The Tree of Life (Lost Civilizations: 3)

by Vaughn Heppner

  Jeremoth: A charioteer-noble of Elon. Herrek’s older brother and Amery’s father.

  Joash: A chariot-runner of Elon.

  Jogli Nomads: A fierce, chariot-driving people, who were once servants of the bene elohim. They inhabit the large steppe lands to the southeast of Caphtor, and to the east of Iddo. They are also known as the ‘sons of Cain.’ Cain, the first murderer, is revered as their nation’s father and is worshiped as a demigod.

  Jotnar: A First Born. The son of Anak the bene elohim and the father of the Nephilim giants.

  Jotunheim: See the Kragehul Steppes.

  Karim: A charioteer-noble of Elon.

  Kel-Hemen: A haunted range of hills built in the shape of a giant fortress. Known in Nephilim speech as the Gjoll Hills, or Blood of the High. In these hills, is said to lay Draugr’s Crypt.

  Kenaz, Clan: One of the clans of Amalek, of the nation of Elon.

  Kez: A legendary warrior from Caphtor, who fought in Poseidonis’s civil war. He became known as King Kez of Poseidonis.

  Kragehul Steppes: The vast steppe lands that begin on the northern shore of the Suttung Sea. Home to sabertooths, mammoths and great sloths, and the home of giants. Also known as Jotunheim.

  Kraken: A large, predatory sea-beast that inhabits the waters near the Isle of Poseidonis.

  Larak: One of the nine cities.

  League of Peace: A league first formed in Further Tarsh. Developed because of fear of Gog of Shamgar, it has since turned into an anti-pirate league.

  Lersi: A Nephilim Gibborim.

  Leviathan: Perhaps the greatest sea-creature. Once, they helped the Shining Ones sweep the seas of the bene elohim fleets.

  life-bane: See trolock.

  Lod: a Seraph.

  Magog: A bene elohim and the father of Gog. He first built Shamgar.

  Maharbal: A captain of Further Tarsh.

  Mikloth: A lord of Elon.

  Mimir the Wise: A Nephilim giant.

  Moloch the Hammer: A bene elohim and the father of Tarag. Perhaps the physically strongest of his vile race. He was considered one of the bravest, or the most rash.

  Morningstar: The greatest of the fallen angels. It was he, who tempted Adam and Eve, and he, who is Elohim’s chief adversary. He was also cunning enough not to join Azel in physical form. Thus, he is not a bene elohim.

  Motsognir Stone Hands: A Nephilim giant.

  Nameless One, the: A First Born of the Far North and the father of the Niflmen.

  Nar Naccara: An admiral of the League of Peace.

  Naram: A Seraph and a prophet of Elohim.

  Nearer Tarsh: A great merchant city on the Tarshish Sea. Has close caravan ties with Further Tarsh, and is made up of the same racial group.

  Nebo: Primitive, cannibalistic forest-dwellers. The last race of men to be freed from the bene elohim. They are said to worship certain First Born, and obey their Nephilim children.

  Nebo Land: The forest areas that begin around the Hanun Mountains, encompass Shamgar to the west, and all the way along the southern shore of the Suttung Sea to midway between Dishon, and Carthalo, and down to the mountains of Arkite Land.

  necromancer: The practitioner of a most foul form of magic.

  necromancy: The use of souls to power a most wicked form of magic.

  Necromon: A bene elohim, and the creator of the vile art of necromancy.

  Nestor: A groom of Elon.

  Nephilim: Any child of a First Born.

  Nidhogg: A legendary and evil sea-beast that is said to inhabit the Vergelmir Deep.

  Niflmen: The Nephilim children of the Nameless One.

  Nine Cities, the: The nine major cities of the age. Larak, Caphtor, Ir and Enoch are among them.

  Old Three Paws: A sabertooth.

  Oracle: The temple of Gog in Shamgar where he foretells the future. From the oracle comes the dictates of Gog. All humanity is ranked. Below all ranks, are the chattel, slaves, and the great unwashed. Anything may be done to them, and it is right, because those of Gog have the strength to do so.

  orn: A giant, predatory bird. Built along the lines of the southern ostrich, orns are flesh-eaters and perhaps twice as bulky. Even lions move out of the way of a herd of orns.

