“You finished all by yourself?” I asked.
Decan beamed. “Cover to cover… well… Tiffin might’ve helped me on a word here and there.”
Tiffin gave him a look that seemed to indicate he was vastly understating her help.
“Okay, maybe a few more than that,” Decan said, lowering his head.
“Oh, is that right?” Tiffin said, swatting at him.
For the first time I can remember, Decan pulled her in for a kiss, and she returned it almost instinctively. It wasn’t exactly a surprise that they fancied one another, but at some point they seemed to have lost their shyness.
“Ah-hem,” I said, faking a throat clear.
They both looked at me startled, as if they’d forgotten I was there.
“Sorry,” Tiffin said, blushing. “Uh… what were we talking about? Books, right?”
This is how I prefer to remember my students. Two of the sweetest, kindest, and most wonderful human beings that I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. They stayed with me the entire day while I regained my strength. We talked, read books, and sang songs well into the night. I called them my students and they, in turn, continued to call me “professor,” despite the fact that neither of those things were true anymore.
But of all the painful moments in my memory, this moment stands out to me as truly wonderful. Tiffin and Decan were more than students—they were my family. After the horror I’d endured, I don’t think I would’ve recovered mentally if it weren’t for them.
Epilogue
Assets
A long, sullen quiet consumed the captain’s cabin. Caiden hadn’t spoken for a long while, seemingly lost in thought. Captain Hastings made no attempt to force him to continue.
Eventually, Caiden looked back outside, seeing that the storm had picked up considerably. “It’s getting late,” he said.
“Agreed,” Captain Hastings said. “We’ll continue tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Caiden said. “It gets much darker after this, and I’d like to have a full night’s sleep before I talk about it…even if it’s in less than desirable conditions.”
Hastings stroked his enormous beard and tapped his fingers idly. He looked Caiden up and down, trying to find the right words. “I’ve decided to re-evaluate your accommodations aboard this ship, Professor.”
“How do you mean?” Caiden asked.
“I no longer believe the lower deck is the proper place for a man of your station. I’ll have the men arrange a private cabin for the rest of your stay here.”
Caiden gave him a confounded look. “I don’t…”
“Unless you’d prefer to sleep in the bilge water with the other criminals?”
“No… I certainly would not. Why the sudden kindness?”
“You might be surprised to find out that I’m a rather kind person.”
“Or…” Caiden began slowly. “You’ve realized that you can get much, much more for me than you first thought, based on what I’ve told you, and you’d like to protect your asset?”
Hastings smiled wide, showing off two gold teeth. “A marvelous deduction, Professor.” He paused as he reached for a bell. Shortly after he rang it, a cabin boy of no more than fourteen years came in, nodding respectfully. “Jeron, escort this prisoner to one of the vacant cabins.”
“Aye, Captain,” the boy said.
“His bindings are to remain, and he’s to be guarded at all times. Is that understood?”
“Understood, Captain. I’ll see to it.”
Caiden stood, and followed the boy toward the door leading out of the captain’s cabin. Before the door shut, Captain Hastings called once more.
“And one more thing,” he said.
“Anything,” the boy said.
“That magister aboard—Amelia Ross. She’s not to be allowed anywhere near him.”
_____
There was a tension amongst the guards that escorted Caiden Rycroft to his new quarters aboard the Ramsden. Each of the men felt it, but none dared give voice to their fear. In the scattered darkness of night, they could only see the vaguest outline of the prisoner in glimmers of moonlight.
As he marched across the deck, escorted by the cabin boy and two guards, he paused momentarily in front of Magister Amelia Ross. Their eyes met. In that moment, something rekindled in Caiden Rycroft’s eyes: a long-extinguished fire that burned from deep inside him.
“What did you tell him?” Magister Ross asked, pressing her fingers to her bifocals.
“The truth,” Caiden said.
Ross was still as stone, as if the gusting winds and rain didn’t bother her in the slightest. She frowned hard. “And you think that will save you?”
Caiden didn’t blink. “Not my body… no… but maybe my soul.”
Thank you for reading!
Book 2 of the Corelight Expedition, FATHOMS, is coming soon!
In the meantime, continue your journey through Arkos by picking up Book 0 of the Arclight Saga.
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Appendices
I. The Magisterium
A magister is a magic-wielding soldier loyal to the Sun King. During peacetime, magisters dedicate themselves to research and development projects for the betterment of their kingdom.
The Magisterium refers to both the organization of magisters that serve Endra, and the tower which they inhabit. It is led by an Imperator, selected from among the senior magisters, though in theory it ultimately answers to the Endran Sun King.
The Magisterium is a military arm of Endra first created by Sun King Aldor. The organization’s primary functions include:
Defending the kingdom from internal and external threats.
Research and development for the betterment of the Endran people.
