“That’s what we are here for. All that’s left for you and me to decide now is which one of us will make him our apprentice.”
The End of Book 2, Shades of Truth
Path of the Wielders book 3, On the Wings of Dragons, can be purchased here
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Shades of Truth, book 2 of Path of the Wielders. If you would like to be informed of my new releases go to http://cleavebourbon.weebly.com and subscribe your email to the mailing list. The form is located right on the home page!
As always, if you would like to ask me a question or contact me, my email is [email protected]
Cleave
Copyright
Copyright © 2017, Cleave Bourbon (1968—)
Editing by Courtney Umphress www.courtneyumphress.com
Cover illustration by Splitting Headache Publishing, Maps by Kenny Holt
Based on the original story and characters by Mark E. Tyson
First Splitting Headache Publishing electronic publication: April 2017.
Previously released By Shadesilver Publishing in part as Defenders of the Sacred Land and/or Guardians of the Sacred Land. Now the property of Cleave Bourbon & Splitting Headache Publishing.
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the internet or by any other means, electronic or print, without the author/publisher’s permission.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictionally and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, actual events, locale, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Published in the United States by Splitting Headache Publishing 2017
Dedication and Acknowledgments:
This book is dedicated to my grandkids, Aiden and Avery. I love you guys so much!
I would like to acknowledge the many people who helped me write this book along the way:
Brandie, Eldon, Courtney, Kylie, Michael, Steve, Kenny, and the many others that have made contributions whether by making suggestions or by adding something useful to this work.
Glossary
Adracoria - Southernmost Trigothian kingdom. Ruled by the Adrac family.
Demolean - God, first son of Fawlsbane Vex and Loracia. He never did have the creative sense and the drive of purpose like his younger siblings. Instead he was jealous of their creative genius and often used their creations to make followers of his own (Dramyds and Krullen Thul out of dragons, etc.) He would also teach his disciples to do the same. His jealously tended to make people misunderstand him and label him as evil.
Ageanna - God, creator of drakes and dragonkind. Youngest female child of Fawlsbane Vex and Loracia. Fawlsbane loved her creation of dragons so much he made his own (golden and silver dragons) and even created dragons to guard the realm of the gods, Venifyre.
Amadace the Red - Dragon in which Bren serves as First Knight. Twin to Amadace the Blue. Sometimes Amadace the Red is called Amadacea to differentiate the two.
Amadace the Blue – Twin dragon of Amadace the Red. Knights of both dragons are considered to be of both dragons. Amadace the Blue apprenticed Aurelie as the first female dragon knight before he passed her on to Shadesilver the white, a female dragon.
Amalease Stone - Stone used to gain entry into the gates of Draegodor. It is located on Mount Urieus.
Amar - Race of high men from Lux Amarou. First creation of Fawlsbane Vex.
Anisport - Largest port city of Denosia, across the Great Sea.
Arasyth/Sythia - Trigothian kingdom between Adracoria and Ardenia, host to the Great Sythian Forest. Ruled by the Arasyth family.
Ardenia - Northernmost Trigothian kingdom. Ruled by the Arden family.
Arillian Elves - High elves from the Isle of Arillia. They migrated to the Isle of Arillia at the end of the first age after their forests became grasslands and the area now known as Ishrak had become cursed. They are the fairest of elves and most elegant.
Are’dune - Race of men who can trace their origins to Lux Amarou and the Amar but are not considered truly high men.
Ascendic Root - A potent root made into a tea and drank. It relieves pain depending on the dose. Higher doses cause euphoria. Weak tea relieves the minor pain of headaches, etc., while strong tea relieves severe pain.
Asheth’s Grimoire - An ancient tome containing spells of essence used to travel magically over distances. It is believed that Migarath used spells from the grimoire as a basis to build his famous Migarath Portals. (See Migarath Portals.)
Bannon, Ezra - A powerful mindwielder and ally to Toborne. Also the reeve of Briarwick, Adracoria.
