Silently, the three joined hands, knowing their fight against the darkness continued.
*** The End ***
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~*~
LOST VOLUMES
Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three
by
Marsha A. Moore
~*~
Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three
An epic fantasy romance novel by Marsha A. Moore
When Lyra McCauley learns residents of Dragonspeir’s Alliance are suffering with a deadly plague, she doesn’t heed the warnings of her fiancé, wizard Cullen Drake, to remain safe in her human world. After all, she’s the present Scribe—one of five strong women in her ancestry who possessed unique magic, each destined to protect the Alliance against the evil Black Dragon of the Dark Realm. With Cullen dependent upon Alliance power to maintain his immortality, the stakes are doubled for Lyra.
She leaves her college teaching and puts herself at risk for the community afflicted by black magic. To find a cure, she and Cullen travel into the vile, lawless underworld of Terza to strike a bargain with an expert. Their efforts further enrage the Black Dragon, vowing to decimate the Alliance and avenge the murder of his heir.
Lyra must secure the three lost volumes of the Book of Dragonspeir. Written by the three earliest Scribes, each book contains energy. Possession of the entire set will enable overthrow of the Dark Realm. Following clues into dangerous lands, Lyra and Cullen seek those volumes. His assistants, Kenzo the tiger owl and Noba the pseudodragon, prove invaluable aids. Only if they succeed, will the Alliance be safe and Lyra reach closer to the immortality she needs to live a life with Cullen.
Cast of Characters
Angom: a male Malificate living in Terza; son of Elder Omin; works in mines; becomes a visitor to the Alliance after helping Lyra’s group escape from Terza.
Aunt Jean: Lyra’s aunt who died recently, during Lyra’s first quest when she wrote her Book of Dragonspeir; also a descendant of Scribe Brigid; lived in cottage on Lake Huron in upper Michigan, passing the property to Lyra.
Black Dragon: leader of the Dark Realm; succeeding his father to his position of power; although small compared to the golden, blue, or bronze dragons, he is vile, evil-tempered, and abusive, obsessed with death and takes comfort in the sickening-sweet aroma of drowned, rotting carcasses; his body is grim and skeletal, with eyes lying deep in their sockets between two great horns that curve forward and down, the flesh of his face is partially deteriorated or burnt from his acidic drool; his method of attack is spitting caustic acid; lives in a mountain lair at the edge of Silva Nocens, the dark forest.
Brigid: fourth Scribe, who wrote her Book of Dragonspeir in the year 1800.
Chane: male resident of Terza; hexed before his birth by the Malificate Head Elder, Kon; half Rotter and half Vizard.
Cimafa: a type of small evil stealth dragon, whose aura is invisible; covered in black shimmering scales with two pairs of horns that extend back from its elongated head; flames ring its nostrils and eyes; the only obvious sign of its approach is the chilling shriek echoing from the gaping mouth, through rows of pointed teeth; lives to steal and feed on auras from others, leaving them soulless; some higher magicals have bargained with portions of their own auras to command and ride these beasts for evil purposes.
Circutamina: tree spirits who live inside specific tree species; protect their trees; less than two feet tall with thick, wrinkled skin; emit white light.
Daryd: fisherman guide for Lyra’s group in Aria.
Draora: a powerful witch who was a friend and relation to Scribe Brigid in Nawbone, Indiana; now a ghost who protects the family keep, a honey tree where valuables are stored.
Eburscon: present status unknown after being exiled by the Guardians of the Alliance, a consequence of his attempt on the lives of Lyra and Cullen; previous position was Imperial Alchemist of the Alliance; haughty demeanor earns him few friends.
Elisabeth: first Scribe, who wrote her Book of Dragonspeir in the year 1200.
Fire drakes: minions of the Black Dragon
Galbinus dragon: small lantern dragon stationed in bow of Pisca’s fishing boat to light the way through heavy mist; commanded by Pisca to grant Lyra and Cullen one wish.
Gatekeeper Cranewort: tremendous magical tree who guards the Crossroads of paths which lead to all places in the Alliance; he raises his roots as barricades to those who pass; also responsible for monitoring deaths and release of souls throughout all of Dragonspeir in order to send his giant cranes to assist their passage; expert in clairvoyance; kind and fatherly, he remembers Lyra from when she was a young girl and takes pride in her accomplishments.
