Embers of a Broken Throne

by Terry C. Simpson

  And then he fell to his knees, sobbing, his entire world feeling as if it had ended.

  Finale

  They were praying to him. Millions upon millions of them. He heard them almost as distinctly as he did before he was sealed away. There was a time he would willingly accept their supplication, the power of their fervor, their emotional outpouring. But that was before he knew the cost.

  “You feel them too, brother?” Bragni strode to stand next to him, peering out the fortresses window, down onto the slopes of Antonjur. The energy of his excitement crackled.

  “Of course.” More joined in the prayer, from all over the world. The power called to him.

  The thud of footsteps and a breath of frigid air announced Rituni’s presence. “So, they are close. The last stanza begins soon.” Her voice was empty as always.

  “Tell the others their workshops must increase production,” he ordered, snapping himself away from the temptation. “The hour of our release draws nigh.”

  “As you wish, m’Lord,” his brother and sister said in unison.

  Closing his eyes, Ilumni touched a tendril of Prima, and felt for the Aegae. They were almost ready. One obstacle remained before the three could approach Antonjur, and the shackles would be broken.

  Just wait, brother, I come. And my wrath with me.

  ******

  The story continues in Forges of Creation.

  Thank you for reading Embers of a Broken Throne. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, tell a friend to tell a friend! As an indie author going it alone, it’s just little old me, so if you feel so inclined drop a rating or review by clicking here on Amazon, even if it’s just a few words. I would do a happy dance and it goes a long, long way for me as an author!

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  Glossary

  Access Key – Special divya used to activate extremely powerful artifacts.

  Alzari – Matii who wield mostly the Forms, strongest in earth essences and metal. Ancestors of the Setian.

  Amuni – One of the gods of Streams, specifically, shade. Brother of Ilumni.

  Annendin – the original God, the One God, who created Prima, Mater, and the world of Denestia.

  Antonjur – the gods original home before they were sealed.

  archdaemon – several times more powerful than a normal daemon.

  Ashishin – Matii who serve the Tribunal and often represent the god Ilumni and the Streams, specifically light and heat. Most of the Granadian peoples are descendants of the Ashishin. They often bear the title of Shin or High Shin.

  Astoca – A kingdom within south central Ostania. Their people, the Astocans, are cousins to the Cardians. (See Namazzi)

  Bana – A kingdom in eastern Ostania. Their people are the Banai and worship Humelen and the Forms.

  Bastions of Light – Towers along the Vallum of Light and located at strategic points within Granadia that can be used to send warning of an impending attack to the Tribunal.

  Battleguard - Personal warriors formerly belonging to the gods that are now attached to major Tenets and can be summoned by Materwardens.

  Cardia – A kingdom far south in Ostania. Their people, the Cardians, are related to the Astocans. (See Namazzi)

  catalyst – item used in conjunction with an Access Key to trigger a Chainin’s power.

  Chainin – A divya that has special properties and needs an Access Key and a catalyst to activate its power.

  construct – An entity created from essences.

  daggerpaw – Mix of wolf and a mountain lion that has bones for a mane that it can turn into blade-like spikes. They can grow to the size of a pony. Are also adept in sensing shade.

  Dagodin – A Matus who cannot Forge but can wield items imbued with Mater called divya.

  Darkwraith – A type of shadeling created by merging the sela essences, spirit, and shade of a Matus.

  dartan – A massive beast of burden, bigger than any horse. It has 6 legs, hardened skin, and a shell into which it can withdraw its legs. It also has a long snake-like neck and is a meat eater. Originally created during the Luminance Wars.

  Deathbringer – A type of Matii used by the Felani and others, said to be already crazed Matii. Only the Felani know how they’re controlled.

  Denestia – The world where this story takes place, said to have been the crowning achievement of the god Ilumni who defeated his brother Amuni for its possession.

  Desorin - A race of Matii in the Broken Lands. Worshippers of Bragni. They are masters of heat

  Devout – A priest who serves Ilumni and goes on pilgrimages to do the Tribunal’s bidding, often preaching the word of Streamean worship and its virtues.

  divya – An item imbued with Mater.

  Dosteri – A race originating in Everland who later inhabited Granadia.

  Elements of Mater – The completed essences that make up the Flows, the Forms, and the Streams. (See Mater)

  Entopi – the god of sela (life and death) it is actually two gods in one.

  Entosis – Place where Prima Materium gathers.

  Erastonia – A kingdom in Everland.

  Erastonian – Powerful warriors from Everland, specifically from a place called Erastonia. They possess some of the strongest Matii within the known world. Their main task is defending the Great Divide and killing any shadelings that happen to escape from the prisons contained with the Divide.

  Essences – The individual strands of power that make up the elements of Mater.

  Everland – The northernmost continent in Denestia.

  Exalted – Mythical leaders of the Tribunal.

  Eztezian – The Eztezians were the descendants of the gods. Great warriors and the most powerful Matii to grace Denestia. They were tasked with protecting Denestia from the shade and from itself. Driven mad by their overuse of Mater however, they almost destroyed the world. They created the Great Divide, which brought about the shade’s defeat. Then they turned on the gods, sealing them in the Nether to prevent future wars and the creation of more creatures like the shadelings.

