Tales Of Nevaeh: The Trilogy and Backstory of the Epic Sci-Fi Fantasy Series Tales Of Nevaeh: (The 4 Book Bundled Box Set)

by David Wind

  She cut the power of the foreseeing. As she did, Dark Master’s laugh echoed in her head. The laugh followed her back to where she sat in Tolemac.

  Opening her eyes, she found Mikaal’s face an inch from hers. “You’re all right?” he asked aloud while repeating it silently, running through her mind to check on everything.

  “I’m fine. He hides them. He was not aware I was there until I tried to find the third fleet.”

  Mikaal turned to Jalil. “If this is a vision, how could he know?”

  “Because you, and Areenna and Fasil did battle on an ethereal level, he was able to draw your emanations. I told you this on the Island, after your escape from them. I spoke of it earlier. You must always remember he can find you—not as he did with Lessig, which was different—but anywhere you go, when you cast your mind to another level.”

  Instead of being upset, or angry, Areenna smiled. Mikaal shook his head. This makes you happy?

  Almost as much as do you.

  Have you lost your mind?

  Areenna’s eyes widened at his words. She shook her head slowly as a new understanding burst forth. I know, she began, stopped, and spoke aloud. “I know why I could not see us when the battles are fought.”

  No one spoke; they just stared at her. “Because that moment…and this one had already happened in my foreseeing. He knew that! Just as he now hides the third fleet, somehow, we will be able to hide ourselves. That is why we cannot see us there. We are there, but he knows it not!”

  Jalil stared at her and shook his slowly from side to side. “I did not see that,” he whispered.

  “We cannot allow him to find us again. My block will hold, but I cannot use my magic in a way he can track.”

  Mikaal, already following along in her mind smiled broadly. Yes.

  Enaid looked from Mikaal to Areenna. “I don’t understand how you will do that.” Then she saw something pass between Mikaal and Areenna. “Tell me!”

  Mikaal and Areenna turned to her and both, at the same time, said, “Neleh.”

  Roth leaned forward. “The child?”

  “The child? You would involve a child just uprooted from her home?” Roth asked.

  “Child she is in body only, Women of Power she is completely, Solomon Roth. Do not think her a child. Let The Masters make that mistake!” Jalil pushed himself from his chair and took several steps toward Areenna. “Can you hold her within yourself? Can you control your power and hers?”

  Areenna met his questioning gaze. “I won’t need to.”

  “I will,” Mikaal said. “As father-guardian she is bound to me—we are bound to each other. No matter how powerful she is, she will listen to me.”

  When he finished speaking, Areenna’s hand slipped from his. He looked at her and saw she was fighting sleep. You are exhausted.

  Not yet. She told him as she pushed her exhaustion aside. “Was what I saw of help?” she asked Enaid and Roth.

  “Perhaps,” Enaid said. “What did we really learn about the other two fleets?”

  Mikaal replayed parts of the vision in his mind. “It means were or are able to take over Nomis of Fainhall and Yermon of Llawnroc.

  “How?” Roth asked.

  Enaid looked from Mikaal to Roth. “Remember the council meeting, when Nomis was controlled by the… Black Bitch? Think about how she used him during the council meeting to disrupt and challenge you. Eetak has always wanted more power. They seduced either Nomis, or her, but one of them is responsible. I worry for Samot. Although their child, he is of a different mind-strength then his parents.”

  “We must see how he fares, if he too has succumbed,” Mikaal said thoughtfully. Then, he looked at his mother. “But Yermon… How could that be? He has always been the strongest of his family.”

  “That is what we must learn. And find the third fleet as well.” Enaid frowned as a new thought filtered in. “There is another problem, if Yermon has been…taken. His daughter, Nylle is to marry Theron of Lokinhold, who is now in Llawnroc. It is the period of betrothal. If this is the case, they are both in danger.”

  Roth’s gaze went from Enaid to the others. “Then we have two tasks. Find the third fleet, and protect Samot, Nylle and Tharon from the dark powers.”

  “If we’re not too late,” Enaid whispered.

