by Phoebe Brown
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 Phoebe Brown
Cover Illustration Copyright © 2020 by Sven Scheuermeier
All rights reserved
Introduction
You are about to embark on the beginnings of a great story. What lays before you is an intense work of epic fantasy. As a first-time author in this genre, I am eager to interact with my readers to get their feedback. If you are interested in engaging with me, please sign up to receive my newsletter or journey with me using one of my social media accounts.
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Acknowledgement
To myself, because I said I would, and I did.
Table of Contents
Map of the Kingdom of Elkyre
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
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
Author’s Note
Map of the Kingdom of Elkyre
Chapter 1
Gaia panted heavily and wiped a drop of sweat from her forehead before it could complete its descent down the rest of her face. She had taken this path a million times before, each time arriving at her destination faster and faster. The trees that surrounded her were much smaller than the ones in the valley. This high up, their elfin appearance made her feel as if she was in another world.
As she neared the peak of the massive mountain, she finally heard the sound that drew her here each time. It was the sound of the waterfalls cascading from the cliffs just above her. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and listened to the sounds of the forest around her. There was a herd of deer nearby and she could almost feel their frantic movements as they listened for her approach. The scent of wet dirt filled the air and she inhaled wondering if she would ever tire of it. Soon she was walking again, and in no time, she stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the massive river.
The thunderous sound of rushing water filled her ears and misty droplets of water swirled around her teasing her cheeks. Somewhere above her, a bird let out a terrifying shriek and she felt the urgency build within her. There was something about the force of the powerful waterfalls that called out to her. She closed her eyes and allowed the light breeze to rush over her.
The walk had caused her hair to come loose from its braid and it was now flowing in the wind behind her. The dark curls had always been hard to tame which made her stand out among the other women in the village who either had light blonde or brown hair. This along with her bright green eyes set her apart from everyone else. She was the outsider, the orphan from nowhere in particular.
Swallowing hard, she walked gingerly towards the edge of the cliffs. Here she was almost caught in the flow, but the pressure was low enough that the water only came up to her ankles. The stone was cracked and greyed from the wear of the water. Her bare feet pressed against the cracks in the ground and she felt a satisfying sense of awareness she always got when she came here. She knew that whenever the rains came too often, the rivers would swell and make it impossible for her to walk here.
The exhilaration always filled her then. At the edge, she looked over at the roaring waters and relished the deafening sound. Somehow, as she looked over at the massive waterfalls, she felt both minuscule and powerful.
Reaching down, she tugged at the Horologe that hung from a chain on her belt. She realised she had overestimated her ability to get to the cliffs and back to the temple in time. With a deep breath, she took a few steps backward and judged the distance between the edge and where she stood. She was a master at this. Without another thought, she began to run.
One, two, three, and then she was soaring through the air.
The exhilaration was instant. She let out a yell of pleasure as she felt herself cutting through the air with the waterfall roaring next to her. She was soaring through the sky, down towards the waters with so much speed she almost feared she would hit the water, and then suddenly, she was no longer falling. Roc was beneath her in the blink of an eye and she steadied herself as the Veclantem shot through the sky.
The massive birdlike creature was the largest of its kind in their kingdom and she was the only master it yielded to. Its wings were four times the size of its thin frame. It was covered in black scales that glistened so that it looked like a winged serpent cutting through the air.
“You’re too early!” She shouted as she adjusted herself in the makeshift saddle she had fitted to Roc.
Her complaints were muted as they soared through the air and she settled in allowing him to take her back to the temple compound. No doubt the Templars would be furious with her for taking him out. They’d be even more furious if they found out what she was doing in the mountains.
“Whoa!” She shouted as they neared the compound.
Roc ignored her; he knew what he was doing much better than she did. The best she could do was sit back and allow him to take her down.
She watched as he slowed and lowered himself so that his massive claws could cling to the spire of the main temple. Ever so slowly he lowered his wings. This was as low as he would take her given the circumstances. She exhaled slowly and slid off the back of the beast and then allowed herself to fall to the ground.
She controlled her descent to the ground praying she wouldn’t be seen. From the heights of the cliffs, a fall would devastate her, but from this high up, she was trained to land without making a sound.
“So, you finally decided to make an appearance did you.”
She spun to face Master Morrel who was giving her a knowing look. He was a tall, lean, handsome older man with long black and grey hair that was impossibly thick and always tied in a neat bun at the top of his head. There was something in his grey eyes that always spoke of his disapproval.