Gea: Yasqu’s mother; a huge golden dragon with wingsails that ripple along the length of her flanks; kind, fair, and intelligent.
Goibban: a male Vizard in Terza; owner of a bizarre home decorating shop; imprisons Lyra and Cullen to become food for the scorpents.
Guardians: the governing council of the Alliance faction of Dragonspeir; all four wear sapphire pendants which help the Head Guardian, the Imperial Dragon, to communicate with them; each possesses a magical aura of silver, white, or blue that can surround their bodies when called upon; these represent the colors of the Alliance.
Imperial Dragon: the Head Guardian of the Alliance; a huge golden dragon, the largest type in Dragonspeir; fair and intelligent, he has inherited his position from his father, also a gold; lives in a mountain lair at the edge of the Steppe of Ora, the great plain dividing the Alliance and Dark Realm; all Imperial Dragons are guided by Air elements.
Ivri: female hemlock tree keeper/circutamina who befriends and helps Lyra.
Kenzo: silver-striped tiger owl wizard’s assistant to Cullen; has ice blue eyes and a four-foot wingspan; an overachiever since his sole magical talent is extraordinary swift flight; a jokester with a penchant for ale and given to puffing his feathers over his own achievements, but enormously dedicated.
King Eos: ruler of the sky world Aria.
Kon: the Head Elder of the Malificates of Terza; met with the first Scribe, Elisabeth, over eight hundred years ago; hungry to regain the power he once had before the Vizards overpowered the Malificates.
Lesot Lungshooter: a male Malificate living in Terza; son of the witch, Mrinx; helps make black magic potion for Lyra and Cullen; becomes a visitor to the Alliance after helping Lyra’s group escape from Terza.
Lyra McCauley: thirty-five-year-old woman who discovers her destiny to be the fifth Scribe of the Alliance of Dragonspeir; she accepts her position and serves the Alliance with efforts to overthrow the Dark Realm of Dragonspeir; engaged to marry Sire Cullen Drake once she gains enough magical afflation to become immortal and bring peace to Dragonspeir; guided by the Aries Fire element.
Mimio: sorceress and assistant to the Tortoise; a tall older lady with gray hair gathered under a light blue headband; she carries a wand with stars dangling from its tip rather than a staff common to other high order wizards.
Mrinx: a Malificate witch of Terza; mother of Lesot; makes black magic potion for Lyra and Cullen.
Nareene: second Scribe, who wrote her Book of Dragonspeir in the year 1400.
Noba: pseudodragon wizard’s familiar to Cullen; stands three feet tall with tiny clawed wings, resembling a true dragon; does breathe fire, but his best defense is his poisonous barbed tail; naïve but lovable and loyal, possessing a true heart that melts others.
Oasth: warlord to the Imperial Dragon’s Alliance; a burgundy fire drake with a flighty, aggressive nature; born in the Dark Realm, he was too good-natured and forgiving to remain, but could not tolerate the magic required to turn his scales a shade of Alliance blue.
Ochre: an auspex who communicates with birds; also guards a portal from Aria into the human world; one of four who serve this role in the compass directions of the sky world.
Pisca: fisherman guide for Lyra’s group in Aria.
Queen Mysa: wife of King Eos; ruler of the s
ky world of Aria; able to convey magic through her poetry recitations.
Raylene: distant cousin to Lyra; lives in Nawbone, Indiana where Scribe Brigid once lived; distant grand-daughter to Draora, a powerful witch who was a friend and relation to Scribe Brigid; possesses limited magical ability.
Rotters: rat-people of Terza.
Scorpents: dragon-size, fearsome creatures of Terza; controlled by the Vizards; have heads of a cobra, mid-sections bearing jointed appendages, and tails in two parts: snake rattler and scorpion stinger.
Sheridan: magical locust who guards the bookstore portal that connects the Alliance and the human world.
