The Last of the Ageless

by Traci Loudin

  Sinnach took up their explanation. “But these two things alone are like unaimed arrows, unlikely to strike at us directly. Is the stories the two Purebred men told of their enslavement that worry us. Helped train the Badlands Army deep to the south, where only small groups of nomads might encounter them. Wish to remain a secret. May prepare for another invasion, as the Rushore Nation tried to do in my parents’ time.”

  Dalan felt the collective unease as his tribemates absorbed that news. Not many of them actually remembered the Rushore Nation, but they’d grown up with the stories.

  A large bead of rain dropped from the sky and landed on Dalan’s nose. Soon more and more giant droplets fell, and the winds picked up, whistling through the trees.

  Tarran turned in a full circle, his arms open, letting the rain wash over him. “Are questioning the virtues of the Ancients, but must hold fast to the true spirit of the Teachings. It may not be long before the outside world encroaches on us. Must be prepared when it does. Need to reaffirm our alliances with our neighbors and establish alliances with tribes beyond those tribes. Seek to understand forgotten technologies where we can. Dalan’s necklace puts him in contact with powerful potential allies. May be able to develop alliances with their clans and tribes as well.”

  Heidhi addressed the crowd. “So it is our wish that Dalan and a group he chooses will go out and reunite with the Purebreed, the hybrid, and perhaps even the other Changelings. Learn what they learn, Dalan, and find out as much as you can about the Badlands Army. See how Ti’rros fares with her tribe. If they absorb her news, see if you can form an alliance with the hybrids. Try to ally with the Purebreed tribes and any others you can as well.”

  His grandmother’s wise eyes fixed on him once more. “And most of all, we want you to learn whatever the Ageless man, Gryid, is willing to share. Will send out other small groups as emissaries in other directions, sharing our knowledge with other tribes in order to convince them to prepare. Are a powerful Changeling tribe, yet do not come to conquer. Believe many tribes will take up our call, in the spirit of sharing information and allying with a strong tribe like ours.”

  Dalan was stunned. Saquey settled into the grass near him, sensing his distress. The dragonfly sent Dalan images of lakes and cool dark places, but the dragonfly’s attempts to reassure him were at odds with the rain. It settled in and became a steady downpour. All Dalan had wanted for so long was to return home and to be with his family.

  Now they were sending him away.

  In birth form, the elders couldn’t hear Dalan’s thoughts. Transmelding rapidly into birth form, the rain instantly chilled him. He crossed his arms. Gavainya raised her eyebrow.

  He could’ve said so much, asked so many questions, but without the ability to project his emotions and thoughts, all he could think to say was, “Just got home again.”

  His grandmother smiled at him as the other four elders transmelded back into omdecu form but did not return to their perches on the five dead trees. The audience had ended, then. She took his hands in her own. The rain poured down around them, between their linked arms.

  Gavainya’s voice was lower now. “Being an adult means understanding your responsibilities and what you owe to the tribe, grandson.”

  Dalan nodded mutely, noticing his siblings Shemir and Mishnir waiting with his best friends, Joktinn and Cahlae. The rest of the tribe faded into the forest to return to their duties.

  His grandmother continued, “Am so proud of you, how you tried to uphold the Ancient Teachings even when your belief in them wavered. Even if the Ancients weren’t what we imagined, that doesn’t make the Teachings any less important. Are the teachings of our ancestors, principles wanted to instill in us. Am so proud of how you represented our tribe while away.”

  She steered him toward his siblings and friends. “But now… as you did when you rescued the Joey, and when you tried to defend Searchtown… must understand that when there’s a task that only you can do, you must do it. Not because you’re the only one who can. But also because you’re the only one who will.”

  “Of course, grandmother,” he bowed his head and untied the black cloth around his necklace. “Am being selfish.”

  So Dalan did as his people required and stretched his thoughts toward Ti’rros.

  Author's Note

  Hello there!

  I wanted to let you know that if you enjoyed The Last of the Ageless, you can get freebies, previews of upcoming works, and access to giveaways by signing up to my new releases newsletter. No spam—you decide what I email to you. Now through October 2015, subscribers can read FREE short stories set in the Ageless universe before anyone else.

  Get access to behind-the-scenes info about The Last of the Ageless on my website and feel free to reach out to me personally. One last note... As an independent author, I could really use your help spreading the word. You can tell other readers what you thought of this book by leaving an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads.

  Thanks for joining me on this adventure!

  Short stories set before The Last of the Ageless

  The Last Tail-Horse

  When All Is Lost

  The Voice of the Darkness*

  The Beginning of the End*

  *forthcoming

  See the latest at

  TraciLoudin.com

  About the Author

  Traci Loudin loves reading about fantastic worlds and putting herself into the heads of intriguing characters. Growing up in West Virginia, she always looked forward to library trips with her mother and the evenings when her father would read H.G. Wells to her.