  Orn Men: An Arkite tribe, whose totem is the deadly orn.

  Othniel: A charioteer-noble of Elon.

  Overlord, the: The name the bene elohim gave Elohim. It implies that He has power, but that He isn’t supreme. It also implies that He is but the most powerful angel, and not the Creator.

  Panther Clan, the: A clan of Nebo, whose totem is the panther.

  Paran Hills, the: Mountain country east of Elon. Shur wrested control of the hills with his ten sons. The mountain land is also known as the Ten Tribes of Shur. Slingers from the Paran Hills are noted throughout the world.

  pentekonter: A swift pirate vessel, with a single bank of oars.

  Pildash: A city on the southern shore of the Suttung Sea. None lies closer to Shamgar. Men of Pildash are noted whale hunters. The barbed fishing hook was said to have been invented in Pildash.

  Plains of Seir, the: an older name for the land of Elon. Seir was the name of a famous cherubic steed. He was freed to run in these plains, at least according to legend.

  Poseidonis, the Isle of: A large jungle ocean-island to the south of Iddo. It is the home to Yorgash and his Gibborim, as well as beleaguered humans who struggle to serve Elohim. Its only city is Atlas. Around the isle, lives the terrible kraken.

  Red Cain: A legendary red-haired pirate. He took the pirates of the Suttung Sea, and welded them in a unified horde. He stormed coastal cities, and almost formed a pirate empire. Sailors from Further Tarsh and leviathans crushed his fleet. He re-founded the pirate city of Shamgar.

  Red Trident Symbol: The emblem of Gog.

  Rod of Creation, the: The tool Elohim used when He created the Heavens and the Earth. Azel stole the rod. It turned in his hand when he tried to wield it.

  Rog: A fiend. He wears a golden medallion.

  Sea-Eagle Clan, the: a Nebo clan whose totem is the sea eagle.

  Seraph: One called by Elohim to struggle against the evil ones. A seraph has a higher inner flame than others do. And, in some unknown manner, their presence acts as a shield against Nephilim magic.

  Seven Years of Darkness: The first seven years when the bene elohim descended to the Earth and began to conquer. It ended upon the coming of the Shining Ones. It was a time of great terror and heinous acts. It is said that Earth will never know its like until the end of the age.

  Shamgar: A pirate-lair protected by the Hanun Swamps on the eastern shore of the Suttung Sea. Home to the Oracle of Gog.

  Shur: The name of Lord Uriah’s first born son.

  Shur, the Land of: The mountainous country to the east of Elon. Its ruler is Shur. It is also known as the Ten Tribes of Shur.

  Silver horn: A horn used to call and direct leviathans.

  Singer: A teller of tales.

  Skarpaler; Lord Skarpaler: An ancient warrior of the Bloodspillers.

  slith: A giant, tainted pterodactyl trained by Yorgash. They are his servants, and his far-ranging eyes.

  Snow Leopard Tribe: An Arkite tribe who totem is the snow leopard.

  Sungara: A Huri chieftain.

  Surtur: A Nephilim giant.

  Suttung Sea: The great northern and land-locked sea. It is in the region where now lies the Black Sea.

  Tamar, Queen Tamar: A princess of Caphtor, and now one of the regents of Elon. She was the former wife of Lord Uriah and the mother of Elon.

  Tarag: A First Born, whose father was Moloch the Hammer.

  Teman, Clan: Of the tribe of Amalek and the nation of Elon.

  Ten Tribes of Shur, the: Each tribe of Shur is ruled by one of his sons. It is also a common name for the Land of Shur.

  Tiras, the: A large merchant ship of Further Tarsh.

  Thousand Years War: The great war that was waged between the bene elohim and the Shining Ones. It wrecked much of the Earth,
but finally ended in a victory of the Shining Ones. Often called the Accursed War.

  Thurus: A Nephilim giant.

  Trail of Tears, the: The Huri trekked from the plains of Elon to the gloomy forests to the west. The charioteers of Elon drove them there.

  Tree of Life: A legendary tree in the Garden of Eden. The eating of its fruit is said to give eternal life.

  trolock: A stony creature animated by the stolen spirit of a man. The bene elohim Draugr Trolock-Maker created all trolocks long ago.

