The storm barreled down on Jikun, hurling his block of ice haphazardly across the foaming crests. A crack of lightning flashed in the sky and an image was briefly illuminated to his left—a pillar of stone jutting from the crashing waves, a ripped sail tangled across the jagged surface.
There came a sudden, fervent cry. “Jikun?!”
Another blaze of lightning and Jikun caught a glimpse of the pale skin of the Helven, his body gripping the debris of the ship. He vanished under a massive swell and reappeared in a frantic struggle for air.
“Over here!! Left!!” Jikun hollered. He swung his hand into the water, trying to propel himself forward. As though mocking him, a gentle wave knocked him farther away, and a ripple of thunder cascaded like laughter across the sky.
He saw Navon’s head turn toward him, his hollow cheeks lit by a brilliant flare of light. His fingers were like bones clutching onto the cracks of the wood, his fingernails clawing at the surface.
A wave barreled into Navon from the side. With a terrified cry, his companion vanished beneath the water, swallowed with the remnants of the ship.
THE KINGS
Kings or Pawns
Heroes or Thieves
—UPCOMING—
Gods or Men
Princes or Paupers
Heroes or Thieves
© 2016 by J. J. Sherwood
All rights reserved.
All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior permission of the author.
Steps of Power logo is a trademark owned by Silver Helm.
Cover art by Indah Sekarwangi
Cover design by J. Caleb Clark
Edited by Alexandra Birr
Map by J. J. Sherwood
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2016903983
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9862877-3-2
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9862877-4-9
Hardback ISBN: 978-0-9862877-5-6
Silver Helm
P.O. Box 54696
Cincinnati, OH 45245
(513) 400-4363 * [email protected]
Visit the website at www.StepsofPower.com
Acknowledgements
When we authors fill our acknowledgement sections, we are often drawn first to the people who emotionally assisted the creation of our projects. In the case of Heroes or Thieves, no others come as prominently to mind as those who took the very product of their own hard work and generously offered it up to the series you hold.
So on that note, I would like to first and foremost thank the kindness, support, and humbling generosity of:
DENNY
ZACHARIAH BRADEN SELL
JESSICA AND PIPER BOZIK
ALEX HALBLEIB
JAMES CAMPBELL FERN
BOB AND ANNE BIRR
When we gather in that special place all adventurers do—that clamorous tavern that only mercenaries, soldiers, and that one town drunk seem to utilize—you eight would get the special table. Not the one that’s lopsided. Not the one stuffed in the dark and dusty corner. Not the one where the seat is forever sticky no matter how hard that generously endowed barmaid scrubs.
The one reserved for the best of the best—inexplicably clean, polished, and already set with eight clean mugs topped with the best ale this side of the Windari Channel.
And finally, for the emotional support and advice we authors always need: Thank you, my family and friends. In particular, those who put in the special time to make Heroes or Thieves shine: Alexandra Birr, Bob Birr, Carol Bundy, Laura Peterson, and my wonderful husband, Mr. Sherwood.
