She raised the Staurolite high above her head and shouted at the Black Dragon, “We do not concede!”
*** The End ***
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~*~
QUINTESSENCE
Enchanted Bookstore Legend Five
by
Marsha A. Moore
~*~
Quintessence: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Five
An epic fantasy romance novel by Marsha A. Moore
Barbaric Dark Realm warfare threatens to overtake all Dragonspeir lands, including the Alliance. Lyra McCauley, the fifth Scribe of the Alliance, finds herself in a desperate competition to gather four missing keystones. Those amulets of the four natural elements guarantee victory for the side possessing them. The Dark Realm’s alchemist, Eburscon, beats her to finding the water gem, the Pearl of Pendola. Three more keystones remain: the fluorite containing earth energy, the moonstone of the sky, and the fiery, dangerous Emtori Ruby.
The powerful gems, stolen centuries ago, channel astral energies and can restore much-needed Alliance power—the last hope. The wizard, Cullen, who is Lyra’s beloved, relies on Alliance magic for his immortality and will perish if the land falls to the Dark Realm.
Lyra uses her rare magical energies of quintessence and the Staurolite, governor of the four natural elements, to guide her to the hidden keystones. However, greed and power drive opponents, who challenge her in close pursuit, planning to destroy the Alliance, or to claim the power of quintessence for themselves.
The Dark Realm captures the ten-year-old Alliance seer, Kessa. Her abilities can give them information about the locations of the keystones, complicating Lyra’s plans. Will her love, allegiance, and quintessence allow her to save Cullen, Kessa, and the Alliance before the Dark Realm claims all of Dragonspeir?
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.
Bob: Vickie’s husband.
Brigid: fourth Scribe, who wrote her Book of Dragonspeir in the year 1800.
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 Dark Realm.
Folt: circutamina guide who helps Lyra and Cullen through the Dark Realm.
Garrett: Sire Garrett, the Imperial Alchemist and beloved of the first Scribe, Elisabeth.
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.
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.
Heilia: she possessed unusual, advanced magical power as a seer for the Alliance during the time of the third Scribe, Sorcha; an ancestor of Kessa.
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.
Kessa: the ten-year-old crippled girl brought to the Alliance lair by her mother, Nillea, during outbreak of war in the village at the Meadow of Peace.
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.
Magma drakes: minions of the Dark Realm who shoot magma.
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.
Nillea: overly protective mother of Kessa.
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 m
agic 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.
Partho: a skilled wood craftsmen in Silva Caliga who creates a bow for Lyra and teaches her to play Nareene’s violin.
Queen Mysa: wife of King Eos; ruler of the sky 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.
Rona: a tree keeper/circutamina of the rowan trees who helps Lyra travel through the root network in the Dark Realm.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: The Evil Tidal Pool
Jaw clenched and arm muscles tensed, Lyra pumped aura into her fist, which was closed around the Staurolite. The cross-shaped crystal at its center pulsed red hot in her palm. Power from her ancestors—four female Scribes—pressed hard against her fingers, begging to be set into motion against the evil alchemist. Aura flooded Lyra’s senses, bringing keen perception. She studied Eburscon, watching for the slightest movement.
His gaze fixed on her and the Unicorn Guardian in the surf below. He sat motionless on the back of a cimafa stealth dragon, hand cupping the iolite pendant outside of his dark purple cloak. The gem lay quiet. Only the graying braid at Eburscon’s back swept from side to side with the impatient contortions of the cimafa.
Inky clouds billowed around the members of the Dark Realm. The three cimafa were well camouflaged, visible only when they snorted through fiery nostrils and their sleek, long tails undulated.
The Black Dragon’s scales irridesced with light reflected off whitecaps riding on fierce waves across the Sea of Cogadh. Acid drool from his snout peppered the water, sizzling upon impact. His wings moved almost imperceptibly to maintain an aerial position, while his gaze locked on his nemesis, the Alliance’s leader.
Behind Lyra, the huge golden dragon, twice the size of his opponent, stood on the shore. The Imperial Dragon’s thigh muscles bulged and his wings extended, ready for flight. Muffled guttural noises escaped his throat, apparently still burning from the Black Dragon’s acid attack.
Lyra wanted to empower the golden sapphire apex of her wizard’s staff, but feared the display of power might initiate more strikes from the Dark Realm.