Sire Cullen Drake: Imperial Sorcerer of the Alliance of Dragonspeir; 220 years old and made immortal by use of Alliance power; sworn to serve as protector of the current Scribe of the Alliance, Lyra McCauley; fiancé to Lyra; lives a double life as the owner of Drake’s Bookstore in the human world; guided by an Earth element.
Skrunt: a male Vizard in Terza; serves as a false guide for Lyra and Cullen, tricking them into danger for his gain.
Sorcha: third Scribe, who wrote her Book of Dragonspeir in the year 1600.
Symar: Lord of Tempestas who serves both the Alliance and Dark Realm factions of Dragonspeir; his responsibility is to create and monitor all weather fronts; to do so, he travels widely using an evil stealth cimafa dragon as transport.
Tarom: present position is alchemist to the Dark Realm, serving the Black Dragon; previous position was apprentice to Eburscon, Imperial Alchemist of the Alliance; also known as the Ice Walker since he maintains a private retreat in the politically neutral land of Versula in the icy northern lands; guided by a Water element.
Tayzia: a female Vizard prostitute in Terza.
The Phoenix: Guardian of Fire; also known as the Lady of Peace, she resides in the Meadow of Peace, the largest inhabited area of the Alliance; the colors of her wings pulse a vivid cobalt blue and her head a rich periwinkle; resembling a pheasant in shape, her golden tail feathers emit sparks; guided by a Fire element.
The Tortoise: Guardian of Water; a giant tortoise possessing a shell marked with runes which glow white when he expands his aura; the oldest Guardian, in charge of maintaining the Imperial library housed at the lair of the Imperial Dragon; guided by a Water element.
The Unicorn: Guardian of the Earth; a massive white horse-like creature who bears a tremendous white, wispy aura; responsible for knowledge of magical creatures in all of Dragonspeir, both the Alliance and Dark Realm; resides in the forests of the Alliance; guided by an Earth element.
Valeria: a female Vizard prostitute in Terza.
Vickie: cousin to Lyra; lives in Nawbone, Indiana where Scribe Brigid once lived.
Vizards: undead skeleton-people of Terza; gain ability to survive via energy transfer from scorpent creatures; wear masks to hide their gruesome faces, lacking muscles and skin.
Wingold and wife: lesser wizards of the Alliance; he is in charge of winter changes while she is in charge of summer; under direction of Symar.
World Tree: oldest, tallest tree in Silva Caliga that connects to the sky world of Aria; aids energy transfer with that land and guards portal passageway.
Yasqu: growing adolescent bronze dragon who is training to become a member of the Imperial Dragon’s high council; as a hatchling, was secretly sent to Lyra in her human world in order to safeguard him from the Black Dragon; from this experience, Yasqu and Lyra have a close bond.
Yord: one of the largest blue dragon sentries of the dozens that serve the Alliance; sworn to personally aid Lyra in return for her saving his life.
Ysmena: Lady of the Forest in the politically neutral Silva Caliga, forest of the mist; she governs the land of the tree spirits, also called circutamina; carries a lantern that emits magical light.
Chapter One: An Urgent Message
Lyra almost deleted the email marked urgent, suspecting some virus that might take control of her computer, but stopped when she realized the sender was her lover—a 220-year-old wizard, who rarely used a computer. She couldn’t open the message fast enough.
Lyra,
Alliance mortals and lower magicals are taking violently ill. I’m leaving the bookstore for a while to offer aid. DO NOT come to Dragonspeir. Stay safe in your world.
Love always,
Cullen
She stared at the screen, twisting a strand of her long hair. Leaning forward, she gripped the armrests of the chair. Her breath caught when she noticed how the dragon’s sapphire eyes on her new bloodswear ring sparked from the energy of her concern. His message left her undecided, reading between the lines and weighing the choices.
Those affected—mortals and lower magicals—seemed to place her in the risk group, obviously Cullen’s concern. However, those mortals were all born in Dragonspeir, while she originally came from Tampa. Lower magicals did include members of both worlds. But as the current Scribe, Lyra possessed inherited power at least as great as high-order wizards. She just didn’t fully grasp how to command her magic yet.
