A teenage girl battles Celtic evil in a world that stands still
September Weekes is accustomed to facing teasing and bullying because of her white hair, tubby figure and silly name, but the discovery of a clear, smooth stone at her home casts her into a struggle between good and evil that will present her with sterner challenges.
The stone takes her to Gwlad, the Land, where the people hail her as the Cludydd o Maengolauseren, the bearer of the starstone, with the power to defend them against the evil known as the Malevolence. September meets the leader of the people, the Mordeyrn Aurddolen, and the bearers of the seven metals linked to the seven ‘planets’. Each metal gives the bearer specialised powers to resist the manifestations of the Malevolence; manifestations formed from the four elements of earth, air, fire and water, such as the comets known as Draig tân, fire dragons.
She returns to her home, but is drawn back to the Land a fortnight later to find that two years have passed and the villagers have experienced more destructive attacks by manifestations. September must now help defend Gwlad against the Malevolence.
Seventh Child is the first volume in a thrilling new fantasy series, Evil Above the Stars, by Peter R. Ellis, that will appeal to anyone who likes fantasy, especially fans of JRR Tolkien and Stephen Donaldson. If old theories are correct until a new idea comes along, does the universe change with our perception of it? Were the ideas embodied in alchemy ever right? What realities were the basis of Celtic mythology?
Although ostensibly a fantasy for young adults, it can just as easily be considered science fiction and will appeal to readers of all ages.
Evil above the Stars
Volume 1
Seventh Child
Peter R. Ellis
Elsewhen Press
Seventh Child
First published in Great Britain by Elsewhen Press, 2015
An imprint of Alnpete Limited
Copyright © Peter R. Ellis, 2015. All rights reserved
The right of Peter R. Ellis to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, telepathic, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Elsewhen Press, PO Box 757, Dartford, Kent DA2 7TQ
www.elsewhen.co.uk
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-908168-60-3 Print edition
ISBN 978-1-908168-70-2 eBook edition
Condition of Sale
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.
Elsewhen Press & Planet-Clock Design are trademarks of Alnpete Limited
Converted to eBook format by Elsewhen Press
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and events are either a product of the author’s fertile imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places or people (living or dead) is purely coincidental.
Contents
Part 1 ~ Arrival
Part 2 ~ Journey
To Alison
Pronunciation guide
The ‘old tongue’ used by the people of the Land is derived from Celtic languages such as Welsh. General guidelines on pronunciation are as follows:
‘ll’ does not occur in English, in the glossary it is written as ‘LL’. The sound is made by partly opening the mouth, pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth and blowing gently.
‘dd’, written as ‘TH’ in the glossary, is the hard th sound in ‘this’ and ‘that’ but not as in ‘path’.
‘a’ is always as in ‘cat’ and not as in ‘ape’.
‘e’ is always as in ‘pet’.
‘f’ is the v in ‘van’ while ‘ff’ is the f in ‘fan’.
‘c’ is always the hard ‘k’ sound in kid.
‘ch’ is similar to ck and pronounced as in the Scottish ‘loch’ and not the English ‘church’.
‘g’ is always hard as in ‘god’ and not as in ‘german’.
‘o’ is like in ‘on’ but not ‘open’.
‘i’ and ‘u’ are pronounced ‘ee’.
‘r’s should be rolled.
‘si’ is between the sh in ‘shone’ and the j of ‘john’.
‘w’ is oo as in ‘cool’.
‘y’ is sometimes the u sound in ‘run’, sometimes the i in ‘bin’ and occasionally the ee sound in ‘been’.
‘yw’ is pronounced ‘you’.
‘ae’, ‘ai’, ‘au’ and ‘ei’ are all pronounced ‘eye’.
‘eu’ is the oy in ‘boy’.
