BOOK ONE OF
THE MYTH SHADOW TRILOGY
SALADIN SIDDIQUI
Published in 2017
Copyright © 2017 by SALADIN SIDDIQUI
The Author asserts the moral right to
Be identified as the author of this work
Book design by Mat Gimeno
This Novel is entirely a work of fiction.
The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are
the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is
entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
permission of the author.
www.SaladinSiddiqui.com
For Aylan Kurdi. The little man, whose tragic
death shook the world.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank the people who directly or indirectly mentored me for this first ever attempt at writing a fantasy novel.
The first person to thank is, Liam Weatheril for encouraging me from the beginning. I am also thankful to Juan Del Pozzo, Collette Settle, Ashraf Wahid, Finlay Booth, Jonathan Barton and Shahzad Aslam for discussing the ideas from the readers’ views.
And my friend Syed Nurul for having faith in me.
My special thanks go to my editor Corey Lewis for keeping up with me patiently to make the manuscript as perfect as possible.
Finally, my lovely wife Sumayyah. Who took all pain of looking after our daughter and helping with my silly grammar and spelling mistakes while I was writing this story.
Foreword
Ashaland
The word itself means ‘the place of hope’- and it was. The people of Ashaland always believed in hope, hope for the best. All were welcome among the people, especially those in need of food in their stomach or a roof over their heads.
The kingdom of Ashaland is nestled between the river Aar and the Mayra Ocean. This fertile land gave rise to one of the most bountiful kingdoms in Duray. The kingdom is surrounded by tall mountain ranges, deep jungles and a vast grassland called the ‘Mathagor’. Their plentiful land allowed the Ashalandians to be relatively self-sufficient, leaving no need to rely on trade from beyond their borders. What trade the Ashaland did see came in the form of exportation, as merchants came from great distances to do business in the kingdom. Exports of furs and foodstuffs were exchanged for the exotic goods and raw materials that couldn’t be found within Ashaland itself. The richness of Ashaland's lands and its budding commerce were not lost on its neighbors. However, would be invaders found the geography too difficult to penetrate with large armies. The single pass through the mountains into the kingdom is fortified with a heavily guarded gate tower, solid enough to halt the advance of any army. At sea a rocky coastline and prominent coral reefs make it nearly impossible for an armada to safely navigate to shore.
However, the Ashalandians would not enjoy their bounty forever; they would soon have to abandon their homeland to the Midneys, without ever having the chance to lift a blade in its defense. After the sudden death of the aging King Hedar, there was no one to be his worthy successor. His heir and only son, Mirad had died in battle a few years ago. It fell to the Lords of King Hedar’s court to elect a suitable replacement. But the lords could not agree on who would be the most suitable to be the king. In fighting soon broke out amongst the nobility almost leading to a full-scale civil war. In a last-ditch effort to avoid bloodshed between the lords, everyone came to the decision that Gorian Khuli, a man of Midney blood, who was very popular for his wisdom, kindness, and generosity, would be a suitable replacement for the late king. It was an old custom in Ashaland to elect a suitable person for times when no blood relation to the royal line was present. Several strangers became the king in the past and they ruled the Kingdom of Ashaland with efficiency and grace.
King Khuli to be an excellent leader at the beginning of his reign. He ruled the kingdom successfully for seven years. Just when his popularity has been at the highest peak, being aware of the ‘Midney Fate’, a curse upon their bloodline that prohibited them from having a land of their own, he wished his descendants would rule the kingdom and settle down permanently. For that to happen, he had to make sure that he made changes in the royal court, in the trades, and in the force very carefully. Unfortunately, before he could enact his plans the king was felled by a servant turned assassin. The motive behind the assassination was never truly known.
The Ashalandians barely had time to mourn the loss of yet another king before their fates took a turn for the worse. The king’s son Gora Khuli, who was well known for his irresponsible and flippant behavior declared himself the next king of Ashaland. The brash Prince was not a fool however, his few detractors found that he had already gained the support of many lords and military men. In the end no one was brave enough to speak openly against the Prince. Within a few days, people had seen multiple changes in the castle. The Midneys replaced the Ashlandian people. The Lords of the King Khuli’s court were removed or imprisoned in numerous false allegations. The Midneys even took control of the business and trades and pushed the Ashalandians out of the city. Only a few people had a right to stay in the town against their will, to work the jobs that the Midneys wouldn’t do. The Ashalandian soldiers were kicked out of their job and replaced by the Kajlas. All these things happened so quickly that the Ashalandian people found themselves outside the city and surrounded by the Kajlas soldiers. So, they had no choice but obey the new king and lead an imprisoned life in their very own land.
