Claimed: (The Land of Schism Book 1) Epic Fantasy Novel for Young and New Adults
Page 1
Claimed
Nicole Adamz
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
-2 Corinthian 5: 7 KJV
To the love of my life, Patrick. You truly are my sunshine during the darkest of times. This book would not have been possible without your unfailing love, support, understanding, encouragement, and faith. I love you more than mere words can express.
Claimed (The Land of Schism Book 1)
Copyright © 2019 by Ashley Adamczyk. All Rights Reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Cover designed by Inkblot Publishing LLC
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Nicole Adamz
Visit my website at https://nicoleadamz.wixsite.com/author
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing: April 2019
Inkblot Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-0-578-48403-7
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Acknowledgements
Sneak-Peek of Book 2
Envoy
Prologue
Chapter 1
Prologue
SCRAPING A NAIL ALONG THE WALL, I marked another day. The billions of marks covering the prison meant nothing; time was finite to an immortal. Well, the first few billion hadn’t meant anything. They were signs of my icy fury.
For centuries, I waited; carefully growing and nurturing the large stone until it broke the surface of both cities. With it, I saw the fluttering images of events in the outside world refracted in the amber stone. I placed a hand on it, ignoring the clanking pull of my shackles.
It pulsed beneath my touch, the only warmth and light in this hell. The Usurper hadn’t given me this light. He hadn’t deigned to notice the node I’d developed in this hole he’d put me in. My creation was so arrogant and complacent he’d thought my people were evolving under his reign. Developing magic of their own. I almost chuckled.
Fool! I am the True One! Did he think he could confine me forever? I swiped through the images playing inside the crystal, seeking only one. Excitement shivered through me. I was so close to gaining my release, and the Usurper would feel the full brunt of my wrath. The world would shift with it.
The girl wavered in the crystal, and my breath caught. Yes, she was the one. There was no doubt. There had been so many potential candidates over the years, but I’d chosen her. I’d known the moment she was born, hiding in the protection of her milky eggshell. Shining quietly inside. Then, she’d opened her eyes. I’d known in the quiet way she looked up. Somehow, she saw me.
It was the first time I’d touched the crystal with yearning, carefully caressing the image, and a ripple had rocked my small room. I’d been watching her on and off ever since. Waiting for the right moments to nudge her in the direction I needed her to go. She would be my messenger. My Envoy. I watched her walk into the room, scared like all those before her. It was almost time.
I shivered again. First, I needed to Claim her.
Chapter 1
Ari
THE ROOM IN THE BASE OF THE TEMPLE had one high, carved window. Light feebly struggled through its narrow opening. I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting tears. I’m doing this for her freedom, I reminded myself. A small tear spilled onto my hand, a spec of warmth in the frigid room.
It’s only hair. Snip. Just hair. Snip. It will grow back. Snip. The weight on my scalp grew lighter and locks of dark, curling hair fell to the floor. I shivered at the pinch of cool air against my neck, closing my eyes. In the minute pauses between hissing scissor strikes I heard the muffled sobs of other women. Snip.
The men were stoic while their heads were shaved, leaving slick pates of skin in the wake of razors. I clenched my jaw, willing steel into my spine. I must pass, I need to pass, I chanted. Anxiously twisting my fingers, I shifted. The stone floor spitefully jabbed my bones.
A finger tapped my shoulder. It was done. Filing behind the others, I tucked my wings in tightly and walked up numerous flights of stairs. Our bare feet slapped against the floor. The sound mixed with the soft, agitated rustle of our feathers.
A wide, circular room greeted us at the end of the last flight of stairs, and the domed, glass roof winked slyly in the pale sunlight. Four Prelates wearing ceremonial robes lined the opposite wall with one Anomaly. Her unobtrusive grey dress faded into the walls. My stomach lurched at the large, closed door behind them. They can’t know about her, I thought, squishing down burgeoning panic.
“Into the light, fledglings!” crowed a voice.
Aerial Prelate Ragnor’s thinning, white hair barely covered his speckled head. He gestured us forward, the wrinkled skin collected in a waxen puddle beneath his jaw jiggling. Dull, white wings protruded from his back: a testament to the centuries he’d lived.
His voice cracked across the room, “The Abeyance is a spiritual binding to manifest any Talent you have and a few of you will be Claimed by our god Aeolus. There’s no room for doubt on this path.”
Liar, I thought spitefully. Aeolus isn’t my god. Swallowing nervously, I bit back the retort wavering on my lips and glanced around nervously. Revealing that truth would kill me. The Elysian around me shifted uncomfortably, staring at the door behind the Prelates. Please, True One, let me pass, I prayed.
“Until your Ascendance as Caelum,” Aerial Prelate Ragnor drew in a hacking breath, “Your ability to speak is taken during the ritual. As a Tyro your hair will remain cropped, and you will wear the ordained uniforms until you become a Caelum.”
