by Susi Wright
License Notes
Copyright © 2017 by Susi Wright
Formatting by Deranged Doctor Design
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Preface
Prologue
Chapter 1- Moth to a Flame
Chapter 2 - Bad News
Chapter 3 - Tears
Chapter 4 - Over the Hills
Chapter 5 - Boundaries
Chapter 6 - Sanctuary
Chapter 7 - Brothers at Arms
Chapter 8 - The Last Outpost
Chapter 9 - Premonition
Chapter 10 - Secrets
Chapter 11 - Burden of Trust
Chapter 12 - Seeds of Revolution
Chapter 13 - Till I Lay Me Down
Chapter 14 -The Cave of Springs
Chapter 15 - Token
Chapter 16 - Unleashed
Chapter 17 - A Matter of Survival
Chapter 18 - Disturbance
Chapter 19 - Up
Chapter 20 - Penalty
Chapter 21 - Shuul
Chapter 22 - Vision
Chapter 23 - Zorgs
Chapter 24 - Destroyer
Chapter 25 - Spectacle
Chapter 26 - Eye of the Dragon
Chapter 27 - Prophecy
Chapter 28 - Princess
Chapter 29 - Fear
Chapter 30 - Primal
Chapter 31 - Strange Moons
Chapter 32 – Ebb and Flow
Chapter 33 - Espira
Chapter 34 - Ardientor
Chapter 35 - Ra
Chapter 36 - Anthem
Chapter 37 - Victory
Chapter 38 - Risen
Chapter 39 - Hide and Seek
Chapter 40 - Lost and Found
Chapter 41 - Hero
Chapter 42 - Solace
Chapter 43 - Raid
Chapter 44 - Refuge
Chapter 45 - Espira
Chapter 46 - Patience
Chapter 47 - The Cave
Chapter 48 - Ji
Chapter 49 - Disaster
Chapter 50 - Cleansing
Chapter 51 - Yengi
Chapter 52 - Treaty
Chapter 53 - Reunion
Epilogue - Legacy
About the Author
Dedication
Thanks to the Fashioner of the Universe for the time to write. This is for my family, friends and readers, and lovers of fantasy, explorers of other realms, everywhere.
Preface
More than a decade since its inception, the Alliance between Gaians and humans has begun to flourish.
The founder, Luminor, Lord of Fire, slayed the Flame Adder and secured a safe future for humans and his own people; Gaians became highly respected members of the new society and Luminor was eventually elected as governor of the combined Baramese Council.
Following the ideals of the Alliance, his protection extended to displaced members of other races. The benevolent influence of the treaty reached out to neighbouring Lealand, when the dark lord, Xian, challenged Luminor's birthright, laying waste an entire kingdom in his ruthless ambition to take control of Fire. This became the legend of Xian the Lost, and the unprecedented battle, Gaian against Gaian, was dubbed the Battle of the Fires.
Luminor's victory and subsequent aid to rebuild after the devastation won a loyal ally in King Rolin of Lealand and the undying gratitude of those people.
News of the Alliance and Luminor's heroic reputation continues to spread, raising up sympathisers to the cause in other lands. Eventually, leaders and overlords beyond that kingdom will take up the banner of the cause, join the Alliance, adopt its ideals and enjoy its protection.
As the Alliance continues to evolve, it brings a constant barrage of challenges, not least the education of an increasing number of empowered hybrid children, born from interracial marriages. Gaians no longer need to worry that their magic will be lost, for in some of these children, both Gaian and human traits seem to be greatly enhanced. However, the knowledge and skill of every Elite teacher, is tested on a daily basis by these gifted youngsters.
It is clear that the wisdom from ages past must be augmented by brave new insights, to ensure the continuing success of the Alliance and the development of this new civilisation . . .
Prologue
A still, grey mist hung over the forest canopy, a lingering shroud of moisture from the deluge of the previous night. In the quiet of pre-dawn, the only sounds were the dripping leaves and a low chirruping of frogs hiding in the undergrowth.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the clash of steel on steel. The sharp sound echoed through the woodland valley, scaring up wood-pigeons from their roosts and sending forest creatures scurrying for cover.
In a small clearing, two combatants circled each other with menacing intent, each assessing the other's next move.
The taller one lunged; the other danced away, returning swiftly with an underhand strike. In a masterful counter-move, the smaller warrior rolled and another long sequence began. Similarly matched in skill and speed, they lunged and parried, swords clashing time and again, neither giving quarter.
Sparks flew as sword struck sword in a relentless onslaught from both sides. With practised grace and agility, they ducked and lunged, each predicting the other's next move.
Seconds became minutes; minutes became an hour but neither gained the advantage. Both adversaries used acrobatic rolls as easily as steps.
The taller one advanced. The other retreated, feinting left with a backhand slash. The first counter-cut, withdrew and his thrust was avoided, as the smaller opponent rolled sideways, coming up to a perfect envelopment. They locked blades. Steel rang as they pushed-off to disengage, only to circle and attack again.
