by E. S. Bell
Skye: During the Zak’reth war, she was High Reverent of the Moon Temple, Vice-Admiral of the Alliance Armada, and Justarch of Isle Lillomet. No single person before or since has held office in all aspects of the Alliance. Wife of Admiral Archer Crane. She disappeared four years after the war, saying only that she had left to “unite Lunos in everlasting peace.”
Stoneyard Prison: Located on Isle Parish, the Stoneyard Prison is the largest and most dreaded prison on Lunos. Inmates are made to break stone every day, all day, until their sentence has ended or they die, whichever comes first. The breaking of stone serves no real purpose except to wear down them down, breaking them in body and spirit. Murder among inmates is common and encouraged by Prison guardsmen.
Tradespeak: the common tongue of sailors on Lunos, created during the Age of Discovery to facilitate treaties and trade. By the end of the Age of Tranquility, Tradespeak became a primary language on all of Lunos, spoken by nearly everyone, sailor or otherwise.
Vai’Ensai: (see also dragonman) a race descended from the dragons. They are humanoid in stature but possess reptilian skin and facial features; horns in various formation along their head, and claw-tipped wings. They cannot fly but can glide with their wings and can use them for increased speed while running.
The Void: a black, empty space in the night sky devoid of any constellation or star. It is said that the Void is the portal to the world where demons, djinn and sirrak live.
Zak’reth War: devastating, violent war lasting ten years in which the Zak’reth people attempted to conquer the Eastern Edge islands, most notably the Farendus Isles, and were only defeated once the Alliance formed and intervened.
I'd like to thank the following people for helping to make this book possible:
Melissa Panio-Petersen, Angela Shockley for making it beautiful. To Robin Renee Hill for her friendship, always. To T.L Branson and Grey for cleaning up my typos and dropped words (though only the gods themselves can see them all). To my beta readers, Danielle Maurino Thomas, Selma Ibrahimpasic, Sejla Ibrahimpasic, Brittany Johnson, Yvette Falagan, Nadine Kilian, Lisa Speidel, Dylan Allen, Terri E. Laine, Ailyn Benjamin, Danette Drennan, Autumn Grey, Michelle Chen, Rebecca Henry, Loyda Bookfrantic, and Robin Tigert for for their incredible feedback that gave me the courage to embark on this crazy voyage in the first place. I love and thank you all for lifting me up.