  Uriah; Lord Uriah, Patriarch of Elon: The founder of Elon and the father of the present ruler of Shur.

  Valley of Dry Bones: An ancient graveyard for the bones of the bene elohim and Shining Ones, who perished in the epic Siege of Babel the Mighty.

  Vergelmir Deep: A cursed body of water that lies in the eastern part of the Suttung Sea. It is said to be haunted by Nidhogg.

  War of Tears: The thirty years war that forever split the Empire. Ir was the chief city for one side. Caphtor was the chief city for the other. Caphtor won, sort of. It gave the hunted Nephilim the chance to regroup and rebuild.

  Woden: A Nephilim giant.

  Ygg the Terrible: A Nephilim giant.

  Ymir One-Eye: A Nephilim giant.

  Yorgash the High Slith Sorcerer: A First Born, the offspring of Abaddon the Destroyer. He is the father of the Gibborim and the ruler of the Isle of Poseidonis.

  Zem: A mariner of Dishon.

  Zillith: The sister of Lord Uriah and the Mother Protectress of Elon.

  End of the Glossary

  APPENDIX A

  The Line of Lord Uriah

  Dinah (From Paran Hills) + Lord Uriah = Shur

  Tamar (Caphtorite) + Lord Uriah = Elon

  The Line of Elon:

  Rachel (Caphtorite) + Elon = Amalek

  (Caphtorite wife) + Amalek = Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, Korah, Gatam

  (Caphtorite wife) + Teman = Jeremoth, Herrek

  Basemath (Caphtorite wife) + Elon = Onam

  (Caphtorite wife) + Onam = Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, Mizzah

  The Line of Shur:

  (Many Paran wives) + Shur = Jegar, Kedar, Adbal, Massa, Hish, Mael, Gomar, Hori, Beor, Tarn.

  They are also known as: The Ten Tribes of Shur

  End of the Glossary and Appendix

  Gog

  (Lost Civilizations: 4)

  Prologue

  The First Hunt

  “A man is known by the enemies he keeps.”

  -- Lord Uriah, Patriarch of Elon

  The sun burned in the heavens as sweat dripped from the gaunt tiger of a man.

  Far-ranging beastmasters hunted him, sending their beasts. He had slain many of them, but two still remained—an orn and an eagle. The eagle floated in the sky. Its steel-shod talons were like mirrors, flashing with reflected sunlight.

  The man—Lod—squatted under a broom tree, hiding in its miserly shade. Scars marked his body. Dust coated his lips. His only garment was a tattered tunic knotted around his loins. He had tangled white hair and a beard, and his feverish blue eyes burned like some desert prophet on the verge of divination.

  The sun’s hate baked this desolation. The six-foot broom tree, with its shriveled brown leaves, towered over the plain of yellow grasses. In the distance, heat rose to create watery-like haze.

  Besides water and more rest, Lod needed a chariot and horses. He needed a lance or javelins.

  A premonition turned his head. He squinted, quit breathing and rubbed his eyes. He blinked to clear the grit, and studied the distant haze. Something tall moved out there. It seemed… those might be arms waving, or stubby, useless wings flapping.

  It was the orn, an eight-foot flightless bird, a predatory beast. Orns were tougher than sabertooths, and more relentless than dire wolves. Lod knew it was the beastmaster’s creature because it had black feathers. Wild orns were brown-feathered birds.

  Lod touched the jeweled scabbard at his side. Its sword was Bolverk-forged, or at least, the blade was. Once, it had been a giant’s dagger. He had killed the giant, taken the blade and later affixed a new grip, one sized to fit his hand. Only fools fought an orn with a sword, however. A spear would be better, preferably four spears hurled by four fellow hunters.

  Lod dragged a sweaty forearm across his lips. He tasted the salt on his skin. He didn’t want to leave the shade. For seventy days, the sun had cooked him. His flesh had burned and peeled many times. On foot, he had crossed the Kragehul Steppes. It was also known as Jotunheim. To stem his gnawing hunger, he had eaten roots and stuffed moss into his mouth. He had pounced upon mice, moles, and with fire, he had driven sabertooths from their kills. He had slurped muddy water, drank blood and licked morning dew.

