Aberration

by Kyle West

  Colonia remained a city dedicated to Anna in name, though the old religion was slowly dismantled. Shanti was offered rulership of the city, but declined. Shen continued to rule the city until a new government could be set up.

  Prince Nabea returned to the Eastern Kingdoms, along with his friends, Ret and Samal. Together, they worked to get the Congress of Kingdoms to agree to a general union. So it was that in the 25th century, the United States of America was born anew.

  There were other developments in the wider world, but few were relevant to what had happened in the Red Wild. Many heard stories of the goddess come to life and the power she wielded, and some even journeyed to the Red Wild, from thousands of miles away, to confirm the rumors for themselves. Many settled there to stay, and helped to rebuild.

  The Xenofold grew in power and scope. As the Sea of Creation regenerated, all reversions in the Red Wild were closed. Children born to Elekai parents, often, were born with the Gifts and abilities of previous generations, and the Elder Council of the Seekers was confident that their order would only grow in the future, and not diminish as it had for generations.

  So was the general state of the world following the passing of the Second Darkness.

  Isaru formally abdicated his right to the throne of Haven. Just a year after the final battle, he and Isa were married. They settled near Northold, close to Isa’s family, helping lead the efforts to rebuild the Northern Wild. The couple could often be found wandering the wilderness, looking for ruins of the Old World that so fascinated them. They spent some time, too, among the Plains People to learn their customs and how their stories fit into the scheme of Elekai history.

  Shara moved back to Colonia to be near her mother, though Red Tail was never far away. She helped Shen administer the city, her passion being fighting the squalor and poverty of the Subura, in which she had grown up.

  Fiona returned to the forests north of Haven, where a new city rose up to be the capital of the now combined Two Kingdoms of the Annajen and the Makai. There, she ruled wisely and justly, working closely with the Seeker Council for the good of all.

  Pallos returned to Shenshi, where he served as a diplomat, not a spy, between the Shen Collective and the Elekai people. Remembering his time excavating and repairing Odin, his life work became the development of another space-worthy vessel.

  Shanti helped with general rebuilding efforts for the next few years, and after things were mostly under control, she returned to Kalear to live with her parents. She stayed there for several years, resting, though she would often wander deep into the Red Wild, either alone or with Flame, with nothing but her canteen and Katan, though she had no need for the sword in all her wanderings. There, she spoke to those departed to the Xenofold, and healed what hurts of the war she came across. She lived among Wilder Tribes, flew to forgotten lands, and visited her friends often. She never had a shortage of things to do or people to see, but often, her dreams were haunted by the past. But, she woke every day to face the day bravely, and the love of her friends pulled her through.

  Acknowledgments

  In late June 2014, I had just published Xenofall, the last book of The Wasteland Chronicles. I was getting emailed practically every day with people asking me if it was really the end of the story, or when my next book would be out.

  The truth was, I had no idea what came next. I remember thinking about it for months, wondering how I was going to keep my nascent writing career going. I had just quit my day job two months earlier, so you can imagine how stressed I was.

  Xenoworld was not an easy undertaking. Though the storyline is my own creation, it would be much weaker if not for the influence of various people.

  My father has probably been my longest-time fan. From both him and my mother, I learned the value of reading from an early age since both always had a book close at hand. My father has always been the first to read my books, so I want to take this opportunity to thank him for that, along with his insights that have have fixed various inconsistencies over the years, so the rest of you don’t have to suffer through them.

  Next, I’d also like to thank my beta readers for proofing this book, Cindy McKenzie and Dina Bushrod, both of whom find dozens of mistakes that I’m always embarrassed to have let slip through.

  Last of all, I want to thank my wife, Malisa, whom I married in December 2018. She is the light of my life who keeps me going when all seems dark. She’s pretty much the only person I can vent to when the writing process gets hard, and will patiently and kindly listen to me and give suggestions. I want to thank her for her unerring support and unconditional love. Xenoworld Saga has been more complex and longer than Wasteland Chronicles, and I’ll admit, there have been many, many times that I thought about giving up or greatly doubted myself. Any time I felt this way, Malisa helped pull me through and gave me faith to continue.