The exploration and understanding of the Magisterium tower, the Arclight, and other Old God devices.
The training of future magisters and artificers.
Members who have attained the rank of artificer or higher are considered officers in the Endran military.
The main disciplines taught at the Magisterium include magistry, alchemy, and templary.
Ranks Within the Magisterium
There are several ranks within the Magisterium. As the organization has endured for so long, these have changed throughout the centuries. As of the most current story, the ranks (ordered from lowest to highest station) stand thus:
Recruit (New inductees into the Magisterium)
Artificer
Sub-rank: Aedile (Those who have passed their first trial)
Sub-rank: Tribune (Those who have passed their second trial. Tribune-level artificers will often serve as assistants, or even instructors in some cases.)
Magister (Those who have passed their third and final trial. Among the most elite soldier-sorcerers on Arkos.)
Magister-General (Those who have ascended into a leadership role, chosen by the Curia, Imperator, or the Sun King.)
Imperator (The supreme authority of the Magisterium. Depending on the era, of equal, lesser, or greater authority than the Sun King. See below.)
Technically, “Imperator” is a position and not a rank, and the holder will often continue to be referred to as “Magister-General” (or, more commonly, just “Magister”) during their tenure. Imperators usually—though not always—serve until they die. As the Arclight prevents most fragility related to aging, it is very common for Imperators to remain in power for many decades.
A female Imperator was once referred to as an “Imperatrix,” until Magister-General Anya Reed embraced the former as a gender-neutral title. “Imperator” has been used for both men and women ever since.
The role of the Imperator has evolved a great deal over the history of Endra. On
paper, the Imperator serves at the behest of the Sun King—the absolute sovereign of the Endran people—and for the earlier half of the kingdom’s history, the Sun King played a very direct role in running the Magisterium. Many Sun Kings were also magisters.
However, as time went by, the line of kings slowly ceded power, until the Imperator had supreme control over the Magisterium. As the organization is the heart of the Endran military and government, this meant that the Imperator had more effective control of the kingdom.
This delicate balance of power nearly resulted in two civil wars. In both cases, however, the Sun King relented, knowing that his warders stood little chance against an uprising of magisters, who are typically fiercely loyal to their Imperator.
Imperators of the Magisterium
Format of this list: rank, name (gender, age of ascension to Imperator)
Magister-General Naton Doriath (Male, 41)
Magister-General Kasden Cleoren (Male, 49)
Magister-General Eli Hannes (Male, 33)
Magister-General Renny Tradon (Male, 53)
Magister-General Alred Merwin (Male, 66)
Magister-General Leonce Orvil (Male, 42)
Magister-General Stirly Roderin (Male, 63)
Magister-General Jerard Braxton (Male, 56)
Magister-General Julissa Astley (Female, 64)
Magister-General Devon Hart (Male, 34)
Magister-General Arnan Livlea (Male, 80)
Magister-General Velyria Odell (Female, 55)
Magister-General Karem Smith (Male, 31)
Magister-General Rylan Benson (Male, 53)
Magister-General Camil Bristom (Female, 32)
Magister-General Kalei Tyndal (Male, 60)
Magister-General Alidor Landon(Male, 51)
Magister-General Cathos Landon (Male, 40)
Magister-General Heathon Landon(Male, 38)
Magister-General Arin Summer (Female, 71)
Magister-General Therisia Nottley (Female, 67)
Magister-General Alesha Gramm (Female, 89)
Magister-General Edsel Nash (Female, 44)
Magister-General Anya Reed (Female, 40)
Magister-General Jarin Soames (Male, 41)
Magister-General Durrant Silus (Male, 29)
Magister-General Russel Sullivan (Male, 43)
Magister-General Jamis Sothor (Male, 37)
Magister-General Natsin Polirin (Male, 50)
Magister-General Lomas Cathkaria (Male, 49)
Magister-General Brandon Laith (Male, 72)
Magister-General Ruth Daderin (Female, 59)
Magister-General Jaerin Loramene (Male, 62)
Magister-General Wilem Sommen (Male, 41)
Magister-General Alred Cormund (Male, 41)
Magister-General Aon Merodin (Male, 77)
Magister-General Mir Cathene (Male, 64)
Magister-General Emilia Portanian (Female, 33)
Magister-General Tanneth Goser (Male, 52)
Magister-General Hesson Claine (Male, 30)
Magister-General Lorem Crixon (Male, 32)
Magister-General Tyen Neretos (Male, 73)
Magister-General Brian Teniton (Male, 51)
Magister-General Calia Maegin (Female, 55)
Magister-General Edon Guarn (Male, 46)
Magister-General Rillian Dresden (Male, 34)
Magister-General Jyn Faldor (Female, 29)
Magister-General Lilith Asther (Female, 30)
Magister-General Walton Cley (Male, 82)
Magister-General Ruan Segraive (Male, 43)
Magister-General Demetry Gadavan (Male, 46)
Magister-General Forian Calego (Male, 33)
Magister-General Halion Briggs (Male, 35)
Magister-General Amelia Ross (Female, 56)
II. The Arkos
The Arkos (or simply Arkos) is the world-ship and the primary location for the events in the series. Designed and built by the Old Gods (with the aid of the dragonkin and the First Ones), it is a massive superstructure that hosts continental landmasses, oceans, and thousands of species. The inhabitants of the Arkos are unaware that the planet is, in fact, a space-faring vessel.
