Demons of the Flame Sea

by Jean Johnson

  Titles by Jean Johnson

  DAWN OF THE FLAME SEA

  DEMONS OF THE FLAME SEA

  First Salik War

  THE TERRANS

  THE V’DAN

  Theirs Not to Reason Why

  A SOLDIER’S DUTY

  AN OFFICER’S DUTY

  HELLFIRE

  HARDSHIP

  DAMNATION

  The Sons of Destiny

  THE SWORD

  THE WOLF

  THE MASTER

  THE SONG

  THE CAT

  THE STORM

  THE FLAME

  THE MAGE

  The Guardians of Destiny, & Other Destiny Stories

  THE TOWER

  THE GROVE

  THE GUILD

  SHIFTING PLAINS

  BEDTIME STORIES

  FINDING DESTINY

  THE SHIFTER

  Specials

  BIRTHRIGHT

  Demons of the Flame Sea

  Jean Johnson

  INTERMIX

  New York

  INTERMIX

  Published by Berkley

  An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

  Copyright © 2016 by Jean Johnson

  Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.

  INTERMIX and the “IM” design are trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

  ISBN: 9780698152625

  First Edition: November 2016

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Version_1

  Contents

  Titles by Jean Johnson

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Author’s Note

  Glossary

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  About the Author

  The language and culture of the Flame Sea are not quite like ours; plurals end in a t instead of an s, j is a “yuh” or “yih” sound unless paired as dj for a “juh” sound, and they lack certain concepts for gender-specific honorifics, like lord versus lady. Additional variations may stem from different cultures and cultural perceptions, such as the viewpoints of the Fae and the Efrijt. A glossary has therefore been included for your convenience. Endjoj!

  Glossary

  aether (AY-therr): The realm or purview of magical energies on a particular world. It is most easily compared to the frequency range of radio waves; the aether is normally invisible and intangible to all but those sensitive to its presence, with mages being comparable to radio-transmission/reception towers, but without the aether and its magics being limited to electromagnetic-spectrum capacities. Focusing magic from or through the aether—such as when conjuring light, fire, water, and so forth—can cause it to “hop frequencies” and become visible. Different worlds and universes have different rules on how magic works, and some magic neither uses nor occupies an aetheric field, but in most worlds there is a comparable zone. See aura.

  Anashak (AH-nah-shack): A square enchanted tapestry or carpet used by the Efrijt as a form of transportation and shelter. When its warding powers are activated, it will protect anyone sleeping on it from being bothered by anything flea-sized or larger, including insects, rain, wild animals and so forth. When its transporting powers are activated, it will levitate and fly with whatever sits upon it, up to a mass equivalent to the area of the carpet cubed. When its powers are not active, it can be rolled up and bound with straps to be carried on the Efrijt’s back.

  anima (AH-nih-mah): A mysterious energy shaped like a ball of scintillating mist-light. It can emanate from anything, most commonly from fire and storms, least commonly (but most powerfully) from stones. It is used by animadjet, who have trained their will to either conjure it from within themselves or (most commonly) seize a wisp to use it to heal themselves or others, and to cast spells. It is oddly and powerfully drawn straight to any Fae who uses magic.

  animadj (AH-ni-mah-j): Someone who can conjure anima within themselves, or control, consume, and use the energy in an anima-wisp to create spells and other magical effects. In other worlds, they would be called mages, wizards, shaman, and so forth.

  animadjet (AH-ni-mah-JET): Plural of animadj.

  animadjic (AH-nih-MAH-jick): The style of magic used in the Flame Sea universe.

  aura: The physical sensations, noises, or visual effects a mage or other sensitive individual feels, sees, or hears in regards to the concentration of magical energies within or near a particular object, whether that object is based on animal, mineral, plant, location, or whatever.

  Dai-Efrijt (DIE-eh-FREET): Someone who is a crossbreed descendant of both a Fae and an Efrijt.

  Dai-Fae (DIE-fay): Someone who is a crossbreed between Fae and local humans. Technically it means “Half-Fae” but it can also refer to someone with a quarter Fae blood (one out of four grandparents), or three-quarters (three out of four), so on and so forth.

  Daemashevar (DAY-mah-SHEH-varr): An outworlder race that is not humanoid; they are scheduled to visit with the Fae on their homeworld for about two months. Fae policy is to close all their many Veilways during such visits, so as to preserve the sanctity and safety of all interconnected worlds in case it is a ruse for an invasion. The Daemashevar are considered highly trusted, but the foremost law of the Fae is to protect their home universe from outsiders, and by extension, all the worlds they touch.

  Daro (DAH-roh): A third-rank title among the Efrijt, indicating a decent level of skill or proficiency in a particular career path. It translates loosely as “master” in the sense of apprentice-journeyman-master. Most adult Efrijt fall into this category.