  One of the main themes of my series, and one that is reflected a lot in humanity’s oldest stories, is the idea of never giving up, no matter how hard things get. Because you never know when the good might come. This sentiment is reflected very early on in Wasteland Chronicles, with Makara saying this to Alex in one of the early chapters. This is a common theme in all the books of the series, with many characters saying or thinking something similar at one point or another.

  The message that we need to fight and never give up is something we need to hear every day. The point of fighting is not to win; the characters in my books don’t know if they are going to win; indeed, many times they think it’s impossible to win. Nonetheless, they fight, because that’s who they are, because that’s who they choose to be. Whether victory is possible or not, trying is what defines the human spirit.

  We always have a choice to fight, and it’s our choices, not the circumstances, that define us.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Kyle West is the author of The Wasteland Chronicles and The Xenoworld Saga. He has published fourteen books, and has long been a voracious reader of science fiction and fantasy. He lives in West Palm Beach with his wife and two cats.

  Also by Kyle West

  Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian

  The Wasteland Chronicles

  Apocalypse

  Origins

  Evolution

  Revelation

  Darkness

  Extinction

  Xenofall

  Post-Apocalyptic/Fantasy

  The Xenoworld Saga

  Prophecy

  Bastion

  Beacon

  Sanctum

  Kingdom

  Dissolution

  Aberration

  GLOSSARY

  A.R.: After Ragnarok. The date usually used by the Elekai to denote the year. It’s a bit of a misnomer, because it really means after the Ragnarok War, and not after the impact of Ragnarok itself. The Xenoworld Saga begins in 398 A.R.

  F.C.: Founding of the Covenant. The date used by the Covenant to denote the year, and it signifies how many years have passed since the Covenant ousted the Elekai from Colonia. The Xenoworld Saga begins in the year 248 F.C.

  P.Y. Precursor Year. Corresponds to the Gregorian Calendar. The Xenoworld Saga begins in the year 2458 P.Y. – or 2458 A.D. It’s rare to use Precursor Years to denote anything beyond the year 2060, and even then is only used among academics and historians.

  Annajen, The: One of the Three Tribes of the Elekai, the Annajen are the descendants of the gods Elekim and Annara. Their capital is Haven, a Great Silverwood growing in the Grand Canyon.

  Annara: Annara is the matron goddess of both the Annajen Tribe and the Colonian Covenant; however, depending on the side, her character is entirely different. Among the Annajen, Annara is the wife of Elekim; she established Colonia and the Seekers and wrote the Prophecy of Annara, which has been lost, but predicts the eventual ascendency of the Elekai over its enemies – namely the Covenant. Among the Covenant, Annara is the goddess of pure-blooded humanity, and seeks to destroy all that is Elekai, promising her chosen people – the Annarans – t
hat they will one day destroy the demon Elekai, who waged war against humanity during the First Darkness. According to prophecies on both sides, Annara is to lead her Army of the Dawn to destroy the other side.

  Army of the Dawn: Annara’s army during the Second Darkness that is to destroy either the Elekai or the Annaran Covenant, depending on which version of the story one believes.

  Askala: The Radaskim Xenomind that nearly enslaved the world using the xenovirus during the time of the Ragnarok War. These events have been almost forgotten in recent times, but the Covenant remembers Askala as the Elekai’s demon goddess. Among the Elekai, her true nature is better remembered as the Radaskim goddess who was imprisoned by Elekim in the Xenofold at the end of the Ragnarok War.

  Askaleen: A male dragon. They are pink, with tiny scales, and a smooth, rounded frame. They are also rarer than Radaska, the female variety. Because they are the only kind of dragons that the Covenant or Elekai can tame, they are jealously guarded by the Radaska.

  Atlantea: An Eastern Kingdom situated in the southeast. Its capital is of the same name.