She did want to help. Since her parents and dear Aunt Jean died, the Guardians, wizards, dragons, and other residents of the Alliance were her only family. Lyra’s unique powers might be useful, especially since they now lacked an alchemist.
Eburscon disappeared after he attempted to steal her scribal aura, and she’d heard no reports of him since, so he was presumed dead by many. According to Cullen, no one wanted him back. However, living without a person capable of creating remedies for a plague or widespread illness had left many residents uneasy. Some talked about trying to persuade Tarom, the Dark Realm’s alchemist, to switch his allegiance. Two centuries ago, he served the Imperial Dragon, leaving only when he couldn’t tolerate working under Eburscon any longer.
Despite ranking as the top wizard, the Imperial Sorcerer in the Alliance High Council, Cullen lacked alchemical skills. Even though untrained, Lyra possessed a keen intuitive sense in the craft. She could help him. Aries guided the fire in her scribal powers and also fueled her impatience.
Lyra checked and secured Aunt Jean’s cottage since the last gasps of late winter storms in the upper peninsula of Michigan could be brutal.
Dashing off a few emails to her college students in Florida, she gave them feedback on their independent study in the Fantasy Lit course. She was glad her leave from on-campus teaching responsibilities continued until the next fall term.
Lyra saved and printed the chronicle draft of her bloodswear quest, completed at the end of last year. It was mid-March, and she’d almost finished the written account, storing magic in her words that would empower the Alliance—her role as a Scribe. Her powers guided the writing process; no words could be written unless they were vital to the Scribe’s quest. The text had to be succinct for enchantment. The hard copy she stuffed into a commuter bag to work on later with the Imperial Dragon and the other three Guardians. She needed to sort through their research details that had helped her kill the heir to the Black Dragon. Additional supplies could be conjured from memory.
Outside, the dock in the backyard looked weather-beaten but sound. Waves from Lake Huron lapped at its old boards. In the flower bed, the first spring perennials peeked through the packed ground and would require plenty of care soon. Lyra hoped to be back in time to maintain what her aunt had loved so much. Crocuses stood bravely against the melting snowpack—a reminder.
As she turned from the garden, a large black butterfly flitted around her head. It was the same type that had spied on her before and been in her aunt’s room when she was killed—purple spots like eyes on its wings. Suspecting it was a transformed magical from Dragonspeir’s Dark Realm, Lyra swatted at the insect. Thinking that someone watched her leave caused a chill to run down her spine.
Finally shooing it to the nearby bushes, she lifted her head high, put her bag inside her silver Subaru sport wagon, and drove straight to Drake’s Bookstore.
After parking in back, she twisted her dragon ring to unlock the back
door of Cullen’s shop, no longer needing the magical skeleton key. “Sheridan, I’m using your portal,” she called out.
From his cage on the showroom counter, the cicada chirped, “I already knew it was you, sweetheart. Nice perfume.”
Lyra shook her head. Darned bug never stopped flirting.
“By the way, Sire Drake told me to not let you pass. Something about an illness in the Alliance. Don’t make me use my magic on you.”
“I’m going anyway,” she replied as she prepared herself in the storage room.
“Like I knew you would,” he snapped.
She gave her ring another twist and stated, “Pateo porta!” In response, two metal bookcases moved apart. Between them lay the connector to Dragonspeir. She stepped across. The familiar tingling sensation now felt invigorating, when last summer it had frightened her. Her jeans, t-shirt, and jacket transformed into a full-skirted gown of light blue cotton under a navy cloak.
It was her first time back since being publically honored for completing her bloodswear quest and sorcery studies. She’d have to wait to find out if her new abilities could alter the clothing she acquired at the portal.
Lifting one side of the long garments, Lyra ran the short distance along the wooded trail to the location of the old, sentry tree, Gatekeeper Cranewort. Reminding her of the shape of grand live oaks in Florida, his branches spread wide and high, taller than any nearby. His large, flat leathery leaves were turned to collect the warm morning rays.
“Hello, Cranewort,” she called ahead. “I don’t mean to disturb your sunbathing, but I need to pass to the Imperial Dragon’s lair, or to the Meadow—whichever place I can help most with those who are sick.”
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