The soldiers of Qarath chased them back through the pass and then down the steep slope, howling and killing. Qarath had won the first great battle of the war.
But their triumph was short lived.
One minute they exulted and the next something tore open inside each one of them.
As one, the Qarathian army stopped and looked to the south, all of them knowing instinctively what had just happened.
The prison was broken.
Melekath was free.
The story continues in Hunger’s Reach.
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Glossary
abyss – place deep in the earth that is filled with unknown entities. It is the home of chaos power. Gulagh drew chaos power from the abyss and released it into the River, which is what is causing the strange diseases and mutations plaguing the land.
Achsiel — (AWK-see-el) blinded one who went with Kasai to get ingerlings from the abyss. He also led the first group of raiders onto the Plateau.
akirma – the luminous glow that surrounds every living thing. Contained within it is Selfsong. When it is torn, Selfsong escapes. It also acts as a sort of transformative filter, changing raw LifeSong, which is actually unusable by living things, into Selfsong.
Ankha del’Ath — ancestral home of the Takare. Empty since the slaughter at Wreckers Gate.
aranti — Shapers of the Sphere of Sky that dwell within the wind. They are the only Shapers never to war against the others.
Arminal Rix — ruler of Qarath before Rome and Quyloc took over.
Asoken — the Firewalker for Bent Tree Shelter, killed by the outsiders.
Atria — (AY-tree-uh) name commonly used to refer to the landmass where the story takes place. It is a derivation of the name Kaetria, which was the name of the old Empire.
Azrael — (AZ-ray-el) the one the Takare call the Mistress, protector of wildlife on the Landsend Plateau. If a game animal is not killed cleanly by a hunter, it may cry out to her and she will bring violence on the one who killed it. She killed Erined, mate to Taka-slin.
Banishment – when the Eight created Melekath’s prison and sank the city of Durag’otal underground.
barren — area of bare stone on the Plateau. Nothing lives on the barrens except occasionally a tani or a poisonwood. The barrens actually seem to repel LifeSong.
Bent Tree Shelter — village on the Plateau where Shakre lived after being exiled from the Tenders.
Bereth – a Shaper of the Sphere of Stone, one of the Eight, who together with Xochitl laid siege to the city of Durag’otal. Along with the Shaper Larkind, he discovered the abyss and tried to enter it. Larkin was destroyed and Bereth was permanently damaged. He is the primary god in Thrikyl.
beyond — also known as “in the mists,” the inner place where Tenders can see Song.
Birna — woman of Bent Tree Shelter who recently gave birth. Wife of Pinlir.
Bloodhound — one of Kasai’s followers. He chased Netra up onto the sides of the Landsend Plateau and nearly caught her.
Bonnie — Rome’s girlfriend, pregnant with his child.
Book of Xochitl – the Tenders’ sacred book.
Brelisha — old Tender at Rane Haven who taught the young Tenders.
blinded ones – those people who have had their eyes burned out by Kasai. They gain the ability to use Kasai’s gray fire and are in direct contact with the Guardian.
Caller — shortened form of Windcaller.
Cara — Netra’s best friend.
chaos power – The power that comes from the abyss. It is completely inimical to all power in the normal world, including LifeSong, Stone force, Sky force, and Sea force. Chaos power was drawn from the abyss by the Eight to form Melekath’s prison.
Children — the ones who followed Melekath to the city of Durag’otal and were Banished with him.
cla’sich — a Themorian term, applied to military leaders who are cowards, who hide behind others, then hide their cowardice from themselves.
Clem — one of the ten Telinar brothers, hired by Rome to scout for his army. Rome thinks it is the scarred one with the waist-long beard.
Crodin — nomadic people who live along the edge of the Gur al Krin desert. After they die the Crodin believe that their spirits are drawn into the desert, to the gates of Har Adrim, the dread city where their god awaits: Gomen nai, the Faceless One.
Dargent — nobleman who leads the soldiers raised by the nobility. Nearly thrown into chains by Rome.
Donae — (DOE-nay) Tender from Rane Haven.
Dorn — Windcaller that Shakre had an affair with as a young woman. Netra’s father.
Dreamwalker — the Dreamwalkers are those who are responsible for guiding the Takare in spiritual and supernatural matters.
Durag’otal — (DER-awg OH-tal) city founded by Melekath as a haven for his Children. It was sunk underground in the Banishment.
Eight — eight Shapers of the First Ring who besieged the city of Durag’otal, formed a prison of chaos power around it, and sank it underground.
Elihu — (eh-LIE-who) the Plantwalker for Bent Tree Shelter and Shakre’s closest friend.
Fanethrin — (FAIN-thrin) city to the west. Part of the old Empire.
feeder lines – the intermediate sized current of LifeSong, between the trunk lines, which come off the River directly, and the flows, which sustain individual creatures.
Felint — grizzled veteran in the Qarathian army.
Firkath Mountains — mountains just to the north of Rane Haven.
FirstMother — title of the leader of the Tenders.
First Ring — the oldest and most powerful of the Shapers, the first to arrive on the world.
flows – the smallest currents of LifeSong. One of these is attached to each living thing and acts as a conduit to constantly replenish the energy that radiates outward from the akirma and dissipates. If the flow attached to a living thing is severed, it will only live for at most a few hours longer.
