Carved

by Miki

  I tremble as my body understands more than my brain. I’m here. My mind is captured by a vision. My body tenses as I lean back into nothingness. The experience is like hanging onto a roller coaster, then stopping in mid-air. I’m suspended in front of a beautiful gargoyle on the side of a huge castle. She—I’m sure it’s she—is speaking to me in my vision. I say to her, “What did you say?”

  Her head, only her great magnificent orange head, turns to me. It says clearly, “Kendra, my daughter, you must come to me. You have not been etched. I cannot come to you. I am only a monument. You must find me before the next full moon or the Ceorfan will turn from you. Doing so, they will be destroyed by the enemy. Divided, they will be weak. You will unite the gargoyle clan. Bring the surgeon. I will etch you for your reign.” Her lilting voice is fading as I travel back to my body in Jericho’s crystal cave.

  I take a few seconds to adjust, “Oh guys, I think we’re in trouble.” I proceed to explain, repeating every word I heard the dragon queen say in the vision. I’m not sure vision is the right word. It’s the closest description I have.

  Jericho’s amazed. He’s never seen anyone speak to an ancestor that way from the cave. The cave appears much the way it did the day I was here visiting with Jericho. No lights. It’s still beautiful, a huge geode.

  “Don’t worry, beloved, we will figure out the puzzle,” Kino’s calm voice coos. “Jericho, do you know where a beautiful orange dragon queen’s head might be?”

  “I am acquainted with exactly where she is located. It is nearly impossible to get there. It will not be an easy journey. Turkey is restricted to Americans and you cannot show up as a dragon in daylight. This will take some planning, and quite a lot of luck.”

  My heart sinks. I need do this. There’s no way out of it. Now that I’m out of the vision, the pull of the journey is on me. What am I going to do about work? How am I going to get there? Who the hell is the fucking surgeon?

  Glossary

  (This short glossary is not a complete character list. More a list of terms we think you might want to remember and the main characters of Carved.)

  Amber - Elite Warrior specializes in undercover surveillance. Mate to Mason.

  Ceorfan – Carved or born grotesques, gargoyles and dragons. Anyone different who wants to become family and is accepted by the Guild.

  Crafted - Evil mindless robot created gargoyles made from wood and magic

  Kino – (Key-no) Mega's third in command of the Elite Guard. Nephew to Findare. Love of Kendra, Consort of the Queen.

  Dana Macbard – (Dan like pan – ah) Brother of Kendra and Jared Macbard. Aqua dragon, Duke of Stone.

  Donum - A gift, the knowing that the dragon breed has when there is a need between family members or guild. It can show up as a feeling or thoughts similar to ESP.

  Ducere - Small specialize team of the Elite Warriors Guard. The Ceorfan Special Forces.

  Edling - Noble child, heir.

  Ef - An effigy or statue of a gargoyle.

  Elite Warrior Guard - The warriors/soldiers of the Ceorfan race.

  Findare - Took over as temporary king in the interim between viable queens.

  Flint - Elite Warrior undercover agent. Member of the Ducere

  Grotesques - People of the Ceorfan Race that look like what humans call gargoyles.

  Guild - The word is used for the race of the Ceorfan people.

  High Guild - The advisors to the Ruler of the Ceorfan.

  Jared Macbard - Brother of Kendra and Dana Macbard. Blue dragon, Duke of Storms.

  Jericho - Mage. Trusted member of the High Guild.

  Mage - Human with the ability to perform spells of magic.

  Mage Jar - A glass jar of liquid lighting used and powered by the magic, in Navan.

  Mason - Elite Warrior specializes as a thief and undercover surveillance. Mate to Amber.

  Megahir/Mega - Commander of the Elite Warrior Guard.

  Mica Jacobs – (Mike-ah) Second in command of the Elite Guard. Love of Kendra and her partner as a Federal Park Ranger, Consort of the Queen.

  Navan - The cave city of the entire guild of Ceorfan people.

  Pulse - An echo pulse is a form of communication between the Ceorfan Guild. Similar to the sonar pulses of bats.

  Resurgere – ‘Restore our family’ literally, when a gargoyle has an ingot carved from his body in the seconds prior to hardening into a torpified state to sleep and heal, for the purpose of giving it willingly to another in exchange for a bone of their own body. Each party is implanted with the others stone or bone.

  Spar Megason - Resurgere gave him a new life from David's body he becomes Mega's son. Love of Kendra, Consort of the Queen.