  Augurs, The: One of the Seven Sects of the Seekers, who specialize in the art of diplomacy. They serve as advisers for kings and rulers, not only in the Red Wild, but in the Eastern Kingdoms. In times of old, they also interpreted signs given by the Xenofold, though this responsibility has fallen by the wayside in recent centuries. They also recruit new initiates for the Seekers’ Sanctum among the nobility of different lands.

  Bloodless: The collective term Elekai use to describe all non-Elekai. It’s not pejorative, though it can be used in that way.

  Brevia: A city on the western coast, in southern California. Once a colony of Colonia, it was conquered by the Shen in 348 A.R. It is the only Shen city that outsiders are allowed to enter, and even then, permission is granted only sparingly. A large collection of books has been gathered there, in what is known as the Brevian Archives – the main reason for which anyone would want to visit the city.

  Clerics, The: One of the Seven Sects of the Seekers, who specialize in ministry to the local Elekai population, anthropology, and Xenohealing. They are also responsible for recruiting initiates for the Seekers’ Sanctum among the general population.

  Champions, The: One of the Seven Sects of the Seekers, who specialize in the art of combat. In times of old, they fought in battles to defend the Elekai from Covenant encroachment, but in more recent times, they serve as bodyguards for other Seekers, such as Augurs, Scholars, or Sages, whose duties take them far afield in places that might be dangerous.

  Colonia: The city of Colonia was founded shortly after the Ragnarok War, as a colony of the First Empire, known of old as the Nova Roman Empire. It was ruled by the gods, and over the years, grew into the seat of an Elekai empire by the same name. Colonia’s history is divided into two periods: Old Colonia, which lasted from roughly 1–150 A.R., and Covenant Colonia, which lasted from 151 A.R. until the present day.

  Old Colonia was ruled by the Elekai, and was originally their capital city. The true descendants of the heroes of the Ragnarok War formed an aristocracy, called the Godsblood. Below them were Wilders, the descendants of those who became Elekai in the years following the Ragnarok War. On the bottom rung were the Bloodless, commoners without Elekai ancestry. However, by the fourth generation of the Godsblood, the government grew corrupt, favoring the Elekai nobility over the Bloodless masses. This, in time, led to the Annaran Uprising. The civil war lasted twenty years, ending with the Elekai being defeated and ousted from the city they had founded, their numbers greatly reduced. The Annarans took control of the city, founding the Annaran Covenant, which vowed to destroy all Elekai in accordance with Annara’s will.

  The Covenant ruled in Colonia for the next two hundred and fifty years, and at its height around 320 A.R., the Covenant controlled most of what used to be the Southwestern United States.

  Colorado River: The main river flowing through the Red Wild and Colonia. The river is much wider than it was during the Old World, and nurtures the growth of both Elekai and Covenant society. The Colorado flows not only through the city of Colonia, but under the roots of Haven, the main enclave of the Annajen tribe, along with Coloso, which is built on its mouth.

  Coloso: A Novan city at the mouth of the Colorado River. Over the centuries, it is has changed hands between Nova and Colonia numerous times. It is strategically important, because it is the gateway to Nova and it also provides a means to enter Colonia by river.

  Covenant, The: The Covenant, or the Annaran Covenant or the Colonian Covenant, began as a resistance against the corrupt Elekai aristocracy that ruled Colonia. The goddess Annara became its figurehead, but instead of an Annara that was the heroine of the Elekai, this Annara was a champion of the Bloodless and reviled all things Elekai. In time, the Annaran rebellion took place, and after a twenty-year-long war, the Elekai were nearly wiped out, and what was left of them fled into the Red Wild.

  The Covenant rules with a firm fist, using religion to control its population. It was the strongest power in the late Third Century, but by the Fourth Century, incursions by both the Shen and Nova made it lose much of its former territory. The Covenant has a policy of exiling or outright killing anyone who disagrees with its theology, and openly hunts Elekai within its borders. The Covenant is ruled by a Grand Pontifex and a Grand Council of seven members, officials appointed by the Grand Pontifex from each of the seven kinds of priests.

