Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Title Page
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Forteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Epilogue
Glossary of Terms
Spells
Author
Copyright © 2013 J. Steven Young
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction.
To my Shrimpo-Shrimpo, for putting up with being sometimes ignored during this process!
- 831
CHRONICLES OF AURDERIA: THE BALANCE
J. Steven Young
Prologue
Ersetu, it is a land of wonders in sorcery, spells, and weaving of elemental magics. These abilities come from the Essence, an energy stored in all things. For eons these abilities in the people of the realms went unchecked and chaos reigned. Multitudes of wars were fought over hundreds of generations and the toll on the lands was disastrous. Much of the world became poisoned and Un-livable. People and creatures alike were dying off and Ersetu was on the verge of collapse.
A meeting of the land’s great races was arranged to barter peace. It was decided that the only way to create a lasting truce was to bring about balance of the Essence. The Great Council was created with members of these seven main races to establish a plan for the balance. And so it was this council that devised the blending; a cross breeding of the races and thus combinations of the powers they each possessed. Through this program, the blended peoples could create offspring who could harness all the seven powers and forge a balance in the land to restore what had been devastated.
Two altars of power were constructed to represent both chaos and creation. The Chaos altar black as pitch was made of dragon glass from the depths of Hell’s Mouth, land of the Drakkians. The altar of creation, carved from the purest of clear crystal from the mystic caves of Mount Aris high above the clouds in the Orenthal Mountains. Upon the completion of these altars, two zealots tapped the essence and poured power into the altars until the life force drained from them. Their sacrifice created the great balance, Lalli Mah, and allowed the lands to begin repairing millennia of destruction; bringing about a new era of peace and prosperity.
After a few generations however; disdain and open prejudices of the blended race peoples turned to persecution. The “purists” sought to rid the lands of those with blended blood. These purists being of only single race blood lines feared those of mixed blood because of the abilities in Essence they possessed, however they used fear of a new unbalance to drive others to begin rounding up the abominations and putting them to death for the greater good. This was the great purification called, Sikil Mah.
Those who managed to escape notice left the healed lands of Aurderia. They call themselves the forsaken. Some still lived among the realms of Aurderia but only because they could blend in and hide their powers or were protected by sympathizers and family. The Great Council forbade use of the Essence without sanction and schools were established for proper education until finally the Essence Academy was created in the capital city New Draven.
***
And so it was for hundreds of years… until Chaos was set loose upon the land by lust for power.
Chapter One
Somewhere in the Forsworn Territory, from the darkness a voice calls to an attendant. “I need a messenger!” she whispers.
“Yes, NABUSA,” said the attendant as he left. He returned in short order accompanied by a figure dressed in a multi-colored cloak pulled over the face to conceal features and identity, as is the way of the Guardians. “The Guardian approaches NABUSA,” said the attendant.
“Andra come closer,” the seer breathed.
“Seer, how do you know it was I?” the Guardian asks.
“Because it is as I have seen, and you will be part of everything my child.” The mistress continues in whispered tones to Andra and after a brief pause, Andra kisses mother and wishes good next wake. With the information Andra heads out to deliver its contents.
The attendant turns to his mistress and asks, “NABUSA is there anything else you need?”
“Time,” she said flatly. “There is an undoing happening, it cannot be stopped; The Prophecy of the balance unfolds.” With a shudder her eyes rolled into the back of their sockets.
“It has begun, two bright stars have emerged on the North horizon. Two new lives will be given; one to light one to dark. Forthcoming of them will be told in two new stars in the skies to the North nine moons hence, to a mother of mixed blood from Rivenwood.
With their enlistment dark and light will break the balance and forge an unequal alliance. The unbalance shall shake the land and all races will feel the transformation,” she cracked from her dry throat.
“But I see…” she paused, “yes a third unknown to the disciples will be secreted away; the child will rejoin the rings and balance the essence.”
“Will the messenger Andra be leaving the foresworn territory?” he asked.
“Yes, Andra has a path to follow and ours is yet to be lain before us. There is hope yet” she replied before a deep slumber took her.
***
Back in the Mist Swamps of Aurderia, a Kashshaptu Seer has a vision of her own. ”Two twin girls nine months hence. Birth before two new stars, taken from the womb of a seven blood union, and will be given to the forces of dark,” she whispered.
“So shall the balance be undone! Go quickly before I am discovered and all is lost!”
The dark cloaked messenger rides from the swamps with his partial message of the prophecy, back to the masters of the order at Drakkfoth Keep!
***
Deep within the center of Aurderia sits the seat of darkness and the Zealots from the Order of Chaos. Their secret keep resides outside the westernmost civilized city of Drakkfoth; city nearest the altar of Chaos. Within the walls of the keep a meeting is taking place.