  Areenna’s head dropped on Mikaal’s shoulder.

  Areenna…

  Startled, Areenna lifted her head. What happened?

  You fell asleep.

  Tonight had drained me. But there is more to do.

  In the morning. Mikaal stood. “She needs sleep. There is more to discuss, but it must wait for morning.” Mikaal took Gaalrie from her, went to the window and released her. Hunt, Sister, I will care for her, he sent to the treygone.

  “I will have a bedchamber prepared,” Enaid volunteered as she too stood.

  Areenna looked at Enaid. “No, I must stay with Mikaal. I need him near.”

  When Roth looked at Enaid, she could not stop her smile but said nothing; rather she just shook her head at him as Mikaal lead her away.

  CHAPTER 15

  AREENNA WOKE WITH the sun barely breaking the horizon. Mikaal’s arm lay across her shoulder, her back tucked neatly against his chest. She lifted his arm gently, and slid from the bed. Still fully clothed, as was Mikaal, the last thing she remembered before awakening was entering Mikaal’s bedchamber and sitting on the side of the bed.

  She smiled, bent, and kissed his forehead before going to her bedchamber. There, ignoring the scorched door and shattered window, she went through the smaller door to her dressing area, which, thankfully, her anger had not destroyed.

  She changed into fresh clothing, took care of her personal needs and then went to the window, where Gaalrie waited.

  The treygone pressed her beak to Areenna’s forehead, sending a soft emotional welcome. Areenna took in her aoutem’s greeting and then lifted the large bird to her.

  We leave today. Fly, she added, scout, and tossed Gaalrie skyward.

  The treygone called out sharply as it caught a current and rose above the keep. Then she was gone, flying in ever widening circles and giving Areenna a view of Tolemac. She saw the training grounds already alive with people, most eating their first meal of the day. Others were in their training area, learning and practicing the arts of war.

  Gaalrie flew another dozen loops around Tolemac, showing Areenna that all was well. Thank you, Sister, stay close.

  Feeling another’s presence, Areenna turned to find Enaid walking toward her. A beautiful morning, is it not? Enaid projected.

  “It is,” Areenna responded aloud.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “As if it had not happened…” Almost.

  Enaid’s light laughter was a delicate sound in the quiet of the early morning and Areenna returned a smile. It did, though, the High Queen said.

  “Yes, and well worth it as it gave me more insight into his mind, and his methods.”

  Enaid’s brows knit together, a groove creased her forehead from between her brows to her hairline. “How so?”

  “Knowing how he can find me…track me, taught me where to seek the opening in his armor. But to do so, I must study more about—we,” she corrected herself quickly, “Mikaal and I must understand more about the abilities we received from the Staff of Afzal. I need to discover what else Ailish placed within me. Between the two, we will find the way.”

  Areenna stood still under Enaid’s suddenly probing gaze. The high queen smiled. “How much you have grown, Child, how proud you make your mother.”

  This time Areenna took no offense at Enaid’s use of ‘child’, for she understood that in so many ways, she was still a child in comparison to the high queen’s experiences. “Mikaal and I will go to the Forest at the Blue Desert. Neleh will be with us. She will be our eyes and ears. She will keep us connected to all,” Areenna explained.

  She is so young, are you certain she can handle what is coming?

  Have you not j
oined with her? Have you not seen her strengths?

  “I have,” Enaid said aloud, a deep sadness in her voice, “and it hurts me deeply to see another child sent to war.”

  Areenna nodded somberly; a small smile followed. “Neleh is different. She has an inner strength that…I can’t describe it, but I know how strong she is. A child in appearance, but a Women of Power she is…ancient power I believe.”

  She is part of us as well, came Mikaal’s thought. I am starving! I’m going to get some food.

  Areenna laughed and Enaid asked, “Was what I said funny?”

  Areenna pressed her lips together and shook her head, “No, My Lady, Mikaal is awake and asks us to join him for the morning meal.”

  “So formal was he?”

