Crusader

by Sara Douglass

  Aye. There is.

  “But it does not rest within the Garden, does it?” Faraday said.

  No.

  “Beyond, then?” DragonStar said, and felt a small kernel of excitement flower deep within him.

  Aye. Beyond. You have a life that yet lies ahead of you. The wasteland that was Tencendor has transformed, but there are other wastelands, StarSon, that need your strength, and Faraday’s love.

  The Woman looked at Faraday’s swelling belly. Bear your child elsewhere, Faraday. Give birth to hope in a desolate wasteland.

  “We will never come back,” Faraday said, but there was no anger or regret in her voice.

  No. You will find your contentedness elsewhere.

  The Woman stood, and reached one hand high above Her. She plucked a fruit from the Tree, and held it out to DragonStar and Faraday.

  Take this, and eat of it with My blessing.

  Faraday took the fruit, and cradled it within her hands. “What is it?”

  Wisdom and Love.

  Faraday’s eyes filled with tears, and she slowly raised the fruit to her lips and ate.

  Something in her face shifted, something in her soul altered, and Faraday understood the road before her.

  She turned to DragonStar and offered him the fruit. “Eat.”

  And he did, and he, too, was altered.

  He looked at Faraday. His eyes were alive with excitement. Faraday stared, and then she burst into laughter, and leaned forward to embrace him.

  The Woman smiled. Step forth, and birth your new world within the wasteland. Go, with My blessing, My love, and My eternal gratitude.

  Axis stared at them. He half raised a hand, then dropped it. “Stay. Please.”

  DragonStar smiled gently, and took his father’s hand. “No. We cannot. If we stayed here we would only destroy the Garden with our restlessness. Our journey is not yet done.”

  His eyes flickered over the ranks of what had once been the Strike Force standing in ranks behind Axis: winged, ethereal, serene. Then DragonStar leaned forward and kissed Axis on the mouth. “We will never forget you, nor this place. It will become the foundation myth of our children. Goodbye, Axis, farewell Azhure.”

  And, once Faraday had kissed Axis and Azhure goodbye, she and DragonStar walked hand in hand through the doorway that the Butler opened for them with a reverential bow of his head.

  They walked from the Garden into the Wastelands beyond, there to build a life untarnished by fate and enriched by the gifts the Woman had given them.

  They did not look back.

  Glossary

  ACHAR: the realm that once stretched over most of the continent, bounded by the Andeis, Tyrre and Widowmaker Seas, the Avarinheim and the Icescarp Alps. It was integrated into Tencendor during the time of Axis StarSon.

  ACHARITES: a term used fairly generally to encompass all humans within Tencendor.

  ADAMON: one of the nine Star Gods of the Icarii, Adamon is the eldest and the God of the Firmament.

  AFTERLIFE: all three races, the Acharites, the Icarii and the Avar believe in the existence of an AfterLife, although exactly what they believe depends on their particular culture.

  ALAUNT: the legendary pack of hounds that once belonged to WolfStar SunSoar. They followed Azhure for some time, but now run with DragonStar. They are all of the Lesser.

  ALDENI: once a small province in western Achar, it was administered by Duke Theod.

  ANDAKILSA, River: the extreme northern river of Ichtar, dividing Ichtar from Ravensbund.

  ANDEIS SEA: the often unpredictable sea that washes the western coast of Achar.

  ARCEN: the major city of Arcness. Before Qeteb’s destruction, it was a free trading city.

  ARCNESS: a large eastern province in Tencendor.

  ARTOR THE PLOUGHMAN: the now disbanded Brotherhood of the Seneschal taught that Artor was the one true god. Under His sway, the Acharites initiated the ancient Wars of the Axe and drove the Icarii and Avar from the land. Artor was killed by Azhure and her hounds.

  ASKAM, Prince of the West: son of Belial and Cazna. Now dead.

  AVAR, The: the ancient race of Tencendor who live in the forests of the Avarinheim and Minstrelsea. The Avar are sometimes referred to as the People of the Horn. Their Mage-King is Isfrael.

  AVARINHEIM, The: the northern forest home of the Avar people. It was destroyed when Qeteb was resurrected.