  Dome of Annara, The: Constructed during Old Colonia, the Dome of Annara is one of the wonders of the world. It is composed of a large, golden dome and has four turrets on each corner. In days of old, it served as a pantheon to all the gods, but over time, Annara became its chief deity. The Dome was constructed about eighty years following the founding of the city.

  Dragonriders, The: The Dragonriders are the Covenant’s elite fighting force. It’s unknown how many dragons they number, but estimates range anywhere from twenty to forty. They ride Mindless Askaleen, the only kind of dragon that can be tamed by humans. They cannot breed new dragons, but so long as the dragons are fed with steady supplies of xen and not mortally injured, they will live indefinitely.

  Dragons: The Dragons have had a long and troubled history since the Ragnarok War. The two varieties, Askaleen and Radaska, are male and female respectively. There are many generations, but only the first generation are part of a group known as the Elder Dragons, the only ones to have lived during the time of the Ragnarok War. The Elder Dragons were never born of other dragons, but instead were created during the process of Xenogenesis, the thirty-or-so-year period during the Ragnarok War that the Great Blight grew at a rapid rate. After the war and the victory of the Elekai, Xenogenesis was greatly reduced, and dragons that were born entered the world naturally.

  Besides Elder Dragons, there are Generational Dragons, which are the progeny of the Elders, and Mindless Dragons, which have no connection to the Xenofold. Mindless Radaska are volatile and dangerous, while Mindless Askaleen are docile and tamable. These Askaleen, while uncommon, are still used by the Colonians and Elekai as mounts.

  Eastern Kingdoms, The: The Eastern Kingdoms collectively refers to any of the countries that lie east of the Eastern Range (or Red Mountains), known in former times as the Rocky Mountains (In the Eastern Kingdoms, the Eastern Range is called either the Western Range, or the Wild Range). There are dozens of kingdoms, most of them small, but a few are more powerful than others.

  Eastern Pact: A Pact consisting of most of the nations in the Eastern Kingdoms. It was orchestrated by the Seekers as a way to prevent wars in the region.

  Eastern Range: The Eastern Range, or Red Mountains, formerly known as the Rocky Mountains, makes up the eastern border of the Red Wild. Many wild Elekai tribes live here, and the mountains are dangerous to cross.

  Elder Dragons: The first generation of dragons, who were created by Xenogenesis. They are the most powerful of the dragons, and following an unknown dispute, broke off their ties with human Elekai abo
ut one hundred and fifty years after the Ragnarok War. They have not been seen by a human since, though later generations of dragons still deal with human Elekai in a limited capacity.

  Elekai, The: An Elekai is marked by their connection to the Xenofold, which is produced by the neural network of xen in the Red Wild. They are composed of humans and dragons, and an Elekai is marked by their possessing the xenovirus, though over the years, this began being attributed to having the blood of the gods. The virus changes the host’s genetics to grant them access to the Xenofold, the collective consciousness of the Elekai.

  There are two kinds of Elekai among humans. Those of the Godsblood are direct descendants of the Six Gods, and form a ruling elite among the Elekai. Depending on their line of descent, they form one of Three Tribes: the Annajen, the Samalites, or the Makai. The Godsblood are the rarest kind of Elekai, and their abilities and connection to the Xenofold tend to be stronger than the other type, known as Wilders.

  Wilders are Elekai that, for the first two generations following the Ragnarok War, were drawn to the Red Wild by dreams and visions, only to return as Elekai, albeit weaker versions than those descended directly from the gods. Many, in fact, remained in the Red Wild, forming tribes separate from the Three Tribes.

  Included among the Elekai are also the dragons, both of Askaleen and Radaska varieties. The Elder Dragons, along with their successive generations, are also included, though they do not speak to human Elekai on account of the Sundering of the Dragons.

  In the past two hundred years, Elekai blood has generally weakened in power for unknown reasons, resulting in newer generations having less inherent ability to connect to the Xenofold than past generations, a phenomenon known as the Fading. Whether the Fading is due to mingling with the Bloodless, or another factor, is not entirely known. Elekai children born without a detectable connection to the Xenofold are becoming increasingly common.