The Awakening

by Joe Jackson

  “I don’t,” Sharyn said.

  “Neither do we,” Kari answered for the rest of them. “But that’s part of why I wanted Sharyn to come with us. I’d like to see what the gods will tell us, if there was a specific reason behind her resurrection like there was behind mine – and maybe behind yours.”

  “Fascinating times,” the paladin said through his teeth, half-smiling as he shook his head.

  Leighandra touched his arm. “I suspect we know why Galadon was returned, and it has to do with his work with Max’s father.” She turned an apologetic look the luranar paladin’s way when he swallowed uneasily. “Perhaps when we rescue Kalamaris from his imprisonment, we’ll have all we need to put the issues here on Terrassia to rest.”

  “Gods willing,” Galadon agreed.

  Leighandra continued to stare at the large group of allies, and she wasn’t the only one dumbstruck. Among their number were a mallasti, a syrinthian, two serilian demons, and – by her own admission – a second werewolf. The chronicler had seen many things in her day, but a group like this far exceeded anything she could’ve expected. When she’d initially joined her friends in Solaris, she thought the presence of a wolf and a luranar was unusual.

  Am I ever getting a lesson in being open-minded, she thought with a chuckle.

  Max gave voice to her thoughts. “If you will forgive my saying so, I would have never expected to be joined by serilian demons, a syrinthian, a mallasti, or werewolves. Though I can imagine you must look at me and think the same thing.”

  “Half-mallasti,” Tormaar corrected. “I’m also half-gnoll.”

  That drew more than just Leighandra’s attention, but it was Kris who spoke up. “From every nation, tribe, and tongue,” he said, and Max nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. Kris turned to Kari and added, “It’s just a shame Erik, Aeligos, Eryn, Jol, and Damansha didn’t come, and that Ty wasn’t finished with his rehabilitation, or this would be a fearsome force.”

  “We should have everyone we need, if not everyone we want,” Kari returned. “We’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted during the trip. Now, before we get on board and get sailing toward Morikk, there’s one thing to take care of: re-forging Galadon’s sword. And that’s why our second serilis-rir friend, Serenjols, is with us.”

  “But I didn’t bring…,” Galadon started, but trailed off when the massive serilis-rir held up the box containing the shattered pieces of his sword.

  “I believe this particular blade must be re-forged under the light of dawn,” he said, his voice thunderous and deep. “While we awaited your arrival, we had the sword’s remains sent here, and I had a small forge erected at the top of the hill. Meet me up there before dawn tomorrow morning, and we will witness the rebirth of your blade, mortal, to go along with your own resurrection.”

  Galadon looked astounded, but he nodded curtly. “You have my thanks, sir.”

  “The ship’s waiting for us at the docks,” Kari said. “Once we take care of Galadon’s sword, we’re off. We’ve got gods to meet and demons to kill.”

  There was laughter, but Leighandra still found herself overwhelmed. At the same time, it was comforting to find their group part of a much larger, better-organized, and powerful force. Now, everything they had worked toward for months would come to fruition and, just as Karinda had promised them, they wouldn’t be alone. The weight of the world had many, many shoulders to fall upon, and they still had yet to rally the nations under Max’s leadership.

  She sighed when she thought of him and how it must be tearing him up inside to leave his father in the hands of demons while they saw to other needs. Looking at him, though, he was his usual, stoic self, showing no outward signs of his turbulent feelings. He began to get acquainted with the other paladins among the Silver Blades and their allies, and Leighandra felt suddenly awed to see so many paladins in one place.

  We truly are a fearsome bunch, she thought.

  ~ * ~ * ~

  They were all up before dawn the next morning, the excitement of watching the blade be re-forged rousing them all in the wee hours. Only Kari and Kris saw any sort of delay with the children, but soon enough, the entire gathering marched up the zig-zagging roads of Flora to the high hill that overlooked the harbor.

  There, as the sun’s first rays began to lighten the eastern sky, was the massive serilis-rir known as Serenjols. He’d apparently stayed up all night preparing the forge, and it was glowing hot and ready for the work he was to perform. The pieces of Galadon’s shattered blade sat on the edge of the flame, waiting to be heated up, and the demon placed them in without concern for burning himself as the time drew near. It was only then that Leighandra considered how lucky Galadon was that his sword shattered into manageable pieces and not a hail of fragments.