From a great distance it appears as a spherical disc with six equidistant pylons and a protruding bottom. The sun and moons are artificial satellites simulating night and day. The Arkos is composed mostly of aventium and is thought to be thousands of years old. The Old Gods abandoned it and its inhabitants many hundreds of years ago. The reason for this is unknown, and many of the systems left behind have begun to malfunction.
The Arkos runs on templuric energy, such as that given off by the Arclight of the Magisterium. This creation energy adheres to biological entities and is shaped by the thoughts and emotions of those it binds to.
III. The Old Gods
The Old Gods (often called the Old High Gods or the Illithari) are the creators of Arkos and its inhabitants. Their existence is not a matter of debate within the world, though their nature, will, and the method of their worship is a point of great contention. Most are generally believed to be benevolent. Some cultures believe there to be thousands of Old Gods; however, only six are commonly named.
Lorendamu, who is called the Shipwright. The god of time and circumstance.
Irenim, who is called the Helmsman. The god of magic and the ever-changing cosmos.
Sarona, who is called the Navigator. The goddess of life and nature.
Terithoth, who is called the Cartographer. The god of death.
Amín, who is called the Quartermaster. The god of fate and order.
Nuruthil (Ith-Harus) who weaves the darkness and churning chaos of the universe.
IV. The Servants of Nuruthil
These abominations were intended to be Nuruthil’s “New Gods,” to replace those that betrayed him. Called the Deep Gods by their followers, they are creatures of malice, pulled from the deepest fathoms of the Void. Their whispers drive mortal men mad.
Isaroth, called the Deceiver.
Suborgath, called the Corruptor.
Cthurihl, called the Breaker.
Sith-Narosa, called the Devourer
V. Dating
A year on Arkos typically consists of 365 days, and 12 months. The months are named below, and the dates, for example, are typically rendered as “the fourth day in the month of the Navigator.”
NAVIGATOR (30 days)
NORTHSTAR (28 days, 29 days during leap years)
CARTOGRAPHER (31 days)
EASTWIND (30 days)
QUARTERMASTER (31 days)
MAIDEN (30 days)
SHIPWRIGHT (31 days)
HELMSMAN (31 days)
SEAFAIR (31 days)
CORSAIR (31 days)
DAYBREAK (30 days)
HORIZON (31 days)
In most nations, years are measured starting at N.E., Numata Entara (“In the Year of the Great Tide”).
VI. Pronunciations
Acamedria Ak-ah-med-ree-ah
Aegyn E-genn
Antherion An-ther-ee-on
Azror’jir Az-ror-jeer
Celosa Sell-osa
Craetos Kre-tos
Cthos Ka-thoss
Cthurihl Ka-thoo-rill
Edûn Eh-doon
Imperator Im-peer-ah-tor
Lyra Lie-ra
Shian She-in
Vor’aj Vor-Ashj
Vor’aji Vor-Ashj-ee
Yaserj Yah-ser-ashj
Experience Arkos like never before.
Keep reading below for a free preview of the DRAGONLIGHT comic, from the same universe as The Corelight Expedition and The Arclight Saga.
DRAGONLIGHT
An Arkos Comic
Written by Cameron Hayden
Artwork by Os Pietro
Published by Arclight Media Ltd.
What’s it about?
Alone in the world, fourteen-year-old Kurian knows nothing about his human mother, or his dragon father. Dragon magic courses through him, and it’s too much fo
r a young boy to process, let alone control.
In moments of fear or anger, his fiery power surfaces, leaving those around him burned or dead. When a vile warlord tracks him down, claiming to be able to help him control his powers, Kurian sees a chance to finally belong somewhere.
Where can I read it?
You can read the comic on my Facebook page, or on my website. See the links on the pages above. Eventually, the comics will be available on Amazon as well.
Is it canon with the rest of the series?
Yes. All novels, stories, comics, or other pieces of media I release share the same universe and are considered canon.
Are there any crossover characters besides Kurian?
Absolutely! Without too many spoilers, you’ll see some fan favorites, such as Magister Amelia Ross and Antherion.
If your e-reader is too small to view these comic pages, you can see them in high definition by visiting http://www.arkos.us/
Concordance Page 17