Becoming the Dragon
Page 23
“No. I’ve begun to imagine more and more that Kerr’s a true blood.”
“A true blood?”
“Yes, it’s the only way I can explain all the strange things about him. He was able to undergo incarnation at sixteen years old, grew in all his scales in only three hours, learned to change hypostasis without spending a drop of mana, without any long training sessions. There are many, many ways he distinguishes himself from all the other embodied ones.”
“And in suggesting what you’re suggesting, you sent him to Orten? We have to get him back right away!”
“I believe Enira. There will be a great war, our son should know magic. He won’t have any other chance to learn.”
***
The morning gradually became noon. The last dust from the hass’ claws had long since settled.
“Let’s go,” Jaga grabbed the dragon’s warm neck. Karegar folded his front paws into a boat, carefully flew Jagirra home, and went hunting. He always got hungry when he was worried.
Left alone—Charda had gone out to gather robin’s petals—Jagirra took the letter out of her bodice. It now had holes in it. Her eyes lingered on the last lines written by the Larga, “Tell them the whole truth, otherwise, if heard from someone else’s lips, it will kill them both.”
“I can’t, Enira!” the disobedient lips whispered, and an unwanted tear ran down the old elf’s cheek. If someone had been standing nearby who could look with true vision, he would have been to see the woman’s aura shining with all colors of the rainbow all around her, an aura neither human nor elf.
End of Book One
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GLOSSARY
Geography
Alatar – the largest continent on the planet of Ilanta.
Aria – a continent located north of Alatar.
Empire of Alatar – a state existing two thousand years ago that pursued an aggressive policy of conquest. Approximately sixty percent of the total area of the continent of Alatar was subject to the Empire. The continent itself was named in honor of the Empire. Northern kingdoms such as Tantre, Mesaniya, Meriya, and Rimm were at one time secluded barbarian provinces of the Empire. As a result of civil war, the Empire of Alatar was broken into separate states and ceased to exist.
Ilanta – a planet.
Kingdom of Mestair – a legendary human kingdom located on the territory of modern-day Taiir and the Great Principality of Mesaniya, which existed three thousand years ago during the age of the dragons. As an independent state, it was destroyed by the dragons and their allies during the war with the Forest Elves and few human states that had joined them.
The Light Forest – the state of the Forest Elves, limited to the growth area of the Mellornys.
The Marble Mountains – a large mountain range crossing the northern part of Alatar from north to south. From the north, the range is bordered by the North Sea. From the south, by the Southern Rocky Ridge and the Long sea.
Mesaniya – A Great Principality located north of the kingdom of Tantre.
Nelita – The second planet in a triple solar system: Ilanta, Nelita, and Helita. Nelita is considered the dragons’ native land; it was named in honor of the goddess of life, Nel. The literal translation is “eye of the goddess of life.”
Ort – the largest river in the north of Alatar, flows across the territory of the kingdom of Tantre.
Patskoi Empire – a human state with the capital at the city of Pat. The Emperors of Pat consider themselves the heirs of the Empire of Alatar.
Rimm – a human kingdom located east of the Marble Mountains.
Steppe – the self-designation of the kingdom of the white orcs. Located in the east of Alatar.
Taiir – a dukedom
Tantre – a large kingdom, second largest after the Patskoi Empire, located in the central part of north-western Alatar. Geographically limited by the Marble Mountains and the Northern and Southern Rocky Ridges. Has access to the Eastern Ocean and the Long Sea. Its capital is the city of Kion.
Miscellaneous
Alert-dert – a military rank corresponding to that of captain.
Asgard – in Scandinavian mythology, the heavenly city is the abode of the Aesir gods.
Book of the Guardians – a book in which the dragons recorded the password spells to the inter-planetary portals. The guardians are the dragons (true blood mages), who stayed on Ilanta to guard the portals. At the time the events described herein took place, all guardians are thought to be deceased.
Chucker – a magical artifact that allows its user to throw balls of capsulized spells.
Drag – a flying lizard that can be saddled and ridden.
Feather – a junior military group of twelve to fifteen rideable animals.
The Goddesses’ Eyes are what people call the planets Nelita and Helita. Helita, Nelita and Ilanta make up the system of planets that revolve around their sun.
The Gray Horde – the collective name for all the “gray” orcs residing in the northern coastal steppes; the strongest khanate of the “gray” orcs was also called the Gray Horde.
Gross-dert (gross- leading, dert- wing) – a military rank in the air units of Tantre’s army, corresponding to that of colonel.
Hel – mistress of the world of the dead.
Khirud – the main god in the pantheon of the “white” orcs. Khirud the lightning-armed is the god of warriors and daredevils.
“Knee” Prince-Khan – that is, one who is bent at the knee, living in total vassal dependence on the king, unlike a “belt” prince or khan, that is, one who bows at the waist. Belt khans have a high level of autonomy, can mint silver and copper coins, and maintain personal militias, some of which are comparable to an army. They collect their own taxes independently on their lands, sending one twelfth to the king’s treasury. In the event of war, “belt” princes are obligated to present one third of their troops to the king’s army. “Knee” khans, most likely, are hereditary governors of the lands and take an oath of fidelity to the king.
Loki – the Scandinavian god of mischief
The Lynx clan, the Dragon clan – the strongest clans of the island Norsemen.
nökürs - elite warriors and bodyguards.
The Northern Alliance – an alliance of Tantre, the Rauu Principalities, and the gnome kingdoms.
Odin – a Norse deity.
Pound, jang – the currency of the kingdom of Tantre. Pounds come in silver and gold; jangs are a small copper coin.
Rauu – Snow Elves. The first artificial race created by the dragons for battles against the orcs.
Roi-dert – a junior officer’s rank, corresponds to that of lieutenant.
Rune Keys – used for opening portals.
Second-in-saddle – the second rider on a large golden griffon. Usually armed with a bow, rarely with a magical chucker.
Servants of Death – helrats, priests of a cult forbidden in all countries which perverts the very name of the goddess Hel. Hunted dragons and actively promoted human sacrifice.
Severan – a cold northern wind.
Taili-Mother – The deity of the “white” orcs, representing the feminine, analogue of the goddess Nel.
Targ – the gnome god whose name took on a negative connotation in almost all countries. Occupies the niche of mischief-maker and prankster, analogous to Loki in some sense.
Teg – the polite form of address of a nobleman; grall – to a mage. Teg grall – form of address of a noble mage. Tain, taina – titles for high-borns, male and female, respectively. Professor/master/mistress [first name] Teg grall (tain/taina) [last name].
True blood – a mage who, unlike others, can work directly with the astral and consciously take mana from it. Other mages can extract mana only from the planet’s magical field.
Snekkja – a row/sailboat of the Scandinavian peoples in the twelfth-fourteenth centuries. Predominantly used for raids. Held up to one hundred people.
Valhalla – a heavenly palace in Asgard for the fallen in battle, a paradise for the valiant warriors.
Wing – a regiment of griffons or drags consisting of one-hundred-twenty to one-hundred-fifty rideable animals.
Book Recommendations
I want to thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it then please leave me a review and look at the rest of the series. But I would also like to bring some other great authors to your attention.
Tabloid journalist ‘Kif’ must balance his real-world struggles with his role in an epic fantasy game. A must-read for those who love fantasy, games, and humor! Try the best-selling series Fayroll by Andrey Vasilyev now on Amazon.
I also want to recommend Realm of Arkon, a great series written by a friend of mine: G. Akella (Georgy Smorodinsky). He is one of the most popular and best-selling LitRPG authors in Russia. Book 1 is currently free on Amazon.
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