Pushing past exhaustion, the opponents wielded their weapons with deadly skill, grunting and panting with the effort.
At first, Ardientor dealt every blow with confident swagger, his movement calculated, fast. This assurance was slowly eroded by his adversary's skill. Each strike became more desperate. He advanced on his enemy, forcing the fight into the woodland, hoping to gain an advantage there. His overhand arc was deflected and his blade hit a tree trunk. Wood-chips flew and he swore loudly, recovering, but only just in time to meet the other's blade as it almost slashed his exposed side.
Suddenly, his adversary feinted right and somersaulted sideways with uncanny speed, whacking Ardientor behind the knees with the flat of the blade. He toppled forward and slammed face-first in the wet leaves.
In a heartbeat, the assailant leapt on his back with the blade at his throat. Breathing heavily, the victor demanded, “Do you yield?”
Ardi gasped, desperate for air. He was trapped and disarmed. The sharp edge of the sword was a hair's breadth from cutting his throat. Mud and rotten leaves plastered his face. The weight on his upper torso held him prisoner.
Livid, he rasped, “No! I will not yield!”
He eyed the hilt of his sword. It was almost within reach. He dragged up his remaining strength to buck against his captor and almost dislodged the lighter warrior from his back, but the flat of the enemy blade pressed on his jugular; a quick twist of his captor'
s wrist would end him. He stilled, gasping with fury. He was not quite prepared to die.
With a sigh of disgust, he spat the words, “I . . . yield!” It was over, and admission of defeat was a bitter taste in his mouth.
He glared over his shoulder at the face of his captor, his bright emerald stare sparking with hostility.
“But, you cheated . . . and you know it!”
Over him, strange rainbow-coloured eyes, still glowing with excitement and the heady power of victory, returned his gaze and held it fearlessly.
“No! I did not, and you know it, Ardi! And, do not try to lie to Papa, because he will see it straight away!” Espira relaxed her grip slightly. The victory was honestly hers.
Still catching her breath, she removed the blade from her brother's throat, and rolled off him. As he sat up, he grinned, but his eyes still held a hint of rebellion.
“So, don't even try!” She pressed the warning, with a serious look that held the undeniable truth of their father's perceptive power.
Now in their early teens, the siblings had both made that mistake more than once during their childhood. Luminor gave them equal attention throughout their training, but Espira excelled. Highly skilled in all the Powers, their father was the most suitable teacher for these gifted two youngsters, a hard taskmaster, but fair. Deception was severely frowned upon. Mischief was suitably punished.
Espira's eyes softened, as she regarded her younger brother. “Be careful, Ardi. Anger clouds judgement.” She reached to remove a couple of leaves still stuck to his muddy face.
He swiped her hand away, glaring back as he recalled the countless times Espira's skills outstripped his. In every one of the arts, he rarely had the upper hand, even now that he had recently become a little taller and broader of shoulder—almost a man! It did not help Ardientor's present mood, to be aware that he could only read her emotion when she let him. At the moment, there it was, her air of superiority, pointing out the obvious.
He sighed again. “You know, Espira, I sometimes think . . .” There was a weighty pause, his eyes became cold, his emotion shuttered. “I hate you!” He frowned for emphasis. Then he punched her arm and grinned; a playful twinkle in his eyes belied the words, even as he reinforced his mental shield against her.
A vague sense of foreboding tickled Espira's awareness. Not for the first time, she felt anxious about her brother's temper. It flared too often like an unruly flame, volatile, dangerous. That he put very little effort into curbing it frightened her sometimes. She pushed the doubt aside. Perhaps he just needed more time.
She shook her head in mock reproach. Ardi was incorrigible. A slow smile lightened her expression, as she sensed what would happen next. For a split-second, she thought about refusing to fight again today. As the victor, it was her choice, but something desperate in his eyes demanded another chance.
The two rolled to their feet simultaneously. Ardientor retrieved his sword on the way. In less than a heartbeat, they faced each other once again, eager for another bout of swordplay.
Ardientor wasn't finished. He never was, no matter how many times Espira bested him. She was a force to be reckoned with. Daily, her skill in all the arts improved and somehow he knew it always would. Nevertheless, one day – perhaps this very day – he would turn the tables!
“Again!” he challenged and lunged, with a murderous gleam in his eyes.
And Espira countered him with mind and sword, not quite sure why it was so important.
Chapter 1 : MOTH TO A FLAME
Two years later
It was a bright sunny afternoon in early spring.
The day had been unseasonably warm for this time of year in Splendo. Now the sun was past its zenith, the air had begun to cool and a fresh breeze had come up from the north, bringing with it a hint of the snow which still clung to the Northern Mountains.
Despite the sudden chill, the powerful black samblar was lathered in sweat as it was put through its paces by its capable young rider. The thick muscular neck was proudly arched, the strong body and wide rump coiled like a spring before it leapt into the air, sailing effortlessly over a huge log. The rider gave the animal its head, allowing it to explode into a gallop. They flew at blurring speed halfway round the perimeter of the large field, whilst the young man performed incredible combat manoeuvres from the saddle.
