Below the Moon

by Alexis Marie Chute

  Grandpa Archie and Dad rest their hands on the Tillastrion. Dad spins the clay bowl and it doesn’t stop. Grandpa Archie lifts the glass orb, a giant marble containing rushing clouds in an emerald sky. He drops it into the box and latches it. Their black eyes slip closed as a silver wind begins to slip out from the seams of the Tillastrion. My heart leaps—for a hundred reasons, for all that’s to come—as the landscape around us blurs and melts into a sea of blue.

  Epilogue

  The Star smiles beneath the sea, shadowed by the crippled island of Jarr-Wya. All the happenings beneath the moon are unfolding according to my plan, it thinks merrily, and finally we have the attention of Naiu.

  Glossary

  of Characters, Creatures, Plants, and Places

  ARCHIBALD “ARCHIE” WELLSLEY

  A white-haired senior citizen—born in 1947—and a retired roofer from Seattle, Washington. He is father of Arden, called Ardenal on Jarr-Wya; father-in-law of Tessa; grandfather of Ella; and widower of his late wife, Suzie. He moved in with Arden and his family after Suzie’s death, when Ella was seven years old. Archie has noticed changes in his body since arriving on the magical island. He also faces repercussions from stealing the secret history of the Olearons from the glass throne of the Lord, though it was not the only object he pocketed. He carries a small bouquet of the Banji flowers wrapped in a sock and leaf inside a trouser pocket.

  ARDENAL (PRONOUNCED: ARE-DEN-ALL)

  As a human, Arden Wellsley was a professor of Ancient Egyptian dynasties at Seattle University. He was the adult son of Archie, husband of Tessa, and father of Ella. He had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and chunky glasses. He disappeared when Ella was twelve years old, using a Tillastrion to portal jump to the island of Jarr-Wya. There, he was changed into an Olearon inside the web of the man-spider, Rolace. Reunited with his family in the mother world of Jarr, Arden—now called Ardenal—continues his search for Ella’s cure and a way to make peace with his broken marriage.

  ARRECIFE (PRONOUNCED: ARH-AY-SEE-FAY)

  A real-life port city on the island of Lanzarote in the Spanish Canary Islands, in the North Atlantic Ocean. The city faces the African continent and the country of Morocco.

  ATLANTIC ODYSSEY

  The name of the cruise ship that carried the Wellsley family and sailed through the Canary Islands in the North Atlantic. The ship was run by Constellations Cruise Line and was captained by Nathanial “Nate” Billows.

  AWAKINS (PRONOUNCED: A-WHAY-KINS)

  Large magical butterflies with two sets of wings: by night, they are airborne with a purple pair, and by day, with a yellow-orange pair. They never land for fear of the hallucinogenic Banji and other predators. The Bangols capture the awakins for use in their air transportation balloons.

  AZKAR (PRONOUNCED: AZ-CAR)

  An Olearon warrior and the eldest brother of Nameris and Kameelo, and deceased siblings Olen (OH-len) and Eek (EE-k). Incredibly strong and often gruff, Azkar is known for his scowl, his bravery, and the jagged black scar stretching from below his left eye to his collarbone.

  BALUURWA THE DOOMFUL (PRONOUNCED: BAL-OO-R-WHA)

  A mountain that rises sharply at the center of Jarr-Wya, created when Naiu crashed onto the island. The Steffanus race, who call Baluurwa home, have carved tunnels into it. Baluurwa has many small fragments of land jutting out from its sides that connect to the mountain by rock chutes, vines, or that simply float on their own.

  BANGOL (PRONOUNCED: BANG-GUL)

  A race originating from the rock, clay, and earth of Jarr-Wya. They possess power from Naiu, the magic in the world of Jarr, to manipulate earthen materials at their will. They have large, glowing yellow eyes, grey skin, and stones growing out of their cheekbones and bald heads.

  BANJI (PRONOUNCED: BAN-GEE)

  A magical flower that contains large quantities of Naiu. It has the power to distort perceptions and is often used as a weapon. In the presence of the Star, the growth of the flowers wanes.

  BLACK FLYERS

  Large coal-colored birds whose appearance has morphed since the arrival of the Star. The most notable changes are their growing wingspan, the talons that curl from their wing tips, and the splitting of the neck into two, each with its own terrifying beaked head.