  The sun grasped at the horizon as Serenjols placed the pieces on the anvil and blasted them with a gout of red-and-black flames. It was hellfire; Leighandra had never seen it before, but she’d heard of it. It was puzzling that such might be used to repair a paladin’s blade, but she wondered if hellfire might be a misnomer, and further point to Kris’ observation of aid coming from every nation, tribe, and tongue the day before.

  Serenjols began hammering the heated metal with great but precise strokes, the work of a master smith. He accomplished in minutes what might have taken a novice hours, and as the first rays of light touched the blade, the pieces began to meld back together. The serilis-rir put the finishing touches on it and cooled it before the sun had fully crested the horizon, and he handed the greatsword to Galadon.

  “Hold it aloft under the light of dawn, sir knight,” Serenjols bid him.

  Galadon stood at the edge of the hill and held his blade out toward the sunrise. The glory of the sun’s rays reflected off the brilliant silver blade, and then the sword burst into orange flame. “Behold, the Flame of the East!” Galadon shouted, though he looked surprised to have even spoken.

  “Another nail in the Tempis’ra’s coffin,” Starlenia muttered.

  “Hail Galadon, King of Dira Ch’Tori, the Flame of the East,” Max said, and he drew out the Sword of the North Wind and saluted his friend and mentor.

  Galadon’s face went slack when every one of the Silver Blades and their allies followed the luranar paladin’s lead. Galadon saluted them all in return and put his magnificent sword into the sheath on his back. “Thank you, my friends,” he said. “But you know I am not a king among you, but your friend and ally. And thank you, Master Serenjols, for your aid.”

  “I am honored to be of service,” the serilis-rir smith said with a slight bow.

  “We’ll see you when we get back,” Kari said, touching the massive serilis-rir on the elbow. “If trouble comes looking for you or any of the friends we leave behind, send word to the Red Mask. They’ll aid you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  With the final bit of preparatory work done, Kari led the gathering down to the pier. There was a large ship waiting for them, and Kari gestured everyone up the gangway without delay. Once everyone gathered on the deck of the impressive sailing ship, they were greeted by a rir woman with deep red hair and sapphire-blue eyes, and there was a teenager with similar hair and eyes standing beside her, perhaps her child.

  “Welcome aboard Karmi’s Sword,” she said. “My name is Jori-an Stormrider, this ship’s first mate, and you are all now under my command.”

  ~#~#~ THE END ~#~#~

  Thank Yous & Acknowledgments

  Thank you for joining me for the eighth installment of the Eve of Redemption series! Don’t worry, I’ve no intention of “teasing” you any further. In Book IX, you will see the Temple opened, and the series name’s meaning will finally be revealed. But that won’t be the end of this tale – there’s plenty more to come.

  The Awakening would not be a completed work if I failed to include a list of thank-yous and acknowledgements. As with my previous works, a number of people have helped with this in some way, even going back to those who aided in the
building of the world itself.

  My highest thanks, as always, are to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has given me the time, the talent, and the wherewithal to continue this series. All the glory belongs to Him.

  Editing thanks go to my wife Crystal, Katie Merrick, and Erin Groppe, all of whom give me feedback on the first drafts. Thanks also to David Christopher, Drake Vato, Lexie, and Megan for beta reading and making suggestions to help make this a stronger work.

  Thanks again to Richard Samanic, who introduced my friends and I to the world of AD&D, wherein the majority of this series’ world-building was accomplished. And thanks must be given once again to the players who helped me build the world up through Richard’s and my own campaigns: Robert Rothman, Pascal, Lenny, Dave, Mike Orlandi, Dave Christopher, Vincent DeBoer, Thanas Tsioplakis, Steve DeCesare, Louis DeBoer, Erin Groppe, Rachel DeBoer, James Stringer, Josh Hornoff, Ash Smith, and Jesse Smith.

  And, of course, thank you, my readers, for continuing to join me on these adventures. If you enjoyed this work, please consider leaving a few words (not a term paper, unless you like) in review on Amazon – every review helps!