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Note: the “h” in all Sel’varian names is pronounced “breathlessly”: ɦ
Note: the “d” in all Sel’varian is quick and almost “silent”
Note: ʒ is pronounced as a rolling J (jsh), as in the name “Jacques”
Aersophyla air-soh-FAHY-luh
Adonis A-duh-nis
Alvena al-VEE-nuh
Cahsari CAH-suh-ree
Darcarus dahr-CAHR-uhs
Darival DAIR-i-vawl
El’adorium el-uh-DOHR-ee-uhm
Elarium el-AHR-ee-uhm
Eldaeus el-DEY-uhs
Elvorium el-VOHR-ee-uhm
Emal’drathar e-MAL-druh-thahr
Ephraim EF-reym
Erallus e-RAWL-luhs
Eraydon e-REY-duhn
Esra EZ-ruh
Fildor FIL-dohr
Geldin GEL-din
Hadoream ɦAH-dawr-uhm
Hairem ɦEY-rem
Hazamareth hah-zuh-MAIR-eth
Heshellon he-shel-LON
Ilrae IL-ruh
Ilsevel IL-se-vel
Itirel AHY-ti-rel
Jerah ʒAIR-uh
Jikun ʒEE-koon
Kaivervi KEY-ver-vahy
Kevus KEY-vuhs
Kisacaela ki-suh-CEYL-uh
Laeris LEY-ris
Laethile LEYTH-ahyl
Lardol LAHR-duhl
Liadeltris lee-uh-DEL-tris
Makados MAH-kuh-dohs
Mikanum mee-KAH-nuhm
Navon nuh-VON
Noc’olari no-koh-LAH-ree
Relstavum rel-STAH-vuhm
Rulan ROO-lahn
Ryekarayn RAHY-kair-en
Saebellus sey-BEL-luhs
Sairel SEY-rel
Sanas SAH-nes
Sel’ari sel-AH-ree
Sellemar SEL-le-mahr
Sevrigel SEV-ri-gel
Taemrin TEYM-reen
Thakish THAH-kish
Tilarus ti-LAIR-uhs
Tiras TAHY-ruhs
Tsuki SKEE
Turlondiel tur-LON-dee-el
Turmazel TOOR-muh-zel
Valdor VAL-dohr
Vethru VETH-roo
Wratherus RA-thur-uhs
RACE PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Darivalian dair-i-VAWL-ee-en
Eph’ven EF-ven
Eph’vi EF-vahy
Faraven FAIR-uh-ven
Faravi FAIR-uh-vahy
Farvian FAHR-vee-en
Galwen GAHL-wen
Galweni GAHL-wen-ee
Helven HEL-ven
Helvari hel-VAH-ree
Helvarian hel-VAH-ree-en
Lithri LITH-ree
Malraven mal-RAH-ven
Malravi mal-RAH-vee
Noc’olari no-koh-LAH-ree
Noc’olarian no-koh-LAH-ree-en
Ruljen ROOL- ʒen
Ruljenari rool- ʒe-NAH-ree
Ruljarian rool- ʒAHR-ee-en
Sel’ven SEL-ven
Sel’vi SEL-vahy
Sel’varian sel-VAH-ree-en
GLOSSARY
Aersadore — the world on which Ryekarayn and Sevrigel reside.
Darcarus — second prince of the True Blood Sel’vi, purportedly a relentless troublemaker.
Darival — the freezing tundra of Sevrigel’s north, recently besieged by an upsurge of the bestial white thakish. Home to General Jikun Taemrin.
El’adorium — the speaker of Elvorium’s Council of Elves.
Elarium — Sevrigel’s affluent capital of the south, site of the obliteration of General Jikun Taemrin’s army by the warlord Saebellus.
Erallus — Hairem’s personal guard and heir to the throne. He allowed himself to be surrendered by Sellemar to Ilsevel in order for Sellemar to gain the queen’s favor.
Eraydon — the great hero of Aersadore who, 9000 years ago, sacrificed his life to vanquish the dragon god’s
forces.
Farvian massacre — the horrific slaughter of Sevrigel’s entire Farvian population by their own Mad King.
Galway — the god of seafarers and water.
Hadoream — the third True Blood child of King Silandrus, remembered amongst Elvorium’s palace servants for possessing a mischievous, kind, and free-spirited nature.
Halls of Horiembrig — Sevrigel’s uninfluential capital of the West, which was captured by the warlord Saebellus during General Jikun Taemrin’s occupation in the Sevilan Marshes.
Ilra — the neutral god of healing. A great number of his followers are the Noc’olari.
Ishkav — a dark god of death, worshiped by cult followers and fanatics.
Itirel — the tranquil, gifted Noc’olarian healer who assisted Sellemar in the rescue of Lady Ilsevel.
Kaivervi — a Darivalian hunter of great skill. Has romantic interest in Jikun and he in her, but due to Jikun’s inability to commit, they remain apart.
Kamora — a goddess of beauty and nature, commonly worshiped by the Faravi and Sel’vi.
Lardol — the former head servant of Hairem’s palace and Alvena’s personal “tormentor.” Helped Alvena escape after she witnessed Hairem’s murder.
Madorana — the former head cook of Hairem’s palace.
