Origins of the Never: A prequel to The Tales of the Neverwar series, with dragons, elves, and faeries. For Young Adults and Teens by CJ Rutherford, Colin Rutherford Read Free Book Online Page A

dying. And he had caused it.
    “Why, Olumé. Why did you do this?” He glanced up and around, his self-control eroded by his grief. For a moment Tenybris glimpsed what he could have had. He stood with his friend and his love. His love for her was different. Lynnaria was a sister, the way it should have been.
    Then he looked down into his friend’s lifeless eyes. Had he done this? No! She had! The Darkness took control. He stood up, throwing the body aside. “This was to be our last battle, and you’ve robbed me of that!”
    Tenybris reached out to ensnare the soul as it left Olumé’s body. He cursed as it refused to obey his will. His magic could not touch it, because it hadn’t been released at his hand. It escaped into the Never, and Tenybris screamed in fury. He, and the Darkness that drove him, had so looked forward to turning the essence of his greatest threat into one of his slaves.
    These people would pay for this trick, and the universe would suffer. He spoke, creating a great chasm before the gates, spewing fire and lava upwards, engulfing the defenders. Any defence they had planned was overcome by the violence of the attack. The sky rained fire, and the rock below the walls shattered. The great marble defences blew inwards, striking the towers. They fell. Tenybris used the Citadel to destroy its inhabitants.
    Inside an hour it was in ruins, its people entombed in rubble.
    His forces sacked the city, consuming everyone who remained, turning them all into helpless slaves. When he entered the portal chamber, however, he saw the smoking, wrecked pyramid. His rage was complete. He levelled the remaining structures with a single, raging thought, destroying hundreds of his own minions without a concern. He was trapped here. Trapped, on this soon to be lifeless planet.
    Tenybris raged for weeks, destroying everything he encountered. Then he began to brood on his failure. Even now, his hunger grew. The only life left on this world was the Dwelves, hidden in their underground labyrinths, or the Dragons.
    Their unique form of magic prevented him from feeding on them, but perhaps they might be of a use other that sustenance. He had bent them to his will once before and barely escaped alive. Now, however, they were no match for him. They would serve a far greater need than mere hunger.
    It took him several days to travel to the mountain range they called their home. They had erected spells preventing any incursion after his last visit. He cursed Olumé again, as his early death prevented him from discovering his travelling abilities. As he approached, the army was shadowed from high above by Dragon scouting parties.
    It was hard to hide an army that seeped the life of the land it stepped on. Its march to the mountains was a stain on the Lands. Tree’s died and birds fell from the skies as they flew across their path.
    When he arrived at the foothills he was met by Glyran. The hatred in the Dragon chieftain’s eyes was unmistakable, but Tenybris sensed fear also, and laughed.
    “I was told the next time I set foot here, my life would be forfeit, Dragon,” he said, gloating. “Well? What are you waiting for? Kill me! Kill me now before I wipe your insignificant kind off the face of this world.”
    Glyran threw back his huge head and roared, as he leapt into the air. He circled the army, breathing fire all across them. Dragonfire is hot enough to turn earth to glass when unleashed in anger, but it was totally ineffective. Tenybris was shielding them with his magic. Glyran called out to his people, and suddenly a hundred Dragons attacked. And a hundred Dragons died, as Tenybris ripped their souls out, destroying them before they could pass to the Never and be reborn again.
    Glyran cried in rage and anguish at the loss. Dragonkind lived almost as long as the People. Tenybris had just murdered friends he’d known for thousands of years. It was hopeless to resist he knew now, so he landed dejectedly at his enemy's