Gerath — Tender who went with Netra to the town of Treeside. She was killed by Tharn.
Gift — something that was given by Melekath to his Children. The nature of it is not known, but whatever it was it led the Eight to besiege Durag’otal.
Godstooth — a tall spire of white stone near the center of the Landsend Plateau. It used to mark the hiding place of the god Tu Sinar.
Golgath — one of the Shapers that stood with Xochitl at the siege of Durag’otal. He was the only one of the Eight who was a Sea Shaper.
Gorim – one of the Shapers that stood with Xochitl at the siege of Durag’otal. Worshipped in Veragin, the dead city Rome found at the end of the summer campaign, where T’sim was found.
gromdin — a denizen of the Pente Akka. According to Lowellin, it seeks to shred the Veil, thus allowing the Pente Akka to spill over into the normal world.
Gulagh – one of the three Guardians of the Children, also known as the Voice, in control of the city of Nelton. It has discovered a way to make a small
opening into the abyss and when chaos power leaks out, use a living person to feed that power back up the flow of LifeSong sustaining that person and ultimately into the River itself. It is this poison in the River which is causing the strange diseases and mutations plaguing the land.
Gur al Krin — desert that formed over the spot where Durag’otal was sunk underground. Means “sands of the angry god” in the Crodin language.
Has Trium’an — in Themorian belief, the Keepers of the Blessed Land.
Heartglow – the brighter glow in the center of a person’s akirma. Like concentrated Selfsong. When it goes out, the person is dead.
Huntwalker — the Huntwalkers are those responsible for guiding the Takare in the hunt.
Ilsith – Lowellin’s staff. Nothing is known of this creature or why it obeys Lowellin.
ingerlings – ravenous creatures Kasai took from the abyss.
Intyr – Dreamwalker for Bent Tree Shelter.
Jehu (JAY-who) — young Takare who took the black mark from Achsiel rather than be burned alive.
Kasai — one of the three Guardians of Melekath, also known as the Eye. Kasai discovered a way to take the ingerlings from the abyss and use them against Tu Sinar. It was badly injured by Quyloc with the rendspear at the battle of Guardians Watch.
Kaetria — (KAY-tree-uh) capital city of the Old Empire.
Karthije — (CAR-thidge) kingdom neighboring Qarath to the northwest.
Karyn — (CARE-in) Tender at Rane Haven.
kelani — a Themorian warship.
Khanewal — one of the Eight, who together with Xochitl laid siege to the city of Durag’otal.
Koni Anat — true Themorian warriors are allowed to meet him in single battle after death.
krenth-an — Themorian word for one who is no longer seen by his people, an exile.
Landsend Plateau — place where the Takare lived before it was destroyed in Tu Sinar’s death throes.
Larkind — a Shaper of the Sphere of Stone. He was destroyed eons before when he and Bereth tried to Shape chaos power from the abyss.
Lem — one of the ten Telinar brothers, hired by Rome to scout for his army.
Lenda — simpleminded Tender from Qarath. Something went wrong when she received her sulbit and she went crazy and disappeared. It now appears she has two sulbits instead of one.
LifeSong – energy that flows from the River and to all living things. It turns into Selfsong after it passes through the akirma, which acts as a sort of filter to turn the raw energy of LifeSong into something usable by the living thing.
Lowellin — (low-EL-in) known by the Tenders as the Protector, he guides them to the sulbits.
macht — title from the old Empire meaning supreme military leader of all the phalanxes. Adopted by Rome for himself instead of king.
Mak’morn — Shorn’s family name.
melding — when a Tender allows her sulbit to join with her on a deep level. In order for a Tender to meld with her sulbit she has to lower her inner defenses and allow the creature into the deepest recesses of her being. Her will must be strong to keep it from taking over.
Meholah — Huntwalker for Bent Tree Shelter. He was killed by Achsiel for saying no to the question.
Melekath — powerful Shaper of the Sphere of Stone, one of the First Ring.
Musician — one of a highly secretive brotherhood who can manipulate LifeSong to create Music that transports the listener. Rumor has it that there is a pact between them and their god, Othen, which is where they get their power.
naak’kii — Themorian term for warriors.
Nalene — FirstMother in Qarath.
Nelton – small city where Netra and Siena encountered the Guardian Gulagh.
Nicandro — aide to Wulf Rome.
Nipashanti — what the Shapers of the First Ring call themselves.
Oath — when the Takare first arrived on the Plateau, all life there turned against them and they were nearly all killed. Taka-slin, the legendary hero, traveled to the Godstooth and challenged Tu Sinar to come out and answer for his crimes. When the god did not answer, Taka-slin spoke the Oath, that the Takare would build no cities nor allow outsiders on the Plateau, and in exchange, Tu Sinar would call off his minions.
Othen’s Pact — agreement made between Musicians and the god Othen.
Owina — one of the Tenders from Rane Haven.
Pastwalker – the Pastwalkers are entrusted with remembering the past. They can take others to actually relive past events from the history of the Takare.
pelti — Shapers from the Sphere of Stone.