  Appendix A: The Many Unique Races of Citaria

  Terra-rir (TEH-ra reer): the first of the rir, black-skinned, silver-blooded, mammalian draconic species created by Gori Sensullu. Very similar to humans in anatomy with the exception of more draconic heads, tails, and small claws on their hands and feet. They are born of a magical process which involves a pregnancy, but they have no navels.

  Terra-dracon (TEH-ra drah-CONE): a mutation of terra-rir that possess leathery dragon-like wings; highly susceptible to a genetic defect called Dracon’s Bane that slowly kills them.

  Terra-bengal (TEH-ra BENG-ul): subspecies of rir that possesses white tiger-like stripes, and soft pads on their feet; much more lithe and graceful than a typical terra-rir.

  Shakna-rir (SHOCK-nuh reer): green-skinned, desert-dwelling variants of rir; matriarchal, highly populous, and very militant; resistant to heat and flame.

  Fures-rir (FYOR-iss reer): matriarchal, cold-dwelling variants of rir; all possess hair and eyes in shades of blue and are virtually immune to their cold climate.

  Kirelas-rir (kur-ELL-ahs reer): mystical variant of rir differentiated by stripes on the sides of their snouts and mental powers; reclusive and few in numbers.

  Seterra-rir (seh-TEH-ra reer): red-blooded variant created to be more human-like; their pregnancy is like that of humans, and accordingly, they possess navels.

  Serilis-rir (SEH-rill-iss reer): also known as serilian demons; red-skinned, vicious creatures that come in six varieties, each with their own characteristics, personalities, strengths and weaknesses. The types are called solas, kryon, corlyps, brys, elite, and guardian. All serilis-rir are male except for the solas, who are genderless.

  Serilian-rir (sur-RILL-ian reer): the result of a serilis-rir crossbreeding with any other type of rir. Also commonly called half-demons, they are as varied as their fathers’ types, and are accordingly named (half-kryon, half-corlyps, half-brys, half-elite, and half-guardian). Persecuted and despised by most people throughout history.

  Bah’Qitur (BAH kih-TOOR): commonly miscalled bakatur; the bah’qitur is a very large, human-like race that has some reptilian features. They are very aggressive but are also a highly devout people. Virtually exclusive to the continent of Dannumore.

  Czarikk (sah-REEK): the lizardmen of Citaria come in two varieties: the more humanoid mulrassa, and the more reptilian sulrassa. Very reclusive people.

  Luranar (LOO-ruh-nar): bipedal wolfmen common to the southeast of the continent of Terrassia; considered savage and uncivilized by outsiders, though those who travel through civilized lands are typically well-behaved and therefore accepted.

  Kwarrasti (kwah-RAHS-tee): bipedal catfolk common to the southeast of Terrassia; nomadic and aloof, they are somewhat reclusive and rarely travel into more ‘civilized’ lands.

  Appendix B: The Merged Citarian-Koryonite Pantheons

  The Citarians: These are the principal deities exalted by Gori Sensullu to keep watch over Citaria.

  Gori Sensullu, “The Creator”: more common name for Arakiel, the creator of Citaria and its indigenous peoples; killed at the end of the Apocalypse.

  Kaelariel Arakiel Jir’tana, “The Ascending Dawn”: son of Gori Sensullu who appears to be a guardian demon; god of freedom and death, lord of serilis-rir, and leader of the pantheon after the Apocalypse.

  Sechre Tori, “First in Battle”: terra-rir god of righteous battle and patron of the military; the oldest Citarian deity exalted by Gori Sensullu.

  Kris Fletcher, “The Ghost”: a human also called The Armored Shepherd; he is the god of honor and loyalty, and the patron of paladins.

  Kerry Kijana, “Garra Ktarra”: terra-rir deity of the night, explorers, and skill; considered the greatest fighter among the pantheon; patriarch of the bloodline that bore Kaelariel.

  Zalkar the Unyielding, “Avatar of Vengeance”: human god of law and the patron deity of demonhunters; called primarily “the Unyielding” by his followers.

