Elister held his hands up as if pleading with everyone to stay seated and calm. “Now, everyone, before you are alarmed, do not panic. My daughter is just a baby. Please don’t hurt her and don’t blame her for what has happened.”
“What daughter?” more than one person asked.
“Blame her for what?” both Khan and Salina asked in unison.
An intense aura of fear came over them unexpectedly, and Elister’s eyes looked up, past the seated group, past the porch, settling directly over the homestead of the Terrel family. Slowly, all heads turned to face what should have been empty sky over the Terrel cabin. Instead, they were looking at the massive, scaled, and armored neck and head of a green-colored dragon.
The body was hidden behind the cabin, but the front sharp claws came down silently on top of the roof with barely a sound. A long line of white spittle dropped from the dragon’s jaw where two rows of razor-sharp teeth protruded from its mouth, and it fell on the front of the porch, right in front of Horace, who had gotten out of his chair and stood on the edge of the porch to peer up at what was going on.
Elister answered quickly. “Don’t blame her for waking up.”
There was silence and fear in the group until Horace broke it with his usual candor. “Bloody hell.”
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Salvador Mercer loves to read. Having read the works from many authors, the desire to write took over the once sane man, and now he finds himself immersed in telling tall tales and intricate fables from this world, and across the stars to many others.
Salvador Mercer is fluent in English, Russian and Spanish, having served in the US Army, 750th Military Intelligence Brigade as a Russian Voice Intercept Operator, works in the field of Public Transit, loves languages, history, reading, boating, traveling, and science. He lives in Ohio with his three boys, a baby (elf), toddler (hobbit), teenager (orc), and wife, Masha.
Appendix A
The “Science” of Claire Agon
Claire Agon is the second planet orbiting Tau Ceti, located just less than twelve light years from our own planet Earth. It circles its star in the habitable zone, just over two-thirds of one AU, or astronomical unit, which is the distance of Earth from the sun. This places it in orbit about the same distance around Tau Ceti as Venus is to Sol. It has an atmosphere similar to Earth’s, but it is different in composition, because the inhabitants of Claire Agon are silicon-based life forms, not carbon-based as on our planet.
Claire Agon has two companion moons about half the size of Earth’s moon, but circling the planet much closer, four times closer, in fact. The two moons are tidally locked to Claire Agon, each showing the same face to the planet. The two moons in the common tongue are called Tira and Sara, in that order. Tira rises first, followed a few hours later by Sara. Both moons are named for Claire Agon’s daughters in Agonian mythos. Lunar eclipses are not uncommon due to the close orbits of the two moons to the planet, and a full lunar cycle occurs approximately every nine days. Both moons are much like small Agonian worlds, and their blue, green, and white cloud-tipped atmospheres can clearly be seen from the surface of Agon.
Claire Agon, or simply Agon in the common tongue, isn’t the only planet circling Tau Ceti. Recently on Earth, astronomers have detected up to five planets circling the class G star, which is similar in type to our own Sol, but it masses only four-fifths that of our own sun. The astronomers are almost correct insomuch as the system actually has six planets. One planet, however, they could not have imagined; it circles Tau Ceti in an elliptical and eccentric orbit, tilted at thirty degrees above the solar plane. That planet is the size of our own Neptune, but instead of being a gaseous planet, it is a rocky planet, with a huge mass relative to Earth and an atmosphere and magnetosphere in a class unto itself. Agonians call this planet “Dor Akun,” or “Death World,” though the term “Father of Death” is also used, depending on the culture.
Dor Akun orbits Tau Ceti once every two hundred years, and when it approaches perihelion, or its closest approach to the star, it actually comes within the orbit of Claire Agon. In addition to this, Claire Agon is also pulled by the gravitational force of Dor Akun, to the point that it, too, reaches perihelion and does so at the same time as its bigger mate, Dor Akun. During this time Dor Akun is a mere million miles from Claire Agon, and it reaches perihelion exactly on the solar plane where Agon orbits Tau Ceti, thus eclipsing Agon as it transits from perihelion and begins its slow, arduous journey up and back to its aphelion, to begin the cycle all over again.
The eclipse lasts an entire Agonian month, and its tidal forces pull mercilessly on the smaller Agon, flexing its crust and creating huge tides and displacements of waters both great and small. Agon is cast into a cold, dark, month-long isolation, suffering immense damage to life there.
Fortunately for those who live on Agon, the event occurs only once every two hundred orbits of Agon and once every orbit of Dor Akun. Where the two planets actually cross orbits, the larger planet, Dor Akun, is inclined by several million miles, and so the paths of the two planets never cross.
Some Earth-based scientists, if they could witness the odd but regular orbits of Agon and Akun, might conclude that the event will eventually decay the Agonian orbit to the point where it either degrades into Tau Ceti, in a spectacular but deadly spectacle of death, or, more likely, on one pass, it will be captured by Dor Akun and her orbit will take her into the deeper regions of Tau Ceti space, where it is cold and dark and eventually even silicon-based life would freeze to death.
This, however, isn’t the only thing that occurs during the transit event. On Earth, we are protected from radioactive particles by its magnetosphere. In Agon the sphere is weaker and charged particles rain down from Tau Ceti yearly, but during the transit event the great magnetosphere of Dor Akun acts much like a wing does on a modern-day airplane as it slices through the air; it funnels a steady stream of highly charged particles from the local star around itself and onto the surface of Claire Agon every two centuries. The phenomenon causes mutations in the silicon-based life forms of Claire Agon, and so evolution there takes place at a much more rapid pace than it does on Earth.
