The Cursed Dragon
Book One of the Age of Acama Series
By:
Rachal M. Roberts
www.TotalPublishingAndMedia.com
Copyright © 2015, Rachal M. Roberts
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.
This book is a work of fiction.
Factual errors may exist in the text. Names, characters, organizations, events, Native American Tribes, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, organizations, business establishments, events, Native American Tribes, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Paperback ISBN 978-1-63302-016-0
Hardcover ISBN 978-1-63302-023-8
Ebook ISBN 978-1-63302-063-4
Total Publishing And Media
www.TotalPublishingAndMedia.com
For Jason, my wizard
Acknowledgments
Thanks and appreciation to all the folk kind enough to let me interview them, Jenniffer Martin, Todd Ray, Jeremy Roberts, Josie Sickler, Mallie Whorton, and countless others. It is a work of fiction but a lot of research was conducted to make this book, thank you to Dr. Anna Cruse for the geochemisty, Dr. Martin Heimann for the extreme cold temperatures and carbon dioxide, and Dr. D. E. Wadsworth, Jr for the mummy eyes. Additional works were studied from the research of Simon Martin and Ramon Carrasco about the Maya, as well as Xu Xing and his fabulous work with digging up feathered dinosaurs. Jim C., without you, one of my favorite characters, Tamtoc, wouldn’t exist, many thanks to you. And lastly I drew a lot from my history, love and blessings to my parents Calvin and Sylvia for raising me right, Dianna, Rianna, Veronica, as well as Jayne and Marshea for convincing me to take that job which began this path.
These artists’ songs fueled my passion and perseverance to finish this work. Countless hours I listened and sang to this playlist as I wrote or drove my car. Each one of them in some way exemplifies the emotions in the book and I encourage you to enjoy them as you proceed.
Believer, Dimensions: Movement I: The Lie, Movement II: The Truth, Movement III: The Key
Brainchild, Metamorphosis: Deviate (Sawed-Off Shotgun Edit)
Celldweller, Soundtrack for the Voices In My Head, Vol. 02 (Chapter 1) – EP: The Wings of Icarus (feat. James Dooley)
The Cranberries, No Need to Argue: Zombie
Dragonforce, Inhuman Rampage: entire album
Dream Theater, Awake: Space Dye Vest
Enigma, The Cross of Changes: Return to Innocence
Enigma, MCMXC a.D.: Sadeness (Part I)
Enya, Shepherd Moons: Book Of Days
Evanescence, Fallen: entire album
Living Sacrifice, Metamorphosis: Black Veil, Desolate
Nightwish, Oceanborn: Gethsemane, Swanheart, Walking In The Air
Nightwish, Once (Bonus Track): Dark Chest Of Wonders, The Siren, Dead Gardens, Ghost Love Score, Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan, Higher Than Hope
Nightwish, Over the Hills and Far Away: Over the Hills and Far Away
Nightwish, Wishmaster: Sleepwalker, The Kinslayer, Crownless, Fantasmic
Rhapsody, The Dark Secret – EP: entire album
Rhapsody of Fire, From Chaos to Eternity: entire album
Rhapsody of Fire, Triumph or Agony: entire album
Therion, Crowning of Atlantis: Mark of Cain, Thor
Therion, Deggial: Emerald Crown
Therion, Lemuria: Lemuria, An Arrow From The Sun, Abraxas
Therion, Secret Of The Runes: Muspelheim, Secret Of The Runes
Therion, Sirius B: The Blood of Kingu, Dark Venus Persephone, Kali Yuga Part 2, Voyage of Gurdjieff (The Fourth Way)