  Traci decided to pick a college somewhere warm and ended up with a B.A. in Writing from the University of Tampa, where she met her future husband, Dorian Granruth. They were married in October 2013, surrounded by steampunk-clad friends and family. She and Dorian now live in Charlotte, NC, but enjoy traveling and collecting unique souvenirs. Their favorite vacation is visiting new cities to attend scifi conventions.

  Despite being a totally honest and completely law-abiding Capricorn, Traci always imagines outrageous answers when people ask her innocuous questions like "Where are you from?" and "Where did you go to school?" She loves to chat on social media and answer messages from readers. You can reach her at traci@traciloudin.com, or on her favorite social networks, Google+ and Twitter.

  For giveaways, free short stories, exclusive content and more, you can be the first to know when her new technology-mixed-with-magic series comes out by joining the new releases newsletter.

  Acknowledgments

  This novel’s journey spans nearly fifteen years, so buckle up—this is going to take a while.

  First and foremost, let me thank my supportive parents and the large and loving Loudin family for never thinking I was crazy for wanting to write a novel. Of course, my siblings Sierra, John, and Case knew I was crazy, but they told me to keep going anyway. Sierra was one of my very earliest alpha readers, back when this novel had nothing at all to do with any Ageless. Thanks, sis!

  I owe the term transmelder to my father, an avid science fiction fan who read me H.G. Wells as a child. I remember many joyful trips to both town libraries with my mother over the years as I progressed from the children’s section, to the young readers’ section, and finally into those vaunted adult shelves. My mother also helped me finally settle on Dalan as the main character’s name.

  Huge thanks to Lindsay Hurley for providing feedback long before I started writing what would become the final incarnation of this novel. She helped me brainstorm who the antagonists might be and why they might conflict, even with each other.

  I’d especially like to thank Liz Fidler for getting me back into writing during a three-year lull after college. If she hadn’t jump-started my creativity again, I’m not sure I would’ve had the fortitude to give this novel one more chance.

  Throughout my childhood and early years as a young writer, various teachers and professors both encouraged me and gave me the tough l
ove I needed. Though they often tried to expand my writing horizons outside the genre as well as into short fiction, it turns out I really am a genre novelist. Thanks goes to Dolores Boyles, Melissa Cupp, Dr. Kathleen Ochshorn, and Dr. Mary Jane Schenck for all the writing advice, to Dr. Martin Favata for expanding my cultural horizons, and most of all to Dr. Richard Mathews for letting me take his science fiction course twice so I could keep writing to my passions.

  Many thanks to the talented writers I met in various writing groups. Daniel Evans, Nathaniel Lee, and Rocky Williams for encouraging me to keep going. Blair Peery, Dan Gallagher, and Erin Ryan for finding the good in very rough draft and helping me realize this story needed more than a dash of scifi to go with its fantasy. Darin Kennedy, Jay Requard, and J. Matthew Saunders for slogging through the early chapters of my first completed draft. Their insights proved invaluable in shaping the final novel.

  Big thanks to everyone from Charlotte Writers, coffee and pastry lovers that they are, for keeping me motivated to write. Special thanks to John G. Hartness for his off-the-cuff publishing and marketing advice.

  This novel wouldn’t be nearly so awesome without the help of my fabulous beta readers, Terence S. Thomas, CM Stewart, Crystal Loudin Jones, Chuck Loudin, Nelly Micholt, Douglas Hufnagel, Joelle Karout, and James Todd Haney. Special thanks to Terence for his guidance through Goodreads, and Crystal for reading this monstrous novel from start to finish twice!

  A special note of appreciation goes to Nico Paloceropalo, Paul McNeil, Lorena Lombardo, and @AskSpanishBoss for help on Soledad’s Spanish.

  I’m grateful my developmental editor, Annetta Ribken, helped me realize Zen needed to be even more of an antagonist. She helped me strengthen so many aspects of the novel that I can’t possibly list them all. DongWon Song went above and beyond to spot continuity problems and even a lingering developmental issue or two.

  And the biggest thanks of all goes to my loving husband Dorian, who always kept me going with encouragement and assurances through round after round of revisions. I’m looking forward to many more adventures together.

  Thank you, everyone, for all the encouragement and support.

  First Electronic Edition, 2015

  Worldbinding Books

  Charlotte, North Carolina

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2015 Traci Loudin

  All rights reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, stored in a retrieval or data system, or transmitted in any form without prior permission from the author except for the use of brief quotations in book reviews.

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  Cover design by Rebecca Weaver