Basillian - One of the great port cities in the kingdom of Symboria. Basillain is located in Northern Symboria, south of Seabrey. Due to disputes and treaties, Basillain is the port city in the north for trade with Adracoria. Seabrey is the northern port city for trade with both Ardenia and Sythia.
Bittering Tea - A strong brew made from the grinding of the bittering bean. It has a distinct aroma and is usually consumed in the morning as a stimulant.
Bren - Dragon knight from Draegodor. First Knight of Amadace.
Brendlewyre - See Theosus Fiderea.
Broodlord - Common name given to a dragon knight with high ranking. (A brood is a family of something. A broodlord would be a high member of a family or lord of the brood.)
Brynna - An Arillian, elf maiden, healer. She is the eldest daughter of Erinthill, and Asterial’s niece. She resides on the Isle of Doom (Rugania).
By’temog - The largest city of Ishrak, it was once the kingdom’s capital city. It fell into ruins after the curse of General Sythril. The general is currently trapped as a ghost there, lurking among the ruins.
Chamber of Ancients - An ancient room in the citadel of Rugania (the Isle of Doom) where youthful wielders take part in magical trials. It is also a place to cure essence sickness if necessary.
Darovan - Island continent southwest of the tip of Adracoria where some of the elves of old migrated. Home to the Siladil and Noradil elves.
Delanora/Delanorasylva - Dragon-speak name for Shadesilver.
Dellah – Former Inn mistress of the Tiger’s Head Inn in Brookhaven, Symboria. Currently the queen of the Trigothian kingdom of Ardenia, Mother to Kaxen Adair.
Denosia - Mysterious kingdom on the continent across the Great Ocean.
Deylia - A young Trigothian woman who befriends Rennon in the capital of city of Trigoth.
Kaxen Adair - Innkeeper’s son from the village of Brookhaven in Southeastern Symboria. Son of Lourn and Dellah Adair.
Draegodor (Dray-go-door) - The city of red. Home of the dragons not in exile, nestled deep in the Jagged Mountains.
Dragon Claw - Parrying sword (dagger) of a dragon knight. Not actually a dragon claw but made of metal.
Dragon Fang - Sword of a dragon knight. Not actually a dragon fang but made of metal.
Dragon Knight - Men, elves, dwarves, and Scarovs who have chosen, or have been chosen by the dragons, to serve as knight protectors of the dragon realm.
Drakkius - Symbolic leader of Abaddonia.
Dramyd (Draw-mid) - Winged creature created from drake eggs. Designed to kill, they do the bidding of Demolean, Krullen Thul, Malanor, and Toborne.
Dranmalin/Draenmaulin - An ancient sword forged by dragons. Its name literally means dragon hammer in ancient dragon-speak. It magically binds to its owner. It is currently Kaxen Adair’s sword after leaving Signal Hill.
Krullen Thul (Draws-mid Do-ill) - Shapeshifters. They are cunning and deadly. They usually lead packs of Dramyds. They are also known as Shadow Lurkers. They answer to Toborne.
Duil Clan - Cla
n of dragonkind Toborne used to create the Krullen Thul. Their specialty is shape-shifting into other beings.
Endil - (Foreshome) Home city of the wood elves (Sylvan, Eridil) located deep in the Great Sythian Forest.
Elanadil - Name of the magical sword of Asterial. (It is a purely conjured sword.)
Elvander - Name of the magical sword of Seancey Namear.
Enowene (IN-O-ween) - Arillian elf and younger sister of Asterial and Erinthill.
Eridil - Elven name for wood or Sylvan elves. They are the only race of elves that did not migrate; instead, they made their home in Endil (Foreshome), where they still remain. They are shorter than Arillian elves and have slightly darker skin, but are still considered fair and wise.
Erinthill - Arillian elf and fraternal twin sister of Asterial, mother of Brynna.