Therion, Theli: To Mega Therion, In The Desert of Set, Grand Finale / Postludium
Therion, Vovin: Black Sun
Within Temptation, The Silent Force: Angels
Table of Contents
1. The End of Ravanan’s Quest
2. Annette the Wise
3. Interrogation
4. Midnight Escapades and Morning Worries
5. Battle at Mt. Manipulation
6. Penalties
7. The Horrible Eyes of Memory
8. In Love With a Goddess
9. A Frozen Masterpiece of Truth
10. The Polarization of Darkness
11. Bill’s Troubled House
12. Errors of Love and Youth
13. The Tepui’s Door
14. The New Amethyst Enchantress
15. Then Rise and Be Mine
16. The Duel
17. Spelunking
18. Research
19. Gun Show Gluttony
20. Descent
21. Working in Terror
22. Tragedy at Tamtoc
23. Using a Medicine Man
24. Treasure & Rewards
25. The Fifth
26. Second Runner Up
27. The Darkness in the Hills
28. Lessons
29. Another Slice!
Prologue
Deep in the Amazon rain forest of Brazil between Manaus and Boa Vista, amidst tall trees and countless animals there was a certain tepui that loomed over the vast green world below and sleeping on the sunny ledge of that tepui was a purple dragon, an Acama.
A sound pricked her ears which caused her purple eyes to open and squint at the bright day. Hearing the sound again, she rolled over and scanned the forest below but couldn’t see through the canopy of trees. The hunt was on, the dragoness bounded into the air to catch its scent. The tips of her massive purple wings brushed the trees as they pumped silently. The delightful smell of human was in the air.
She flew high and cast “MORPH TO HUMAN”. In a gravity-defying aerial, thousands of feet above the forest canopy, she shrank from her 70 foot frame, her black horns softened into dark tresses, her purple scales lightened into pale skin and wings folded to sink into her back. With her naked human frame, the enchantress dived down to pick up the fragrant trail. Landing without making a sound, she cast “DRAPE CREAM RUNES” and “EVOKE GREEN PACK” and began a steady gait, clothed and armed. The fire opals on her cream robe lit the forest floor around her feet and cleared a path, burning and vaporizing branches and thorns.
Far ahead, her amethyst eyes spotted her target’s leg. The Acama calmly reached into a green bag and retrieved its contents. In her open palm were grains of green sand; bringing them to her lips, she whispered the spell “CONSTRUCT”. The green sand blew of its own accord, fusing together and pulling the remaining grains in the bag to it. The tiny green tornado became a short bow, made of olivine crystal and intricately laden with small gemstones of tiny enchanting runes. When her fingers came to the string, an arrow magically appeared with a malicious-looking tip – ready for use. Just as she started to aim, her prey ducked behind a bush.
The shot was gone, but the Acama kept the bow readied while she advanced at a snail’s pace. She found the human again and prepared to shoot, but her target darted to a nearby tree. The hunt was proving to be a great one. She cast “ERODE”; the crystalline bow blew away and the Green Pack was full once more.
She made a wide arc through the trees but the human wasn’t where it should have been. Curiosity piqued, she continued on to see the back side of the tree. She noticed the weathered split at the base. With wild joy she knew the human had to be cowered inside the tree, the Acama once again cast “CONSTRUCT”. Her fingers deftly touched the arrow materialized at her finger tips and she waited. Her prey was in there, she knew it. She could almost taste th
e salty flavorful blood; she salivated with the thought of its heart gushing with fear. Her eyes now nailed to the dark heart of the tree with anticipation. Finally a shadow moved and that was all she needed. She aimed to light up the target with the bow’s inherent spell starlight, she pulled the arrow back. All she had to do was release it.
Chapter 1
A death match was in progress between four house cats, it ranged all over. The only spectator at the event was Kalara who was sitting on the couch. Her favorite was Seven (named for his seven toes on each paw) and he was winning with his vicious claws. She could almost predict the battles of the games they played. Even her roommate Jenniffer, who owned and had rescued each of them, had to admit that Kalara had an uncanny connection with them.
Kalara heard her roommate rustling around after having just gotten out of bed so she stood up to take her empty bowl back to the kitchen. It was a typical Saturday morning with Jenniffer sleeping in until noon. Kalara had been up for seven hours and had eaten three times. Even in her down-hearted state she could eat. She was always hungry it seemed but Kalara was constantly depressed at her lost past. Ever since she was found nearly a year ago, Kalara’s life was one of disappointment. Even though Jenniffer was nice to her and tried to hide how she truly felt, it was obvious that Kalara was a nuisance in her roommate’s life. Her memory and state of mind wasn’t improving as Annette the Medicine Woman had said it would. She’d fixed the confusion but all that remained was a hard wall.