  Areenna laughed again and shook her head, “Not quite.” Her features turned serious. “I know Neleh will be ready to do whatever is necessary to aid us; and, for whatever reason she has been gifted her abilities and her wisdom, it will ultimately lead to the destruction of the Dark Masters. Enaid, make no mistake, child or not, Neleh is a most powerful force.”

  “Come!” Enaid linked her arm with Areenna’s. “Let us join Mikaal and Roth. When will you leave?”

  “Later this morning.”

  <><><>

  Twenty hours after leaving Tolemac, with the morning sun riding over their left shoulders, Freemorn’s capital, Caymir, came into view. Although just a faint outline ahead, the keep’s tallest tower was unmistakable. They had ridden hard, and when they’d tired, slowed the kraals to a steady pace, sleeping on and off in the saddles. There was no time to waste; no hours to spend sleeping on the ground, for time itself was contracting inward, the days speeding by faster and, with each sunrise, the coming confrontations drew closer.

  During their meal yesterday, Mikaal and Areenna had explained to Roth not only what they needed to do, but also why the two could no longer stay in contact with anyone, especially any women of power. The only way to prevent the Dark Masters from finding Areenna, was for her not to use her sensing abilities outside of her immediate location. If she tried to push out, the Dark Masters would sense her. Mikaal was different, but he would not risk it either.

  With the sun up and the day in full swing, uppermost on Areenna’s mind, was her need to discover the abilities hidden within both of them. This necessity was born of shrinking time, and if she and Mikaal could not discover what abilities lay dormant within them, the future would remain blurred with doubt.

  Shaking free of her thoughts, she turned to Mikaal. I’ll send Gaalrie ahead. Areenna pushed an asking to the treygone. Gaalrie lifted upward until she found a warm updraft, which filled her feathers and sped her toward Caymir.

  A few minutes later, Freemorn’s capital expanded beneath Gaalrie. Their first sight was of the construction of the small homes for the people of the Frozen Mountains, which was underway just to the east. As Gaalrie flew closer to the keep, the newly formed army came into view. Several thousand men and women filled the training grounds, all working with the experienced soldiers of Freemorn. She saw her father and several soldiers occupied with the untrained farmers.

  In an area away from the main training grounds, Freemorn’s Women of Power worked together. There, Sirod and Tissel, Areenna’s cousin, helped the women to strengthen their abilities to use either as weapons, or as other methods to aid the soldiers with whom they would be fighting.

  In the next instant, Gaalrie dove toward the ground and, seconds later, Areenna and Mikaal saw the smiling face of Neleh as she opened her arms to accept the giant treygone, which almost knocked Neleh from her feet.

  Ten minutes later, Neleh flew into Mikaal’s arms with as much force as Gaalrie’s greeting to her. When she finally released Mikaal, Neleh turned and jumped into Areenna’s arms. “I missed you both,” she said a moment later. “Meet Duv,” she added as the rantor cub watched the three people, its head cocked to one side as if questioning what was happening.

  Mikaal knelt and scooped up the young rantor, which despite its youth, already weighed close to forty pounds. After looking at the pup’s paws, Mikaal laughed. “He’ll be as big as you in two months. You won’t need a kraal; you’ll be able to ride Duv.”

  Neleh turned to Areenna. “Your father gave me a kraal,” she said, pointing to a white spotted black kraal, a hand shorter than her own kraal, Hero.

  “She’s beautiful.”

  “When do we leave?” Neleh asked.

  Areenna smiled. “You know already, do you?”

  Nodding, her pale eyes wide, Neleh looked from Areenna to Mikaal and back. “Yesterday morning, I knew. I am ready.”

  Areenna looked from Neleh to Mikaal. “First I need to spend some time with my father. Tell us about Duv, and how you found your aoutem.”

  <><><>

  Just before midnight, Areenna stepped onto the parapet and walked to the balustrade where Gaalrie waited. After the treygone greeted her, Areenna sent her off to scout the area and hunt.

  She breathed deeply of the scent of Caymir, of the keep, and of Freemorn. Every night, for almost five years, she had come to this very spot to make certain that as Gaalrie flew, all was right with Freemorn. It was good to do so again, even though it was only for one night.