  Efrijt (eff-FREE-yiht): A race of largish humanoids with reddish to brown or black skin, orange to reddish brown or black hair, and flame colored eyes. Their bottom canines, or tusks, are twice as long as usual, and their bodies are usually quite broad with muscles. Like the Fae, they travel from dimension to dimension, seeking worlds and resources to trade, but the Efrijt prefer to exploit more than trade fairly. They have a very strict by-the-contract culture, but stick mostly to the letter of those contracts, not the spirit of them.

  el-fae (ELL-fay): In Frijsh, the language of the Efrijt, putting the prefix el-onto a noun is a derogatory act, making whatever it’s attached to an insulted diminutive. In this case, it means literally “slimy Fae” or “slimy-(whatever).”

  Fae (FAY): Literally, the Fair. A race of magically powerful humanoids with golden eyes, blond hair, golden or pale skin, and pointed ears, no longer than one or two inches more at the points than the size of curved human-style ears.

  Fae Gh’vin (FAY give-IN): Translates as Guardian. A highly skilled warrior-mage. These Guardians serve as a de facto mil
itary force for the Fae and also serve as chief advisers to the Fae government. The Great Guardian is the leader of all Guardians.

  Faelan (FAY-lan, like “land” without the d): Homeworld of the Fae.

  Faelon (FAY-lonn): Language of the Fae.

  Fae Rii (fay REE): Fair Traders. Members of the Fae race appointed to travel to other worlds in search of trade goods. They have several strict guidelines they try to follow, including injunctions against being aggressors and thieves. Their philosophy is to find a fair and reasonable trade that benefits all parties, rather than to seek a trade that benefits only their own side. This policy has made the Fae Rii very popular on many of the worlds they visit.

  faeshiin (fay-SHEEN): A golden metallic alloy similar to steel but crafted solely by Fae smiths from ores mined on the Fae homeworld. It is resistant to magics as well as to physical damage. Most common uses are for armor and the blades of weapons.

  féj (FAY): See Fae.

  geas (GAY-sh): An obligation, burden, or task—usually laid by magic upon a person by a more powerful being—to perform or avoid a particular activity or duty. Going against a geas either is blocked by the magic involved, or it carries consequences that can range from immediate corrective or punitive pain to a delayed curse of misfortune plaguing the geas-breaker’s actions for months or years to come.

  gate, portal: Magical apertures connecting two locations on a single world. Gates are very local, usually require some sort of mirror or archway, rarely permit more than a single cart-sized conveyance through at a time, and are confined to distances traveled on foot by up to a month. Portals can span continents and oceans and are often created large enough for two or more carts or conveyances to travel through. The size of the opening and the distance between the two locations exponentially increase the energy needed to create the aperture. One-way portals and gates cost less energy than two-way, and smaller openings cost proportionately less as well.

  Guardian: See Fae Gh’vin.

  Ijesh (ee-YEH-sh): Translates to bountiful blessing. The settlement-city of the Flame Sea Tribe.

  Kuro (KOO-roh): A second-ranked title among the Efrijt, considered a sort of overseer, placed under one of the triumvirate members and dealing on an hourly and daily basis with the daro and the lesser workers placed under their jurisdiction; the modern equivalent could be considered “floor manager” as opposed to full manager of a business.

  madouk (mah-DOOK): A staff, usually crafted from metal or very hard wood wrapped in a crisscross of metal banding, usually about four feet long, with a blade a foot and a half long concealed inside and released/retracted by a set of recessed buttons in the shaft at about the midpoint. Most madouk are used as walking sticks, or balancing poles for when a Fae rides on a slip-disc.

  Medjant (med-JAUNT): An Efrijt business conglomerate run by a triumvirate and many workers with various different ranks and skills. Once an Efrijt becomes an adult, they usually align themselves with a medjant instead of with a particular family, though they often maintain and utilize familial ties to gain various business advantages.

  myjiin (my-JEEN): An herbal concoction that permits the drinker’s mind to comprehend and communicate instantly in unfamiliar languages.Efficacy varies from universe to universe.

  palraca (pahl-RAH-cah): A potent fermented drink made from the starchy roots of a bush, the sap of a thorny tree, and the flowers of a narrow-leaved, spiky cactus. Has aphrodisiac-style properties, getting drinkers in the mood for randy activities. Usually reserved for important celebrations.

  pantean or pantejan (pan-TAY-an): Expedition. It can refer to the group of Fae Rii who establish it but is equally used by the Fae to indicate their base camp.

  scrying: Using magic to see and/or hear at a distance, the magical equivalent of surveillance cameras. Most often used via reflective surfaces or clear, three-dimensional mediums such as mirrors, bowls of water, crystals, where everyone within viewing range can see what the scrying point of view can see, but scrying can also be done mentally by one person alone. Scrying consumes far less energy than opening a portal or gate.

  Sefo (SEH-foh): The triumvirate member for an Efrijt medjant in charge of keeping track of the rules, regulations, laws, contracts, and finances for a particular medjant. One of the greater officers on the board of directors in modern terms.