The Midneys
The Midneys are a displaced people, without a true homeland to call their own. Even modern Midney’s are unsure of their origins, the secrets to which had been guarded zealously by their ancestors and was now lost to time. They exist as a minority culture, mixed in within the populations of the many kingdoms of Duray. A proud people, the Midney’s hold what traditions and ancestral knowledge they have above all others, making it difficult for them to integrate with other people. Physically the Midneys are taller than the average man with fair to pale complexions and pointed features, highlighted by a pronouncedly triangular jaw.
Midney culture lends itself well to commerce and business. The Midney merchant class is well respected where ever they choose to venture. But fortune was not always kind to the Midney people, as it was their very knack for acquiring wealth through commerce that led to jealousy and rumors amongst their neighbors of other races. Often thought of as arrogant liars and con artists, in places where they are least favored Midney’s have even come to physical harm. Even small incidents involving a Midney can cause entire communities to turn against them. Being few in number and with no homeland to call their own, when trouble arose the Midney would choose to set themselves to wandering rather than risk the unfair judgment of others.
Eventually, finding life too difficult as a scattered people a majority of the Midney decided to take a chance by seeking out opportunity across the sea. They hired seven large ships and sailed onto the sea. After two months at sea, they have arrived on an island called Mayban. The sailors on the ship were employed to anchor the ships in the nature-made port and take rest before they sailed to the next continent. The island had plenty of coconut trees and fresh water, difficult to reach. Additionally, no one lived there due to the two big, active volcanoes, which had taken up a vast area of the islan
d. People could hear the loud noises of the volcano and feel the slight shakings now and then. Nonetheless, in spite of the life-threatening condition, the Midneys saw the opportunity of creating income and a free land for themselves. They anchored their ships and built houses for themselves and hotel and restaurants for the sailors. They stocked coconuts and fresh water to be sold to the sailors and tradespeople.
The sailors laughed at them at first. But as soon as they came to realize that they would be able to rest in a cozy room on a bed and have a fresh water supply in exchange for a few bucks or goods rather than living under the open sky and climbing mountains to get water, they welcomed the Midneys. Though the Midneys did all this hard work by themselves, soon they earned enough money to purchase slaves and they followed by hiring a tribe called the Kajlas.
The Kajlas were very wild and brutal in nature. Even though they lived far from the civilized world in their city surrounded by rocks and rough edges, they were often getting called for taking part in wars by the emperors and the kings. Their living and passion were for hunting, mostly the human. The males and females of the Kajlas both were unyielding and muscular. The difference between the genders was their hair. The female Kajlas had long, and thick hair and the male Kajlas were bald. However, their tough skin was so clear that all their veins in different colors and muscle were visible from the outside. And that gave them an even scarier appearance. The Midneys had worked with the Kajlas before. They knew how to master them. As soon as they saved enough money, the Kajlas brought to the newly established kingdom to guard and fight for it.
With a foolproof safety and security measures, the Midneys established their very own land and named it after them - Midnip.
Nonetheless, it did not last more than a half of a century. One night both volcanoes woke up without any prior notice in the day before. As soon as the people of Midnip smelled the smoke and heard the loud noise of stones on the roof, they had realized what was happening. It was quite a sad moment of The Midnip history. The people who lived by the port could board the ships with the sailors without any harm. However, soon all the ships were full, and there was not a single boat left to carry the rest of the people running away from the lava. Most of them just stood by the port and saw the wave of lava coming toward them. Some people tried to swim away from the land; and soon the lava engulfed them as well. The people who could escape had just seen the horrific scene with eyes wide open, not being able to turn away from the ghastly sight. Lava had covered every inch of the island. There was not a single way to go back.
The ships were overloaded, so the sailors agreed to leave the locals to the nearest land, and that was the coast of Ashaland. The Ashalandians had seen the bright light on the horizon the night before. Those who knew about the Volcanoes in the Midnip Island could have guessed what had happened in the evening. And to show them right, the ships arrived at Ashaland and left hundreds of homeless people scattered in the streets. The Ashalandians rushed to them with food, clothes and whatever they could carry. They had welcomed the Midneys and even the fearsome Kajlas to Ashaland. Since the Midneys had lost everything, including their homes, The Ashalandians offer them refuge in their lands. This kingdom had a real history of welcoming refugees and letting people become part of their life.
The Dainee
The Dainee are a race of powerful magic users, akin to witches. They are a female-dominated race, where males, the Dains were used primarily for breeding and servitude. But unlike true witches the Dainees had a breathtaking aesthetic that they often used as a weapon against their enemies. Their mode of transport was horse-like creatures with wings, called the Uronto. Their magic was known as ‘Damori’ and their powers became stronger when they acquired the black woods of the dark forest.
Humans, mainly the gypsies, were the sworn enemy of the Dainees. Many Dainee hunters count themselves amongst the gypsies or have their blood in their lineage.
Chapter One
It had almost reached dusk. Not long from now the sun was set to sink at the end of the horizon. Beneath the three mountains, it was already dark.
