by Jae Waller
CREST: blue dolphin.
INDUSTRIES: stone carving, textiles.
Kae-jouyen: “People of the inlet.” Live on the coast of Ukan Bel alongside Burren Inlet.
CREST: green heron.
INDUSTRIES: fishing.
Yula-jouyen: “People of the valley.” Live inland in Ukan Bel in a network of river valleys.
CREST: copper fox.
INDUSTRIES: weaving.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF EREMUR AND SURROUNDING LANDS
-70
The Iyo-jouyen constructs a shrine in Toel Ginu, one of the oldest surviving buildings in the Aikoto Confederacy.
-60
Sverbian sailors land on the east coast of the Aikoto’s continent and begin migrating west.
1
The Sverbian monarchy introduces a new calendar, marking the birth of an empire.
428
Sverba founds the province of Nyhemur across the mountains from Aikoto lands. The two groups begin trading.
487
Ferish sailors land in Aikoto territory. They clash violently with Aikoto and Sverbians over trade routes and natural resources.
513
Barros Sanguero, lord of the New Ferland Trading Company (NFTC), builds the Colonnium stronghold in Iyo territory. He quickly dominates regional trade.
533 FIRST ELKEN WAR
Sverbians and Aikoto ally to drive out the Ferish. Fighting spans the entire Aikoto coast. Some Rin and Iyo refuse to go to war and instead split off to form the nomadic Dona-jouyen.
The Sverbian-Aikoto alliance kills Sanguero and repels the NFTC. Iyo, Rin, and Sverbian settlers build a fort around the captured Colonnium to ensure Ferish soldiers cannot retake it. They name the fort Caladheå.
545
Sverba founds the province of Eremur in Aikoto territory, declares Caladheå the capital, and establishes a local military. The Aikoto Confederacy refuses to recognize these actions.
547
Famine hits Ferland. Thousands of Ferish immigrants flee overseas to Eremur and nearby lands. Caladheå blooms into an international trading port.
557–8 SECOND ELKEN WAR
A Ferish naval captain attempts to retake the Colonnium and claim land for new immigrants. The Sverbian-Aikoto alliance nearly defeats him — until his soldiers raze Bronnoi Ridge, the Aikoto district in Caladheå. The Rin-jouyen abandons the city and returns north.
Sverba agrees to share control of Eremur with Ferland via an elected Council. The Iyo surrender Bronnoi Ridge in exchange for land and housing in the Ashtown slums. Sverbian dissenters form the Rúonbattai, a radical militant group, and vow to drive out the Ferish.
604–5 THIRD ELKEN WAR
An influenza epidemic ravages Eremur, killing thousands. Ferish rebels, angry about treaties from the previous war, take advantage of the weakened military and hold a coup. The Rúonbattai have a resurgence of support and retaliate against the Ferish rebels.
The war-torn Rin and other northern jouyen refuse to come south and fight, breaking the Aikoto alliance. The Iyo temporarily abandon Caladheå. After great losses, the Council regains control of the city.
606
Several Sverbian mages, accused of helping the Rúonbattai massacre Ferish immigrants, are murdered in Council custody. The mage city Ingdanrad cuts diplomatic ties to Eremur.
618
The Rúonbattai vanish with no explanation.
619
The Dona-jouyen return to Rin territory. The Rin declare war and eradicate the Dona. Soon after, devastating storms hit Rin territory, known as the Storm Year.
623
A military expedition from Caladheå is massacred in Dúnravn Pass. A few survivors and the Iyo claim the air spirit Suriel was responsible.
625
A logging camp near Dúnravn Pass is massacred. Nearby townsfolk suspect Suriel’s return.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My gratitude to the following:
Rob Masson, my husband in all but name, for your abiding love and support. My compass will always point to you.
Susan Renouf, my editor, for your wise insights (and patience while I realized you were right). David Caron for believing in this series. Everyone else at ECW who graced these pages with hard work and creativity.
Simon Carr, my cover illustrator, and Tiffany Munro, my cartographer, for your beautiful and attentive artwork. Robert Williams of the Haida for your thoughtful consultation.
Michael Knudson, Jessica Smith #453, and the rest of the Cythera crew. Roy Leon, fellow Metallist (THALL); Rochelle Jardine, my secret agent; and the rest of the Squid Squad. You guys are my Canterbury Tales companions.
Kathleen and Douglas, my parents, for helping me through university where this project began. Florence and Nic, my siblings, for absurd science (conclusion: magically heating water would freeze the caster to death).
Dr. Rob Budde for showing me the breadth of CanLit. Dr. Dee Horne for invaluable advice on this book’s first draft. Jackson 2bears of the Kanien’kehaka (Mohawk) and Luke Parnell of the Haida and Nisga’a for teaching me how to blend old and new culture.
The Lheidli T’enneh, in whose territory this novel was started; the Wurundjeri, in whose territory it was finished; and the nations of the Northwest Coast, in whose territory it’s set.
The youth of today, because you’re the leaders of tomorrow.
About the Author
JAE WALLER grew up in a lumber town in northern British Columbia. She has a joint B.F.A. in creative writing and fine art from the University of Northern British Columbia and Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Now living in Melbourne, Australia, she works as a novelist and freelance artist.
DISCOVER ONLINE
As the winter ice begins to thaw, the fury of a demon builds — all because one girl couldn’t stay dead …
Roan Harken considers herself a typical high school student — dead parents, an infected eyeball, and living in the house of her estranged, currently comatose grandmother (well, maybe not so typical) — but she’s uncovering the depth of the secrets her family left behind. Saved from the grasp of Death itself by a powerful fox spirit named Sil, Roan must harness mysterious ancient power . . . and quickly. A snake-monster called Zabor lies in wait in the bed of the frozen Assiniboine River, hungry for the sacrifice of spirit-blood in exchange for keeping the flood waters at bay. Thrust onto an ancient battlefield, Roan soon realizes that to maintain the balance of the world, she will have to sacrifice more than her life in order to take her place as Scion of the Fox.
American Gods meets Princess Mononoke in this powerful first installment of a trilogy sure to capture readers’ imaginations everywhere.
ECW digital titles are available online wherever ebooks are sold. Visit ecwpress.com for more details. To receive special offers, bonus content and a look at what’s next at ECW, sign up for our newsletter!
SIGN UP NOW
Copyright
Copyright © Jae Waller, 2018
Published by ECW Press
665 Gerrard Street East
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4M 1Y2
416-694-3348 / [email protected]
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any process — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise — without the prior written permission of the copyright owners and ECW Press. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
Editor: Susan Renouf
Cover design: Erik Mohr (Made By Emblem)
Cover illustration: © Sim
on Carr/
www.scarrindustries.com
Maps: Tiffany Munro/
www.feedthemultiverse.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Waller, Jae, author
The call of the rift : flight / Jae Waller.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-1-77041-354-2 (hardcover).
Also issued as: 978-1-77305-156-7 (PDF),
978-1-77305-155-0 (ePUB)
I.TITLE.
PS8645.A4679C35 2018 C813’.6 2017-906217-4 C2017-906218-2
The publication of The Call of the Rift: Flight has been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country, and by the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays. Ce livre est financé en partie par le gouvernement du Canada. We also acknowledge the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and the contribution of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