  BLAMALA (PRONOUNCED: BLAA-MAL-AA)

  Enormous crab-like creatures with blue exoskeletons that live in the oceans surrounding Jarr-Wya. They are slow swimmers due to their oversized claws, so to battle their aquatic foes they use their skill at blowing saliva bubbles. Their spittle contains unique properties that allow it to be strong yet flexible while wet, and to solidify into a hard form when exposed to air. If a drowned wyvern cooks a blamala with its boiling breath, the blamala’s shell turns an electric violet and it floats on the surface of the sea belly up.

  BORGIN (PRONOUNCED: BOAR-GIN)

  Zeno’s soft-spoken cousin and primary henchman. Borgin is tall for a Bangol, with hunched shoulders and uneven eyes. He immediately repeats Zeno’s orders to the Bangols, much to his superior’s annoyance. Borgin aspires to be an exemplary second-in-command, though he cannot take care of himself; his clothing is untidy and he smells sour.

  CALLISTO

  A fierce Steffanus sister with a vast knowledge of the origins of the worlds. She is the lead she-warrior and intent on protecting the Star, whom she believes has come to help Jarr-Wya.

  CANARY ISLANDS

  Real-life Spanish islands of volcanic origin, which are connected in a chain called an archipelago. The islands are located off the coast of Africa in the North Atlantic Ocean. The seven main landmasses are Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and El Hierro.

  CARAKWA (PRONOUNCED: KA-RACK-WA)

  A clicking, screeching creature the size of a small dog. It has the body of a lizard and the hard shell and head of a beetle. It has fly-like compound eyes, half-moon claws, and sharp, lacerating forelegs. It has no soul and thus is easily possessed by evil spirits, which was the case with Valarie—cruise director of Constellations Cruise Line—at her death.

  CHERGRIN (PRONOUNCED: CHAIR-GRIN)

  A Bangol who was a faithful warrior and leader of defense to King Tuggeron. He died in Valarie’s carakwa attack, abandoned by Tuggeron. His replacement is Borgin.

  CONSTELLATIONS CRUISE LINE

  The name of the business that offers passengers voyages through the Canary Islands on the Atlantic Odyssey cruise liner.

  CRADLE BIRDS

  Fowl that live on Jarr-Wya, which flock in migration around the island. They are named for their curved, U-shaped backs, where they carry their eggs.

  CRYSTALITHS (PRONOUNCED: KRIS-TALL-LITHS)

  Light-transferring prism-shaped crystal columns that channel the sunshine, converting it to Naiu. The columns aid in dispersing the magic through the soil to nourish the crops that grow in the Olearons’ fields.

  DONNA

  A cruise passenger from the Atlantic Odyssey, once a human before receiving the gift of Naiu within the web of the man-spider, Rolace. Now Donna is part amphibian with gills on her neck and shimmering, scaly skin. She is a senior citizen, though her transformation has smoothed the lines on her face and given her body renewed strength. She and her husband, Harry, who possesses the same gift as his wife, parted ways from their fellow humans and cruise passengers for a life lived beneath the surface of the sea. The company has not seen Donna and Harry since the carakwa battle on the eastern beach.

  DROWNED WYVERN (PRONOUNCED: WHY-VERN)

  Water dragons that are very much alive, named because they live in the sea. Webbed feet grow from their strong hind legs. They have no forearms, instead swimming with broad wings that allow them to be quick and make sudden turns. Their tails are barbed, and their yellow-hued bodies are smooth with serpent scales. They breathe out boiling water to wound their enemies.

  DUGGIE-SKY

  A four-year-old African American passenger on the Atlantic Odyssey. He is a good-spirited boy with a love of aviation and sup
erhero-themed clothing. His name refers to the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior airplane, designed by Ed Heinemann and introduced in the 1950s. Duggie-Sky traveled on the cruise with his father, who died at the hand of the Millia. No one knows Duggie-Sky’s real name.

  DUNAKKUS (PRONOUNCED: DONE-AK-US), 30TH LORD OF OLEARON

  Dunakkus, his birth name, is the current leader of the Olearons. Dunakkus stands a foot taller than other Olearon males and has thick dreadlocks decorated in jewels. He aims to rule with peace but is unafraid of war and sacrifice to achieve that goal. He has united with his soul partner, the Maiden of Olearon, who died defeating the carakwa manifestation of Valarie, the Atlantic Odyssey cruise director. Now the Lord and Maiden inhabit one body—that of the 30th Lord—where she passes her knowledge on to him. His two main warrior guards are Yuleeo and Islo.