In the beginning Annette had been helpful. She discovered Kalara in the Brazilian jungle and offered to take her to her home in the forested country of northeast Oklahoma until her memory returned. Those first few weeks Annette studied Kalara’s every word and had kept a close eye on her – using medicinal herbs and sweat lodge to extract Kalara’s memories from the Nether Realms, but with no success. Yet for all the time they spent together, Annette seemed to be aloof, never allowing Kalara to get to know her better. In words, Annette cared enough to help her; in actions, Annette maintained the distance of a doctor who was exhausting every possible effort to cure a highly contagious and dying patient. Annette was cold and analytical. Having tried every idea twice over, she seemed to have given up. Kalara knew Annette had found a roommate for her to get her out of her house, Annette’s phone calls had even become scarce. Kalara was practically a prisoner with no hope of ever leaving Jenniffer’s apartment in Tulsa.
No one had come looking for her. No TV broadcast searching for a woman of Kalara’s description – Caucasian female with long dark hair and purple eyes. The only people who even knew she lived were doing their best to avoid her and at the same time keeping her “safe” in the apartment.
Kalara sat on the balcony taking in the crisp feeling of the day. Even in the stuffy and crowded city the death throws of summer were gone in the wind and fall had made her entrance with shades of old green and dried-up brown. The sun felt different to Kalara. She wondered if she had always been like that, attuned to nature and reading the signs in the air.
Jenniffer finally joined her. She opened the door and took the remaining seat on their small sun deck, eating her cookie dough and cola breakfast. Their fenced deck faced a car dealership and couldn’t hold more than two people. It was their little claim on the outside world. Also competing for space was the thirsty petunia in the corner, it wasn’t doing well in the shade and would most likely give up trying to add color to Kalara’s life in the next few days. Jenniffer poured the rest of her cola on the poor plant. “You know, cola is good for the roots, the fizz cleans them,” she snidely commented, knowing that Kalara had no clue.
“Aren’t they supposed to be dirty? They live in dirt.”
“No, the fizz bubbles away the slime from the fertilizer.”
Kalara looked at her ugly plant. “Let’s go buy a new plant, it would be great to get out.”
Jenniffer mulled the idea over, “Oh, I don’t know about that, are you sure you can handle it?”
“Of course I can, I’m perfectly fine. Besides, remember? - Annette gave me this ring to protect me.” Kalara held up her right hand to show off her only jewelry. It was a dark colored ring woven from a braid of her own hair and Annette’s. When Annette finally presented it to her, she said it had taken a while to make it, and it had been steeped in a special brew to ward off harmful spirits.
Jenniffer politely smiled because she knew Annette’s true intention of the gift. “OK. But first we have got to clean the kitchen. Do you not remember me asking you to do that yesterday before I left for work?”
“You did?”
“Yeah I did. Right after you said you could help out around the place.”
“Oh, sorry about that.”
“So, what did you do yesterday?”
“Not much, I fell asleep after lunch. I dreamed I was hunting.”
Jenniffer’s ears perked up, the dream would need to be reported to Annette. She wondered if anything in it was different this time. “Well? Tell me about it.”
“OK. I was hunting in a forest with a magic bow. My mouth was watering with the anticipation of tasting hot blood and then all the sudden I was in a fog, hearing that voice again.”
“You mean the Acama voice?”
“Yea. Hearing it woke me up. But I tell you, I could almost taste the blood, I wanted it.”
Jenniffer made a face, “That’s gross. – hot blood? You are so weird.” She rolled her eyes. “We should tell Annette about it even though it is nothing new. She might be able to help you sleep better. For right now just don’t worry. It was only a dream and dreams aren’t real. You aren’t some great hunter and there is no such thing as a magic bow. You need to remember that magic isn’t real, you know it isn’t. How many times have I told you this? Say it with me – ‘magic isn’t real’.”