“Has the mother been identified? It has been nearly nine moons since the foretelling,” a dark figure asks from the center of the dais.
“We have Assinnu Isten. She was in her twenty-eighth cycle when we took her from Rivenwood and brought her to Drakkfoth for the birthing. The tests on her embolic fluid confirm,” the zealot answered.
“Then everything should be in ready. I will return when the time arrives. Until then, make certain the mother is taken care of and does not leave or grow weary, we do not want our plans spoiled,” said the cult leader. He promptly vanished after stepping through the archway beyond the dais.
***
“What a wretched place this is for bringing new sprats into the world!” exclaimed Moona. “Special consideration and better birthing houses they said, YAK SCAT!” Moona said drawing a deep take from her pipe.
“Moona, you must not fuss and please do not swear or smoke that stinky weed around me. I have said this is where we m
ust be and that is the end of it.”
Moona continued to sweep straw and dirt from the floors of their small room while puffing on her pipe. She started a fire in the room’s fireplace and put a pot on filling it with contents from various pouches she seamlessly pulled from various slits and pockets in her garments. “Sulura, I do not doubt your gift but could you be at all misled? Perhaps this is not the way of it.”
“No Moona, this is as it must be. When the time comes I am counting on you to do as we have discussed.”
“I am not liking this one bit, but I shall do as you ask except the pipe, it calms me.” After a brief pause Moona continued “But what of the father? Is he likely to return from this task you set him on?”
“That I cannot see, it is no easy journey and is less than likely to yield any help. It had to be tried in the least. I grow tired and need rest.”
“Sleep child, I shall be here to bring your sprats into the world, as I have for nearly two hundred harvest turns before.” With that Moona returned to her pot at the fire and stirred it as she looked back at Sulura and sighed then she cursed the guard who poked his head in the door to check on them. “Plank off you booger, no’un asked for you to come pokin’ ‘round. She is asleep and too fat with child to run off and I have seen far more years than is your business to know; so I’ll not be waddling off either!”
The cycles of Sulura’s pregnancy continued without complications. One night late after the sun, Utu, fell below the horizon, a figure emerged from the darkness and approached Sulura. “Wake and speak young one, we have much to discuss and little time to do so.” Andra approached without waking Moona who was snoring like a swamp pig in her cot in the corner of the room.
“Who is there, what is this about?” asked Sulura. “Do I know you stranger? You seem familiar to me though I do not see your face.”
“Who I am is not important now but I have come to bear witness and bring a gift from the NABUSA.”
“What does my Grandmother have that I should care to receive? I left the forsworn as instructed long ago and made my way in Aurderia without her help thus far,” spat Sulura.
“The gift is not for you but one of your legacy. A gem stone that must be given at birth,” instructed Andra.
“Which child is this for and why?” she asked.
“You will know the child it must be given to the moment it is required of you. The gift will hide the child so that it may be taken away and protected.”
“But the vision, I must give up both my girls that is the way of the prophecy!”
“No Sulura, that is not all. More I cannot say but you must give this gift to the child and someone you trust must take it away. I will meet this person in the Stone Forest and we shall make our escape.” Andra left the gift in Sulura’s hand and vanishing into the shadows.
Just as Andra left, Moona awoke with one final snort that echoed off the walls and startled the guards outside the small room she shared with Sulura. “What was that?” Moona shrieked as she jumped from her cot far more lithely than one might expect of her years.
“You woke yourself again, snorting like some sort of farm burden beast!” Sulura laughed and was soon joined by Moona laughing heartily as she walked to the side table to get a tankard of wine.
“OH!” Sulura started. “Moona it is time.”
“Nonsense child your are at least two cycles from birthing.”
“No Moona, it is now, my waters have given and I feel the contractions setting in. It is as if the birth is being forced.”
Moona ran to the door and screeched at the guards. “Hot water and clean rags, not these filthy scraps you’ve left for our bathing either mind you. NOW!”
With that the guards ran off in opposite directions.
“Biddley Diddles, both of ‘em sharing a brain, and a weak one at that!” “Now then off we go, mind you it took me a moment to catch on but ready I am to make our escape. The guards will not be gone long so let’s get on with it.”
“Moona, this is no plan I am truly going into birthing, and fast!”
Before Moona could respond, one of the guards returned with others and several zealots from the Order of Chaos who had taken them to this place away from Rivenwood. “Make ready the altar and bring them!” One zealot ordered.
“Quickly! Before the First of our order arrives. We must be ready when the Assinnu Isten arrives.” The guards gathered Sulura into a carrying cot and lead the way out of the room with Moona yelling franticly.