  AVENUE, The: the processional way of the Temple Complex on the Island of Mist and Memory. The term ‘The Avenue’ comes to have a slightly different meaning by the end of Crusader.

  AVONSDALE: Once a province in western Achar. It was administered by Earl Herme.

  AXE-WIELDERS, The: once the elite crusading and military wing of the Seneschal, led by Axis as their BattleAxe.

  AXIS: son of the Princess Rivkah of Achar and the Icarii Enchanter, StarDrifter SunSoar. Once BattleAxe of the Axe-Wielders, he assumed the mantle of the StarMan of the Prophecy of the Destroyer. After reforging Tencendor Axis formed his own house, the House of the Stars before beginning a new existence as the Star God of Song. Having lost all his powers due to the invasion of the Timekeeper Demons, Axis is once again a mere mortal.

  AZHURE: daughter of WolfStar SunSoar and Niah of Nor, and Goddess of Moon. She is married to Axis. Their children are Caelum (now dead), Drago, RiverStar (now dead) and Zenith. As With Axis, Azhure is once again merely mortal now the Star Dance is dead.

  AZLE, River: a major river that divided the provinces of Ichtar and Aldeni. It flows into the Andeis Sea.

  BANES: the religious leaders of the Avar people. They wield magic, although it is usually of the minor variety.

  BARROWS, The Ancient: the burial places of the ancient Enchanter-Talons of the Icarii people. The Barrows were destroyed when the Demons broke through the Star Gate.

  BATTLEAXE, The: once the leader of the Axe-Wielders. The post of BattleAxe was last held by Axis. See ‘Axe-Wielders’.

  BARZULA: one of the TimeKeeper Demons, Barzula is the Demon of mid-morning, and of tempest.

  BEDWYR FORT: a fort that sat on the lower reaches of the River Nordra and guarded the entrance to Grail Lake from Nordmuth.

  BELIAL: lieutenant and second-in-command in Axis’ army during the fight against Gorgrael. Belial was the father of Askam and Cazna. Now dead.

  BELTIDE: see ‘Festivals’.

  BETHIAM, Princess: wife to Prince Askam of the West.

  BOGLE MARSH: a large and inhospitable marsh in eastern Arcness. Faraday emptied its strange creatures into Sanctuary to escape the Demons.

  BORNEHELD: Duke of Ichtar and King of Achar. Son of the Princess Rivkah and her husband, Duke Searlas, half-brother to Axis, and husband of Lady Faraday of Skarabost. After murdering his uncle, Priam, Borneheld assumed the throne of Achar. Now dead.

  BRACKEN RANGES, The: the former name of the Minaret Peaks.

  BRACKEN, River: the river that rises in the Minaret Peaks and flows into the Widowmaker Sea.

  BRIDGE, The: the bridge that guards the entrance into Sigholt is deeply magical. She will throw out a challenge to any she does not know, but can be easily tricked.

  BROTHER-LEADER, The: the supreme leader of the Brotherhood of the now disbanded Seneschal. The last Brother-Leader of the Seneschal was Jayme.

  CAELUM STARSON: eldest son of Axis and Azhure, born at Yuletide. Caelum is an ancient word meaning ‘Stars in Heaven’. Caelum is now dead.

  CARLON: main city of Tencendor and one-time residence of the kings of Achar. Situated on Grail Lake.

  CAULDRON LAKE, The: the lake at the centre of the Silent Woman Woods. Now destroyed.

  CAZNA: wife to Belial. Now dead.

  CHAMBER OF THE MOONS: chief audience and sometime banquet chamber of the ancient royal palace in Carlon. It was the site where Axis battled Borneheld to the death.

  CHARONITES: a little-known race of Tencendor, they inhabited the UnderWorld. When Drago managed to kill Orr in the chamber of the Star Gate, the race became extinct.
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  CIRCLE OF STARS, The: see ‘Enchantress’ Ring’.

  CLANS, The: the Avar tend to segregate into Clan groups, roughly equitable with family groups.

  CLOUDBURST SUNSOAR: younger brother and assassin of WolfStar SunSoar.

  COHORT: see ‘Military Terms’.

  COROLEAS: the great empire to the south of Tencendor. Relations between the two countries is usually cordial.

  CREST: Icarii military unit composed of twelve Wings.

