Her inquiry rescued him from recounting his transgressions; from recalling the moment he’d become new and unnatural, more beast than man. The figure paused, pushing past the stain on his soul. In answering, he leveraged his disgraceful studies from so long ago against his firsthand experience of the hunger.
“I’m unsure, Mistress,” he offered plainly. “Possibly a mutation in the young, or some prematurity, even…”
The veining across the backs of her hands became more pronounced as she gripped the pouch tightly. “Who else would know to seek such an irregularity?”
The figure’s serrated teeth raked the interior of his mouth as he ground them together, cataloging his list of contacts from his previous life. Outdated and subject to the limitations of his former station, there was no way to be certain.
“Very few parties,” the figure admitted. “Least of all a rich yancy from Agoston.”
Without comment, she rested the pouch on the ledge. Vials chimed inside the knotted sack when it hit the rock. Begrudgingly, the figure came forward to take them. The glasses jangled as he slipped the pouch under his cloak.
“The rules are changing, Mistress,” he reminded her, redirecting her thoughts toward the future. “With Korbin’s death, Boreal could be at even greater risk within the Ethnicam. Things will be different now that you are operating as the succeeded sil’Haidren.”
“The rules haven’t changed—the board has.” Alora laced her elegant fingers. “Overnight, the political landscape has evolved in ways we could never have foreseen. Where Luscia walks as Haidren, I cannot go before her.”
“Has she become aware of her condition?”
“Niit.” Alora shook her head firmly. The strands escaping her braid swept past her cheek. “Nor will she. The fate of the realm rests on Luscia’s shoulders. She can never learn how fragile they really are.”
He noted the minor tremors in her expression as she rubbed at her wrist. The years had done little to suppress his instinct to reach out and comfort her. Denying the impulse, the figure instead lifted his gloved hand and stroked the slick feathers down Amaranth’s back.
“I will not lead you away from your conscience this time,” he assured Alora. “Not again.”
Alora twisted toward the figure. Her eyes, alight with desperation, sought the man he used to be. “One day the High One will forgive us both.” She smiled weakly. “But until that day, we are still here, given the chance to redeem our mistakes. So that is what we will do.” Alora stepped closer and joined him, caressing the hawk. “That is what we will do, my dearest.”
Though she said it to Amaranth, Alora called her the same words once reserved for him. And for a fleeting second, she glanced past the bird.
“Se’lah Aurynth.”
Within the expanse of a stolen moment, the figure forgot his name, for his name had only ever held meaning when it passed her lips. Finishing her proverb, he felt a spark beneath his tongue.
“Rul’Aniell.”
Glossary of Terms
Visit www.TheHaidrenLegacy.com/Glossary to access digital references on your mobile device.
Orynthia
–Universal–
al’Haidren: /al-Hay-dren/ The next representative in line to sit on the royal heir’s Quadren, typically the closest blood relative from the generation behind the current Haidren
Breakaway: Term for a member of the Outer Houses who chooses to live in Unitarian lands, typically in Bastiion Proper
Cross-caste: Split lineage; an individual of two separate Houses
Ethnicam: The term used when referring to the assembly or association of all four Orynthian Houses
Forgotten Wars: Name given to the unknown events that led to the Old-World’s destruction
Hagarh: /HAY-gar/ Wetlands opposite the Miraji Forest inhabited by nomadic peoples
Haidren: /HAY-dren/ A legal, judicial, and social representative of his or her corresponding House, seated on the current ruler’s Quadren
House: The collection of a people and their preserved, self-governed territory within Orynthian borders, though still beholden to the throne
Interim Haidren: The next familial relation to the Haidren, though sometimes elected by the House; put in place when the rightful Haidren is deceased or incapacitated
