“Baelor,” said the queen with a condescending familiarity. It shocked Devoricus that a non-Cjii, even one as powerful as she, would be so callous with a Cjii. But it was well known that Umber favored his Shadow Hunters, some of them beyond even the favor he bestowed upon his own Cjii and demons. And it seemed that Devoricus had found out who was truly in charge here among Umber’s forces.
“Raven Queen,” came the rumbling reply. Devoricus had not met Baelor before, but all of the Cjii race had heard of him. He was just as famous, and possibly as powerful, as Prince Mycal the archangel of Zuhr. It was the orange cat that the man allowed to perch on his enormous shoulder, and the reddish toad on the other, that struck the lesser Cjii the most. It was very peculiar behavior. Then again, the Cjii observed, most of Umber’s Cjii were given to eccentricities.
“General Medov has a report to share with you. And he requires information in return. Be a dear and give him what he needs,” she said. The great Cjii simmered at the lack of respect given to one who held so high a rank among the immortal races.
However, the great Cjii did as he was told and brought his gaze to bear on the general, who made a show of respect. He and Devoricus shoved the slaves forward and the towering Cjii gave them a disgusted look. Then the great Cjii exhaled forcefully and showered the five humans with a breath of fire, leaving nothing but ash behind.
“Your pathetic sacrifice is accepted, mortal. What is your report?”
“Your Majesty, we have reports that Emperor Yerkses is planning to start a war in the Cklathish Islands. This goes against the agreement he made with Prophet-General Shalthazar who was to have the honor of first invasion. Once Yerkses has all of the Cklathlands conquered, he intends to move south and challenge Shalthazar’s hold over Hybrand. He believes himself to be the rightful heir to all the Cklathish peoples and lands.”
Devoricus was shocked when he heard this news, and angry that none of his own informants had discovered this. The Steel Emperor had forsaken his belief in Zuhr for Qra’z, and been rewarded handsomely. Devoricus just could not see a reason why the man would dare such a move and wondered if the general was feeding Baelor misinformation. If so, the general would not survive the night.
“Hmm. The Cklathlands are the territory of Shalthazar,” growled the Greater Cjii. “And when does Yerkses the Foolish plan on betraying his god and the new alliance between Umber and Q’raz?”
“Tomorrow, Your Majesty.”
There was silence among the queen, the general, and the demon for a long moment.
“How did you come by this information?” demanded Baelor.
“My spy is very close to the Emperor, Your Majesty. He is posing as a bard in Yerkses’ court.”
“I know of this person. What information do you require?”
“What should I tell my informant to expect? How shall I protect him so that he may continue to provide us with reliable intelligence?”
“You may tell him that if he is so close to the Emperor, he should council the man against this rash action. And that he and Qra’z will come to regret it.”
“Very well, Your Majesty. What of the invasion? When should my First Scouts be prepared to strike against the Cklathlands?”
The Cjii let out a rumbling roar of laughter that sounded much like a peel of thunder.
“Soon!” he laughed, and General Medov knew not to press the matter further.
“Your Majesty, there is one other thing which I need to report. Prince Mycal used the Pathway Arch located at the foot of the mountains to the south of Erestonin to bring his legion into the mortal world of Llars.”
“That Arch was destroyed!” growled the Greater Cjii angrily. “I did that myself, centuries ago. How could it be active now?”
“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty. Zuhr’s legion must have discovered a way to create another one.”
Devoricus wondered if that were truly the case. If so, then there were now two methods of crossing the barrier that separated the mortal world from the immortal!
Baelor grunted in response to the information and then seemed to lose interest in the conversation as another female approached the Cjii and stood next to them. And no wonder! the Cjii observed. The woman was completely naked but for a dress that seemed to be made of shadows. She was Elvish and every bit as beautiful as the Raven Queen, Devoricus thought they could be sisters. Then he realized who she was.
“Scathatch,” the name drifted to his ears from the hubbub of conversation, the Cjii leering drunkenly at the two women. This was the shadowy figure he had seen near the mismatched golem creatures, and now she was fawning over Baelor. Devoricus knew that these women were both Elder Elves, the race of elves from which the Frost Elves and the Crimson Elves were both descended. They were two of Umber's Shadow Hunters and each had to be thousands of years old, since the last of the elder elves disappeared that long ago. He wondered if all thirteen of the Shadow Hunters had returned to Llars, if so he was glad for the alliance between his master and Umber. But Qra’z would certainly wish to know of their presence on Llars in any case.