  ELLA WELLSLEY

  The blond, blue-eyed fourteen-year-old daughter of Arden and Tessa Wellsley, and granddaughter of Archie. She is a considerate, creative young woman with a quick wit and a humorous approach to life. When she was ten, doctors discovered a cancerous tumor at the base of her brain and wrapped around the top of her spinal cord. She lost her ability to speak six months before boarding the Atlantic Odyssey. On Jarr-Wya, Ella has befriended and begun a romantic relationship with a young Bangol named Luggie. She has also given up sign language in favor of communicating through ink drawings. Her illness grows worse by the day and her family searches for her cure on the magical island.

  ELLAG CURRANTS (PRONOUNCED: EEE-LAG)

  A food of the Olearons made into a sweet liquid that is poured onto the bland vulai bread to make it more appetizing. Ellag currants are purple and sweet like honey.

  FAIRY VINEYARD

  A vineyard located on the northwestern corner of Jarr-Wya. It is tended by the sprites, who draw pictures on the vines’ wooden supports and sleep curled in their leaves. At the edge of the Fairy Vineyard grows a massive tree, called the Great Tree, which is a hybrid of the blue and white woodlands. The vineyard grows ohmi grapes in many varieties, each with their own color and magical property.

  FINNAH (PRONOUNCED: FIN-AH)

  A magical being that Tessa and Ella meet inside of Tessa’s dreams. There, Finnah takes on the form of a giant green bird and carries the women on her back. Finnah’s presence is mysterious as she is often indirect in her answers, and, while Tessa is trusting, Ella is suspicious of the large magical being.

  GOBO (PRONOUNCED: GOW-BOW)

  Pet fly and friend to the sprite Lillium. The small silver insect is immensely protective of Lillium and growls, with a high-pitched hum, at those who come near her. Gobo flies circles around Lillium, often tangling her hair, but he also engages in reconnaissance missions for her, scouting a place before she arrives. Gobo is an old fly. In Jarr, flies are black and turn silver as they age. Gobo was abandoned by his young horde, like a black cloud they were, and so Lillium plucked him out of a lonely puddle and made a home for him at the Fairy Vineyard.

  GREEN BIRDS

  Small, gentle birds that inhabit Jarr-Wya and are friends to the awakin butterflies. They have human-like eyes, long eyelashes, and spin emerald wind behind them when they fly.

  HAAZ (PRONOUNCED: HH-AA-ZZ)

  A giant, dim-witted cousin of the Bangols. The Haaz creatures are grey-skinned and stand a towering fifteen feet tall with shoulders like sun-bleached boulders. They have smooth skin over their eyes, rendering them blind. Their noses are no more than a slight ridge, punctured twice. Their skulls are small, thick, and black beneath their skin. Since they cannot see, they rely on perceiving their enemies’ vibrations through the ground and air.

  HARRY

  A human passenger of the Atlantic Odyssey who was wrapped in the magical web of Rolace and gifted, along with his wife, Donna, the ability to live beneath the sea. Harry can breathe underwater and swim quickly, aided by webbing between his fingers and toes. He looks mostly the same as he had as a white-haired human, though now his features are less wrinkled and his youthful energy renewed. Harry and Donna said goodbye to their company of humans and Olearons, choosing to live in the sea around Jarr-Wya instead of walking on land.

  HUPPER (PRONOUNCED: HUP-PURR)

  A rabbit-like creature with a corkscrew tail and foot-long, shaggy ears that stand erect. They hop from tree to tree, held by an unseen magnetic force, and, like chameleons, take on the color of what they touch. Hupper whiskers form a perch for fireflies that coexist with them, until the hupper is hungry and thus has an easy snack.

  ISLO (PRONOUNCED: EYES-LOW)

  An Olearon warrior and one of the close advisors to the 30th Lord. He is quiet and controlled, analytical but slow to speak. When he does advise, his voice is a low rumble and his words few. Yet because of his cunning, he has earned the respect and honor of the Lord. Islo is tall, like all Olearon warriors, though his build is not willowy. Instead, his arms are firm and muscled, his neck thick, and his hands like boulders. He was a childhood schoolyard adversary of Azkar, and the two still harbor unspoken resentment, all the while serving the same Olearon rulers.

  JARR (PRONOUNCED: JA-RR)

  A world formed by and filled with magic known as Naiu and connected to the derivative dimension of Earth. On Jarr, days are measured in sunsets.

  JARR-WYA (PRONOUNCED: JA-RR-WHY-AH)

  A magical island in the world of Jarr. The island has long been ruled by three dominant races: the Olearons, Bangols, and sea creatures that were turned into the Millia sands after the arrival of the Star. None of the island’s inhabitants, known as Jarrwians, know what lies beyond it in their world. In the past five thousand sunsets, the magic on Jarr-Wya has changed, with all creatures feeling the effect.