  Felan – A kingdom is western Ostania. Their people are known as the Felani.

  Flowic – The religions named after the elements of Flows and its gods.

  Flows – The combination of two essences—primarily water and air that make up liquids known as the Flows. There are other variations that involve other essences. E.g Water and cold to form ice. Heat, air, and something flammable to create fire.

  Forger – A Matus who can Forge essences of Mater

  Forging – See Materforging

  Formist – The religion named after the elements of Forms and its gods.

  Forms – The combination of three essences—earth, metal, and wood, that make up solids known as the Forms. There are other variations of solids that can be enhanced by using other essences, as well as other essences not in this umbrella that can be used to form solids. (See example in Streams.)

  Gerde – Stoneform beasts with eight-legs that bear similarities to crabs, but were the size of ponies.

  Granadia – The Western continent of Denestia. Have been at conflict with most of Ostania for millennia.

  Grog - Sinuous shadeling with 6 legs, skitters like a spider. Minion of the Gurangar

  Gurangar - Ebonsteel clad Shadeling assassin. Bears a double- bladed sword and used the shade to become invisible via a shroud.

  Harna – A kingdom in northern Ostania. Followers of Formist religion. Descendants of the Sven.

  Humelen – One of the gods of Forms, specifically earth.

  Hydae – A world formed by Amuni when he lost to his brother Ilumni.

  Ilumni – One of the gods of Streams, specifically, light. Brother of Amuni.

  Imbuer – A Matus who can imbue properties of essences into an item to create divya.


  kinai – A special plant that draws on essences, used in many healing formulas and potent drinks. Said to enhance the user’s strength, stamina, and agility.

  Luminance War – An ancient war when shadelings escaped the Great Divide and swept across Ostania.

  Mater – Mater is the core elemental power which exists within everything. It makes up the three elements the gods represent and their individual essences. Mater drives all worlds. The three elements are the solids of the Forms, the liquids of the Flows, and the energy of the Streams. Those are further broken down into separate essences. For instance, earth, wood and metal are a part of the Forms. Heat, cold, light and shade are a part of the Streams. Water and air are a part of the Flows. Finally, there’s sela essence, a combination of life and death which sits outside the three elements and is required for anything to live or die. (See Streams, Flows, Forms.)

  Materialize – Ability to Forge a portal between two places for travel.

  Materforging – The act of wielding the essences or elements of Mater.

  Matersense – The ability to open up one’s mind to be able to sense or see nearby essences within the elements of Mater.

  Materwarden - A Matus who can summon a sentient construct, and is considered guardian of a Tenet and therefore guardian of an essence. The most powerful can call forth Battleguards.

  Matus – One who can sense Mater (Plural – Matii) Not every Matus can manipulate or Forge Mater. What essence a Matus is strongest in is often determined by bloodline. However, one can train to become adept in other essences. It is difficult and takes powerful Matii to wield essences from two separate elements simultaneously. It is considered to only be an ability of the netherlings or gods to wield all essences within all three elements at the same time.

  Mystera – Schools built throughout Granadia for the purpose of teaching and recruiting Matii.

  Namazzi – Matii who wield mostly the Flows, ancestors of the Cardians and Astocans.

  Nema – A mountain clan whose ancestors are the Erastonians.

  Netherling – Primordial beings from the Nether, said to have been the ones to bestow their power on the Eztezians in order to save the world. This act was part of their revenge against the gods for their experiments.

  Ostania – The Eastern continent of Denestia. Have been at conflict with most of Granadia for millennia.

  Pathfinder – Powerful Matii, trained by the Tribunal, who have passed the ultimate tests of control over their emotions, which ensure they will not succumb to the temptations of the power the essences promise. They are used to hunt Matii who break the laws governing the use of Forging or those who go insane. They often accompany Ashishin to protect the Ashishin from attackers and from themselves.

  Prima Materium – The primordial elements from which Mater is derived. Created by the Annendin using his blood.

  Principles of Mater – Rules governing all the elements.

  Pupa – An Ashishin-in-Training

  Raijin – An elite assassin corps within the Tribunal.

  Sanctums of Shelter – Similar to the Bastions of Light but more powerful and arrayed along the mountains in Northern Granadia to protect from any direct incursion by the shade through the Great Divide. They also provide power to the Vallum and the Bastions. Like the Chainin, it is imbued through the use of Etchings.

  Scorpio – A massive crossbow–type weapon that fires large metal projectiles.

  Seifer – See Nema

  Senjin – A sport played with a leather ball, featuring 14 combatants, 7 per side, on a field spilt into 6 parts, with two halves. The team to score three times first, wins.

  Seti – A kingdom in north western Ostania. Their people the Setian are descendants of the Alzari. (See Alzari)

  Shadelings – Creatures created in the God Wars, primarily by the god Amuni, and his followers by experimenting with netherlings and the essence of shade. The effects of the couplings can be seen within some of the strange beasts within Denestia.