Essence Sickness - An illness caused by the unskilled use of drawing essence for magical purposes. It usually occurs to first-time wielders who have yet to be trained. It does not occur, however, if the wielder discovers he can draw essence as a child (before puberty). The illness is characterized by wild mood swings, delusions of grandeur, and eventually insanity. If left untreated, the insanity will be followed by death. Wielders afflicted with essence sickness often speak uncharacteristically of themselves, and say things they would never say otherwise.
Fawlsbane Vex - God, co-creator of the world, and father of the gods. Husband of Loracia, Goddess of Life.
Ganas Nashe (Gann-is Na-shae) - Scout from Brookhaven for the king’s army of Symboria. Finder of the Lost Army in Denosia.
General Rellagorn - Leader of the army of the North and West.
General Sythril - General of Sythia who fought in the Ishrakian war. He hired seers to curse the leader of Ishrak so he could win. When the seers cursed Ishrak, they warned him not to follow the beaten army, but he didn’t listen. He pursued the opposing army back into Ishrak in order to defeat them unconditionally. Unfortunately, he led his army into a doomed land where he eventually became part of the curse he created.
Golvashala - A golden dragon also known as the Oracle. Golvashala means gold scales in dragon-speak. He is the cause of the War of the Oracle that created the Sacred Land. He is also called Kambor in common tongue.
Gondrial - First apprentice to Asterial. A longtime friend of Lady Shey.
Hadder - An apothecary in Trigoth who brews potions that affect the mind.
Asterial (E-un-thill) - Member of the holy trine (First Trine) representing elves Xeian, and Breannan. (Favors ruling with compassion, kindness, and a people’s majority.)
Imprints/Imprinting - The act of putting matching images, etc., magically into skin. Some cultures do this to signify marriage in which the imprints serve where gold or other precious metals made into rings might serve in other cultures.
Ishrak - Northern kingdom bordering Symboria, the Jagged Mountains, and Ardenia. The kingdom was cursed and remains a forbidding, desolate land full of danger. Only small pockets of man, elf, and civilized folk live there.
Jac - Member of the lost army.
Jungle Elves - See Noradil.
Kambor - Common tongue name used by the Oracle, Golvashala, when in human form.
Kerad - Powerful cleric of Loracia currently serving in the Vale of Morgoran and therefore serving Morgoran.
Kimala – Former mistress of Malanor, A spy of Enowene’s spy ring.
King Amarantus - Lord and ruler of the dragons of Draegodor.
King Occelot - The somewhat sniveling, and sometimes incompetent, ruler of the kingdom of Symboria.
Kragodor - The black city. Nestled in the treacherous Mountains of Madness in Ishrak, Kragodor is home to the exiled dragons who were last known to serve Toborne.
Kyrie - Mysterious, sometimes-companion of Lady Shey. He is a Kylerie elf, which is an elf about half the size of an Arillian Elf. He loves danger and intrigue. His strange habit of showing up when events go wrong drives some people to wonder where his allegiances lie. Kaxen believes Kyrie is more than he seems.
Loracia (LORE-race-E-uh) - Goddess of life and mother of the gods.
Lora Daine- (lora dane) (AKA dragon stone) Stone of the dragons and dragon knights used for communication between dragons and their dragon knights over long distances. Depending on the size and magic of the stone, it can send small parties instantly across short distances. It can also sometimes be used to send its user back and forth between stones over greater distances. Dragon stones are rare to normal peasants. Only people of stature (other than the dragons and dragon knights) are allowed to use them.
Lourn – Former Innkeeper and owner of the Tiger’s Head Inn in Brookhaven, Symboria. Currently the king of the Trigothian kingdom of Ardenia, Father of Kaxen Adair.
Lux Amarou - Continent in the northwest formerly inhabited by the Amar, (high men). The oldest cities of man are on Lux Amarou, but they are all mostly in ruins now and inhabited by the ghosts of the dead, among other agents of death and destruction for an age past. A few of the living still reside there, but not many.
