Defender of a Shattered World

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. The morning sun cast long shadows across the wasteland that had once been the kingdom of Valenhall. Sir Gareth Ironspire stood atop the crumbling battlements of Thornhaven Keep, his weathered hands gripping the ancient stone as he surveyed the desolation below. Where once green fields had stretched to the horizon, now only blackened earth and twisted metal remained, testament to the Great Sundering that had torn their world asunder three years past. His armor, once gleaming silver and gold, now bore the scars of countless battles against the Shadow Wraiths that haunted the broken lands. The blue cloak that marked him as a Knight of the Silver Order hung in tatters from his shoulders, yet he wore it still with pride. He was the last of his brotherhood, the final guardian of a world that seemed beyond salvation. The sound of approaching footsteps on the stone stairs behind him drew Gareth from his contemplation. He turned to see young Elara climbing toward him, her face flushed from the exertion. The girl had appeared at his gates six months ago, claiming to be a refugee from the eastern provinces. Though barely sixteen, she possessed a wisdom in her eyes that spoke of hardships far beyond her years. "Sir Gareth," she called breathlessly as she reached the top of the tower. "Riders approach from the south. At least a dozen, bearing the crimson banners of Lord Malachar." Gareth's jaw tightened beneath his helm. Malachar the Destroyer, self-proclaimed ruler of the southern territories, had been expanding his dominion steadily since the Sundering. Unlike the Shadow Wraiths that were mindless creatures of destruction, Malachar was a calculating enemy who sought to rule over the ashes of the old world rather than restore it.