I looked at my feet, my lips thinning. Inhaling, I squared my shoulders. It would be okay. This is my only option to save her. To save both of us, I chanted mentally.
Aerial Prelate Ragnor pointed a heavily veined hand, “You will enter this door alone and discover your vocation.”
Alone. The word pierced my
skin, resonating in my bones. I stared at the ominous door. Aerial Prelate Ragnor produced a sealed scroll, breaking the wax with a sharp fingernail. Rustling the parchment, he slowly called the listed names.
The Prelates prayed continuously for good fortune as the Anomaly led each candidate to the door. Her stunted wings protruded uselessly from her shoulders—a testament to her weak genes and inferior nature. The candidates disappeared, failing to return.
The endless fear-edged tension made me sick, and I shuddered in dread, feathers quivering. The ominous black door creaked open and Aerial Prelate Ragnor called, “Ari Laurel.”
My stomach hollowed, dropping to my knees. Stepping forward, I kept my eyes planted on the door. The Anomaly’s hand guided me forward, and her pale grey eyes searched my face intently. Looking for…what?
Disappointment flashed through her gaze before it dutifully fell. The door swung open, and the frigid air inside unfurled to greet me. When it snapped closed, I shivered and tightly folded my wings, pressing against the solid door.
The room was lined with smooth charcoal stones growing outward like tree rings, and the air told stories in scents of bodily fluids. Light emanated from a white marble basin in the center of the room, and shadows danced where it couldn’t reach. My stomach clenched as the vague suspicion I wasn’t alone crept along my skin.
A delicate amber glow washed over the rim of the basin, tugging at a primal part of me. A large crystal sat inside. An ethereal voice hummed in my mind. Aid me, it whispered.
The voice was gentle but power lined the words. Longing, bittersweet and aching, saturated my senses. I stepped forward. The musical voice murmured promises about being chosen. The amber stone was so close, and a hundred tingles of pleasure brushed my skin. Inching forward, I licked my lips.
A silty voice murmured, “Intriguing.”
Startled, I warily searched for the owner of the oozing voice. A dark shadow peeled itself from the wall, slinking forward. It stopped short of the crystal’s emanating glow and it hummed unhappily at the shadow.
A sallow face hovered mid-air like a distorted moon and protruding eyes eagerly watched me. A dark, pulpy tongue licked thin lips, and I suppressed a shudder of revulsion. Who was this?
“Is Aeonian calling to you?” the wavering face said.
My brow furrowed in confusion. The figure shifted, and a dank, musty odor filled the air. I held back a gag as the unsettling stench engulfed me.
“Who are you to her?” the shadow whispered raggedly.
Hissing at the hovering shadow, the light grew brighter. It spilled over the basin, chasing the shadow-man to the edge of the room. He hissed back but remained where he was.
Aid me.
My gaze fastened on the crystal. Hesitating, I bit my lip and pushed my hand forward encountering a smooth, pulsating warmth. The crystal hummed elatedly.
You are Claimed as my Envoy, the voice sang.
The sound filled every crevice of my being, resonating in my bones with finality. I closed my eyes in relief at being Claimed. Now, I would become a Tyro, and no one would discover my family’s secret. A red haze bloomed beneath my eyelids, and the crystal’s power pushed forcefully against my skull.
My head throbbed a piercing rhythm of agony. Pop. Something bright and clean burst open, silenced when a heavy weight settled on my chest. My mouth opened on a silent scream. I was being torn apart. Blood spurted from my nose, splattering the stone floor. True One, help me! I pleaded.
Frightened, I watched the amber light worm up my fingers. Runes carved into my skin, creating an intricate design up the two middle fingers of my hand. The fierce, burning light crawled up my arm with excruciating agony, piercing my skin like a cold blade peeling away layers of flesh.
The ancient symbols filled with light before slinking forward, and my gurgling coughs were silenced as the spell crawled onto my neck. My knees buckled, every nerve shouting in torment as my body heaved and squirmed. Ochre cracks lined my once flawless skin.
The shadow watched with avid interest, hovering pitilessly against the wall. It hissed when the amber light illuminating my skin brightened, temporarily blinding it. The runes curled and dipped, stretched and thinned, marking my body. My torso split open and molten steel scraped into my bones.
The symbols stretched wider, bursting my skin with a sizzle. My stomach churned as the symbols shredded my nerves, and the cutting light pierced my spine, crawling onto my wings. I retched, horrified that my wings might be mutilated. A mangled hiss streamed past my lips.
When the Abeyance was over, I flopped onto the floor. I stared vacantly at the arm lying uselessly beside me, willing it to move. The runes on my skin receded, sinking inward like ink. The symbols flashed white before disappearing. Only the pattern on my hands remained, the unforgiving onyx color Claiming my skin.