Glossary
Word
[Pronunciation] Meaning
Abercyflym
[a-ber-kuv-lim] village at the mouth of the river Cyflym onto the river Deheuol
Adarllwchgwin
[ad-ar-LL-ook-goo-in] giant eagle bearing red devil-like figures with tridents, air manifestations of the Malevolence,
Adwyth
[ad-oo-eeth] The Malevolence, the evil from above the stars
Afon Deheuol
[a-von de-hoy-ol] Southern River, one of the great transport links of Gwlad
alcam
[al-kam] tin, a silver-grey malleable metal
Aldyth
[al-dith] a sword
Amaethaderyn
[am-eyeth-ad-er-in] Farm of birds, a village on the Afon Deheuol, the southern river
arian
[ar-ee-an] silver, a rare silver metal
arianbyw
[ar-ee-an-byou] mercury, dense silver liquid metal
Arsyllfa
[ar-siLL-va] The observatory-cum-fortress in the Bryn am seren in the west of Gwlad
Aur
[eye-er] gold. A rare, maleable, yellow metal
Bryn-am-seren
[brin-am-ser-en] Hills of Stars, a range of low mountains in the west of Gwlad
carregmam
[kar-reg-mam] mother stone
Ceffyl dwr
[kef-ill doo-er] Water horse, a giant aggressive winged horse, a water manifestation of the Malevolence
Cemegwr
[kem-egg-oo-er] Creators, chemists, the Makers of everything
Clogwyn Llwyd Uchel
[klog-oo-in LL-oo-id ee-kel] high cliffs at the western side of Llyn Pysgod
Cludydd
[klee-deeTH] bearer or wielder
Coedwig Fawr
[koy-doo-ig vow-er] The Great Forest, region of the Land between the northern river and mountains
Cyrhyraeth
[kir-hir-eyeth] a moaning, disease-bearing wind, an air-manifestation of the Malevolence
Cysegr
[ku-seg-er] Refuge or shrine near Amaethaderyn
Daear
[die-ar] Earth, the planet at the centre of the universe
Draig tân
[dry-g tarn] Fiery dragon, comet. A fire manifestation of the Malevolence
Dwytrefrhaedr
[doo-ee-trev-rheye-der] The two towns by the waterfall, on the River Deheuol
Dyfrgi
[du-ver-g-ee] The Otter, one of the trading barges on the river Deheuol
efyddyn
[e-vu-TH-in] copper, a malleable red metal
Glanyrafon
[glan-ur-avon] Village on the ban
k of the river Deheuol
Gleisiad
[gl-eye-see-ad] The Salmon, one of the trading barges on the river Deheuol
Gwener
[goo-en-er] Venus, the 3rd planet from the Earth in the geo-centric system
Gwlad
[goo-lard] The Land – the occupied continent on Daear
Gwyllian
[goo-iLL-ee-an] old women, earth manifestations of the Malevolence
haearn
[heye-arn] iron, a hard grey metal
Hafn
[hav-en] cleft or gorge
Haul
[h-eye-el] Sun, the 4th planet from the Earth in the geo-centric system
Iau
[ee-aye] Jupiter, the 6th planet from the Earth in the geo-centric system
Lleuad
[LL-eye-ad] Moon, the 1st ‘planet’ from the Earth in the geo-centric system
Llyn Pysgod
[LL-in piss-god] The Lake of Fish, the great lake on the river Deheuol
maengolauseren
[mine-gol-eye-ser-en] stone of starlight or starstone, the stone of power held by September
Malevolence
[mal-ev-o-lens] the power of evil from above the stars
Mawrth
[ma-oorth] Mars, the 5th planet from the Earth in the geocentric system
Mercher
[mer-ker] Mercury, the 2nd planet from the Earth in the geo-centric system
Mordeyrn
[mor-day-ern] Leader
Mynydd Tywyll
[mun-iTH tu-oo-iLL] the dark mountains in the north of Gwlad
o
[o] of
plwm
[ploom] lead, a dense, soft grey metal
prif-
[preev] chief, head
Pwca
[Poo-ka] a shape-changer, an air manifestation of the Malevolence
Sadwrn
[sad-oo-ern] Saturn, the 7th planet from the Earth in the geo-centric system
Seren Gogledd
[ser-en gog-le-TH] north star, the Pole star
trawsffurfio
[trows-feer-vee-o] to transform, the talent of a cludydd o arianbyw
Ymadaelwch
[um-a-dial-oo-k] “Be gone!”