  CREST-LEADER: commander of an Icarii Crest.

  DANCE OF DEATH, The: dark star music that is the counter point to the Star Dance. It is the music made when stars miss their step and crash into each other, or swell up into red giants and implode. Only WolfStar and Azhure can wield this music, although both lost the ability to do so when the TimeKeepers destroyed the Star Gate.

  DAREWING FULLHEART: senior Crest-Leader and Strike Leader of the Icarii Strike Force

  DEMONIC HOURS:

  Dawn: ruled by Mot, a time of hunger.

  Mid-morning: ruled by Barzula, a time of tempest.

  Midday: the time of the greatest Demon of all, Qeteb.

  Mid-afternoon: ruled by Sheol, a time of despair.

  Dusk: ruled by Raspu, a time of pestilence.

  Night: ruled by Rox, a time of terror.

  DISTANCES:

  League: roughly seven kilometres, or four and a half miles.

  Pace: roughly one metre or one yard.

  Handspan: roughly twenty centimetres or eight inches.

  DOME OF THE MOON: a sacred dome dedicated to the Moon on Temple Mount of the Island of Mist and Memory. Only the First Priestess has access to the Dome, and it was in this Dome that Niah conceived Azhure.

  DRAGONSTAR SUNSOAR: second son of Axis and Azhure. Twin brother to RiverStar. (Also known as Drago.) DragonStar is also the name of the son StarLaughter SunSoar was carrying when she was murdered by her husband, WolfStar.

  DRIFTSTAR SUNSOAR: grandmother to StarDrifter, mother of MorningStar. An Enchanter and a SunSoar in her own right and wife to the SunSoar Talon. She died over three hundred years before the events of this book.

  EARTH TREE: a sacred tree to both the Icarii and the Avar. It once lived in the extreme northern groves of the Avarinheim forest, close to the cliffs of the Icescarp Alps, but was destroyed when Qeteb created the wasteland.

  EARTH TREE GROVE: the grove which held the Earth Tree in the northern Avarinheim where it bordered the Icescarp Alps. It was where the Avar (sometimes in concert with the Icarii) held their gatherings and religious rites.

  ENCHANTRESS, The: the first of the Icarii Enchanters, the first Icarii to discover the way to use the power of the Star Dance. She bore three sons, the eldest of whom founded the Acharite race, the middle founded the Charonite race, and the youngest founded the Icarii race. The Enchantress also gave birth to twin daughters. Also known as Urbeth.

  ENCHANTRESS’ RING, The: an ancient ring once in the possession of the Enchantress, now worn by Azhure. Its proper name is the Circle of Stars, and it is intimately connected with the Star Gods.

  ENCHANTERS: the once magicians of the Icarii people—with the destruction of the Star Gate all have now lost their powers. All Enchanters have the word ‘Star’ somewhere in their names.

  ENCHANTER-TALONS: Talons of the Icarii people who are also Enchanters.

  ENEMY, The: the name given by the TimeKeepers to the ancient ones who trapped Qeteb and then fled with his life parts through the universe. It was the Enemy who crashed into Tencendor during Fire-Night.

  ESCATOR: a kingdom far away to the east over the Widowmaker Sea.

  EVENSONG: daughter of Rivkah and StarDrifter SunSoar, sister to Axis and wife to Talon FreeFall SunSoar.

  FARADAY: daughter of Earl Isend of Skarabost and his wife, Lady Merlion. Once wife to Borneheld and Queen of Achar, Faraday now aids DragonStar. She is also the mother of Isfrael, conceived during her brief and tragic affair with Axis.

  FERNBRAKE LAKE, The: the large lake in the centre of the Bracken Ranges. Also known by both the Avar and the Icarii as the Mother. Now a dessicated garden.

  FERRYMAN, The: the Charonite who plied the ferry of the UnderWorld. His name was Orr, and was one of the Lesser immortals. Orr is now dead after being struck by the Rainbow Sceptre in the chamber of the Star Gate.

  FESTIVALS of the Avar and the Icarii:

  Yuletide: the winter solstice, in the last week of Snowmonth.

  Beltide: the spring Festival, the first day of Flower-month.

  Fire-Night: the summer solstice, in the last week of Rose-month.

  FIRE-NIGHT, The: see ‘Festivals’.

