Bear Knight


 
 
 Acclaim for
 LIGHTRAIDER ACADEMY
 “Inspired by the Christian fantasy role-playing game DragonRaid, the moral and religious teachings in the book are clear. An engaging Christian fantasy, readers will find this an exciting, action-filled read.”
 —Kirkus Reviews
 “James R. Hannibal creates superb stories. His imagination and creativity are literally out of this world . . . Exciting and suspenseful reading!”
 —Dick Wulf, creator of DragonRaid
 “Epic quests, adventures worthy of sprawling maps, awesome battles, talking animals, and heroes who rise to the challenge—I love this kind of fantasy! Hannibal’s Lightraider series has all that and more! Definitely worth the read.”
 —S.D. Grimm, author of the Children of the Blood Moon series and A Dragon by Any Other Name
 “Hannibal handles genre tropes with skill and aplomb, managing to make a well-worn form seem fresh and new. This exquisite adventure is a great read for kids of all ages.”
 —Jon Land of BookTrib
 “Hannibal delivers an action-packed quest through a world of fantastical creatures and unexpected friendships. A journey of faith and freedom from start to finish!”
 —Lauren H. Brandenburg, award-winning author of The Death of Mungo Blackwell
 
 
 Bear Knight
 Copyright © 2023 by James R. Hannibal
 EPUB Edition
 
 Published by Enclave Publishing, an imprint of Oasis Family Media.
 Carol Stream, Illinois, USA.
 www.enclavepublishing.com
 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, digitally stored, or transmitted in any form without written permission from Oasis Family Media.
 Scripture quotations have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
 ISBN: 979-8-88605-030-1 (printed hardback)
 ISBN: 979-8-88605-031-8 (printed softcover)
 ISBN: 979-8-88605-033-2 (ebook)
 Cover design by Emilie Haney, www.EAHCreative.com
 Typesetting by Jamie Foley, www.JamieFoley.com
 Map art by Melissa Nash
 Printed in the United States of America.
 For the real Connor and Aaron.
 You are both a daily inspiration.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Cover
 Acclaim for Lightraider Academy
 Half-Title
 Title Page
 Copyright Page
 Dedication
 Maps
 Prologue
 PART ONE: THE FIVE QUESTS
 Chapter 1
 Chapter 2
 Chapter 3
 Chapter 4
 Chapter 5
 Chapter 6
 Chapter 7
 Chapter 8
 Chapter 9
 Chapter 10
 Chapter 11
 Chapter 12
 Chapter 13
 PART TWO: CASUALTIES
 Chapter 14
 Chapter 15
 Chapter 16
 Chapter 17
 Chapter 18
 Chapter 19
 Chapter 20
 Chapter 21
 Chapter 22
 Chapter 23
 Chapter 24
 Chapter 25
 Chapter 26
 Chapter 27
 Chapter 28
 Chapter 29
 Chapter 30
 PART THREE: STORMRIDER
 Chapter 31
 Chapter 32
 Chapter 33
 Chapter 34
 Chapter 35
 Chapter 36
 Chapter 37
 Chapter 38
 Chapter 39
 Chapter 40
 Chapter 41
 Chapter 42
 Chapter 43
 Chapter 44
 Chapter 45
 Chapter 46
 PART FOUR: THE COURAGE OF BEARS
 Chapter 47
 Chapter 48
 Chapter 49
 Chapter 50
 Chapter 51
 Chapter 52
 Chapter 53
 Chapter 54
 Chapter 55
 Chapter 56
 Chapter 57
 Chapter 58
 Chapter 59
 Chapter 60
 Chapter 61
 Chapter 62
 Chapter 63
 Chapter 64
 Chapter 65
 Epilogue
 Author’s Note
 About the Author
 Other Fantasy Series
 
 
 
 THE PRISONER
 TANELETHAR
 Forest. Fog. Darkness. I don’t remember where I am. I don’t know this place—this place where the creatures brought me the first time I died.
 I don’t remember my home, my old name. I remember little that is good. Only her face. Her laugh. And it is this, more than anything, that haunts me in this place of ghouls. I remember wanting to protect her. My purpose was to protect her.
 Yet I’m here, in the dark. And that means I must have failed.
 This thought makes me tighten my grip on the curved sword I stole from the barracks’ stores—a trainer, blunt-edged and little use against the ore creatures here. An iron orc’s hide is too thick for a trainer. But this weapon will make short work of a goblin’s mushroom flesh. My body may be weakened after countless days of moldy bread and black water, after so many nights of delirium, but I can still chop through fungal sinew and brittleknit bone with an iron stick.
 A wanderer floats past the barracks window, lantern held out with its cloaked arm. I duck, then peek. The sphere of orange light around the creature is small and dim. Sometimes I think those lanterns serve no other use than illuminating the drawn, crumbling faces and empty eye sockets under the wanderers’ hoods. All the same, I stay put. I’d rather not get caught.
 The moment the wanderer drifts out of sight, I roll over the windowsill. My landing makes not the slightest sound, a skill my body carried over from an old life, though my mind cannot recall its intended use. Was I a hunter? A thief? One day I will learn the answer—if my store of lives holds out.
 One, two, three, four. I count my footfalls, running in a crouch. At night, the fog obscures all, both sound and sight. The endless black pines remain shadows until I’m close enough for their needles to prick my skin. Discovering the paces and courses leading out of the camp has cost me dearly. I’ve lived a dozen short lives—a dozen or more. Each brought me closer to escape, but each death brings me closer to the final sleep from which I won’t wake up.
 Something screams.
 Ignore it.
 My first landmark looms ahead. The camp fence is tall, but I loosened a plank on my second venture from the barracks. The barkhides and their masters haven’t found it or don’t care. The fence is the least of the obstacles penning us in.
 A wanderer turns my way before I can push through. Has it seen me with its absent eyes? Or does it move on some predestined path known only to the sorcerers who raised it? Fear wells up, urging me to pull back the plank and squeeze through.