  Was he now going to wait in the shade for the orn to come and slaughter him?

  Lod scowled, recalling Ut stepping on his back. It was likely that the beastmasters were from Shamgar. Thinking of that, Lod surged to his feet.

  The eagle’s screech drifted to him then.

  Lod studied the soaring creature. He needed a bow, a sling or for the beasts to make a mistake. He needed high ground or trees, preferably many of them. He turned west, studying the horizon. Somewhere out there the Huri Forests touched the grasslands. He had endured these seventy days, hoping to reach the trees. He would worry how to slip through the enemy forest later. Right now—

  Lod shook his head, and he took his first step out of the shade. His calloused foot fell onto hot soil. There must be a bounty on him, a high one. Two years ago, he had killed an Enforcer while escaping Shamgar. That was sacrilege to those of the blood. If someone managed to drag him to the swamp city…his death there would be agonizing and brutal.

  Despite the seeming futility of it, Lod began to run.

  ***

  Later, Lod wiped stinging sweat out of his eyes as he wheezed lungfuls of air. Sweat poured from him, rolled down his sunburned skin and made his feet slick. He stood on a stony ledge fifty feet above the orn.

  He’d reached an oasis of boulders. In desperation, he had climbed a sheer rock face. Now, the orn had him trapped up here.

  The beast cocked its horse-sized head and opened a heavy beak. The eight-foot orn had a white crest and white tips to its stubby wings. The rest of its plumage was glossy black. On the steppes during these grim weeks, the wild orns had brown and yellow feathers, with a scattering of white mottling. They had also been less savage and perhaps two thirds the weight of this hunting beast.

  This orn limped back and forth, its talons scraping flinty soil. What caught Lod’s notice were sparks. The talons sparked on the rocks because the claws were iron-shod.

  Lod looked about for a rock or a stone to pelt the orn. If the orn kept him trapped here long enough, the beastmasters with their slayers would arrive to kill him at their leisure.

  Lod shuffled along the narrow ledge. It was seven feet long. There were some chest-level stones wedged into the cliff. Lod pried at the stones, trying to move them. Sweat poured from him as he worked.

  Lod cocked his head then. He heard indistinct voices. His gut clenched at the sounds. It seemed his enemies had arrived sooner than he’d expected. Then one of the indistinct voices broke into a shrill cry of delight. It was high-pitched, a woman’s voice.

  “Look!” she squealed. “There’s an eagle feather.”

  Below him, the orn turned its grotesque head in the direction of the voice. Nephilim beastmasters could often hear through their creature, and could often see what it saw. By the orn’s manner, it presently seemed to be under direct beastmaster control. With stilted steps, the monstrous black orn strode toward the voices.

  “There’s orn over here!” Lod shouted in warning. “It’s about to attack you!”

  As Lod shouted, he crouched, turned around and slid his pelvis onto the ledge.

  The hidden woman cried out again, this time in terror. A man shouted, and the orn screeched its hunting cry.

  As Lod lowered himself, his cheek scraped against hot stone
, with his toes and fingers searching and digging for precarious holds. He heard a bow twang. A second later, the orn hissed. Then it screeched a pain-maddened cry. Moments later, bodies brutally collided. A man cried out in agony, and the woman shrieked in soul-searing horror.

  Lod bellowed, and he pushed off. The ground rushed up, and struck with a terrific blast against his bare feet. He rolled, and the orn gave another challenging cry.

  Lod hobbled. His feet ached, but he stumbled toward the sounds. He clenched a fist-sized rock in his hand. As he rounded a boulder, a tragic scene slammed upon him.

  A man, a primitive by his fur garments, lay on the ground. The orn lifted a bloody beak from the man’s chest, while a talon clutched the man’s legs. With a terrible gulp and the snap of that beak, the orn gobbled up a ribbon of man-flesh. The woman, also a primitive, with black hair, and a flint-tipped spear in her hands, stalked the orn. Tears streamed down her face as blood poured out of the man’s horrible chest wound. The man had to be dead. Yet at that moment, the man feebly raised his arm, as a flint knife fell from his fingers.