Dramatis Personae
Alawn
[ala-oon] young guide to Bryn-am-seren
April
30 years old, oldest sister of September
Arianwen
[a-ree-an-oo-en] The cludydd o arian, silver-bearer, of Amaethaderyn
Augustus
18 year old brother of September, also called ‘Gus’
Aurddolen
[eye-er-TH-olen] chief bearer of gold and leader of the Land
Berddig
[bear-TH-ig] The cludydd o alcam, tin-bearer, of Amaethaderyn
Breuddwyd
[broy-TH-oo-id] September’s mother
Catrin
[kat-rin] The cludydd o efyddyn, copper-bearer, of Amaethaderyn
Collen
[ko-LL-en] elderly guide to Bryn-am-seren and cook
Cynddylig
[kin-THil-ig] older man, boatman and river guide
Eluned
[e-lee-ned] The cludydd o arianbyw, mercury bearer, of Amaethaderyn
Elystan
[el-is-tan] young guide to Bryn-am-seren
Emma
schoolfriend of September
Gwrion
[goo-ree-on] mature guide to Bryn-am-seren
Heulwen
[hoyl-oo-en] daughter of Aurddolen
Heulyn
[hoyl-in] chief bearer of gold and leader of the land at the last conjunction
Iddig
[i-TH-ig] bearer of iron in Dwytrefrhaedr
Iorwerth
[ee-or-oo-er-th] The cludydd o haearn, iron-bearer of Amaethaderyn
Julie
21 year old sister of September
June
24 year old sister of September
Malice
servant of the Malevolence, twin sister of September
May
27 year old sister of September
Merryl
[mer-ril] woman of Dwytrefrhaedr, housekeeper for the Mordeyrn Aurddolen
Meurin
[moy-rin] young man of Amaethaderyn
Mr Bloomsbury
Chemistry teacher
Mr Jones
Physics teacher
Mrs Roberts
English teacher
Nisien
[nis-ee-en] mature guide to Bryn-am-seren
Padarn
[pad-arn] The cludydd o plwm, lead-bearer, of Amaethaderyn
Poppy
schoolfriend of September
September
16 year old girl, surname Weekes, also called ‘Ember’ and ‘Em’
Sieffre
[jef-re] young man, lead guide to the Bryn-am-seren
Tudfwlch
[teed-voolk] young warrior and ironsmith, apprentice to Iorwerth
Part 1
~
Arrival
1
The dark embraced her. It had always been dark, not that she had any understanding of ‘always’. That implied a memory of before. She had no memory. Memories are born with the passage of time and in the dark there was no time. Nevertheless she was unique, an anomaly, the one amongst thousands, millions, billions, who was aware. Around her, filling the dimensionless space without time, were the other souls who had never experienced life. They had no awareness, no sense of self, just one emotion – hate. She felt it too, along with anger, spite and malice – anger that she had been denied existence; spiteful resentment of those, unknown to her, who had life; malicious intent to harm them all. The urge to wreak vengeance, to destroy, sustained her through the endless timelessness.
Something changed. Time began. No longer was the dark complete nor her existence formless. There was light and she had eyes to see. The light was only a speck, a pin-point of brightness. Slowly it grew. Was the light itself growing, was it moving towards her or was she drawn towards it? She didn’t know or care. It didn’t matter but the light held her attention, became the focus of her malice. This was the source of her injustice, the denial of her life.
Around her she could feel the power of all those nameless souls growing. A dark energy of malevolence directed, like her own feelings, at the growing orb of light. It was an old emotion that waxed and waned but now was building to a new peak. And she was at the heart of it, aware and eager, hungry for revenge.
2
September held the object in her hand. It looked like a pebble but she was sure it was not simply a piece of rock, more like a chunk of smoky glass. It was oval, about four centimetres long, a centimetre less in width and its thickness varying like a lens. It could have been a pendant, she thought, but there were no marks of a clasp. She put it down on her dressing table-cum-desk and finished getting ready for bed. Standing in her sleep-shirt and knickers she picked the object up again. It felt smooth and cool, like glass, except that it was opaque. Well, that was the odd thing. The surface seemed clear but the interior was cloudy. She thought it was quite pretty.
She looked out of the window in front of her. The sky was black and there were no clouds to reflect the city lights. The Moon had risen above the rooftops, casting its silver-blue radiance over the gardens below. A few stars out-shone the streetlights. September lifted the glass pebble and stared into it. It caught the moon beams and seemed to sparkle for a moment. The cloudiness seemed to move like mists swirling away on a cold morning.
“Are you ready for bed, Ember?” The call came up the stairs and September immediately felt her hairs rise on her neck and her cheeks flush. Why did Mother still treat her like a child, checking that she was settling down? In another two weeks she would be sixteen. Surely she could decide when it was time to go to bed. The feeling quickly passed. She’d grown up with Mother’s attention. She seemed to fuss over September more than over her sisters and brother, but perhaps that was jus
t because she was the youngest. The bedtime call was one of Mother’s little rituals. Mother liked ritual and orderliness; that was why she still went to chapel every week. The rest of the family copied Dad’s atheistic laziness on Sundays.
“Yes, Mum,” she replied.
She dropped the pebble into her pencil case and climbed onto the top bunk. During term time she had the choice of beds but in college vacations, Julie exerted her rightful choice as the next older sister. School had only just begun again after the summer holiday but Julie was away with her friends. September pulled the duvet up round her neck and waited for the inevitable tap on the door. It came moments later, followed by the door opening and a head appearing in the gap. None of her teachers or friends ever failed to recognise September’s mother. Both of them had white hair that looked almost blue in some lights. September now had hers cut short but Mother’s flowed in waves to her shoulders. Their faces too were similarly round, with pink cheeks, short up-turned nose and wide pale blue eyes, and both had the same build, short with broad hips and a tendency to plumpness.
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