Talon (The Astor Chronicles Book 1)
Page 30
With one last snarl at the Zeikas I spun and leapt to safety, barely registering the arrow that scraped my tail.
As soon as I passed through the barrier the only things I could see were clouds—billowing whiteness with a hint of pink and jade. Shadows and streaks of light competed among the flipping, fleeting haze. My arms flailed as I fell backwards, shooting down through the endless sky, weightless. A dark hole appeared in the clouds above me, quickly transforming into a hawk-shaped blot. It descended on me, claws outstretched. I curled into a ball.
‘Krii!’ I cried involuntarily, fear curving my tone into the desperate squall of a child.
‘Lift your hands to me.’
I whimpered in protest. The hawk would tear my arms off. Its form grew larger. I unfurled my body, forcing the muscles to obey. In my mind I saw the deep gouges in my wrist, remembering the most terrifying moment of my childhood as if it was happening all over again. But it wasn’t.
I threw back my head and thrust my arms into the sky.
‘Well Krii, this is it. I give it all to you.’
The hawk struck me. My fingers snapped closed over its legs and the ground rushed up to meet me. Just seconds before impact the hawk’s wings beat like thunder in the sky, and slowed my fall. The bird’s body became my own and the freedom of flight transformed me. I flew with my fear up into the clouds, through flashes of lightning and into the mystical world of Tanza.
Glossary
Word
Pronunciation
Meaning or description
Age of Astors (The)
The Age of Astors – year 1 to 718 when Sy-tré is foretold to return
Animal-kin
An animal that has bonded with a person (known as a Rada). The animal is usually called a ‘Rada-kin’ but can also be called ‘animal-kin’ or even by whatever type of animal it is, such as ‘bear-kin’ or ‘cat-kin’.
Ancient Sapphire Tree (Also see ‘Great Sapphire Tree’ and ‘sapphire tree’)
Seven trees fuelled by the Lightmaker’s magic, seeded by Sy-tré himself as part of the Penultimate Prophecy of Anzaii. Artefacts made from their sapphire-like leaves or their iron-like branches augment an Anzaii’s use of the waves. One day, it is said all seven artefacts will be brought together to symbolise the final united stand of all Kriites. The ‘Ancients’ are the largest and most powerful of all sapphire trees.
Anzaii
Ahn-ZAI
A person with very strong abilities using the waves, one of ‘ancient blood’, i.e. the blood of Anzaiia or the ‘ancient survivors’
Anzaiia
Ahn-ZAI-uh
An area outside the Catacombs of Krii (where a number of ancient people survived the cataclysm) and where a great nation was rebuilt. Almost all the ‘ancient survivors’ of Anzaiia could speak telepathically with each other. Great sapphire trees from underground were harvested to enhance these abilities even further.
Astor
Ass-tor
A word based on the acronym A for Anzaii, S for Sleffion, T for Tolite and R for Rada, ‘Astor’ describes these gifts as a whole or a person who has all four gifts. In the latter case it functions like a rank or title.
Before Time (The)
The Before Time (an estimated 1,000 years before calendars were used)
Cubit (one)
450 mm (width from one’s elbow to one’s hand)
Chryne
Krine
The planet on which the novel is set
Foot (one)
304.8 mm or 12 inches
Great Sapphire Tree (also see Sapphire Tree)
Although not as powerful as any one of the seven Ancient Sapphire Trees, Great Sapphire trees have nonetheless been used to create dozens of powerful artefacts, including many Anzaii-kin (jewellery, musical instruments etc.) and Tolite-kin (weapons). Like in Jaria, these trees are special symbols of the Lightmaker’s power and love.
Inch (one)
25.4 mm
Jaria
A section of land nestled agains the Ky-Ayr Ranges where a secluded tribe of Radans lives. Also used in common speech to refer to the main village.
Jarian
Jah-ree-uhn
A person whose heritage is in Jaria
Kin
Kin
A general term that refers to any of the Rada-kin, Sleffion-kin, Tolite-kin or Anzaii-kin, it also simply means ‘family’ or ‘brethren’
Krii
CREE
The human form of the Lightmaker who walked upon Chryne
Kriite
CREE-ite
A member of a faith that worships the ‘Lightmaker’, whose physical form was a man named Krii. Kriites believe Krii’s sacrificial death reconciles them, despite their evil deeds, to the creator. They are supported by Krii’s kindred spirit, the wolf Sy-tre’ who remained on Chryne after Krii’s death.
League (one)
5 km or 3 miles
Lightmaker
The highest figure of the triune god of the Kriites (along with Sy-tré and Krii), the Lightmaker is the sovereign planner and ruler of the cosmos, watching over and directing the affairs of the world, getting involved in people’s lives on an individual level, but often without them knowing and usually only by invitation
Mile
1.6093 km
Magic
Sometimes used to describe the good and evil forces that allow supernatural things to take place. It is closely linked with the spirit world.
Milk vine (and Milk bulbs)
A cave-dwelling plant, the roots (bulbs) of which are squeezed for their ‘milk’
Pace (one)
1.48 m or 4.85 feet
Prime Leader
A traditional term for a ruler of a group of Rada (only Jaria and Lyth keep to the old ways)
Prophet’s Epoch
The Prophet’s Epoch – year 1 to 1272 when Krii was born
Rada
Rah-duh or Ray-duh
A person who has the Kriite gift of sharing their thoughts and gifts with a sentient animal Note: ‘Rada’ is also the pluralised form, used to describe this group of people
Rada-kin
Rah-duh kin
A sentient animal who has the Kriite gift of sharing their thoughts and gifts with a human; also the pluralised form
sapphire tree (Also see ‘Ancient Sapphire Tree’ and ‘Great Sapphire Tree’)
Saf-FAI-uh Tree
Smaller than a Great Sapphire Tree, it is more numerous and the effects of an artefact made from it are less pronounced to the Anzaii. Still, objects and weapons made from sapphire trees are highly valued. The trees mostly only remain in underground caves or in deep, undisturbed forests, having been harvested for generations.
Sarlice
Sar-leese
Second main character of book one, a twenty-two year-old Lythian woman
Shape-shift
A magical morph from one form to another, usually to some kind of land animal
Skyearl
A water chimera that has brightly coloured fur, feathered wings, lion-like paws, a horse-like body and lizard-like tail. All of them are sentient because of an ancient pact made with the Lightmaker to look after mankind
Sleffion
A person who has the Kriite gift of sharing their thoughts and gifts with a skyearl (their Sleffion-kin)
Sleffion-kin
A skyearl who has the Kriite gift of sharing their thoughts and gifts with a human; also the pluralised form
Sy-tré
SAI-tray
The lowest figure of the triune god of the Kriites (along with the Lightmaker and Krii), Sy-tré is a wolf spirit who has the most direct contact with living believers
Talon (Also see Theon)
Tal-uhn
The main character of book one, an eighteen-year-old Jarian man
Theon
Tay-on
Talon’s birth name
Treelion
A cat-like animal with reddish fur, exc
ept for its white underbelly. It is most at home in the upper canopy of a forest
ton
ton
20 hundredweights of 112 pounds each
Yard
0.9144 metres
Zei
The god of the Zeikas. Demon lord (king of demons) and arch enemy of Krii
Zeika
Person who worships Zei and seeks supremacy over other living beings
About the Author
Amanda Greenslade is an Australian writer of adult fantasy and children’s books. She aims to make every book she writes entertaining and thought-provoking. The Managing Director of Australian eBook Publisher, a self-publishing service, Amanda is a multi-skilled communicator and designer. She has knowledge and experience in writing, editing, publishing, graphic design, book layout, web design and marketing.
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