  JEO (PRONOUNCED: GEE-OH)

  Jeo is the current queen of the sprites. She has white hair that is twisted and braided into a swan that sways on her head. She is old and tired but friendly, jolly, and kind. A queen sprite is chosen from amongst all sprites upon the current queen’s death.

  JUNIN (PRONOUNCED: JOO-NIN)

  A female Olearon, mother, and warrior in the contingent tasked with protecting the surface of the sea at Jarr-Wya’s southern shore, next to the Millia’s beach. She is brave and thoughtful, and the Lord turns to her for assistance with new missions.

  KAMEELO (PRONOUNCED: CAM-EE-LOW)

  A youthful Olearon warrior and brother of Azkar and Nameris, and deceased siblings Olen (OH-len) and Eek (EE-k). He is known for his eagerness and free spirit. Within Rolace’s web, Kameelo was gifted the ability to fly. This power he uses playfully but also in reconnaissance missions and battles for the Lord.

  LADY SOPHIA

  A portly Spanish opera singer and the entertainer on Constellations Cruise Line. She is a loud talker, flamboyant, and self-centered, though not unkind. Despite being out of shape, Lady Sophia relishes the adventure on Jarr-Wya while also complaining about it. She is motherly to those in the company, singing them to sleep and distributing hugs.

  LAKEN (PRONOUNCED: LA-KEN)

  The last of the she-race called the Steffanus—for a time until the new seeds blossomed. Laken has rich auburn hair, blue-red eyes, silvery skin, and horns wrapped in gold growing out of her skull. She once flew on large wings until they were cut from her back. She is prophetic, though her visions do not always unfold as expected.

  LANZAROTE (PRONOUNCED: LAN-ZA-ROW-TAY)

  A real-life landmass, one of the seven Canary Islands located off the western coast of Africa in the North Atlantic Ocean. Two popular tourist destinations on the island are Timanfaya National Park and the artisanal market of Haria. The capital city is Arrecife on the coast, with its hub of Marina Lanzarote.

  LIFE OHMI (PRONOUNCED: OH-ME)

  The special ohmi grapes grown by the sprites to continue their species. Queen Jeo gifts the male sprites Life Ohmi, which they consume and grow a child within them. They are small, white, and glow at sundown. To protect the Life Ohmi, the sprites hide them in the tunnels of the Fairy Vineyard.

  LILLIUM
(PRONOUNCED: LILLY-UMH)

  A sprite from the Fairy Vineyard, Archie’s sidekick. She has an ancient silver pet fly named Gobo. Lillium is proud of the design of her gown, created using awakin wings and the feathers of green birds. Her grandest adventures, before meeting Archie, were stalking the black flyers to ensure the safety of the vineyard. She is proud and stubborn but also timid and shy. The pattern of Naiu on her wings is shaped into silhouettes, one on each side. Lillium calls her wings Wingies and talks to them when she is afraid. Lillium, like all sprites, has untamed reddish-orange hair, though she refuses to braid it. Instead it flies free, like a curling frame around her round, pink cheeks.

  LORD AND MAIDEN OF OLEARON

  Titles given to the male and female rulers of the Olearons. The Lord and Maiden must find each other in every age, as their souls are always connected. As with all Olearons, when one dies, the other inhabits the living one’s body until his or her demise. The Maiden stands approximately eight feet tall and the Lord approximately ten feet tall, a full foot above his male warriors.

  LUGGIE (PRONOUNCED: LUG-EE)

  A 5,800-sunset-old Bangol (roughly sixteen human years), son of the current king, Tuggeron, and brother of Nanjee. He is next in line to rule after Tuggeron and is tasked with learning to lead the Bangols, including inflicting punishment and flying their transport balloons. Luggie and Nanjee befriended Ella when she was their father’s prisoner. The siblings gave Ella food and a book with ink so she could draw. Nanjee was wounded when their balloon crash-landed, and she died at the attack of the carakwa horde led by Valarie; this was also when Luggie found the secret history of the Olearons in the eastern sea. Luggie strives to do what is right, often going against the warring rulers of Jarr-Wya.

  MILLIA (PRONOUNCED: MILL-EE-AH)

  A race on Jarr-Wya formed of crushed seashells, their name meaning “soul of the shell.” The sea creatures desire the Star beneath the island, but they cannot reach it. Thus, the shells crash on the shore and break into millions of pieces that make up the Millia sands on the southern beach. The sand contains all the bitter unfulfillment of its past masters. They can change to any shape but remain the one solid material.