Locmire's Quest: Book One
A Tales from Calencia Novel
Brian Hutchinson
Copyright Brian Hutchinson 2012
Locmire's Quest: A Tales from Calencia Novel
Copyright © 2012 Brian Hutchinson
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.
e-book ISBN: 9780991324125
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, place, dialogue, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to any persons, either living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost I want to thank God for giving me my creative ability, as well as everything else he has so graciously blessed me with in life. Without him, I would be lost.
To my wife, Emily: I want to let you know how truly appreciated you are. You are my rock, and I love you with all of my heart. Thank you for the time you have put into my book and for encouraging me to always follow my dreams. I will always support you 100% in all that you choose to do, as you have me.
To my parents: Thank you for putting faith in me and giving me the confidence to follow my dreams. You two are the best. Love you guys.
To my brother: Thank you for always being there for me. You are a great person and I wish you the very best.
To all of the people who have helped me with the editing process: My wife, Sean Maher, Melissa Prichard, Caleb Prichard and my beta readers, thank you. Thank you for the time you spent picking my work apart and for giving me your honest opinions. Without you, this book would not be what it is today.
To my editor: Christina Duncan, thank you for all of your hard work, input, advice, and ideas. Without your dedication and excitement, this book would have been a grammatical mess. My family and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
To Johan Jaeger: Your art work is amazing and I am honored to feature your art on my cover. You can visit him at https://johanjaeger.deviantart.com
To Chris Brumfield, my map maker: Thank you for your hard work and dedication. I know, at times, I can be a tad bit frustrating to work with on such a project, but you came through in a big way. I can never thank you enough. I look forward to working with you again.
To everyone else: Thank you for just being a part of my life. You are all special to me in some way or fashion. Donna, thank you for all of your input, ideas, and free time. Deanna, your excitement gave me motivation when I needed it most. Mark and Patty, thank you for the wonderful wife and the love you have given me. Tyler, I am proud of the man you are turning out to be. Love ya buddy. A big shout out to Red Squad! RS4L.
This book is dedicated to my loving wife Emily, my beautiful daughter Heidi, and manly son Bowen.
Prologue
Throughout the recorded history of Calencia, two things have always been: Wizards and war. From its beginning, war plagued Calencia like an infectious disease, exterminating entire races along its path, and all the while, the Wizards of Fogarth watched and waited.
For thousands of years, the Wizards walked Calencia alone, but eventually this once desolate world gave birth to others. How these other races came into existence is unknown, undisclosed, or as is so often the case, simply forgotten. Many lived and died leaving behind nothing more than a footnote in a history book. Others thrived.
At one point in time, Calencia was home to the Wizards, Humans, Brazurkins, Dainties, Jaluts, Pranthers, High Engeniums, Forest Engeniums, Groots, Kwaynots, and Raptilians. Although many other creatures roamed the lands, these were the prominent races of Calencia.
The Wizards of Fogarth objectively watched each and every skirmish to have ever taken place on Calencia. Battle after battle they sat patiently waiting and watching as foretold circumstances unfolded before their very eyes. As none of these wars directly affected the Wizards, they did not feel the need to intervene.
War brought about the end of the Kwaynots, a peaceful race of bird-like beings, and the Pranthers, a volatile cross between panther and man. They declared war on one another over a small peninsula on the northern coast of the Free Lands, and eventually met their demise on the very ground they sought to secure.
The Jaluts, or stone people, met their unfortunate end when the Humans discovered how much more useful they were as highly prized building material. The wall around the castle in Galdarath has yet to require repair.
The Groots were a race of very small, very peculiar beings that lived in the forests of Lasticall. They lost a yearlong war to the invading Hoggins. The Hoggins, who had far greater numbers, slaughtered every last Groot.
The Wizards sat idle as war brought about the extinction of four races, but after thousands of years, the time had finally come. A war brewed that left the Wizards little choice but to become involved. The war, which would later become known as the Great War, between Calencia and the most evil force imaginable loomed on the horizon. If Calencia had any hope of surviving, the Wizards, for the first time, had to step out of the shadows and lend their aid.