Malranus — the god of dragons, rival to Sel’ari. Worshipers are often secret in their religious practices for fear of persecution.
Murios — a powerful necromancer from Darival who prophesized the fall of a kingdom at the hands of a Lithri.
Necromancy — magic that harnesses the spirits of the dead to cleave living souls, animate dead corpses, or even resurrect dead mortals to life; its use on Sevrigel results in the death penalty.
Nilanis — Ilsevel’s father and the previous El’adorium. Ilsevel had him executed as revenge for his secret murder of her brother, a loyalist to Saebellus.
Noctem — the god of the night and minor god of deception. Rival of Sel’ari. Worshiped primarily by the Noc’olari.
Phantom Isles — the islands to Ryekarayn’s southwest, territory of monsters, demons, and all manner of bestial legends.
Royal Schism — the division 300 years past in which the True Bloods departed for Ryekarayn and the previous El’adorium, Liadeltris, ascended Sevrigel’s throne.
Ryekarayn — the western continent of Aersadore; previous homeland of the elves before they departed to Sevrigel following the humans’ betrayal of Eraydon. The continent is vastly untamed and now primarily civilized by humans and dwarves.
Sairel — king of the True Blood Sel’varian Realm upon Ryekarayn; commanding and studious in nature.
Sel’ari — the goddess of justice. She is a righteous, fierce warrior who brought the mighty dragon god, Malranus, down for her elven people. Primarily worshiped by the elves, especially the Sel’vi.
Sevilan Marshes — the swamp in which General Jikun Taemrin’s army contracted the Marsh Plague while attempting to battle the centaurs.
Sevrigel — the eastern continent on Aersadore, home to all races of elves.
Silandrus — the traditional, devoted king of Sevrigel who abdicated his throne and established the True Blood realm on Ryekarayn.
Thakish — the ferocious beasts of Darival’s icy tundra. They have three eyes, white fur, six legs, and fingerlike structures upon their backs. They hide within the snow and devour unsuspecting passersby.
Tiras — the most powerful necromancer Aersadore has ever seen and one of Eraydon’s legendary companions. After being blinded in the Last Battle, he vanished, leaving behind a legacy of magic but only two written tomes.
True Blood — the elves (excluding the Faravi who were massacred prior to the event) who fought in Eraydon’s battle and did not abandon Ryekarayn when their human allies turned on them.
Vale — Saebellus’ crude and rowdy captain who Sellemar stabbed during his rescue of Lady Ilsevel.
Windari Channel — the channel separating the continents of Ryekarayn and Sevrigel.
Zephereus — god of the sun and glory. Righteous, but merciful, and primarily worshiped by humans.
RECAP
An era of corruption reigns over the country of Sevrigel, led by the people’s elected Council of Elves. After years of failing to cure the degradation, the True Blood King Silandrus departed the land with his three children and tens of thousands of followers. They established a new kingdom upon the continent of Ryekarayn that became known simply as the Sel’varian Realm. Until their former home purifies itself of its iniquities, they have refused interaction with Sevrigel.
The previous leader of the Council of Elves, the El’adorium Liadeltris, ascended the Sevrigelian throne and became the first king of non-royal blood. However, after a 300-year reign and as a result of failing to appease corrupt wishes, he was assassinated by the very council who appointed him.
Liadeltris’ son, Hairem, was thenceforth crowned in a time of tumultuous politics and uncertain loyalties. Hairem was young and confident, but ultimately naïve; he held the belief that he could reform the council’s policies.
Hairem’s visionary leadership quickly threatened to shift the balance of the council. In direct response, several of his loyal council members were assassinated. These attacks were secretly orchestrated by the new El’adorium, Nilanis, in order to retain a majority vote to support his policies.
During the chaos of these brutal murders, General Jikun Taemrin returned from war to Sevrigel’s capital of Elvorium. He had won yet another victory over the rebelling warlord and ex-general of the Sevrigelian army, Saebellus. While Saebellus had won no battles himself, his tactical genius and demonic beast persistently wreaked havoc on Jikun’s army. In his first meeting with the newly appointed King Hairem, Jikun believed the king’s words that his priority was the military’s success.
