REVENGE (Preview)
From the world of Etharril...
REVENGE
A NOVELLA.
BY
JORDAN C. MANN
REVENGE is a work of fiction. The characters, places, and events are the
product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons,
locations, or events is purely coincidental.
This story was written by a human. Not a single paragraph, sentence,
phrase, or word was created by AI.
© 2026 Jordan C. Mann
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without written permission from the author. No part of this
book may be used for the purpose of training artificial intelligence
technologies or systems.
Published by Lambent Press.
First Edition – June 2026
Cover illustration and image via Shutterstock. Used under license.
Cover design by J.C.M.
REVENGE is part of a sprawling saga set in the fantasy world of Etharril.
Visit jordancmann.com to discover additional stories and world lore.
***
"For those who claim to be defenders of the realm by slaying the beasts that threaten, be wary. Lose sight of the realm for the slaying, and you shall become a beast yourself." - a passage from the Tome of Enlightenment
Chapter One
Kurlac could smell the blood. It had been months since he last fed and the promise of a feed pulled at him, his teeth aching with the anticipation of sinking into flesh.
He moved through the forest silently, following the scent back towards the road that led to the royal city of Kingsmere. The city was a long distance from here, so he was surprised to encounter someone this far away in the middle of the night.
The forest was mostly pines, widely spaced with little underbrush allowing him to move quickly and quietly. As he approached the road, he heard hooves, thumping on the hardened dirt. There was a rider, and the scent of fresh blood grew stronger.
Kurlac slowed as he came to the edge of the forest but remained hidden at the edge of the trees. The thin, crescent moon in the clear sky provided little light, but enough for him to clearly see a man in a dark cloak, dismounting and looking around nervously.
His keen hearing told him that the rider was alone and Kurlac remained in the shadows of the forest, watching as the man led his horse towards the side of the road. Wrapping the reins firmly around one of the lower branches, the rider quickly glanced left and right again before dragging down a body that had been draped across the saddle.
Kurlac moved silently towards them, the horse snorting and tossing its head slightly. The man carried the body towards the edge of the road and unceremoniously heaved it as far as he could into the ditch. Without a backward glance he returned to his mount, that was growing increasingly nervous, as Kurlac moved closer in an unsuccessful attempt to see the man's face. Quickly untying the reins and vaulting himself into the saddle, the rider kicked his horse and headed back towards the city, his cloak flapping behind him as the sounds of galloping hooves faded into the darkness.
With the rider gone, Kurlac moved swiftly to the body and knelt beside it. A young woman lay on her back, her long, dark hair, now tangled and full of leaves, was covering her face. Her faded blue kirtle was torn, ripped open to the waist, and her bare chest, covered in blood, glistened in the faint moonlight.
The iron taste of blood was strong on his palette, and he placed his hand on her neck. She was warm, and he could still feel her heart beating. It was faint, but she wasn't dead. Not yet.
He brushed the hair from her face. She was younger than he first thought, maybe twenty years, he estimated. Her face was gaunt, scratched, and streaked with dirt, but he recognized her. She lived in the alleys in Kingsmere, he had seen her there at night, when he hunted. He knew she had no home, and no family.
He paused for a moment, then scooped her up, and began to run. His feet barely seemed to touch the ground as made his way through the woods, back the way he'd come. She was not heavy, but with his strength, he could have carried a man ten times her size with the same effort.
Kurlac arrived at Blackstone Manor, his home. The mansion stood in a clearing, built of dark stones that absorbed the weak moonlight making the walls appear featureless. Two large towers framed the building and no light emanated from any of the windows. He entered through one of the back doors, kicking it open and carrying the victim down into the bowels of the lower levels. He hurried into a room devoid of any furniture or decor save a single, stone slab, the size of a large table. The room was completely dark, but he could still see well enough, and he laid her on the stone in the middle of the room. Touching her neck again, he still sensed a heartbeat, but it was very weak. He would need to be quick.
"Mord'droth!" Kurlac called out to the darkness. "Bring my things." An elderly shadow elf emerged moments later carrying a lamp in one hand and a large, black satchel in the other. Once a warrior, centuries ago, Mord'droth now lived at Blackstone, and served Lord Kurlac faithfully. His sharp features had softened over time, and his skin, and one good eye, had become the palest of blue.
"My, lord," he said simply, handing Kurlac the bag and then walked around the room lighting four lamps, one on each wall.
Kurlac began to remove the contents of the satchel and set them on the edge of the stone table.
"Bring me some water, and then go and retrieve Slvr'rath, I will be needing her assistance," he said to Mord'droth.
"Of course, my Lord." Mord'droth replied as he finished lighting the last lamp. He left, unperturbed, and returned briefly with a basin of warm water before leaving again to fetch Slvr'rath.
Kurlac looked at the girl laying on the slab, imagining the life she had endured and the violence that had found her this night. He considered his decision one last time. This was the right thing to do.
He surveyed the objects he'd arranged on the table. A small, silver cup. Two vials, one containing a powder made from poppy seeds and the other a wormwood tincture. A curved needle with silk thread, and a silver flask of water collected from a flowing stream under the light of a full moon. He was ready to perform the Blood Sacrifice.
He checked her heartbeat again. It was very faint. I must be quick. Pulling back her torn clothing carefully, he revealed the stab wound in her chest where dark blood continued to ooze out of the jagged cut. Kurlac turned her onto her side and held the silver cup under the wound allowing some blood to flow into it. He gently laid her onto her back again and filled the cup the rest of the way with water from the flask.
Holding the cup with both hands, he quietly recited the first part of the the Blood Sacrifice.
"I accept the gift you offer me. Your blood is my blood. Your life is my life." He drank it. The small amount of blood did nothing to satiate his hunger, only accentuating his desire to feed.
Moving quickly and surely, Kurlac pulled up the sleeve on his left arm and took a small, silver dagger out of the depths of his robes. Next to another old scar, he made an incision on the inside of his forearm from which blood immediately began to pour out in a continuous stream. He allowed the blood to collect in the silver cup until it was half full. Taking no time to bandage his own wound, he added a pinch of the ground poppy seeds, and a few drops of the wormwood tincture into the cup and filled it the rest of the way with water from the flask.
There was no time for formalities. Kurlac lifted her into a sitting position with his left arm and gently held the cup to her lips with his right hand while reciting the second part of the sacrifice.
"Fear not and receive the gift I bestow upon you. My blood is your blood, my life is your life. Rise and breathe new air as one of the chosen."
Her lips parted slightly and he slowly poured the mixture into her mouth. She coughed a couple of times, splattering more blood on Kurlac's face and robes, but eventually she swallowed it completely, and he laid her back down gently on the stone table.
Setting the cup aside, Kurlac leaned on the edge of the table, and took a deep breath. It is done.
I hope you enjoyed Chapter One!
Please purchase the full story to finish reading REVENGE.