  Torpefy/Torp/Torped - Past tense: torpefied. Meaning: make (someone or something) numb, paralyzed, or lifeless. This is an early 19th century word from Latin [torpefacere], 'be numb or sluggish. It is when gargoyles turn to stone in the daylight.

  Acknowledgments

  Miki

  Thank you, our Fans and Readers of Carved and the Ceorfan Gargoyles Series. I appreciate each and every one of you. You are my prize.

  My family who is always supportive and helpful. My husband, I love it you are in my corner. Thank you, Mom, for always being here for me. Thank you Dad for giving me a great imagination. My son Kit, LaRay, my step sons John and Jeffery, and Callie you are amazing. All my grandchildren you help me keep being. Our cousins are so wonderful! I hope everyone has people in their lives that are as amazing as you all. We are blessed to have you!

  All my friends who are precious to me. Zoe Parker you are the most giving amazing friend. Thank you for encouraging me to even admit I had a dream. You have helped me beyond measure. Kelly Stephens you are such a great help and friend. You’re always there when I need you. Amy Naylor you make this world a sunnier place to live, thank you for all your help. I’m better for knowing you ladies.

  Craig and Rob, you make everything in this so much more possible. What good dragons! You have always been my best friends.

  Garrett you really are the best co-author ever! I love you all. Thank you for your support! Yours, Miki Ward

  Garrett

  Thank you fans, fellow countrymen, and Deadpool…hehe. You! Look in the mirror if you are not sure who I mean. I hope we brought some form of happiness to you. Thank you from the bottom of my petrified heart for giving us the opportunity to play around with your feelings for a bit.

  I would like to thank my beautiful wife Kathi. Without you I am not a person. Also, thanks to each of my children, David, Christina and Taelor, for the pure joy, and terror, you continually provide. Because of you, I push myself to a higher standard and sometimes, near the edge of a cliff…

  I would also like to thank my sister for having too much unfounded faith in my imagination and author abilities. Writing on your coattails, I fulfilled a long-sought dream. You were my sounding board and problem solver though this whole process. All my other family and friends…most of you are wonderful and I love you. Others are only keeping me informed as I trudge from one mistake to another.

  I, like Shrek, am a believer. I believe in the power of any individual to control their own destiny. I believe that if you try hard enough you can accomplish things that no one thought you were capable of. I believe that love has always been the greatest under-used asset in the world. I believe that enthusiasm can make up for shortcomings in knowledge. I believe in you! So, don’t be afraid of mistakes. Make as many responsible ones as you can and do them with gusto. – Garrett V. Ward

  About the Authors

  Miki is just one crazy old lady who keeps trying and has a dream. She has a goal to build others up. She wants a world where we can be who we are and accepted with all our faults. Judging is the ugliest dirty word to her. Maybe she can affect a small part of her own world by loving everyone. It’s a goal… Her other would be to be a bard!

  She lives with her husband and two spoiled dogs in Arizona. Where her son and his children live. One day
soon her other grandchildren will too. They are the most precious people in her world.

  When her brother’s and she were children they would make up stories when they went to bed. One of them would start a few sentences then the next and kept going until they were tired and would end it. One of those stories Robert ended with, “And you know what they found in the treasure chest? That stupid cannon-ball!” They say that every now and then and laugh hysterically while those around them stare and think they’re crazy.

  Garrett lives with his beautiful wife, Kathi and youngest child (19) in TX. He is the proud father of one son and two daughters. He has two of the most wonderful grandchildren (Chris & Ellie, you are in a book!) on the Earth. He also has four fur babies to keep him busy.

  Garrett has a way of working his way up from the bottom in every field he chooses. He is a veteran of the US Navy. He spent many years running his own accounting firm in CO, which he recently sold. He won the CO state championship in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 37, he worked for and received his second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

  Being an author has been a dream of his since childhood. He and his sister and brother used to make up stories at night and spoke then about “writing this stuff down.” Now that the opportunity has presented its self, he has taken it. He is funny to watch as he flits about town telling total strangers about his new book.

  His passion is being funny. Making others laugh makes him happy.

  Author FB Pages

  Miki & Mine, Guys and Goyles Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/553402318363385/?ref=bookmarks

  Miki’s FB Author page

  https://www.facebook.com/bequickimreading/?ref=settings

  Garrett’s FB Author page

  https://www.facebook.com/Garrett-V-Ward-Author-1620678571315054/

  Instagram

  https://www.instagram.com/mikiandmine/