“Get your hands off me you witless forest troll! I am too old for shoving! Get those rags and hot water and hand me my bags!”
The growing contingent made their way out of the keep and out past the outskirts of Drakkfoth by way of old tunnels deep below the city. When they finally emerged from the labyrinth of musty old passageways into the open it was growing past dusk and into the dark of night. They quickly made their way down to the ancient altar of Chaos.
The group was passing a large out cropping of dark rocks jetting forth from the ground reaching several tens of paces into the sky when the ceremonial altar and surroundings came into view. The entire area was dark beyond midnight even as the last rays of passing twilight seemed to become absorbed by every stone. A diamond shaped field of smoothed ground lay undisturbed by the passing of time.
Several raised stones shaped into seats surrounded the center of this forbidding place. And there in the center of it all sat a dark bench of the blackest stone there is. Dragon glass is found only in and around the heart of Hell’s Mouth. The bench sat beneath two large columns with a solitary lintel atop. The entire structure was one enormous piece carved from a single source stone. Flawless and forbidding, horrifying yet breathtakingly beautiful all at once; the altar radiated such power that many guards just stopped and stared, transfixed and unable to move.
“Disgusting!” Moona whispered.
“Moona please, we must see this through.”
“Yes Sulura, I know I may be old but I still have my wits, more ‘en I can say about that lot!” she replied thumbing over her shoulder at the guards who now stared blank eyed into the abyss of power radiating from the altar.
As they finally reached the altar, Sulura was placed upon the bench within and Moona was brought to her along with the water, rags and other items Moona had demanded.
From beneath her clothing Moona produced a pouch and sprinkled some of its contents into a tankard of watered wine before approaching Sulura. “Here child drink this down, it will help with the pain both to your body and shi. There is no going back now is there?” she asked knowing the answer.
Sulura just smiled handing back the tankard and taking Moona’s hand. Pulling Moona close she emptied the contents of her hand into Moona’s and whispered so the others could not hear. “Take this and place it on the final child. When he is born you must take him away quickly.”
“What do you mean third, child these herbs are working fast,” Moona interrupted.
“No, I carry triplets, the third a boy child. After he wakes to this world you must take this gem and the child away into the stone forest where a friend will meet you and hasten your escape.”
Moona just looked at her with questions in her eyes.
“The gem stone will keep you hidden so that you can get away. The others do not know of this third child and must not find out or all is lost.”
“How do you suppose I hid the birth itself, I am only an herb worker? I can perform no such magics any longer.” Moona asked but again knew the answer as she looked into Sulura’s eyes.
“It cannot be helped Moona, you must.”
Just as birthing began, the Assinnu Isten, First of the cult and leader, arrived in a swirl of electrified air. “Has it begun?” He asked to know one and everyone at once. Without awaiting a reply he quickly moved to the altar as though floating on air. Looking to the sky he sees the two new stars on the horizon.
Addressing Sulura, “It is a wondrous fate that has brought you here this eve chil
d. For you shall play a great part in what is to come.”
“Do not confuse my acquiescence with willingness old man, and do not call me child for I am older than you!” Sulura spat at him while Moona’s eyes light with this revelation.
“You think so? I doubt that very much. No matter you have no choice in this.” Turning to Moona, “You will deliver the raven-haired girl child to my man at your side. The snow haired girl child shall not live. Now let us begin shall we. Light the torches and begin the spell working!” The leader barked as he turned to take the largest seat that surrounded the altar.
The chanting began as a low and barely audible murmur that gained in volume and intensity as the zealots repeatedly droned on with their spell.
“BEL GIBIDALAL, SISITU MUZU EMUQ
PULHU ES-INA LAMAGIRI
LASANAN EMUQ ADI ANNU ABANASQUPPATU
ZU ASSINNA ILEQQE BILTU, SEMU!”
“Oh heavens that’s the ancient tongue Sulura! What are they doing?” Moona cried.
“It is more than just the ancient tongue, but more important is what they are saying. They are calling to the Lord of Chaos and summoning his power. They want to bring terror to those who do not submit, from power poured into this altar by paying tribute.” Sulura replied with effort between contractions. “What is more is that they are commanding it. This is a full summoning Moona and it scares me to think where they learned how to do this!”
Soon full birthing came upon Sulura and the sprats were on their way into the world. With a push the first girl child was upon them. Raven hair and emerald eyes already open to the world. She did not cry which Moona noted with curiosity.
The child was quickly taken by the zealots and ushered over to the Isten. Already the snow-haired girl was birthing as Sulura was weakening from the efforts. By the time she managed to push enough for the full birth, her energy was spent.
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