  Tisa Ch’Brakkh, “The Dawn of Hope”: terra-bengal descendant of Garra Ktarra and mother of Kaelariel; goddess of beauty; ascended directly to deity status.

  Karmi G’Dorrinn, “The Lady of the Depths”: human goddess created by Gori Sensullu to be caretaker of the oceans and those who travel upon them.

  Mitreus & Zitenius Satachi, “The Sandur Striders”: twin human rangers who were appointed as caretakers of nature and its defenders.

  Carlos Bouron, “The Beast”: human ranger reincarnated as a sylvan beast; deity of shape-shifters, lycanthropes, and the more savage humanoid species.

  Seril, “The Devil Queen”: terra-bengal goddess and mate to Gori Sensullu who turned on him; creator of the serilis-rir and enemy of the Light forces in the Apocalypse; killed at the end of the Apocalypse.

  The Koryonites: These are the principal deities of the Koryon pantheon who agreed to merge with those of Citaria to aid in the Apocalypse.

  Ambergaust Coramin, “The Wellspring”: kwarrasti leader of the Koryon pantheon who agreed to merge his own pantheon with that of Citaria; god of life and marriage.

  Carsius Coramin, “The Mother of Truth”: Ambergaust’s kwarrasti wife and goddess of birth and motherhood; matron to female paladins.

  Bek Coramin, “The Resultant Truth”: daughter of Ambergaust and Carsius; kwarrasti goddess of wisdom and piety; nearly a paladin in her own right.

  Cabal Coramin, “The Iron Fist of Heaven”: son of Ambergaust and Carsius; kwarrasti god of courage and battle.

  Tigron Coramin, “The Celestial Mender”: younger brother of Ambergaust; kwarrasti god of healing and life.

  The Outsiders: These are Koryonite deities who merged with the Citarian pantheon but have limited influence or even contact with the people of Citaria.

  Krollmar Stonetender, “The Celestial Smith”: dwarven god of craftsmen who merged with the Koryon pantheon and subsequently the Citarian pantheon; impromptu god to all of the “little peoples.”

  Belgrin the Wanderer, “Tender of the Roots”: half-elven god of nature, the arts, and peace who joined the Koryon pantheon at Tigron’s insistence, and subsequently also joined the Citarian pantheon.

  Korbaz the Constant, “Lord of the Second Law”: kwarrasti god of decay; has limited influence over the Koryon pantheon, and less over the Citarian pantheon.

  Braum the Clairvoyant, “The Magnificent Intellect”: kwarrasti god of knowledge; eons-old friend of Ambergaust who serves as advisor to the head of the pantheon.

  Ellen Dragonborn, “Fruit of the Great Tree”: kwarrasti deity of love; mistrusted by many of her fellow deities.

  Appendix C: Geography and History

  The Continents: The five major continents and their associated islands.

  Askies, The Motherland: this island, located on the western and southern hemispheres, respectively, was the birthplace of the rir people and their civili
zation. Control of Askies was the main focus of the Apocalypse.

  The Isle of Morikk: this small island runs parallel to Askies’ west coast; it was the birthplace of the seterra-rir and is where the Temple of Archons is located. Since the war that nearly wiped out the seterra-rir, the island has been deserted.

  The Crystal Isles: these small, uninhabited rocky islands off the southeast of Askies were so named due to their polished, reflective surfaces.

  Terrassia: located on the northern and western hemispheres, Terrassia is the birthplace of numerous races: the fures-rir, the shakna-rir, the luranar, the kawarrasti, and the elves. It was the site of the third demon war, and saw a fair amount of fighting during the Apocalypse.

  Senkiro’s Solace: also called Druidia, this tiny island off of Terrassia’s southern coast was home to a secret priesthood for hundreds of years. The island is now considered haunted and is avoided by even the staunchest adventurers.

  Isle of the Maelstrom: this tiny island located north of Terrassia is sealed off by a magical vortex and is home to the High Council of Wizardry; so named because of the Council’s founder.

  Masceria: made up of many large islands, this continent lies north of Askies. Its inhabitants – mostly terra-rir and humans – prefer to remain isolated from the rest of the world, and are rumored to be far more technologically advanced than the rest of Citaria.