Pente Akka — the shadow world that Lowellin showed Quyloc how to access.
Perganon — palace historian/librarian. He meets with Rome to read to him from the old histories. Also runs an informal network of informants.
Perthen — king of Karthije.
Pinlir — Takare man who was opposed to the use of violence until his father was killed by the outsiders.
Plains of Dem — where the Takare defeated the Sertithians.
PlantSong — the Song found within plants.
Plantwalker — the Plantwalkers are Takare who are sensitive to plants and can even communicate with them in a fashion.
Protaxes — one of the Eight, who together with Xochitl laid siege to the city of Durag’otal. Worshipped in Qarath by the nobility.
Qarath — (kuh-RATH) city ruled by Rome and Quyloc.
Quyloc — (KWY-lock) Macht Rome’s chief advisor.
Rane Haven — where Netra grew up.
Rehobim — (reh-HOE-bim) Takare who wants to fight the outsiders.
Rekus — (REE-kus) Pastwalker for Bent Tree Shelter.
Rem — one of the ten Telinar brothers, hired by Rome to scout for his army. Rome thinks it is the youngest one with the two braided beards.
Reminder — a many-pointed star enclosed in a circle, the holy symbol of the Tenders.
rendspear — weapon Quyloc made in the Pente Akka from a tooth of the rend, lashed to a tree limb from the jungle, then doused in the River. It is capable of slicing through the flows of the three Spheres, as well as those of Life.
Ricarn — Tender of the Arc of Insects who shows up with two others in Qarath.
River — the fundamental source of all LifeSong, deep in the mists of beyond.
Seafast Square — place where Nalene defeated the creature that crawled out of the sea. The new Temple is being built there.
seeing – the act of perceiving with inner, extrasensory perception. It has nothing to do with the eyes yet what the mind perceives while seeing is interpreted by the brain as visual imagery.
Selfsong – when LifeSong passes through a person’s akirma it becomes Selfsong, which is the energy of Life in a form that can be utilized by the body. It dissipates at death. It is continually replenished, yet retains a pattern that is unique to each individual.
Sem — one of the ten Telinar brothers, hired by Rome to scout for his army. Rome thinks it is the one who is missing part of his ear.
Sententu – a pelti, Shaper of the Sphere of Stone, one of the Eight who joined with Xochitl to besiege Durag’otal. He sacrificed himself to be the door of the prison.
Sertith — high grassland area to the north of Qarath. Nomadic horse warriors live there. It is believed they toppled the old Empire after it grew weak.
Shakre — Netra’s mother. She lives with the Takare, having been driven to the Plateau by the wind after being exiled from the Tenders.
Shapers — powerful beings inhabiting the world long before life. Each belongs to one of the three Spheres, Stone, Sea or Sky, though some left to be part of the Circle of Life.
shlikti — Shapers of the Sphere of Sea.
Shorn — powerful humanoid from Themor who was exiled and crashed to earth near the Godstooth.
sklath — demons that the Crodin believe inhabit the Gur al Krin. They are believed to be responsible for raising the pillars of fire when the wind blows.
snek —
Themorian term for leaders who waste their men in foolish battles.
Songquest — ritual that Tenders go through to acquire their sonkrill. They fast and wander the land until a spirit guide appears and leads them to their sonkrill.
sonkrill – talismans that the Tenders receive/discover at the end of their Songquest. The use of sonkrill came about after the fall of the Empire, as the Tenders sought to recover their lost power.
Sounder – one with an affinity for the Sea and its denizens. Due to the ancient wars between the Shapers of the Sea and those of the Stone, in which many people died and the seas and coastal areas abandoned, the people of Atria have a long history of fearing the Sea. As a result Sounders risk injury and death if they are found out.
Spheres — Stone, Sea and Sky.
spirit-walking — an ability that the Tenders of old had, a way of separating the spirit from the body, the spirit then leaving the body behind to travel on without it. A thin silver thread connects the spirit to the body. If the thread is broken, there is no way for the spirit to find its way back to the body.
stitcher — army surgeon.
sulbit – creatures that dwell in the River, living on pure LifeSong. In an effort to gain allies in the fight against Melekath, Lowellin gives them to the Tenders. When a Tender melds with her sulbit, she gains the creature’s natural affinity for Song. As the sulbit becomes larger and stronger, the Tender can use its ability to touch and manipulate Song.
T’sim — (TUH-sim) unusual man Rome finds in the dead city of Veragin.
Tairus – (TEAR-us) General of the army.
Taka-slin — legendary hero of the Takare. He led them to the Plateau and defeated Azrael when she attacked his people. After that he traveled to the Godstooth and made the Oath which allowed the Takare to remain on the Plateau.
Takare — (tuh-KAR-ee) the greatest warriors of the old Empire. After the slaughter at Wreckers Gate they renounced violence and migrated to the Landsend Plateau.
tani — (TA-nee) huge, lion-like predator that lives on the Plateau.
Tem — one of the ten Telinar brothers, hired by Rome to scout for his army. Rome thinks it is the gray-haired one.
Guardians Watch Page 46