  FIRST, The: the First Priestess of the Order of the Stars, the order of nine priestesses on Temple Mount. The First, like all priestesses of the Order, gave up her name on taking her vows. Niah of Nor once held this office.

  FIVE FAMILIES, The First: the leading families of Tencendor: led, in turn, by Prince Askam of the West, King Zared of the North, Prince Yllgaine of Nor, Chief Sa’Domai of the Ravensbund and FreeFall SunSoar, Talon of the Icarii. The delicate balance between these families was greatly upset when Zared seized the throne of Achar.

  FLULIA: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Flulia is the Goddess of Water.

  FLURIA, The River: a minor river that flows through Aldeni into the River Nordra.

  FORESTFLIGHT EVERSOAR: a member of the Lake Guard.

  FORTHEART: one of the Alaunt, and mate to Sicarius.

  FORTRESS RANGES: the mountains that run down Achar’s eastern boundary from the Icescarp Alps to the Widowmaker Sea.

  FREEFALL, Talon: son of BrightFeather and RavenCrest SunSoar, husband of EvenSong SunSoar. They have no children.

  GAPFEATHER: a member of the Lake Guard.

  GATEKEEPER, The: the Keeper of the Gate of Death in the UnderWorld and mother of Zeherah. Her task is to keep tally of the souls who pass through the Gate. She is one of the Lesser immortals.

  GHEMT: a game played with sticks and dice in a circle of diamond-shaped spaces.

  GOLDMAN, JANNYMIRE: Master of the Guilds of Carlon. One of the most powerful non-noblemen in Tencendor.

  GORGRAEL: the Destroyer, half-brother to Axis, sharing the same father, StarDrifter. Axis defeated him in a titanic struggle for control of Tencendor forty years before current events.

  GORKENFORT: a major fort situated in Gorken Pass in northern Ichtar.

  GORKEN PASS: the narrow pass sixty leagues long that provided the only way from Ravensbund into Ichtar. It is bounded by the Icescarp Alps and the River Andakilsa.

  GRAIL LAKE, The: a massive lake at the lower reaches of the River Nordra. Beneath its waters it harboured the Maze, which has now risen and destroyed the Lake.

  GREATER, The: the nine Star Gods.

  GRYPHON: a legendary flying creature of Tencendor, intelligent, vicious and courageous. Gorgrael recreated them to defeat Axis, but they were all destroyed by Azhure.

  GUNDEALGA FORD: a wide shallow ford on the Nordra, just south of the Urqhart Hills.

  GUSTUS: Captain of Zared’s militia.

  GWENDYLYR: wife of Duke Theod of Aldeni, and mother of their twin sons.

  HAGEN: once a Plough-Keeper in the (now destroyed) village of Smyrton who was husband to Niah. He was accidentally killed by Azhure some forty-three years ago.

  HANDSPAN: see ‘Distances’.

  HERME, Earl of Avonsdale: son of Earl Jorge, mentor of Duke Theod of Aldeni and friend to King Zared.

  HORNED ONES: the almost divine and most sacred members of the Avar race. They live in the Sacred Grove.

  HSINGARD: a ruined town situated in central Ichtar.

  ICARII, The: a race of winged people. They are sometimes referred to as the People of the Wing.

  ICEBEAR COAST: the hundred-league-long coast that stretches from the DeadWood Forest in north-western Ravensbund to the frozen Tundra above the Avarinheim. It is very remote, and very beautiful.

  ICESCARP ALPS, The: the great mountain range that stretc
hes across most of northern Achar.

  ICESCARP BARREN: a desolate tract of land situated in northern Ichtar between the Icescarp Alps and the Urqhart Hills.

  ICEWORMS: massive worms of ice and snow created by Gorgrael.

  ICHTAR, DUKES of: once cruel lords of Ichtar, the line died with Borneheld.

  ICHTAR, The Province of: the largest and richest of the provinces of Achar. Ichtar derives its wealth from its extensive grazing herds and from its mineral and precious gem deposits. Ruled by Zared, now also King of the Acharites.

  ICHTAR, The River: a minor river that flows through Ichtar into the River Azle.

  ILFRACOOMBE: the manor house of the Earl of Skarabost, the home where Faraday grew up.