But Jikun’s success was not the priority of the council. Nilanis, attempting to gain further control over the king, invited Hairem to dine with his beautiful daughter, Ilsevel. While initially rebuffed by Nilanis’ blatant attempt at matchmaking, Hairem soon believed Ilsevel to be a lady with fire and firm political opinions aligned with his own.
While Hairem struggled with the council’s attempts to control or ignore his wishes, Jikun returned north to visit his icy homeland of Darival. There he joined his comrades in a hunt of the predatory thakish, whose aggression had risen to unprecedented heights since his last visit. He expressed affection for his childhood friend Kaivervi, but was unwilling to commit to her.
Jikun’s trip was cut short by the council’s demands. Upon their order, he moved his army south to the Sevilan Marshes, where the centaurs’ burial grounds encroached upon the territory of the Sel’vi’s phoenix. While King Hairem opposed this ruling to relocate the centaurs, he nonetheless complied with what he believed to be a wholly selfish decree. He furthermore denied Jikun’s request to aid Darival against the thakish, stating that more troops could not be spared.
While both internal and external conflict raged, a mysterious foreigner named Sellemar arrived in Elvorium. By night, he hunted the enemies of Sevrigel under the name of Ralaris, hoping to gather evidence to reveal the council’s immorality.
However, neither Hairem’s disagreement with the council nor Sellemar’s attempts to remove them had any effect on Jikun’s fate. In the long weeks within the swamps, a plague swept through Jikun’s ranks and devastated his soldiers. All military action ceased and the troops were forced to eat their own dead to survive. It was Jikun’s first military defeat. The horrific event cost him the lives and health of a crippling portion of his troops.
During the Marsh Plague, Hairem became engaged to Ilsevel. He swiftly used his new political leverage with her father to recall the army from the swamps.
Due to Hairem’s show of defiance—and in utter disregard for Nilanis’ disagreement—the council ordered the assassin to kill the king. Hairem and his personal guard Erallus managed to fend the assassin off and send him fleeing. Realizing the fr
agility of his own life and reign, Hairem named Erallus his heir in the event that he should die without a child.
Finally receiving the order to return, Jikun surrendered to the centaurian leader. His army was forced to relinquish their armor and weapons. On the return journey to the capital, Jikun’s defenseless division was attacked by Saebellus’ Beast. Their survival was owed entirely to Captain Navon’s forbidden use of necromancy.
Upon their return—battered, ill, and near death—Jikun and his troops were quarantined outside the capital. This final indignity escalated Jikun’s emotional distress and he attempted to strike the king. Mercifully, Hairem allowed the incident to pass unaddressed.
While Hairem focused his new political hold on amending his errors, Ilsevel planned a visit to an ill relative outside the capital. During the journey, she staged her own capture by the warlord Saebellus. She used the encounter to express herself an ally and discuss with him the fall of the elven nation.
Sellemar, hearing of Ilsevel’s capture, revealed to the king and council his identity and close relationship with the True Bloods. He informed them that she was being held in the Halls of Horiembrig, an old city Saebellus had seized during Jikun’s occupation in the swamps. After expressing his intent to rescue her, he was joined in his venture by Erallus.
Along with Sellemar’s mysterious companion Itirel, he and Erallus used the True Blood tunnels beneath the old eastern capital to retrieve Ilsevel and escape. During the venture, Sellemar both killed Saebellus’ lieutenant, Kraesin, and severely wounded his captain, Vale.
Meanwhile, Navon was attacked by Saebellus’ Beast while praying in the temple of Sel’ari. He was forced to use his necromancy to compel the beast to retreat. Yet despite his triumph, Navon was imprisoned for the crime of using the forbidden magic and sentenced to execution.
Shortly after Navon’s imprisonment, Ilsevel was returned to the capital and wed Hairem. As she had planned with Saebellus, she offered intelligence of the warlord’s movements toward the southern capital of Elarium.
Hairem immediately sent Jikun to “thwart” Saebellus’ victory. However, Jikun refused to lead the army without Navon, thus forcing Hairem to relent and pardon the captain for his crimes.
Heroes or Thieves (Steps of Power 2) Page 1