Orynthia: /OR-in-thee-Uh/ Central kingdom comprised of four Houses and governed by the royal line of Thoarne and the Ethnicam
Outer Houses: Self-governed Houses on the outskirts of the Unitarian lands
Quadren: The committee of advisors encircling each Orynthian ruler, consisting of one Haidren from each House
The Wastes: A barren, uninhabitable wasteland on the eastern side of the Yachel Channel
War-taint: Residual, toxic poisoning as a result of the Forgotten Wars
War-tainted: An individual, animal, or land harboring the symptoms of war-taint
Witchiron: Najjani weaponry; slang
House of Bastiion
–Lowlands & Plains–
Auras: /AUHR-rahs/ Gold coin of Bastiion origin; adopted by all Houses
Bastiion: /BAHS-tee-ON/ Crown city of Orynthia
Byrnnzite: /BERN-zite/ An organic composite of petrified ash, wood, and Old-World metallics
Crupas: /CROO-pahs/ Copper coin of Bastiion origin; adopted by all Houses
Drifting Bazaar: Merchant market of floating stalls along the bank of the Thoarne Bay
Dromas: /DROH-mahs/ Silver coin of Bastiion origin; adopted by all Houses
Inner Proper: Walled and fortified inner city of Bastiion encompassing the palace, Marketown, upper- and lower-class districts
Marketown: Mass market within the streets of Bastiion’s inner Proper
Outer Proper: Royal land encircled by the Noble Provinces; the outskirts of the city of Bastiion
Pipe Marrow: A highly pungent opiate often smoked in the tents of Marketown
Province: Land bestowed to the heads of the nobility and their heirs
Vàssa Ship: /Vaah-sa/ Leisure vessel
The Veiled Lady: Popular tavern in Marketown owned by Salma Nabhu
Yancy: /Yan-see/ Universal slang for any wealthy Unitarians; the nobility
Unitarian: Primary language spoken in the House of Bastiion and the Unitarian lands; general mixture of ancient languages, refined over time
Unitarians: Orynthian bloodline comprised from a blended ancestry from centuries past
UNITARIAN
Shtàka: /ShTAH-kuh/ Shit (slang)
Y’siti: /Yuh-ZEE-tee/ Filthy Ice-Witch (derogatory)
House of Boreal
–Highland Peninsula–
Aniell: /AHn-ee-eL/ High One; sole deity of Boreal
Bomaerod: /BOH-may-rahD/ Vented staff utilized by the Najjan; typically made of bone and/or wood, used to created audible reference points in a space while training
Boreali: /Boar-eell-ee/ Primary language spoken in the House of Boreal; term for the people of Boreal
Clann: Ruling leader of the clans inhabiting the Boreal peninsula
Clann Darragh: /Klan Dahw-rah/ Formal title of the ruling leader meaning Mighty Oak
Clan Elder: Elected leader of a Boreali clan
Consort Daggers: A set of short, curved luxiron daggers, ornate in design
Crescent Wraiths: A set of long, arced luxiron blades used in unison; gripped at the center; serrated or scooped at the ends
Feidierdanns: /Fee-DYER-dons/ A braided whip used to increase the agility of footwork in Najjani training
Isle of Viridis: /eyeL of Ver-EE-dees/ A remote island off the coast of Boreal; fortress where Najjan train
Klödjen: /klode-Gen/ A wooden globe surrounded by a horizontal ring wide enough to hold a man; used in elementary training by the Najjan
Kuerre: /Koo-AIR/ Luxiron sword; sho
rter than standard and curved at the tip
Kurtfierï: /Kert –FYE-ree/ Courtship token; an article of the father’s clothing or dress, typically worn by the suited
Linsilk: Boreali fabric made of silk harvested from spiders around the banks of the Dönumn
Lumin: /Loo-men/ Sacred light energy native to the Boreali highlands
Lumilore: /Loo-meh-Lore/ Lux-stone; lumin-infused stone gathered near the banks of the Dönumn
Luxiron: Specialized Najjani iron, forged in undiluted lumin; warm to the touch, translucent in color, corrosive in nature, and lightweight; trade restricted
Luxsmith: A Najjani smithy, dedicated to the creation of Luxiron (i.e., luxcrafting)
Lycran: /LIE-kran/ Orallach fox-wolf (wolx) hybrid; genes enhanced by war-taint
Najjan: /Nah-zhahn/ Boreali warrior
Orallach Mountains: /Orr-uh-laK/ Range of frigid mountains; uninhabited
Radials: Hidden luxiron blades worn atop the knuckles like a multi-fingered ring