Both hands were marked. Totality Claimed, I thought vaguely. There wasn’t room beyond the pain to feel joy. I blinked aching eyes, watching the room blur.
The shadow hovered closer, lowering its face. “Still awake?” it whispered incredulously. A pale, veiny hand reached toward my hand.
“I recognize this pattern,” the shadow growled, “I’ll remember you, girl.”
Dirt encrusted fingers brushed my throbbing skin and remnants of searing agony wracked my body. I gulped in a harsh breath, convulsing against the floor before darkness swallowed me.
Jerking awake, the vestiges of my dream peeled away from my mind with each heaving breath. I reached for the pendant tucked safely beneath my shift, the ochre symbols on my skin glowing softly in the empty room. Sweat lined my brow as I unsteadily reached for the sleep tonic on my nightstand. True One, it’s been three moons. When will I stop dreaming about the Abeyance?
Staring moodily at the mysterious star-like markings on my hands, a tired sigh tore from my chest. I turned a ragged eye toward the pink morning sky. I can forego the tonic. Closing my eyes, I wiped away the thin trickle of blood below my nose. I hate you, I thought towards the rising sun.
Chapter 2
Ari
FRESH AIR KISSED MY FACE while I surveyed the distant city from Ascension’s decorated platform. The blue sky had a reddish pink tint from the Ward Barrier if I looked closely. It was created centuries ago to protect Summit and encased the entire city. Sometimes, it feels more like a prison than protection, I thought. Turning away from the picturesque sky, I looked at each Holding.
Most of the city crowded around the Main Holding, a large circle in the middle of Summit where the High Lord’s Aerie sat. Eons ago the city huddled around the Aerie. However, the increasing population had birthed multiple Holdings separated by vast circular walls of stone springing into the sky. The walls kept the city orderly and were maintained by Fractional Caelum with Azoic Talent.
Each Holding contained sectors, paths, architecture, and greenery kept pristine by different Fractional Caelum. They made sure structures weren’t crumbling and greenery bloomed—even out of season—and, in general, made the city pretty. Necessary, I suppose, but it seems like a waste of Talent, I thought disdainfully.
The Inner Holding sat adjacent to the Main Holding, affordable only to High Families and wealthy business owners vying for position at the Aerie. It housed prestigious Elysian and, aside from the Main Holding, was the only place Totality Caelum performed. The Outer Holding stretched behind it, created for less influential families—like mine.
I double-checked the small sachet at my waist, securing its contents. A plume of smoke from the Temple caught my eye and I shivered. The cold, unforgiving building burst from the ground like a shadowy fissure. The Aerial Prelate and his subordinates were performing another ash ritual, the death rights of an Elysian. The Temple’s billowing smoke streaked across the sky, a frequent and unpleasant sight these past few moons. Another body burned to ash.
Over two dozen Elysian burned and scattered since I’ve been at Ascension. So many deaths in such a short span of time is unusual. Their souls would fly
toward Welkin to rest peacefully. An Elysian lifespan averaged two hundred years, but not all of those burned recently could belong to elders. How many of those bodies are Believers? The thought chilled me, and I sent a silent prayer up to the True One to protect us all.
Zora, my family Anomaly, was one a Believer. She’d taught me and my sister the truth about our creation origin. The True One, a righteous goddess, had created and loved us. Her statues used to surround the Temple’s base, but she was abandoned by Elysian after the Catalyst. The Old Traditions fell out of favor, and the True One’s Prelates silently disappeared from the Temple. Every statue and symbol of her ways had been destroyed. Even her believers.
Now, a different god reigned over Summit: Aeolus, the Usurper. He was a god of darkness and chaos, worshipped because he required no sacrifice or Traditions. Being a True One worshipper was dangerous; the Aerial Council’s mandate to report any Believer was still in effect. Fewer of us were turned in lately, but there were fewer of us to report. Our numbers were dwindling. I rubbed the pendant under my tunic.
My lips thinned, and I turned away from the Temple, scanning the Private Holding. A few residences dotted the inside of the fourth ring, second households belonging to wealthy families that rarely utilized them. They give the prestige but are too far from the Aerie, I thought with a contemptuous snort. What a waste of dosh.
I flicked my wings open, stretching the muscles before stepping off Ascension’s balcony and spreading them. The Market District spread along both sides of the wall separating the Main Holding and Inner Holdings, creating a massive shopping district. The flight would take a while if the wind wasn’t favorable. I glided a quarter of the way, letting the breeze caress my skin. The circular, pale stone Holding walls marked my progress.
The Market District contained specialty vendors and inns located on platforms above the common streets. Colorful rooftops and banners hailed the flying Elysian like wildflowers pushing through the dusty streets. Between the dusty streets and spearing stores was an antiquated part of the Market District full of pre-dated charm. It belonged to the original structure of the city.