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About the Author
Salvador Mercer loves to read. Having read the works from Tolkien, McCaffrey, Donaldson, Asimov, Burroughs, Crichton, and many others, the desire to write took over the once sane man and now he finds himself immersed in telling tall tales and intricate fables from this world, and across the stars to many others.
His stories are inspired by past author greats, but written and moved forward by Mercer who sincerely hopes that the stories delight and entertain the reader. He invites you to enter the worlds and realms of his books, and hopes you share with him your experiences there.
Salvador Mercer is fluent in English, Russian and Spanish, having served in the US Army, 750th Military Intelligence Brigade as a Russian Voice Intercept Operator, works in the field of Public Transit, loves languages, history, reading, boating, traveling, and science. He lives in Ohio with his three boys, a baby (elf), toddler (hobbit), teenager (orc), and wife, Masha.
Appendix A
The “Science” of Claire Agon
Claire Agon is the second planet orbiting Tau Ceti, located just less than twelve light years from our own planet Earth. It circles its star in the habitable zone, just over two-thirds of one AU, or astronomical unit, which is the distance of Earth from the sun. This places it in orbit about the same distance around Tau Ceti as Venus is to Sol. It has an atmosphere similar to Earth’s, but it is different in composition, because the inhabitants of Claire Agon are silicon-based life forms, not carbon-based as on our planet.
Claire Agon has two companion moons about half the size of Earth’s moon, but circling the planet much closer, four times closer, in fact. The two moons are tidally locked to Claire Agon, each showing the same face to the planet. The two moons in the common tongue are called Tira and Sara, in that order. Tira rises first, followed a few hours later by Sara. Both moons are named for Claire Agon’s daughters in Agonian mythos. Lunar eclipses are not uncommon due to the close orbits of the two moons to the planet, and a full lunar cycle occurs approximately every nine days. Both moons are much like small Agonian worlds, and their blue, green, and white cloud-tipped atmospheres can clearly be seen from the surface of Agon.
Claire Agon, or simply Agon in the common tongue, isn’t the only planet circling Tau Ceti. Recently on Earth, astronomers have detected up to five planets circling the class G star, which is similar in type to our own Sol, but it masses only four-fifths that of our own sun. The astronomers are almost correct insomuch as the system actually has six planets. One planet, however, they could not have imagined; it circles Tau Ceti in an elliptical and eccentric orbit, tilted at thirty degrees above the solar plane. That planet is the size of our own Neptune, but instead of being a gaseous planet, it is a rocky planet, with a huge mass relative to Earth and an atmosphere and magnetosphere in a class unto itself. Agonians call this planet “Dor Akun,” or “Death World,” though the term “Father of Death” is also used, depending on the culture.
Dor Akun orbits Tau Ceti once every two hundred years, and when it approaches perihelion, or its closest approach to the star, it actually comes within the orbit of Claire Agon. In addition to this, Claire Agon is also pulled by the gravitational force of Dor Akun, to the point that it, too, reaches perihelion and does so at the same time as its bigger mate, Dor Akun. During this time Dor Akun is a mere million miles from Claire Agon, and it reaches perihelion exactly on the solar plane where Agon orbits Tau Ceti, thus eclipsing Agon as it transits from perihelion and begins its slow, arduous journey up and back to its aphelion, to begin the cycle all over again.
The eclipse lasts an entire Agonian month, and its tidal forces pull mercilessly on the smaller Agon, flexing its crust and creating huge tides and displacements of waters both great and small. Agon is cast into a cold, dark, month-long isolation, suffering immense damage to life there.
Fortunately for those who live on Agon, the event occurs only once every two hundred orbits of Agon and once every orbit of Dor Akun. Where the two planets actually cross orbits, the larger planet, Dor Akun, is inclined by several million miles, and so the paths of the two planets never cross.
Some Earth-based scientists, if they could witness the odd but regular orbits of Agon and Akun, might conclude that the event will eventually decay the Agonian orbit to the point where it either degrades into Tau Ceti, in a spectacular but deadly spectacle of death, or, more likely, on one pass, it will be captured by Dor Akun and her orbit will take her into the deeper regions of Tau Ceti space, where it is cold and dark and eventually even silicon-based life would freeze to death.
This, however, isn’t the only thing that occurs during the transit event. On Earth, we are protected from radioactive particles by its magnetosphere. In Agon the sphere is weaker and charged particles rain down from Tau Ceti yearly, but during the transit event the great magnetosphere of Dor Akun acts much like a wing does on a modern-day airplane as it slices through the air; it funnels a steady stream of highly charged particles from the local star around itself and onto the surface of Claire Agon every two centuries. The phenomenon causes mutations in the silicon-based life forms of Claire Agon, and so evolution there takes place at a much more rapid pace than it does on Earth.