Devoricus smiled as he made his way back through the maze of lower demons and Cjii; he certainly had much to tell the Master.
This concludes the third installment of the Chronicles of Llars.
The adventure continues in: The Tomb of the Dark Paladin, available now.
Tayban
You've read a lot about the mysterious Tayban language in this book. Perhaps you saw some of it on earlier iterations of the cover for A Tide of Shadows.
What I call Tayban in my books is actually based on something called the Theban script. It is an actual script that is purportedly of a magical nature. It is said that the script was developed sometime during the Dark Ages and was used in the practice of witchcraft and casting spells.
While that is fun to think about, what is more likely is that Theban was actually a cipher. So, a person who was writing something that was potentially illegal, immoral, or otherwise ill natured, could use the letters of the Theban alphabet instead of their own language to obfuscate its meaning.
I have included information from the Wikipedia article on the subject, along with a link to the Wikipeida site, for your own enjoyment and education.
Wikipedia contributors, "Theban Alphabet," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theban_alphabet (accessed April 30, 2012).
The Sigil Disk
The Sigils are the most potent form of magic on Llars, though not the only form of magic on Llars. There are six major Sigil disciplines: Flame, Water, Air, Earth, Shadow, Spirit. These disciplines each draw their power from something called a Tide, a tidal flow of energy that is only responsive to a particular form of Sigil magic.
Each discipline is represented by a small symbol on the Disk you see at the beginning of each chapter. This disk is derived from a prominent theme in Celtic mythology known as the Wheel of Taranis (not to be confused with Baron Tyrannus!). The Weel of Taranis is named for the Celtic god of Thunder who is often seen carrying a thunderbolt in one hand and a wheel in another.
The Sigil Disk has six rays, as in many of the early depictions of the Wheel of Taranis, which is just enough for each of the Sigil disciplines. The only discipline whose symbol is absent from the Sigil Disk is Spirit, for reasons which will become clear as the rest of the story is told.
I have included a link to the Wikipeida site on the Celtic god, Taranis and his wheel, for your own enjoyment and education.
Wikipedia contributors, "Taranis" Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taranis (accessed April 30, 2012).
Interested in the best fantasy and science fiction has to offer?
Check out The Dragon Writers Collective, a new group of the Indie power-elite dedicated to bringing you the best in speculative fiction.
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About Me
I’m a veteran of the US Marines, a career law enforcement officer and graduate of NY Times Best Selling Author Tracy Hickman’s Scribe’s Forge. As Tracy was in large part responsible for inspiring me to write, this was an amazing experience. I highly recommend Scribe’s Forge for aspiring writers, and I recommend anything written by Tracy and Laura Hickman for avid fantasy readers like me.
When I’m not working or writing I am usually spending time with my family...or I’m in a mountain stream fishing for the elusive wild trout of the Great Smoky Mountains!
The names and artwork from these books are inspired mainly by Celtic and European artwork and mythology. The wheel on each chapter is a derivative of the Celtic Sun Wheel. Each space represents one of the Sigil disciplines: Flame, Air (lightning bolt), Earth, Water, Shadow (skull), and the empty space is reserved for the lost discipline of Spirit.
As this series concludes, I will be focusing on my sci-fi thriller series about 22nd Century lawman, Marshal Heck Thomas. I will also begin writing a modern adventure fiction series, a historical fiction series, and a children’s adventure series
More From Me:
The Chronicles of Llars
I A Tide of Shadows
II The Black Keep
III Shadowblade
IV The Tomb of the Dark Paladin
The Chronicles of Heck Thomas
The Centaurus Legacy
The Orion Deception
My upcoming projects include new series’ in epic fantasy,
modern adventure fiction, and historical fiction.
Feel free to contact me on my facebook page:
www.facebook.com/thechroniclesofllars
or on Twitter
@TomBielawski
Aspiring author? Check out the Scribe’s Forge, hosted by the Master of Fantasy himself:
NYT Bestselling author, Tracy Hickman.
www.scribesforge.com
Do you like fishing as much as me? Stop by and talk to Joe at Ancient Mariner Tackle.
Tell him I sent you and get a discount.
www.ancientmarinertackle.com
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