Lux Enor - Capital of the west. Home city-state of the highlord. The highlord rules over all of Trigothia, Symboria, and what’s left of Ishrak. The last highlord, Rastafin Stowe, was assassinated without leaving an heir. To avoid any power vacuums, only the magical Silver Drake can choose one worthy enough to sit on the highest throne in the land. After Rastafin Stowe, she has yet to proclaim a successor, so the throne remains vacant. A warder presides over the day-to-day affairs, but has limited power.
Melias - Monk of Fawlsbane Vex. Guardian and sworn protector of Kaxen Adair. Now transformed into a creature called the Brae Daun Duil.
Mindwielder/Mindwielding - Sometimes referred to as mentalism, this is what people who can use magic of the mind, with or without drawing essence, are called. One difference between a mindwielder and a wielder is that mindwielders possess the ability to talk to each other mentally (telepathy).
Morgoran- AKA Morgoran Cleareyes. Member of the holy trine (First Trine) representing man and Fawlsbane Vex. He is reputed to be the most powerful wielder who has ever lived. (Favors balance in ruling.)
Mount Aroanian - A mountain peak in the Mountains of Madness of Ishrak.
Mount Urieus - A mountain peak in the Jagged Mountains where people are sent to wait for permission from the dragons to enter into Draegodor.
Myradon - The first and most powerful gold dragon created by Fawlsbane Vex. He guards the ethereal gates of Venifyre.
Myradon Codex - The lost tome written by Myradon that contains the magic of the dragons. It contains a powerful dragon’s fire spell, which is executable by potent wielders of essence.
Malanor (Na-NEED-den) - Symbolic leader of Scarovia. He is considered to be mad by all who know him.
Nine Cards - A simple card game enjoyed primarily in Symboria as well as parts of the Trigothian kingdoms.
Noanas - Lost race of high dwarf.
Noradil - Elven name for the shadow or jungle elves of Darovan. They migrated along with the Siladil but found the desert too open and sparse. They moved into the dense jungle of Darovan and started harvesting the plant life there to make poisons, medicines, and magical elixirs. Most apothecaries are Noradil.
Oberan (Oh-ber-ann) - First dragon knight of King Amarantus.
Rennon - One of Kaxen’s closest friends. Apprentice to Sanmir, the apothecary of Brookhaven, Symboria. He is a powerful mindwielder and the healer of the mindwielders formerly known as the afflicted.
Rodraq (Rod-rack) - Lady Shey’s man-of-arms, killed by Dramyds in Symboria.
Rugania - Island off the coast of Sythia, across the sea from Darovan. Also called the Isle of Doom, this is the place where wielders were once trained by masters in the art of wielding. It is nicknamed the Isle of Doom because anyone trying to sneak on the isle without the wielders’ consent and preparation often died before they crossed the beaches.
Sand Elves - See Siladil.
Scarovia - Kingdom east of the Jagged Mountai
ns, home of the Scarovs, or Scarovians as some cultures call them.
Seabrey - Large port city in northern Symboria. Trade city of the north for the kingdoms of Ardenia and Sythia (see Basillain).
Seancey (SHAWN-see) - Ranger of Symboria stationed in the Vale of Morgoran, brother of Lady Shey.
Seandara (SHAWN-dar-a) - Princess of Endil (Foreshome). Has a reoccurring dream of Kaxen.
Shadow Elves - See Noradil.
Shadow Lurker - Pertains to a Krullen Thul. A nickname.
Shila - Dwarf who helped Lady Shey after she escaped her kidnappers.
Siladil - Elven name for the sand elves of Darovan. They migrated to Darovan and learned to live in the harsh desert conditions. They are notoriously hard to see while traveling across sand, and they can sink down into it as if they were submerging in water. They are fierce fighters and are almost impossible to defeat in the desert. They have darker, sun-kissed skin and light eyes. They are shorter than the Arillian elves and considered to be more primitive.
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