Such are the science of Claire Agon and its dance of death and change with its bigger mate, Dor Akun, all around a nondescript class G spectral star located not very far from our own sun. Thus magic is created and dragons are born.
Appendix B
The Black Dragon Glossary
A
Adolfo, Entertainer in Utandra, spy of Gemma Vandersot
Agon, Common name for Claire-Agon
Akilon, Capital of Akula, King's Realm
Akula, King's realm including Ulatha
Albreda, Entertainer in Utandra, spy of Gemma Vandersot
Amal, Apprentice to Arch Mage Rualf
Arabella, Demi-God of Astor
Arella, Flower with leaves that have healing properties
Arnen, Ancient Order of Druids
Azor, Spy of Jezebel and of Kesh
B
Balaria, Country known for its Assassins and Thieves
C
Cecil, Elder Prefect's old assistant, Elder of Tannis
Claire-Agon, The planet/world
Cornelia, Fist of Astor
Critir, Magic Orb used to communicate (Crystal Ball)
D
Diamedes, Ulathan, King's Historian
Dor Akun, Largest & 6th planet in 200 year orbit of Tau Ceti
E
Earlstyne Forest
, Large forest on the eastern border of Ulatha
Edward Horwell, Chief investigator for the Society of Historical Facts
F
Foray, Noble name for the King's realm of Akula
Fulbert, Commander of Duke's detachment to Tannis
G
Gazel, Owner (wife) of the Tannis Tavern
Gemma Vandersot, Cousin and Noble of the Duke of Ulatha
Grand Astor Temple, Chief Temple in Ulathan capital
H
Horag, Thief, member of first expedition
I
Ira Moross, Wife of prefect Julian, mother of Olivia
J
Jezebel, Balarian Assassin & Companion of Rualf
Julian Moross, Prefect of Tanner Town and Pentost Region
July, Cousin of Olivia Moross
Justiciar Basil, Duke's roaming judge and executor of laws in Ulatha
K
Kero Swamp, Marshlands near Tannis
Kesh, Wizard’s land to the East of Ulatha
Keshtor, Capital of Kesh
Ke-Torra, High-Mage of Kesh
Kris, Porter for Jezebel
L
Lunde, Jungle to the south of Ulatha
M
Meiler, Sergeant of Arms for Tannis
O
Onyx Tower, Seat of government for Kesh, seat of the High Mage
Ortanel, City south of Tannis on coast
Osric Moross, Brother of Olivia Moross
P
Pascal, Tannis Scout
Pentost, Region where Tannis is located
Patriarch Torwell, Leader of the Astor faith
Q
Qui Amatha, Black Dragon of Kero Swamp
R
Rayner, Duke of the northern border realm of Rigal
Reefus, Cousin of Arch Mage Rualf, in expedition to Rigal
Regina, House servant for the Moross family
Rigal, Capital of northern border realm
Roarwell, King of Tyniria
Rualf, Arch Mage working in Utandra, capital of Ulatha
S
Safron, Realm known for its tobacco and weed
Sara, Second Moon of Agon
Sars, Cousin of Olivia Moross
Seyla, Fist of Astor, Holy Warrior
Sivern, Wyvern drone for Qui Amatha
Supreme Patriarch, Torwell, Leader of the Order of Astor
T
Thomas, Hand of Astor
Tira, First Moon of Agon
Tors, Surname for the Duke of Ulatha
Trovis Mountains, Mountain range in the West of Ulatha
Tybert, Chief of Staff for Prefect Julian Moross
U
Ulan Utandra, Formal name for Capital of Ulatha
Ulatha, Realm of Duke Uthor
Ulsthor, Western town of Kesh, near Ulatha
Uthor Tors, Duke of Ulatha
W
Waleren, Guard in third expedition
Western Sea, Sea to the west of Ulatha
The Blue Dragon
Chapter 1 Excerpt
“Is that the dragon?” the pudgy administrative bureaucrat asked, peering over the ridge line near the beach.
“No, that is its watcher,” the Kesh wizard replied, looking intently at the Balarian government official.
“Well, it looks like a dragon, though I can barely see it from here,” the pudgy man said, moving to the side to get a better vantage point.
This brought an immediate reaction from the wizard. “Do not step beyond the two orbs, Overseer Jaxon.”
Jaxon rubbed his chin, stepping back from the ridgeline to assess the wizard’s words. “Why? Can it see us?”
“Not if we stay between the orbs,” the wizard replied. “It has ways of seeing in more than just the visible light.”
“That is not reassuring, Kaylor,” Jaxon said, eyeing the wizard with suspicion. “You seem to know entirely too much about them. Besides, even though it’s hard to see, it looks like a dragon to me.”