Reining the samblar in was not easy. It was unyielding, early in its training and excited from the run, but the handler was very skilled, turning it in a sharp circle to slow its pace. Ji made the difficult manoeuvres seem easy, guiding his mount to a fast trot in a figure of eight, followed by a high-stepped gambol. The sleek black samblar showed little sign of tiring; snorting and blowing with the effort, he seemed to be enjoying the exercise. He still had the energy to toss his head playfully between movements.
The creature's sinuous body rippled with power, the eye-catching white-striped legs lifted and fell with dancer's grace and its pure white tail flowed behind. It was magnificent. After several more demanding movements, Ji finally asked for a halt. The samblar came to a dead stop, loose rein, near the fence where the young woman sat.
At Ji's voice command, he whirled on his haunches from standstill to an impressive pirouette, finishing the impressive demonstration with a dramatic flourish.
“How was that?” Ji sat astride his samblar, grinning proudly. The skills learned from his father, Simban, had gone from strength to strength. Now, he was one of the best riders in the land; Simban always called on him to demonstrate new stock to potential buyers who visited the stud farm.
There was a constant stream of sales these days. The new breed of samblar had excelled all expectations, proving to be the fastest land animals ever known, with an incredible stamina and courage which made them highly sought after for army mounts far and wide.
This demonstration was for no new buyer, however. It was for a girl.
“Ji, you're a real show-off, you know!” smiled Espira thinly, the off-hand statement hiding the fact that she was impressed. Secretly, she was sure she would ride like that . . . one day soon!
She eyed the samblar, 'Storm', with envious admiration. Named for his volatile energy, the colt was a larger image of his sire, Fralii's stallion, 'Spirit'. She had seen her mother's own riding prowess on that beautiful animal, as recently as last spring.
“When do I get a turn?” she pressed. This was not the first time she had asked the question during the afternoon, eager for her daily lesson to begin. When the sun set, it would be the end of another day. She huffed. “The holiday is almost over!”
She and Ardientor loved the farm. It was always wonderful to spend time with their aunt Rihann and uncle Simban; they could also visit their doting grandfather who lived nearby in Splendo. The cousins always had such fun together, but for Espira, learning to ride had been a particularly exciting part of it and Ji had been an excellent tutor.
So far, she and her brother had accepted their lessons on quiet mounts. Ardientor had done well, but Espira, apart from being the elder sibling, seemed to have a natural skill with the samblars and, with two extra years of instruction, had surpassed her brother's progress to this point. Today, she alone would be allowed a chance to learn how to properly control one of the much more spirited animals – this one, purpose-bred for battle. She could hardly wait!
At the news of this, Ardientor had become sullen, stating that he was bored, that there were more interesting things to do than riding lazy, old samblars; he had stormed off to spend the last days of the holiday in Splendo, with their grandfather.
Sometimes, Espira found his moods disappointing, but he usually came around if she applied a careful amount of persuasion. This time, he would have to deal with it himself, because she was not going to miss the last few days at the farm for anything!
Espira's empathy with all creatures told her, from one look into Storm's eyes, that she would have much of the required control as soon as she was in the saddle. Technique, she admitted, would come with
Ji's capable instruction.
“Come on, then!” encouraged Ji, dismounting in one fluid movement. He grinned. “But Essie, you will probably need my help – without your cloak!”
He handed the reins to Espira, a challenge. Their hands brushed and his eyes became intense. She had noticed it several times recently. Being human, he had no hope of hiding the attraction which lately seemed to grow with every visit.
And Ji made no attempt to curb it. She didn't approve. It felt strange. Although not by blood, they were still cousins. Since last spring, something had really changed in him. The way he looked at her, his underlying emotion, she didn't understand. It disturbed her, but not in an unpleasant way. Today, for some reason, it was more so.
Thank goodness Papa is not here! Espira worried that Ji might be in trouble for his feelings, for he had no mental-cloaking skills. He was her best friend; he could always make her laugh, invent games to play, make an adventure from a stone. Even now, he found every opportunity to entertain her or lighten her mood. Two years her senior, he was strong and protective. He meant no harm.
A sudden warm loyalty, compassion, prompted her to make a rash decision. She would do her best to shield him from discovery whenever they were in Luminor's presence together. Her talents already excelled those of all her tutors, except her father. In all the arts, she found herself constantly holding back, pretending to learn what she already knew, just to please them. It had become a little boring!
Here was an opportunity to do something outside of the mundane. She could create a mask for Ji's emotion, which would at least be confusing to anyone who encountered it. In the meantime, if she treated him harshly, perhaps he would stop liking her in this way. With luck, he would get over it before anyone else saw. Why has aunt Rihann not noticed ?
Large family gatherings had become fewer recently, with all the demands of state on Luminor's leadership. There had even been talk of a major quest, another lengthy absence from their family. Espira dreaded that possibility, remembering the last time her father had gone to war and the dangerous games she had played then.