Book of Remembrance: The Forgotten Gods: Book One

by Tania Johansson

  Without looking away from her, he whispered back. “You found her?”

  I smiled. “Tas did.”

  He nodded, clearly making a mental note to buy him the moon.

  “How do you feel?” I asked.

  He gave me a sickly grin. “Like I have been trampled by a herd of riqesh.” I could not stop the laughter that bubbled from my throat and he chortled.

  A few minutes later, I broached the subject that I did not want to face. “Mal, Xain did not make it.” I could see his jaw working and he turned his head away, looking at Karina again. “We buried him yesterday. When you are up to it, I will take you there.” He nodded weakly.

  I sat with him a while longer talking of small things until Karina woke and I left them to their tearful reunion.

  I found Thaya with Tas. I clapped him on the back. “I think Malion wants to make you King of all of Surrelmidia. He is awake and Karina is with him.” He smiled with relief washing over his face. He looked over my shoulder and his face darkened.

  I looked round to see Brant approaching. I could not stop the smile that bloomed on my face even if I had wanted to. I walked over to him and hugged him.

  When I stepped back, he looked confused. “I thought I was coming over here to explain things to you.”

  I laughed. “I think there are a few things I have to explain to you.”

  I told him of our meeting, of the trap that had been set for both him and me and how Thaya had taken us back to avoid the attack. “That slice of information about the Skell being the key is what saved us all.”

  I told him of my fight with Rakadamon and of how I saw his blade absorbing the blood and the realisation that the Skell’s sword was the answer.

  Thaya and Tas had not heard this yet and they had moved closer to hear what we were talking about. They had been looking at him with pure hate and distrust in their eyes, but once they understood the truth of what had happened that changed completely. Tas shook his hand and apologised for ever doubting his loyalty and Thaya hugged him. The look of total surprise at this turn of events on his face, made me laugh.

  Eventually though, we had to tell him of Xain. Tas took him to visit the grave. Thaya took my hands in hers. “What now? As unbelievable as it still seems, this is all done. Where do we go?”

  I looked back towards where the castle was. “There is one more thing I have to do before I can leave here. I have to burn his remains and destroy that sword. I do not want any trace of him to remain.” She nodded her understanding and we started towards the castle.

  I avoided touching the castle walls even though I knew that they were just stone now. I wanted to get this done with as quickly as possible. I hurried into the throne room and looked around, but quickly, my search became frantic. I knew the exact spot where he had died, but his bones were not there. I scoured every inch of the massive room, but there was no trace of him, his sword, or the Skell blade. I sank down onto the floor. “How is this possible?” I could not hide the despair in my voice.

  She sat down next to me and put her arm around me. “Who would have done this? The Dark Children are all dead, the Twisted Ones released…” I shook my head. “Unless there was a Twisted One who did not want to be released. We should have thought about this! I should have burnt the remains as soon as this was done! Curse me for a fool!” I knew I was shouting, but I did not care.

  “You cannot blame yourself. You were not to know,” she said, her voice soothing.

  I looked at her incredulously. “No? Who should I blame then?”

  She recoiled visibly from me and immediately I wished I could call the words back. I sighed heavily. “I am sorry Thaya. I am not angry with you. I just don't know what to do. What am I going to tell everyone?”

  She looked around and took a deep breath. “We don't.” She held up her hand to stop me interrupting. “I can agree to telling Markai, but beyond that... What would we say? This might not even mean anything. We can all swear an oath that we will remember what passed today. We will spread word of it as far as possible; teach our children the truth of it. Then at least there will still be some who know it and the rest will know legends about it. The world will be better prepared next time.” She saw my face and hastily added, “If there even is a next time.”

  I thought about her words a long time before I nodded reluctantly. “We must all agree to the oath and I will add information to the Book of Remembrance. I will get copies made of it so that all of the Alliance members will have a copy. Even if I have to make the copies myself.”

  She smiled. “Agreed. Now let’s get back before they start wondering what has become of us.”

  When we reached the camp again, everyone was busy packing up. They were all so busy with their own things that no one even asked us where we had been. It was not long before we were ready to leave.

  Our plan was to get clear of the forest and then cross back over to our plane. Thaya and I had agreed that it was probably best to wait until we were settled into our camp that night to speak to everyone about the oath.

  The procession started and Malion came up behind me. “What is the plan now Kadin?”

  I laughed. “I don’t know! I guess I will go to Thaya's house with her. Tell her father all of what has happened and then I would like to take her back to Predaki to meet Moma and my little sister Lilana.” I glanced at her quickly.

  I had not yet mentioned this to her, but she gave me a beautiful smile that made my heart skip.

  I solemnly swear to record, remember, and to retell the tale of the Battle of Magtisanya so that it may never be forgotten. I swear to teach my children of Rakadamon and train them to be ready should the Great Threat rise once more. This I declare and affirm.

  Always remember. Always be prepared.

  The Alliance lives.

  A word from the author:

  Thank you dear reader, for taking the time to read my book. I hope that it took you on a journey of adventure and excitement. I would be so grateful if you left a review to tell others what you thought.