“I apologize, master,” she said bending slightly at the waist to give him a low bow.
“Apologies aren’t necessary.” He said forcing her to look up at him, “What you need to do is listen!”
With that, he turned and walked into the courtyard. She let out a sigh of relief. This reprimand was nothing in comparison to what he usually meted out.
The courtyard was littered with students going about their various tasks. They were all dressed in robes of different colours to signify their rank. She wore a white blouse with short sleeves under a light blue tunic that hung to her ankles and a light grey belt around her waist. She looked longingly at those wearing their bright yellow tunics and felt feverish jealousy. It was the only standard she had left to master. The only issue was that she couldn’t because she had no sponsor, and without any family or connections it was unlikely that she would ever attain the highest standard of the Cenobytes.
Someone bumped into her and she was jolted from her musings. The students chittered as they walked by and she turned to make her way to the training yards.
The Ankorah Temple was the largest of the temples in Tyre. It was also the most prestigious, which was why it was so strange to the other students that she was there. Many students had ancestral roots here that guaranteed them acceptance while others were accepted because they were gifted Cenobytes.
Cenobytes were the only race of people in all of Elkyre who did not possess any giftings. Instead, they were skilled warriors. They lived on the Isle of Tyre away from the other races who occupied the mainland of Kent. Children who were ‘chosen’ would study in temples under the tutelage of holy men like Master Morrel.
When Cenobytes completed their training, they would be drafted into the Kingdom’s militia as generals. There were four levels here at the temple. Some students didn’t make it past the first, but she had been a fast learner. Although she was the youngest in her group, she was also the most gifted.
Walking briskly, she made it to the open courtyard which overlooked a small stream. For a moment she wondered how many little streams like this ran through the mountains; she had counted thirty-four so far.
“Gaia!”
Once again, she had to pull her thoughts back to the present as the instructor motioned for her to pay attention.
“I’m sorry Master Kin,” she said with a mortified smile.
He was another templar who had taken a special interest in her lessons. While many other templars were wary of her because of her unknown background, he had embraced her skills here at the school and had done his best to teach her what others wouldn’t.
“Today we will learn to transfer energy.” He began, “Most of what we do as Cenobytes is fight. When we are through, we must find ways to expel pent-up anger and hostility. Energy transfer is the best way to do this.”
For a moment he was silent, and she watched as he took a deep breath and did a flurry of movements. The entire assembly of students waited in silence as a tottering bird flittered over to them and rested on the master’s shoulder. The bird looked at them curiously for a second before taking off again into nearby trees. It was a beautiful animal and she could remember spending many days chasing after them as a child.
“Today, you must begin to master your energies, or they will consume you.” Master Kin said motioning for the students to do the same as he had done.
Without any prompting, Gaia inhaled deeply and focused her energy. She felt the familiar rush of exhilaration swell within her. As she sunk deeper within herself, she smiled thinking of the rush she had felt while falling through the air over the waterfalls.
Surprisingly soon, she was in total control of herself. Her eyes opened, and she realised the master was giving her a strange look. She had gotten used to these looks; they usually came when she tried to learn something new. Her ability to take instruction and execute was unnerving to many of the templars.
With another breath, she closed her eyes and slowly moved her hands outwards away from her body. Taking a step to the side she anchored her body and then exhaled while allowing her hands to fall slowly to her side. In another moment she heard a thundering sound as if a million bumblebees had surrounded her. Her eyes opened and to her surprise a charm of Tottering birds surrounded her. They gave her a curious look and she giggled at their attention. Somehow their energies were suddenly connected to hers and she could feel their myriad of thoughts. It was like having a hive of bees in her mind.
In another instant, they sprang away as if they were bored, and she realised that all around her, the other students were staring. She saw some looking on in shock while others cringed nervously. The instructor gave her a nod of approval before walking over to where she stood.
“Well mastered Gaia!” He said softly, “Next time try not to summon so many.”
She flushed at his praise. The Templars were the only family she’d ever known, and although they were often harder on her than with the other Cenobytes, she never felt unloved. This was the life they had chosen and it hadn’t involved raising a little girl. Over the years it had taken a toll on them all. It was especially hard because she was so headstrong.
“You’re dismissed to join the movement group.” He whispered with a sly smile before turning away.
The movement group was more advanced and she was occasionally allowed to join them when her advancement with the younger groups proved too much for the other students. She was always happy for an opportunity to join them. When she arrived in their courtyard, she noticed they were learning a sequence of moves she hadn’t yet learnt.