Three mountains were located at the farthest end of the Duray, a place few ordinary humans would dare to settle in. It was a tumultuous region, with little water and even less shade. The blistering days were longer than the nights and a huger desert stretched throughout the region. Few if any creatures could live in such harsh conditions. Thus, the land kept itself safe from the civilized world and those who would seek to uncover its secrets. No sane man would come here, unless fate, good or ill, brought them upon its wing.
Aylan flung himself onto the ground, he couldn’t walk a single more step. He was exhausted, hungry and thirsty. His tall, thin body was trembling with weakness. He forced his hands to look into the bag. He knew there was no food or water. Even so, he took the water sack and shook hoping against hope that there were at least a few drops of water left. He found nothing! He had journeyed through the desert for the last few days, where there had been no water or animals to hunt. Aylan himself was surprised that he made it to the end and arrived at the three mountains.
He looked into the bag again, took out the thickly bound book which had led him here, and opened to the last page of the book. It looked blank. He examined the book further to see if there were any mistakes. However, it remained empty. He opened the second-to-last page then looked up. He could see the three mountains in the darkened daylight exactly as drawing on the page. He checked to recall the pages he followed since he met the dying monk about six months ago. But the last page was empty. It seemed as if someone had deliberately left these pages blank, but why? What had he come all this way for? As far as he knew, his late grandfather valued this book. He’d kept it safe until Aylan stole it from their family’s memory box. Aylan heard his grandfather copied the text from Master Dorian and it had been Master Dorian himself who had asked his grandfather to keep it safe. Aylan couldn’t think anymore. He felt his eyes growing heavy as he gazed at the Three Mountains in the distance. Sleep caught him before he realized it.
He had no idea how long he had slept, but he woke to the sound of flowing water. There had been no streams or rivers where he’d fell, or had he just been too exhausted to notice? Aylan looked up to the sky. The sky seemed relatively bright, was it nearing dawn or was the moon particularly bright? He banished the question from his thoughts as the familiar sound of flowing water reached him again. He desperately needed a drink. Aylan rolled got to his feet and looked to see find the source of the sound. He couldn’t believe his eyes. A fountain! And the water was flowing mere inches from his eyes.
He closed his eyes and opened again, doing a double take to make sure he wasn’t delusional from exhaustion and dehydration. But no, the fountain was still there. He didn’t want to think about how it appeared from nowhere. He put his right hand into the water and felt a cool breeze just blew over his body. He took his water sack in his hand to get some water. He was about to pour the water, but suddenly a harsh voice shouted behind him, “Wait for me, you idiot. Hold on!!”
Surprised, Aylan tried to look back but lost his balance and fell into the water. He felt a gush of water enters his throat. He pulled himself out from the water and inhaled heavily. He could feel his head getting dark and the world around him becoming upside down. He looked back and saw a blackbird was shouting at him in a human voice. But he couldn’t understand a single word. The mysterious fountain faded from his vision. His eyes fell heavy and suddenly without warning he was lost to the darkness again.
***
Chaya, The Queen Mother of Ashaland, was just about the settle down for the evening when she suddenly heard a collective scream. She knew immediately that the cry was coming from the Queen’s tower, where her six blind Dainee sisters lived. They often screamed, but this time it sounded so incisive that she had to run to their rooms with a deep disquiet, there was something more than wrong. The tower was connected to the King’s castle via an underground tunnel. No one other than Chaya k
new the true nature of the occupants of the tower. To others, the Tower was called a Queen mother’s private area, where her six ill wizard sisters lived, and none were allowed entry without her permission.
As she approached the room, she saw maidservants were standing outside. They looked at a loss for what to do; they could not make the decision if they should go inside or not.
Chaya yelled at them, “Get lost all of you.” The maids left in a scurry. She got into the room. Her sisters were still screaming in the darkened room as if somebody had lit fire to their bodies. “STOP, just stop you bunch of sheep.” She shouted at them. “What happened?”
The six sisters fell silent in unison, as though the darkness in the room had swallowed them. “What’s wrong my sisters?” Chaya asked again, but this time a bit softer.
“He is there!” groaned one of the sisters.
Chaya was still confused. “Who’s where?” She asked carefully.
“You don’t sense anything?” hissed the eldest sister, Maya.
“No.”
“I told you she is changing. She doesn’t care about us anymore,” Maya cried to the other sisters.
“What do you mean by ‘I don’t care anymore’?” Chaya yelled to her eldest sister. “It was your idea to integrate with the human, and that means having to give up some witchcraft abilities, my dear sister. And if I change because of this, that’s not my fault.”
Maya couldn’t find any words to say. She just stayed silent. The fourth sister, Laya, spoke. “The man who was supposed to destroy us is there.”
Son of The Prisonland (The Myth Shadow Trilogy Book 1) Page 1