  ‘The Forgotten Gods: Book Two, Of Folly and Fear’, is out 04 August 2012! Page on for a sneak peek at the first two chapters.

  Warm wishes!

  Tania

  Talk to me:

  Twitter @TaniaJohansson

  Webpage: www.taniajohansson.co.uk

  Of Folly and Fear

  Book Two of The Forgotten Gods Series

  By

  Tania Johansson

  CHAPTER 1 – Of Life and Death

  I barely managed to block his attack. Our swords collided with a loud thwack. I counterattacked and managed to gain some ground back. Sweat was stinging my eyes, but I dared not let that distract me. One of the most important things I had learnt, was that an instant of distraction during battle, could mean death. He slowly turned in a tight circle around me. He suddenly lunged forward, swinging his sword in an arc toward my neck. I blocked it again, but this time I was able to put my whole weight behind it, knocking him backward and off-balance.

  Taking my moment, I took a few steps closer to him. I spun around low to the ground, flicking my foot out and swiping him off his feet. He fell back and hit the ground with a loud thud. I closed the distance between us and lay the tip of my sword against his neck. A grimace was contorting his face as he lay there squinting up at me, shock and pain making his electric blue eyes sparkle.

  A scarcely contained giggle broke the moment. I lowered my wooden sword and looked over to Myria. She had been watching us spar from the door. I held my hand out to Riaph to help him up and - with a scowl directed at his sister - he gripped my hand. “You did well, son. Every day you get closer to getting the better of me.”

  He paused for a moment from shaking the dust of his clothes to give me a dubious look. “You say that every day we practice. Yet, I have never beaten you.”

  Myria was still standing with a grin on her face and he turned on her. “Don’t you have anything better to do? I thought Moma told you to ma
ke sure to study the Book today!”

  Her face fell, but she left without a word of objection.

  “You know she admires you and she does not mean any offense,” I said in a placating tone.

  He rolled his eyes and running a hand through his short blonde hair, said, “I know, I mustn’t take it out on her. I just get so frustrated. Every time I think I have you forced into a corner, you find the secret door out and instead, I find myself flat on my back…again.”

  I could not stop the bubble of laughter that forced itself out. A moment later, I was relieved when he joined in.

  “You know I will beat you, old man,” he said. “One of these days, it will be you dusting yourself off!”

  I grinned back at him. “I know.” He was getting better all the time and at thirteen turnings old, he still had a lot of growing to do. Calling me ‘old man’ was new, but I did not mind it….too much.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  At times, I had wondered at the wisdom of teaching my children about the horrors of the past from such a young age. Being part of the Alliance was a proud heritage. If not for them, and their Fae counterparts, the Guardians, Rakadamon would most likely have triumphed at the Battle of Magtisanya.

  We had a duty to prepare them so that they could in turn prepare others as well by passing the Knowledge onto their children one day as well as people in general. Our objective was never to allow the world to become vulnerable again. Knowledge was power. So, I knew it was to the good for them to know, to be prepared, yet I always regretted taking their innocence from them so early.

  In the time since the Battle of Magtisanya, we had lived such a normal life that in quiet moments, I could have almost forgotten for a while what had gone before. Of course, that never lasted. I had too many reminders; my scars, the Book, and of course, my bond with Markai. Although, the latter was still a blessing even when I did not get to see her for seasons at a time.

  As always, we finished our practice session with the Shea-Rin. Master Boryka of the Fae, had trained me to be a LemMestari – or sword master – like him. He had taught me this series of exercises and I took pride in passing this skill down to my son.

  I unsheathed Sunder and handed Riaph his sword for it as well. It was best to practice with a real blade. It helped you get accustomed to the weight and balance of it.

  Riaph took his place next to me and we sinuously moved through the various forms, our bodies smoothly flowing from one to the next.

  When he was a toddler, barely able to walk steadily, he would take up a toy and while pretending it was his sword, mimic my movements. Now he looked deadly as his body flexed and curved into the forms of the Shea-Rin.

  He had started learning to focus his Navitas about one cycle-of-the-seasons ago. I had nearly been denied this Talent. As an orphan and an outsider in the Predaki community, I was forbidden to learn their secret….That was until I furtively observed the lessons and taught myself.

  This ability had saved my life and the lives of my companions many times over. Riaph had shown great aptitude for it. I remembered my own struggle to learn it all too well. After all, as a boy it is not easy to clear your mind of all distractions and allow your awareness to drift outwards. But, once mastered, it heightens all the senses and when adept at the technique, you are able to sense and manipulate the energy that everything around you harbours.

  Riaph had picked it up much quicker than I had. He was sorely disappointed however, when it turned out that he did not have the Talent of Charming. I had inherited this from my mother and it had meant that while using the Navitas, I drew Markai to me.

  The first time I saw her, I was captivated. Her powerful cat-like body and huge canine teeth protruding from her mouth and curling back to end in sharp points did not exactly scream ‘I am your friend’. I never knew why, but right from the start I had had a clear sense that she was an ally.

  She was my bond partner, a fierce warrior, and the reason why I had lived through the Battle of Magtisanya. I could not imagine life without her.