She snuck into the courtyard and went to the back. She stood there for a moment and observed the instructor who glanced at her warily as she walked in. He nodded his approval, and she wondered how it was that they always knew where she was and where she was going.
She joined the ranks and marvelled at how fluid each student moved. They were lined up in six rows that spanned across the massive courtyard and they moved together in such unison that they shifted the air around them. Without interrupting, she studied their movements and began moving in sync with them. She felt herself being pulled into their motion. The swirl of their movements reminded her of the powerful waters in the sea that surrounded the island. Soon she was so engrossed in the movement she almost missed the stranger’s arrival.
Besides the students and Templars, not many people came to the temple. A few of the town folk were allowed during Gitreg, their holy day, but otherwise, it was forbidden. This man was a stranger, not just to the temple, but to the island.
He was tall and thin which was rare for any man in Tyre. He also wore dazzling multi-coloured garments, and although he had bright blonde hair, his eyes were so grey they appeared transparent.
She detached herself from the movements and felt it rejecting her disobedience. The man was going directly towards Master Morrel’s tent. She clung to the walls of the courtyard as she followed him. In all her fifteen years she had never seen an outsider. She had heard stories that nobody could come to these lands because they were sacred, but she had always wondered about the world beyond these borders. There were a few students who had been to other places and they usually told their stories far and wide, but she longed to go beyond the vast beaches herself.
The man continued; unaware that she was following him. He went into Master Morrel’s quarters without knocking which struck her as a breach of protocol.
The master’s quarter was a tent-like structure, except it was made of wood and covered with clay to blend with the ground. Avoiding the curious glances from onlookers, she snuck around the side to the single window Master Morell kept open during the days. She hunkered down low trying to avoid being seen by anyone inside.
Where she crouched down, she was sure that no-one would pass by and so she focused on what was happening on the inside. Soon she began to hear clearly the voices of the two men inside.
“He will be coming tomorrow.” The stranger said with a thick foreign accent.
“But we weren’t expecting him for at least another two years.” She heard Master Morrel say in a measured tone.
“Things in the kingdom are changing.” the man replied, “The king needs to have these children tested and ready before he secures things to himself. His father’s rule has ended and now he takes the throne.”
There was silence and she wondered what her master was thinking. She was shocked to hear that the king was coming here and that she was going to see him. She hadn’t heard many stories about him, she only knew that he ruled with an iron fist and that the Templars would visit the palace once a year for meetings with him. All the leaders of the Nations and Guilds would have to meet with the king.
It was then that she realised that something was different. This man spoke of a new king; she hadn’t realised that the king had changed.
“And what does he require?” Master Morrel asked flatly.
“You know he wants the best of your ranks,” the man replied, “three children.”
She was surprised, and for a second her heart filled wit
h hope. The king sought three children. Somewhere deep down she knew that she wanted nothing more than to be one of them.
“I see,” her master replied.
“Another thing, he will be the one to choose them.”
“That’s not the custom of our people,” Master Morrel replied firmly.
“I can assure you Morrel,” the man replied, “that the king is very much aware of your customs and he has chosen to ignore them. If you mean to oppose the king, then do that at your own peril.”
Animosity radiated through the walls and she wondered if her master had divined a way to make this man suffer for his disrespect.
“I see.” Master Morrel replied, “The king is always welcome in the temple. We will receive him, and he may choose the students he desires.”
The other man let out a grunt and she wondered if this would be enough to satisfy him.
“Also, I will need accommodations for the night.” He said.
“We can make arrangements for you in an inn outside the temple.” Her master replied, “As you are aware, no outsider can stay in the temple after dark.”
The man didn’t speak again and soon she heard his shuffling footsteps as he left. She waited patiently until she was sure he was out of sight before making her way into the master’s tent.
He looked up at her with curious eyes and she could tell he knew she had been listening.
“It’s never wise to eavesdrop on your master child.” He said confirming her suspicions.
“I,” she began, but the lie was useless, “I want to be chosen by the king.”
He regarded her with a pained expression and then it was gone, replaced by his usual impassive expression.
“Child, only those in the mastery level will be chosen and presented before the king.” He said.
She wasn’t surprised, but she was determined.
“I’m more mastery than anyone in this temple,” she boasted.
He furrowed his brow and regarded her with interest. It wasn’t wise to boast before the masters, but she was desperate.