Roüwen: /Roe-OO-wen/ The village-fortress capital of Boreal
Solrahs: /SOL-rahs/ Half moon-shaped septum piece made of luxiron; worn by the Haidrens to Boreal
Tiergan: /TARE-ghan/ Sacred Bloodline of the Haidrens to Boreal; direct descendants of Tiergan
BOREALI
Allöh: /AH-loe/ May peace convene with you (informal greeting)
Allöh’jomn’yeh: /AH-loe zhoM-yay/ May peace convene with you (formal greeting)
Ana’Brödre: /Ahna-Broe-DRuh/ Great Brother or Brethren
Ana’Innöx: /Ahna-ee-NOCKS/ Great Harvest
Ana’Mere: /Ahna-Mare/ Great Mother
Ana’Sere: /Ahna-Sare/ Great Sister(s)
Aurynth: /Aur-rinth/ Eternal resting place; heaven
Bolaeva: /Bo-LAY-vah/ Please
Dönumn Lux: /Doe-nuM Lux/ Gift of Light
Fappa: /Fah-puh/ Daddy
Heh’ta: /HEH-tuh/ Stay; halt
lu’Lycran: /Loo LIE-cran/ Little lycran (nickname)
Mamu: /Mah-Moo/ Mommy; mama
Meh fyreon: /Meh Feer-ee-on/ I’m sorry; I apologize
Meh’dajjeni Dönumn, weh’dajjeni Lux: /Meh Dah-zhen-ee Doe-nuM, weh Dah-zhen-ee Lux/ My strength in the Gift, our strength for the Light
Niit: /Neet/ No
rul’Aniell: /Rool AHn-ee-eL/ In and to Aniell
Se’lah Aurynth: /se-Lah Aur-rinth/ Until the shores of Aurynth
Tadöm: /tah-Dome/ Thank you
Tredae’Aurynth: /Tred-AYE Aur-rinth/ Walk in Aurynth (farewell)
Waedfrel: /Wade-frell/ Good; great; exemplary
Wem: Yes
Yeh’maelim: /Yeh-may-lim/ Welcome to you
Ykah lö: /Eye-kuh Loe/ What; huh; come again
House of Darakai
–Southern Mountains and Lowlands–
Alpha: Leader of a regional pryde of militia
Alpha Zá: Leader of the militia prydes
Andwele: /An-DWEE-lee/ Native language of Darakai
Andwele Mountains: Mountain range forming the western border between Darakai, Razôuel, and Mworra
Beta: Second to the pryde alpha
Beta Warlord: Second to the Chief Warlord
Bwoloa: /Beh-WOE-lo-ah/ Golden liqueur imported from Darakai; made of fermented grain and orange blossoms
Chief Warlord: Darakaian leader of all native tribes and minor chiefs
Commander of the Orynthian Armies: Appointed by the king
Cub: Child (slang)
Faraji: /Fah-rah-zhee/ Capital of Darakai; fortified mountain city; location of War Council and tribal leaders
Gunja pants: /Goon-Juh/ Loose-fitting pants wrapped at the waist and ankles; worn for drills and combat
Halona: /Hah-LOE-nuh/ Foothills of the Andwele Mountains
Kopar: /Koh-PAR/ Sickle-sword carried by the Darakaian military
Motumbha: /Moh-TUM-buh/ Arrowball; a Darakaian field game consisting of three baskets, two archers, and ladle-like sticks
Pammu: /PAH-moo/ Fermented pam sap brewed with beetles in the base of the bottle
Pryde: Localized group of Darakaian militia
Yowekao: /Yow-uh-KAY-oh/ Remote mountain tribe within the Andwele Mountains
ANDWELE
Ahoté: /Ah-HO-tay/ Restless Bobcat (nickname)
Àla’maia: /Ah-lah MY-ah/ The Moon (name)
Ano: /Ah-Noe/ No
Ano zà: /Ah-Noe Zah/ No (final)
Doru: /DOH-roo/ Stop; wait; pause
Ho’waladim: /Hoe-wall-a-dim/ As is due to you (in place of “You’re welcome”)
Jaha: /Jah-Hah/ Pretty thing
Jwona rapiki: /Jeh-wahn-uh rah-pee-kee/ Fate writer
Kàchà kocho: /Kah-chah Koe-cho/ This or that; so-so; either
Kakk: /Kak/ Babble; ramblings; nonsense
Kakka-shtàka: /Kak-uh ShTAH-kuh/ Dumb; shitty thing; useless (slang)
Kwihila rapiki mu Jwona: /Kwih-hee-luh rah-pee-kee moo Jeh-wahn-uh/ Victory writes over Fate
Maji’maia: /Mah-zhee MY-ah/ Witchy-Moon (nickname)
Na huwàa tàkom lai na huwàa: /Nah hoo-ah tah-KOM lie nah hoo-ah/ It takes a hound to hunt a hound
Ni yeye ràtomdai na wewe: /Nee yay-yay rah-tohm-dye nah way-way/ Do you claim rights to him/her/them/it
Owàa: /Oh-WAH/ The Sun (name)
Owàamo: /Oh-WAH-moe/ The Sun greets you (greeting)
Papyon: /Pap-ee-on/ Love; sex (slang)
Qondai: /Kon-Die/ To understand or comprehend
Shàla’maiamo: /Sha-lah my-AH-moe/ The Moon watch you (farewell)
Shamàli: /Sha-mah-lee/ If you see fit (in place of “Please”)
Uni: /Oo-nee/ Yes
Uni zà: /Oo-nee Zah/ Yes (final)
Yaya: /Yah-Yah/ Honey; an attractive woman (slang)
Zullee: /Zool-lee/ Accepted with honor (in place of “Thank you”)
House of Pilar
–Eastern Coast–
Chancellor: Head of the Pilarese Shoto Collective
