by Dawn Dagger
Afterlife
Alleryia: The afterlife where warriors and kings go. Those who inhabit Alleryia are adventurous and can pass into the peaceful Elsomora. Some of them even pass into Ursona, to keep the demons at bay. Others are sent as Valkeryie back on Kethaltar.
Death: One of the 7 Keepers of Ursona. Death brings souls to their place in Ursona, as well as guards the gates of the place the demons are kept.
Darkness: One of the 7 Keepers of Ursona. Darkness judges the sand in the souls of the dead. One of the four judges of Ursona.
Elsomora: The afterlife where all good souls go. There are four levels to Elsomora. Avidly religious beings such as monks or priests belong on Yeshu, those who were neither evil nor good are placed in San, those who were great heroes, but not fighters, belong to Danse, and those who were good people, if not particularly heroes, are sent to Gudd. All souls can wander from level to level to visit other souls, but only those from Danse and Yeshu are able to pass into Alleryia. Those in Yeshu are sometimes allowed to aid in reinforcing the gate to Evil.
Tenebis: One of the 7 Keepers of Ursona. Tenebis represents anger, and is the keeper of the demon gates.
Uronsa: The afterlife where bad souls go. There are levels to Ursona. Avidly religious beings in the dark arts, such as Runecharmers, belong to Edge, where they suffer. Those who were neither evil nor particularly good, but did bad things are placed in Sian. Souls who did horrible things for the good of others, anti-heros, are placed in Dalsha. Those is Dalsha can enter in both Yeshu and Danse, as well as Alleryia, though they prefer not to. Those in Dalsha are sometimes recruited to serve missions on earth, as messengers.
Keepers of Ursona: There are 7 Keepers of Ursona; Death, Darkness, Tenebis, Vallero, Elysia, Life, and Mortisa.
Saints
Saint Artmetiso: The patron saint of the hunt. Those born under the constellation Odobenus in the moon cycle of Ennus are seen as Saint Artmetiso’s souls.
Saint Eva: The patron saint of purity. Those born under the constellation Lepra in the moon cycle of Osta are seen as Saint Eva’s souls.
Saint Lucien: The patron saint of knowledge. Those born under the constellation Zann in the moon cycle Yux are seen as Saint Lucien’s souls.
Saint Solielen: The patron saint of souls. Those born under the constellation Sasha in the moon cycle Ki’ja are seen as Saint Solielen’s souls.
Constellations and the Moons
The Three Moons: Los, Als, Calli: The three moons who hang in the sky, each with a different cycle for waxing and waning. When all three moons are full, it is said magic is the strongest.
Odobenus: The bear constellation, lasting from Zvenne to Ennus.
Naska: The bull constellation over the Alliacian sea, visable from Ennus to Ki’ja.
Money
Dirma: A form of money used throughout most of Kethaltar. It is made of a silver-nickle alloy. 500 dirmas is the equivalent to one half Daermach.
Daermach: A form of money used throughout most of Kethaltar. It is made of gold with precious gemstones placed in the center. It is worth 1000 dirmas.
Plants
Asha-Can: Small, white flowers, known for their potent, near-magical healing properties. They can only be found in particular forests, and are impossible to cultivate. Rumored to be protected by a vengeful dryad. Asha-Can’s properties can only be used if they are prepared a very specific way, and they lose all properties if prepared wrong.
Elder Spice: One of the many spices sold in Bandolinda and Harothwa. It is red in color and has a fine, powdery texture. Used to spice soups and meats, it only grows in the tropical regions of Utonopia, and is hard to find elsewhere in Kethaltar. A very profitable trade resource, Elder spice does not spoil, and can be held for many years at a time. A favorite of sea-faring traders.
Honeydream: An orange flower that is dried, rolled, stuffed into pipes, then smoked. It slows the mind and alters what one sees. The drug is banned in most countries, but is often used in the unconquered wilds, as well as taverns that do not care for laws.
Jessian Spice: A brown, grainy spiced used for its heat and bitter taste. Often used in breads or when preparing meat, Jessian Spice is preferred by Keshnittes and Ronars, and is often transported to Avondella for trading among the cultural regions. It is not a favorite of sea-traders, for it has little value outside of the two continents.
Other Terms
Indulgence: A term for the slaves sold for sex- used for both males and females.
Special Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my awesome best friend, Daleen. She always supports me, and is one of the coolest editors anyone will ever have the pleasure of working with. From my very first drafts, she’s always been by my side, and I would never have been able to do any of this without her. I also want to thank Alex for supporting me always.
I want to thank Savannah for being my biggest fan. From screaming ‘IS THAT DAWN DAGGER’ every time I pass in the hallways, to reading my books, to letting every single person in my school know I wrote a book, she has always been one of my loudest fans, and I will never thank her enough.
I want to thank Kellyn Roth and Hope Ann. Not only have they been forces of inspiration for the entirety of my writing career. Kellyn has always made me feel capable of doing what I wanted to do, as well as proving to me I had the skill too. I want to thank Hope Ann for inspiring me to follow my dreams of writing my own fantasy novel. From her writing tips, to her amazing novellas, to everything she’s done, its served as an endless inspiration.
Finally, I would like to thank Dii Bylo and Maria from Silver Dagger for helping me so, so much with the launch of this novel. They are some of the most wonderful help a writer could ever hope for.
And you, dearest reader. Thank you.
About the Author
An avid reader and writer since the age of six, Dawn Dagger has placed highly in multiple state-wide writing competitions, has also been featured in Kya Aliana’s Stories for Around the Campfire Anthology with her story ‘The Haunting’, The Atlantic Island Universe anthology with her story ‘Fragments’, co-authors The Atlantic Island; Mosaics with Fredric Shernoff, a top 100 Amazon bestseller. Dawn’s original series include the My British Bear Trilogy and The Chronicles of Salt and Blood. Dawn loves her cat, Milo, long walks in the woods, coffee (a lot), and playing the piano. She can be found on Facebook, instagram (@dawn.e.dagger), her blog, Rosy Dawns and Radiant Musings, and her website, or curled up in a corner somewhere, ignoring the world and scribbling away some new novel.
Time has run out.
As the clock ticks, a new adventure begins…
Read the beginning of four new adventures in The Atlantic Island Universe Anthology!
For a sneak peek of Dawn Dagger’s My British Bear, turn to the next page.
From My British Bear:
The spark that had made me speak was burning in my stomach, making me feel like I was going to vomit. “I HATE YOU!” I screamed, the noise vibrating up through my chest and lungs and out into the house, frustration letting loose the words that were never supposed to come out.
I froze, my breath stuck in my throat. Everything seemed to slow down as I gripped the chair, dread pouring into every part of my body like molten lead.
I need to control myself or soon I wasn’t going to have a life to regret living.
I heard something slam below me. Glass shattered. “Don’t come out of your room for the rest of the night!" he bellowed.
I stumbled back from the door, heaving in air, my stomach aching from panic. More glass shattered, then all went silent in the small house. I fell across my bed, shaking and sweating. My cheek ached.
It was a moment I wanted to give in. Give up. My wrists itched. My heart was in agony. My thoughts danced around the knife I had hidden beneath my mattress- there for self defense in case I was ever in a situation I would need it.
My thoughts played the idea in my mind- ending the festering ache, but something
made the thoughts seem distant and sickening.
An unidentifiable smile.