Behind her on the Unicorn’s wide rump, Kenzo’s aura shifted. The owl followed the Imperial Dragon’s cue and partially unfolded his silver-striped wings.
Wisps of the Unicorn’s white aura danced in the twisting, turning surf.
Nearby, the sea nymph watched the Pearl of Pendola she had protected for centuries. Its white nacre shined between the fingers of Eburscon’s fist. Before he stole it from her hand, she intended it as a gift for Lyra. The pearl would strengthen the power of the Alliance that protected the nymph and all kind dwellers in the Sea of Cogadh. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks. She slipped off the rocky outcropping into the churning waters now overtaken with evil. Her long blue hair briefly swirled at the surface before she dove deep.
A tremor of power moved along the Unicorn’s spine beneath Lyra. Pulsations of his aura pushed her nerves over the edge. Her own aura spilled reflexively into her staff, and she clutched his mane, preparing for the consequences of an onslaught of strikes from the enemy.
The partially eroded skin of the Black Dragon’s upper lip curled back to reveal rows of snaggled, dark teeth. “If you will not concede, then come into my land and try to get what you need.” He reared his long neck high, then coiled it behind him and snaked his body into a sharp turn in the direction of the Dark Realm.
Eburscon released a wicked laugh and leaned toward Lyra from his seat on the cimafa.
The Imperial Dragon responded and soared to a position between them. His tremendous wings, connecting far beyond his hind legs, completely shielded Lyra.
Warlord Oasth took an aerial position beside his leader. He spread his smaller drake-sized wings but snarled viciously, a mouthful of flames swirling between his teeth.
A violet laser, the color of Eburscon’s aura, shot to the shoreline and pelted the evil tide pool. The surface reflected purple rays at all angles, but no one dared to move toward it.
At last, wing beats sounded behind the wall of the two dragons protecting Lyra. Although breeze from dragon flight lifted strands of her hair, no flames or acid shots cut the airspace.
The alchemist’s laugh grew more distant.
Lyra turned to face the tide pool and noticed an image on its surface. “Move closer to the enchanted pool,” she urged the Unicorn.
“I don’t trust the strength of my ward against Eburscon,” the Guardian whispered over his shoulder to Lyra. He pe
ered cautiously from behind the dragons’ wings, his aura heightened into a swirling cloud.
Kenzo hovered a short distance beyond them and motioned with the tip of his wing. “They are leaving.”
The Unicorn faced the Dark Realm’s border while stepping toward the basin. His dark eyes widened, and his nostrils flared, he tested the trails of evil hanging on air currents.
The party from the Dark Realm flew slowly but steadily back to their land. When they disappeared into the shadowy forest of Silva Nocens, Lyra and the Unicorn turned their attention toward the pool. Violet haze of Eburscon’s aura hung above the water. The calm surface beneath reflected an image.
Kenzo circled the pool, while Lyra dismounted and kneeled on the bank in order to see under the mist. She secured her heavy wool riding cloak behind her shoulders, but the golden tip of her braid nearly fell into the evil water before she pushed it onto her back.
In the vision, the thin frame of Kessa, the young seer, huddled in a corner against a rough stone wall. The ten-year-old child wore shackles on her ankles. Her leg braces had been removed, revealing long scars above and below her knees. She hid her face in her folded arms and a cascading curtain of matted, dark blond hair.
A heavily muscled Qumeli man sat cross-legged beside her, a stoic expression on his bearded face. Two thick, coiled horns grew from either side of his forehead and spiraled backward past his shoulders. Their size revealed his mature age. Red beaded decorations strung in his long peppered black hair and between the horns indicated his status as a tribal chief.
On the other side of Kessa, a plump old woman puffed calmly on a hand-carved pipe, allowing the smoke to trickle out in ribbons through her wide nose. Horns spiraled from high on her head of wiry gray hair, coiling around her ears one turn more than the man’s. Beaded dangles and charms festooned the bottom of each spiral. Weather-beaten, deep wrinkles marred her olive complexion. Lyra recognized the woman as the sibyl star reader, Stella, who had tricked her. During a lesson in mystic astronomy, Stella had positioned Lyra near the edge of a cliff, where a waiting cimafa attacked and fought fiercely to steal her aura. Recalling the experience, her first with a stealth dragon, Lyra shivered.
Enchanted Bookstore Legends (5-book complete epic fantasy romance box set) Page 102