  Shin – The respectful title given to Ashishin Matii.

  Shunyata – A place within each person where they can separate and control their emotions. Also the place where sela essence is stored within any living being. Also known as the Eye.

  sentient – construct created by Prima Materium and the use of the Tenets. It carries the memories of whatever creature it was made after. It can think, but has no sela and therefore is not alive. (Also Prima construct.)

  Streamean – The religion named after the elements of Streams and its gods.

  Streams – The combination of four essences—light, heat, cold, and shade that make up energy. The energy can be used in the forming of the other elements e.g cold is needed to form ice which is part of the Forms and part of the Flows.

  Sven – The earth elemental peoples that inhabit the Nevermore Mountains in north eastern Ostania. Descendants of the Svenzar.

  Svenzar – Form elementals that reside in mountainous areas. Their power resides in earth, metal, and wood.

  Tenets – the laws governing individual essences. Also used as a focus to summon Prima constructs.

  The Aegis – Said to be a power or a person who would help either protect the gods or defend against their resurgence.

  The Chronicles – Sacred tomes written by the Eztezians themselves and their descendants, dictating the past and the future of the world.

  The Disciplines – A set of rules and pointers on how to govern and lead soldiers.

  The Eye – See Shunyata.

  The Great Divide – A massive rift in the land created by the Eztezians to defeat the shadelings. It runs from north to south across central Everland, and is guarded by the Erastonians.

  The Iluminus – Named after the god Ilumni, it is the central city, learning hub and home of the Tribunal and its Matii.

  The Nether – A realm between the worlds thought to be the origination of Mater, the gods, and netherlings.

  The Stone – The great hidden city where the Svenzar and Sven live in northern Ostania.

  The Unvanquished – Stefan Dorn’s elite troops in Ostania.

  Travelshaft – Tunnels developed by the Svenzar using the Forms, where time is slowed and speed increased to allow travel between large distances in a small amount of time. Said to somehow be constructed between the Planes of Existence.

  Tribunal – The founding society of Ashishin among the Matii. They determined what was needed for the Matii as a whole to function in their proper roles as protectors and mediators. Eventually, the different Matii split apart due to conflicts in ideals, philosophies and religions. The Tribunal rules in Granadia. They left Ostania where most of the other Matii fled, to fend for themselves.

  Toscali - A race of Matii long lost. They, like the Ashishin wield the light. Clad in white and gold and favor spears.

  Vallum of Light – A massive wall imbued with Mater and erected by Eztezians within the Tribunal to separate Ostania from Granadia.

  vasumbral – A gigantic worm-like creature from Hydae that travels by burrowing. It eats Mater.

  Warping – A Forging by powerful Matii, using the sela essences of something recently killed, to twist the essences in a specific area, thus rendering them unusable for a period of time.

  Wraithwolf – A type of shadeling using a combination of wolf or other canine type beast, as well as the sela of a person, and essences of shade.

  Zar – The respectful title given to Alzari Matii.

  About the Author

  Terry C. Simpson is a glutton for the fantastical. When not writing, you can find him on some MOBA or MMORPG, bashing heads and taking names, yeah, and PKing folks too. Besides video games and books, his other passion is the gym. He currently lives in N.Y.C. Find out more about the Terry C. Simpson at www.terrycsimpson.com.

  Aegis of the Gods series

  Book 1: Etchings of Power

  A legendary killer without a memory, a gifted student who has lost his way, a vengeful assassin on an impossible mission, an old mentor who
se only wish is to save her people. Kingdoms separate them but their fates are intertwined.

  The opening stanza in a new epic fantasy series that delves into the themes of war, corruptible power, love, betrayal, and absolution in the world of Denestia.

  Ryne Waldron, a living legend at the edge of madness is haunted by a murderous past and the voices of his power that whisper in his head. Hunted, he strives to defend a village he swore to protect. But his enemies might be closer than he could ever suspect.

  Ancel Dorn, a gifted student, struggles with rejection and must accept who he is or perish to the creatures that stalk him and his parents. When he discovers he’s targeted for death by beings that seemed to have stepped from the history of an ancient war, his only choice is to flee.

  Irmina Nagel, Ancel’s former lover, and an assassin sent to find Ryne, is mired in her quest for revenge on Ancel’s parents, and must set aside her emotions or fail her final test. What she discovers may not only change her life but the world as a whole.

  Caught between warring nations, vengeful leaders, magic and steel, myth and men, the fate of millions hang in the balance. Who can unite the kingdoms against a common threat? Who shall bring the power that drives the world to heel? Who will walk the knife’s edge of harmony? If none can, then Denestia is doomed.

  Book 1.5: The Shadowbearer

  In a world where magic corrupts and kingdoms constantly war, the power that drives the world stirs. It whispers promises of greatness in the heads of the men and women that wield it. Now, it has spoken to the mind of a king.

  Knight Commander Stefan Dorn, leader of the Unvanquished, has known only war, death and, victory. All in the name of his loyalty to King Nerian the Lightbearer, a man he idolized.