  While the giant bird flew in her old pattern, showing her all that was right below, footfalls sounded behind her, and she turned to find her father a few feet away.

  “Tired?” he asked.

  Areenna nodded. From the moment they’d entered the main gate of the keep, they had not stopped moving. After finding her father, she and Mikaal had spent the day with him, going from place to place in the keep, and in the training grounds, watching and working with Nosaj and the soldiers, until Areenna had left Nosaj and Mikaal to join the women. They’d eaten the evening meal with the troops, and then spent time with Sirod’s people.

  “I’m surprised at how well everything is going in so short a time.”

  Nosaj looked at her for several seconds before slowly shaking his head. “The training goes well, yes, but we are so few. I had hoped for more.”

  Areenna listened more to his voice than his words. What she heard, she liked not. “There will be more.”

  “From where? Every man and woman who can lift a weapon is here, even children.”

  “What bothers you?” she asked suddenly.

  “Having to do this again. I spent the first twenty-five years of my life fighting the darkness. Now, after twenty years of peace, it ends. If you and the others are correct, they bring a force so large nothing will stand before it. My people…our people will be slaughtered.”

  Areenna stared at him. She had never before seen him like this. “What is it, Father, what’s behind your words, for they sound not like you?”

  He lifted his hand and stroked her cheek with the tips of three fingers. “I have lost much in my life. Friends and family who died fighting by my side. My people suffered terribly until their defeat. I know they were responsible for Ina…your mother’s death. I don’t know how, but I know it was their hands that killed her.”

  He paused; took a sharply indrawn breath. “And now we will lose more good people, more men and women who should live to grow old but will be destroyed by the filth crossing the sea. And then there is—”

  “—say it not, Father. You will not lose me.”

  “You are young and overconfident.”

  Areenna shook her head and then leaned forward to wrap her arms around him. She buried her face in his chest, and insisted, “Not overconfident, Father… I just know you will not lose me. You must trust in that.”

  Nosaj drew slightly back and lifted Areenna’s face toward his. “I always trust what you say. But there are more ways to lose someone other than in battle.” He cleared his throat, and smiled at her.

  “And you leave again in the morning.”

  “We do, Mikaal, Neleh, and I. Neleh must be trained and I… Mikaal and I must learn what new abilities we have gained.”

 
“When will I see you next?” he asked, his eyes searching her face.

  Areenna exhaled softly. Her eyes misted and a single tear fell from her left eye, to splatter on her cheek. “I know not.”

  He drew her back into his arms and held her close. A minute later, he released her and, without a word, left the parapet before she could see the tears trailing down his cheeks.

  <><><>

  An armada of long and ungainly ships floated on an uneasy sea. Low in the water, each ship held the soldiers of the Dark Masters, the ghazi warriors who had one duty: to kill or capture anyone their Masters dictated. They had no fear of death, but such was not true of their lives. Above the ships, dark clouds covered the sky, keeping the sun hidden and the day cold.

  On the foredeck of the flagship, eight figures stood in a tight circle. Their heads bent forward intently, each touching another. The cowls they wore at almost all times were upon their shoulders; the brownish gray skin of their hairless heads matched the gray of the clouds.

  We have reached the point where we must part, the Dark Master, Fasil Abdul-Mu'eid, said. Although he did not speak the words, everyone heard them clearly. Rarely, over the past millennia did they speak aloud.

  We arrive in a few weeks. Once landed, there will be no deviation from the plan. None! Nothing will stop us from sweeping across Nevaeh. As foreseen, we will vanquish them! They will surrender or die. This time it ends, and we will have fulfilled our destinies and our promises, and brought the entire world under the rule of Afzal.

  He paused to let his silent words settle in the others of the Circle. The Afzaleem, Lessig, has gathered an army for us. They wait at each landing point. She tracks the woman and the man of power. Instructed, she is, to learn about them, to discover all their powers, and then she is to kill or capture them. I do not think she is strong enough to accomplish their deaths, not without our help, as her first attempt has shown, but it will occupy them, keep them distracted and off balance.