Gakoshū: /Gah-koh-shoo/ City of Learning
Lempeii: /Lem-PAY/ Port city; station of the Orynthian navy
Shoto: /ShOH-toe/ Citizen of Pilar; philosopher; dedicated to the pursuit of learning
Shoto’shi: /ShOH-toe-shee/ A shoto acolyte; training in the ways of the Collective
Shoto Collective: Pilarese congress of scholars and politicians
Shoto Prime: Leader within the Shoto Collective
Acknowledgments
When I first embarked on the most ridiculous and unpromising venture of writing House of Bastiion, I knowingly exited the path expected of me and traded it in for something heartbreakingly foolish. An endeavor that would haunt me had I ignored its call, and ironically, haunts me regardless to this day.
I once read while researching what I’d committed to, that the completion of a manuscript is essentially a marathon of the mind. Having endured the many years dedicated to accomplishing House of Bastiion, while juggling my day job and the constant threat of becoming a hermit, I’ve decided this process is more akin to an unexplainable splintering of self. Never fully here, in the present, but rather somewhere else known only to the voices in my mind, bickering amongst themselves. That’s what happens, you know, when you develop characters… they never shut up.
There’s one person who deserves every ounce of recognition for having dealt with my splintered-self throughout this journey. Never doubting, ever praising, my husband, Aaron, has transcended into a form of sainthood while enduring my own transformation. I’ve evolved, as we all do, into a new entity; one that is obsessed with something he cannot see, but he must always trust is there, worthy of my obsession. Beyond his verbal support, which is reliably regular, Aaron has invested in my foolishness in countless ways, because he
never found my writing to be foolish at all. He is the epitome of a partner in crime, especially when my crime is stealing his wife on occasion, so she can play with her imaginary friends. What love, to be able to watch someone leave, the focus fading from their eyes as they slip into another realm, trusting they will return to you once more. To my Aaron, my constant, the kite reminding me to look up and trust in the ability to soar – you are my home. Thank you for helping me fly away, and for reminding me why I ever needed to in the first place.
Few are aware that House of Bastiion, and the entire THL universe, would have never been born into existence if not for one person: Amanda Williams. This woman is the sole reason I discovered a story to tell. Were it not for her advice, I’d never have written a prologue about people I’d never met, in a world that didn’t exist, on a red-eye home to Tennessee. As the wonder of lumin, an unseen light-thread of hope, glittered across my mind, my husband slept soundlessly at the edge of my tray table, none the wiser. Thank you, Amanda, for turning around in your seat as we drove to the coast of the Pacific, just to look me in the eye and suggest the ludicrous. Thank you for challenging why I’d chosen to write something I would never read, and with a twinkle in your eye, encourage me to trash it; to look beyond my need to impress, to perform, and seek something more wonderous than my own nobility. Somehow, you knew there was more. Without you, I would have never found it.
After five years of puttering around with my first draft, House of Bastiion would not have a home with readers if Rory Gilson hadn’t adopted the cause. She picked up a banner not her own and waved it over me, encouraging me to finish, fangirling when necessary, and through her efforts fell in love with my world. Rory was the first member of Team Haidren, my rag-tag team of creatives. Without her knack for all things social, I’d still be an un-pictured recluse, buried under a clowder of cats, content to never quite finish. Completing something is terrifying… there’s a finality to it. A finality I couldn’t face without Rory Gilson. On my rollercoaster of self-doubt, she became my courage and many days, is still.
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