waiting for him, yet here they are.

  Before Noryad knows what is happening a guard looks up and shouts, “LONG LIVE THE KING!” Before long everyone get ups and starts chanting, too. The Throne Room fills with their rising voices. “LONG LIVE THE KING!”

  Noryad hears the chant surrounding him so he decides to look over the balcony attached to the Throne Room and there are thousands of souls chanting outside as well. Just like they used to do when they were alive and chanting to his father from that very spot. Suddenly a feeling of loneliness washes over him, a feeling caused by the fact that his family is not here with him. He raises his hands and everyone stops chanting. “Noryad King has returned home!” he shouts to everyone below and everyone starts cheering. Merlin, who is hiding and watching the exchange between Noryad and the souls of the dead, decides to report back to Tyrone.

  ******

  Tyrone is in the Catacombs with the sword, which he retrieved from the Throne Room when the last King was slain, and the rings beside him, waiting for Merlin to return them behind the wall in the Throne Room. He hears how the souls of the dead are stirring at the return of the one that will claim the sword he protects, it is his by birthright after all. Tyrone smiles and says out loud, “Get strong, Noryad King. Your magic won’t be enough to bring me down. Merlin!” Merlin appears at Tyrone’s side and smiles at him.

  “Is he the one?” Tyrone asks as he looks into the mind of Noryad.

  “Yes Milord, he is. Though he has a lot of training ahead of him or he will fall to your sword because his heritage is coming out and he doesn’t know this was going to happen to him. He now has to force himself to learn the hard way, unless I train him that is.”

  “Watch him and if you think he needs the help then help him, but remember that he has to fight us both when the time comes. Give him the training he needs, he will learn the rest. Go, my friend, and watch over him.”

  Merlin bows, “Yes, Milord!”

  As Merlin leaves Tyrone speaks out loud to himself. “The time has come.”

  ******

  Noryad turns and faces the crowd in the Throne Room after he talks to the crowd below. One noble walks closer and bows, “Milord, is it true that you have come to claim your birthright?”

  Noryad smiles and motions for him to rise. “Yes I have,” then his expression gets hard as he continues, “but I have to train for it. I have come to train and learn how to completely control my powers and I have come here in hopes of finding something that will help me. Now I must see if there is a certain book in the library that has remained in good condition.”

  Chapter 3

  Noryad heads to the library, in hopes of finding news about his heritage, but the closer he gets to the library the more he realizes that there’s no way the library remains intact after all this time. He decides to go and check anyway, just to assess the damage. When he arrives he notices the door is protected by magic. He touches the door and immediately recognizes the warding being used to protect it so he starts mumbling and each ward snaps open, one by one, until the last one breaks. When he is about to open the door he feels a presence inside the room and decides to send a pulse of magic through to make sure the room is empty and no one alive is inside. He gathers his magic and sends a pulse around the room, feeling at least ten undead walking around inside.

  He takes his staff-sword in his left hand and bursts through the door of the library. Suddenly all of the undead look his way, their eyes are completely white as they look at him. As if being moved by a puppeteer, they move fast and Noryad is trying to think of a way
to fight them without destroying their bodies. Before the undead can reach him the souls of the dead form a barricade around him, causing him to become invisible to the undead. Having lost their target, the undead stop advancing and continue with their slow movements around the room. Upon realizing they can’t see him, he decides to continue walking while the souls protect him. He’s strong, but he knows he isn’t strong enough to defeat ten undead.

  Once he discovers the books in the library have been kept in excellent condition by magic, he looks at the bookshelves and finds one that catches his attention. It’s entitled, The Battle of Camlann. He grabs it from the shelf as his eyes find another one entitled, Camelot. He takes both with him as he searches for the book he was looking for, The King Family Heritage. When he finds it he starts walking toward the door. As he reaches the door he sees an old magician, one he doesn’t know, passing by the door. He runs after him, but once he makes it through the door the old magician is nowhere in sight, almost like he was never there.

  Noryad looks around at the souls of the dead that are with him. He recognizes one of them is Nohar, commander of the King’s Personal Guard. Nohar is a tall, almost black-skinned muscular man with grey eyes. Noryad looks at him in confusion, “Commander Nohar, I never expected to meet you again, especially under these circumstances.”

  Nohar bows slightly, “My King, it has always been my job to protect the King Family. I served your father in life and I will serve you in death. I see you have not changed, you had a tendency for getting into trouble. I always had to watch you until…” His voice trails off, not wanting to mention the slaughter of Noryad’s family.