Kaylor took a step closer to Jaxon, scrutinizing the Balarian bureaucrat. Balarians were known for their backstabbing thieves, their professional assassins, and providing sanctuary to marauding pirates, but the wizard was about to add cumbersome and annoying governmental administrators to the list as well. “We are on the same side here.”
“Are we, Kesh?” Jaxon said, a nod of his head to the Balarian captain who stepped next to his administrator, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.
A large barbarian warrior stepped up behind Jaxon and the Balarian captain. He had blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and towered at least a foot above the captain and more so the administrator. “Not wise idea to pick fight with magic wielder.” His accent was heavy, his words choppy, but his presence was commanding.
Several Balarian soldiers stood from their resting positions, and a few even grabbed their spears. Alyssa, the thief, and Krom, the Akun cleric, both stirred restlessly but said nothing. Kaylor looked around and smiled, which wasn’t exactly reassuring to Jaxon. “Now, now, Overseer, we would not want to start a diplomatic incident right before we face one of your country’s chief nemeses, now would we?”
Seth watched as the soft words of the wizard charmed . . . no, soothed would be a better word, the tensions of his fellow Balarians. There was something mystical not only to the man’s words but to his tone as well. Seth felt himself wanting to like the wizard, even trust the Kesh, but his instincts proved stronger, and he resisted. The Balarians worked with the Kesh, oftentimes closely, but that didn’t mean they trusted one another, and a time like this showed exactly why.
Seth stepped forward, interrupting the Kesh wizard and breaking the trancelike state that had suddenly come over the Balarians. “All right, Kaylor, you made your point. The stone-like-looking creature that we saw, if it isn’t a dragon, then what is it?”
Kaylor looked at Seth and then back to Jaxon, who was blinking his eyes, dumbfounded. The large northern barbarian Graz laughed quietly and shook his head, stepping back and down further onto the beach. Kaylor turned his attention back to Seth before speaking. “I am glad at least one Balarian still sees reason. The creature you saw is a wyvern, not a dragon.”
Captain Eiry spoke, keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Not possible. The creature seemed small, much smaller than I would expect a mythical wyvern to be.”
“That is because these wyverns are drones, bred and raised to serve the Draconians. Fact of the matter is that particular one guarding the cave on the beach is probably one of the largest wyvern drones there is,” Kaylor said, looking now at the captain.
Seth fingered the daggers tucked into his belt at the small of his back, hidden by his light cloak that seemed out of place in the warm midday sun. “So, what is our plan, Kaylor? You’re the brains of this operation, and there would be no operation if not for your ambassador’s prodding. What would you have us do now?”
Kaylor motioned to his apprentice, who handed him a stick from a nearby dead tree. Kaylor began to draw a crude map in the sandy soil at their feet. Seth thought it odd that the wizard didn’t just use his staff, but he left it alone when Kaylor began to speak. “We move around these gullies to the rear of the cave to this point here.” The Kesh pointed to a spot behind a small rock that represented their target. “Then we assault the guardian from behind, surprising it and killing it before it can alert its master.”
Jaxon kicked the dirt, partially erasing the crudely drawn map on the ground, and then the pudgy man looked directly at Seth. “I’m in charge of this mission, not the Kesh. We will approach from the beachfront using the small tidal outcropping to conceal us until we are close to this wyvern thing. Then we attack it. You Kesh”—with this the administrator pointed a chubby digit from his right hand at the taller, swarthy wizard—“will make sure to silence the beast before it can alert the real dragon, if there is one.”
Seth no longer fingered his daggers, instead gripping the handles of both blades tightly. He was widely considered
to be the best Balarian assassin in all of Agon, yet even he knew not to push a Kesh mage too far. Seth had once killed one of the Kesh sorcerers years ago, and it almost cost him his life. He would not underestimate one of them ever again. Seth stepped forward yet again, first to get the men’s attention and defuse the situation and secondly to get within striking range of the wizard, should his words fall on deaf ears.
“Master Kaylor,” Seth began, being unusually formal and polite with the man, “perhaps you could humor our good overseer and allow him the honor of the kill?”
Seth noticed that Jaxon’s chubby jowl began to quiver as his mouth moved, but no words came out. Captain Eiry seemed calm enough but had the look of a man ready to die, his knuckles now white as he gripped his sword still fortunately sheathed at his waist. Only Kaylor seemed truly calm, as calm as Seth was in this stressful moment. He was facing two dozen Balarian warriors, a formidable captain, an accomplished thief of the guild, an Akun cleric, and the best Balarian assassin in all of Agon, and the Kesh wizard had only a northern barbarian warrior to protect him, that and his frail, young, sickly looking apprentice. The extreme calm of the man unnerved Seth more than any display of anger or strength could ever do.
The Black Dragon: A Claire-Agon Dragon Book (Dragon Series 1) Page 24