Kalara obeyed and said it, although she resented it every time Jenniffer asked her to say it. It was enough, she got it she understood. From watching people on TV and on the streets outside there was no such thing as magic. If there was magic she would not have the problems she has. Some time ago she had dismissed the notion of magic and was really getting tired of reciting the mantra with Jenniffer.
With the dishes finally clean the pair was out looking at plants. After the garden store Jenniffer was ready to take Kalara back home. She was at her wits end and trying to figure out a way to tell Annette to shove it. If only Annette would find someone else to babysit the dazed Kalara. Not even the meager amount of money or the new cell phone plan Annette had given her was enough to make her keep watching her. Kalara suggested they shop separately at the mall for a while then meet up to eat at the food court. Jenniffer didn’t argue the point like she normally would. At the moment she was so annoyed a break sounded good. She could agree to let Kalara be alone, then hang so far back Kalara wouldn’t notice her keeping an eye on her. That way, Jenniffer could say that she was indeed doing her job when Annette asked during their weekly phone call.
They entered the mall and Kalara made off on her own. “Be careful and try not to forget we are meeting at the hot dog stand in one hour OK?” Jenniffer yelled to her.
“No problem. See ya.”
Jenniffer hung back so their gap would widen. She knew there was no way Kalara would remember when and where to meet, the stupid woman could hardly remember how to get home.
Kalara wasn’t shopping, she was searching. Of the many people at the mall, at least one person might possibly know her, recognize her. But on this day no one spoke to her and everyone she made eye contact with gave her an odd look and circled wide around her.
There were so many faces to watch, Kalara made it a point to check each one even though they all seemed to look the same. Aside from hair color, it was very hard to tell people apart. Even though Kalara visually blended in with her average height and slender body, she felt at odds with people, always different than everyone else. She was out of touch with everyone and everything. It all seemed so foreign.
Kalara had ju
st passed the lower level bookstore when she noticed a man in his 30s keeping pace with her and looking in her direction. Clean shaved, expensive jeans and blue shirt, without want. He was taller than most men, broad, and handsome with loose dark hair that fell to his mid-back; the image of a perfect man. He wasn’t menacing or threatening in any way but the fact he seemed to be studying Kalara’s every detail was disquieting. She changed paths and he adjusted accordingly. The guy was definitely following her. He must know who she was so why didn’t he just come up and talk to her?
She turned towards him and started to greet him when suddenly she was mute and couldn’t move a muscle, rigid and vulnerable, she stood there. The she heard him say “CALM” as he approached her with an air of confidence. Her breath slowed down and her heart relaxed. Standing frozen, she was interested in what he knew about her and only mildly concerned he was controlling her, but she didn’t mind it.
The tall, blue-eyed man came close enough to whisper in her ear “I placed a hold on you because you are acting really odd Kalara. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to know what you are doing here.”
Seeing no recognition in her eyes, the man thought carefully about his next words. He started again “My name is Ravanan of Kynasteryx Diamid and I have been looking for you for some time now. You need not fear me, the calming spell should help you relax. Kalara, I don’t know why you are here, but I will find out. Do this one thing for me, give me this one moment. Just jump in the air and I promise you will stay there, hovering. Your magical blood is eagerly waiting to carry out your commands. I will even jump with you. This is all I ask and I will release you to do it. If you come back down, I will walk away and you will never see me again.”
Kalara was skeptical but intrigued. Magical blood? Magic wasn’t real. Yet, how was he able to stop her movements? Why wasn’t anyone noticing them or caring that she was frozen? He knew her and that made her mood lift considerably despite the calming spell. She would jump to get him to stay and talk more. She had to find out what he knew about her. Feeling his release she jumped and hovered about six inches off the ground. Luckily he did the same thing so she didn’t feel completely odd. People around them didn’t seem to notice or care, too busy and wrapped up in their lives of purchasing. Was she staying there, or was he causing her to hover off the ground?
The Cursed Dragon Page 1