  Riaph had fully expected his Navitas to call a Qupari to him as mine had drawn Markai. Our bond had always fascinated him and it took a long time for him to accept that he was not to have the same.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  I found Myria sitting at the kitchen table with the Book of Remembrance open in front of her. After all this time, I had come to know it cover to cover. I still cringed seeing my little girl paging through a Book full of Dark Children and Twisted Ones; the nightmarish creatures wrought from the hand of Rakadamon.

  I looked over her shoulder to see what she was studying. The Book was open to an illustration of a Twisted Ape, one which I had added to it. She always preferred to read about the ones I had encountered, often asking me to retell my tales. I was relieved however, that she did not ask again then.

  She looked up at me with her grey eyes so like her mother’s. They looked sulky. I planted a kiss on her forehead.

  “Popa,” she said, “you have a picture in here of a Twisted Ape, but not of an original one…You know, before Rakadamon twisted it. How are they different?”

  I pointed to the sketch of its paw. “You see this, the Twisted Ape has retractable claws; that’s different. I think the biggest difference though, is that normal apes are tranquil creatures, unlikely to attack you. Twisted Apes on the other hand, serve evil purposes. The combination of their intelligence and powerful bodies, make them formidable enemies.”

  “You’ve never seen an original ape, have you?” she asked, her mouth pulling into a thin line.

  I laughed. “You could tell, could you?”

  She nodded.

  “You are too clever sometimes.”

  “I know,” she said with a cheeky smile. “So, Rakadamon and the rest of the gods left their homes amongst men to punish them for starting the rebellion.”

  “Yes?” I wondered where this was leading.

  “Were they not very clever then?”

  “What makes you ask that?”

  “Well, it wasn’t really such a bad punishment; not like when you and Moma make me scrub the pots and clean out the stables.”

  “It might not seem like a severe reprimand now, but at the time, it left humans and the Fae in a great deal of trouble. War raged for decades before they managed to rebuild their lives.”

  “And that’s when Rakadamon first came back?”

  “That’s right.”

  Alathaya walked in and smiled at me. Fifteen cycles-of-the-seasons, and two children later, it was still all she had to do to make my heart soar. “Riaph says you once more landed him on his back,” she said, running a hand down her long ash blond braid. Her narrow grin was part admonishing, but she knew I had to train him as hard as I could. I shrugged.

  She had also given him lessons until he started consistently besting her. Myria was schooled with the sword as well, although she preferred the bow and throwing knives. She made the very compelling - if flawed - argument that you should simply kill all the enemies before they could reach you.

  I sighed at the thought that my ten turnings old daughter, had to think about such disturbing things. At her age, I had been blissfully unaware of true danger. Of course, it did result in a very rude awakening for me to the reality of the world.

  The Book that lay in front of Myria, was the original Book of Remembrance, including the additional pages I had created, which were loosely put into the right places. Since our victory over Rakadamon, I had made a dozen or so copies. It was painstaking work, but I knew the Book like the back of my own hand - in all its horrors. Quiniewa, the Fae woman who had been my Teacher in all things, had been collecting the Books periodically. She took them back to others of her kind to put perdurability spells on them. My copy was about four thousand five hundred cycles-of-the-seasons old, so obviously their spells were rather potent.

  I was brought out of my reverie by a breathless Riaph running in from outside. In his haste he threw the door open, making it slam back aga
inst the wall. I was about to admonish him for such careless behaviour, when I saw his face.

  “Popa,” he said, “it’s Loris. He has an urgent message from Predaki.”

  I nodded and briskly strode out to meet the messenger. He stood holding the reins of his slender bay in one hand and a small note in the other. When he saw me he gave a bow, but his eyes did not come up again. He started picking at the trim on the leather rein.

  “Riaph says you have an urgent message, Loris. Out with it.”

  He grimaced and shuffled his feet. He looked up at me a moment before dropping his gaze again. “I am afraid I have some news from your home, Master Kadin.”

  I ignored the title that I would usually decline. It was something that started up after we returned to Predaki following the Battle of Magtisanya. I had gone from an outcast and unaccepted outsider to the hero of the village. After receiving some visitors from Predaki, a few of the locals had taken to it as well. It had been part of the reason why we had decided not to settle in Predaki. I certainly did not want it following me here. Settling on part of the Almeida’s estate had been a way of escaping all that. Alathaya’s father had been all too happy to have us.

  Loris licked his lips and held the note out to me. I took it from him, trepidation building in my heart. I read the few words. My stomach pinched as if punched and I had to put a steadying hand to the wall to keep my legs. Moma had passed away.

  “How?” I knew it was a useless question to ask the messenger, but it was out before I could think. I gave a weak nod to his shrug. She had been ill, nonetheless had insisted it was nothing more than a cough. I should have been there. I should have known it was more serious. I cursed myself for a fool and gritted my teeth against the grief…and guilt.

  “Send a reply please: We will leave as soon as possible.” He gave a small nod before scrambling onto the bay’s back and urging him away. I stood there watching them disappear in the distance for quite some time. Finally, with a heavy heart, I went inside to break the sad news to my family.