  Sejo (SEH-yoh): The head of the triumvirate for an Efrijt medjant in charge of making executive decisions and directing the success, or failure, of the medjant. They are the equivalent of the president of the company, and unless overruled by both the Sefo and the Seso, make all final decisions for the medjant. Head of the officers or board of directors for a modern company.

  selijm (sell-LEE-yihm): The distance a healthy person can walk in an hour, approximately three miles, including a brief rest at some point and presuming the terrain is only modestly difficult: mild sand dunes, hilly or wooded terrain with a rough path, or brush-scattered savannah.

  Seso (SEH-soh): The triumvirate member of an Efrijt medjant in charge of overseeing the workers and the daily work for producing whatever it is the medjant produces, whether it’s goods, services, information, or whatever. One of the greater officers on the board of directors in modern terms.

  Shae (SHAY): Literally, the Dark, but also synonymous with outworlder, someone who was born on a world that is not the homeworld of the Fae themselves. In its most common use, it means an outworlder accepted by the Fae, a person allowed to live among them as a fellow citizen.

  slip-disc: A peculiar device, consisting of pods shaped like eggs cut in half lengthwise, connected by chains. These discs levitate and when stood upon can be controlled by the angle of the feet and the shifting weight of the rider to fly in various directions. A pole of some sort is usually used to help keep balance and control of the artifact. See madouk.

  sunsteel: See faeshiin.

  taje (TAH-yuh): Lord/lady, elder, honored one, used as a title of respect. Most commonly used before a name; rarely found afterward.

  tajet (TAH-yet): Multiple lords, ladies, elders, honored ones. Plural of taje.

  Taro (TAH-roh): The lowest-ranked member of any Efrit medjant; often it is the least-skilled person, but sometimes can be a person who has great skill but whose skills are currently useless to the daily operation of the business. Also used as a sign of punishment levied on an Efrijt.

  tash keleth (TOSH kell-ETH): A Fae curse, it translates approximately as “Copulate with a domesticated mount in a very crude and uninvited manner.”

  Veil: The boundary between one universe, dimension, or state of existence and the next. It can be opened or closed between one world and another, opened or closed between one universe and another, or used to refer to the transition from life to death. The thickness of the Veil can span entire star systems, or entire dimensions. It very rarely refers to opening a connection between two places locally on the same world. See gate, portal.

  Veilway: The actual opening, aperture, or archway that links one location to another, usually the result of an intentional piercing of the Veil. The Fae guard their Veilways very carefully, as they often connect two very important locations directly and are thus a potential liability for an invasion force, large or small. It is usually anchored in a Veil Arch, a cat’s-eye-shaped aperture. In physics, the trick is accomplished by folding space-time and dimension so that two distant points are adjacent. It is rarely done casually, as most universes become perturbed in the local aether, which messes up the ability to create multiple apertures or perform other major feats of magic.

  Vul Gh’vin, Vai Gh’vin (VULL guh-VIN, v-EYE-guh-VIN): Roughly translates as Bad Cop, Good Cop, though a more accurate translation is Rough Guardian, Kind Guardian.

  wadij (wah-DEE-yuh): Valleys or canyons with streambeds that are dry most of the year or contain at most a seeping trickle but flow and can even flood at certain times—most often a flash flood from rain that falls far
upstream without any warning. This is also known as a wadi in the real world. Crossing a wadi can be dangerous, even deadly, particularly during the rainy season—again, it may appear to be dry where you are, but a flash flood can happen if it rains dozens and even hundreds of miles away, well beyond your line of sight.

  wadijt (wah-DEE-yiht): Plural of wadij.

  Chapter One

  Year 45, tail end of high summer

  Red Rocks Valley

  Old Nandjed didn’t do much weaving anymore; her age-gnarled fingers had lost most of their dexterity. She could, however, keep an eye on the strips of lizard meat drying on racks and spread out onmats woven by her children and her grandchildren. Seated on a cushion of leather wrapped around bundled grasses and propped up against a bit of rock under a tree, she occasionally used a long branch to poke at the thickest strip within reach, testing to see if it was truly stiff yet.

  She didn’t expect anything to move, not even a gnat, just herself whenever she flicked her palm leaf woven fan to try to stir the stifling hot air. Even Papit didn’t move beyond the little rise and fall of his chest for breath. The half northlander boy was supposed to be keeping watch on the pass, but sprawled on a grass mat, the young warrior-in-training had fallen asleep in the shade, unplagued even by flies in the midafternoon heat.So nothing moved but her fan, and the man walking up the pass.

  The man . . . Nandjed blinked twice, fluttered her fan a little faster, and shaded her eyes with her free hand. Yes, a man. Coated in the dust of the playa where the Black Rocks Tribe lived in a high desert pass between sections of the northern mountains, but still, a man approached, confounding her for a moment.

  No one traveled far in the season of high summer, not even in the mountains. The searing heat of midday meant most everything huddled in shaded areas trying to sleep. Insects rarely droned, birds hid from the searing sun, and larger animals moved around mostly at night. Everything clung to their nearest, usually dwindling, sources of water. Even the nights could be unbearably hot, rarely cool, never cold.