Such are the science of Claire Agon and its dance of death and change with its bigger mate, Dor Akun, all around a nondescript class G spectral star located not very far from our own sun. Thus magic is created and dragons are born.
Appendix B
Mad Mage Glossary
A
; Agatha, Elderly woman, Ulathan refugee, lead domestic cook of King Korwell
Agon, Short common name for Claire-Agon
Alar Thorton, Father of Marissa, deceased
Albert, Mercenary Leader
Alister, Apprentice wizard in Ulsthor, now wizard loyal to Am-Tor
Am-Ohkre, Kesh Arch Mage, led attack on Realm of Ulatha, deceased
Am-Shee, Kesh Arch Mage, led attack on Realm of Rockton, Opposed to Am-Tor
Am-Sultain, High Mage of Kesh, until…
Am-Sunsi, Arch Mage of Kesh, deceased
Am-Tor, New High Mage of Kesh, once known as Ke-Tor
Amy, Daughter of Yolanda, Ulathan refugee, 3 years old
Ann Terrel, Targon’s sister, 8 years old
Arella, Flower with leaves that have healing properties
Argyll, Falcon, friend of Elister
Arnen, Ancient Order of Druids
Azor, Lich (See: The Black Dragon)
B
Badlands Road, Road north from Kesh
Balaria, Island realm, known for its thieves and assassins
Balarian Mountains, Mountain range along the middle of Balaria
Baldric Terrel, Targon’s father, deceased
Bandit War, Kesh raids into Ulatha seven years earlier
Black Guard, Elite Kesh guard of the Onyx Tower
Blackthorn Forest, Common name for the Earlstyne Forest
Bony Brook, Small brook near the Terrel homestead
Border Mountains, Common name for the Felsic Mountain range separating Kesh from Ulatha
Bran Moross, Captain of the King's Guard, married to Salina Moross
Breakers, Keshtor guard
C
Cedric Moross, Son of Salina, 18 years old
Celeste, Elderly Ulathan woman, Ulathan refugee, deceased
Charles McFadden, Rockton boy 10 years old
Chester MdFadden, Rockton boy 12 years old
Claire-Agon, The planet/world
Clairton, A small forest bird, favorite of Dareen Terrel
Collette Corson, Balax lady
Company Bloody Hand, Kesh brigand group
Company Iron Chain, Kesh brigand group
Company Iron Hand, Kesh brigand group
Company Red Throat, Kesh brigand group
Core, Nickname for Corrack, the brown bear
Corrack, Brown bear, friend of Elister
Cortiz, Kesh leader tasked with trapping the Ulathan rebels
Craylyn, Balarian assassin
Cree, Ulathan town south of Korwell
Critir, Magic Orb used for communication and divination
D
Dareen Terrel, Targon’s mother
Darker, Keshtor prison warden (new)
Diamedes, Ancient Ulathan historian, deceased
Dor Akun, Sixth and largest planet in 200 year orbit around Tau Ceti
Dorsun, Former Kesh brigand chieftain, bodyguard of Khan
Drako, Kesh commander of the Red Throats
E
Earlstyne Forest, Ancient name for the Blackthorn Forest
Edward, New High Mage Steward
Elister, Druid of the Arnen
Emelda, Elderly woman, Ulathan refugee, Horace’s wife
Estelle, Ulathan woman, Kesh slave, mother to Matthew
F
Felsic Mountains, Ancient name for the Border Mountains
Fencer, Kesh brigand stationed in Ulatha
G
Gregus River, Ancient name for the Rapid River
Grimer, Chief Kesh dungeon guard
Grinder, Stone troll, in the service of Kesh
Gwen, Ulathan woman, Kesh slave, former school teacher
Gwenny, Rockton woman, Kesh kitchen slave
H
Harvey, Owner of the Wild Mermaid
Hermes, Kesh apprentice to Zorcross
Horace, Old man, Ulathan refugee, husband of Emelda
Hork, Kesh brigand chief, leader of the brigand armies into Ulatha
I
Inga, Server at the Pickled Pig Tavern in Korwell, Kesh slave, deceased
Isolda Warring, Female thief from Balax
Issy, Nickname of Isolda (by some)
J
Jakar, Kesh wizard loyal to Am-Tor
Jons, orphaned boy, Ulathan refugee, 9 years old (Jonathan)
Julia Terrel, Grandmother of Targon, deceased
K
Karl, Ulatha child, Kesh slave, 6 years old
Kaynin, Ancient Kesh wizard, serves Azor the Lich
Kaz, Northern barbarian, Kesh mercenary
Karz Moross, Son of Salina, Ulathan refugee, 5 years old
Ke-Grenson, Kesh Wizard, Assistant to High Mage Am-Sultain, deceased
Kendral, Balarian assassin, employed by Kesh
Kesh, Wizard/Brigand land east of Ulatha
Keshtor, Capital of Kesh
Ke-Tor, Kesh wizard, former mentor to Khan, (see Am-Tor)
Ke-Torra, Arch-Mage of Kesh, lived 1000 years ago, started the Dragon-Wizard War
Ke-Urns, Kesh wizard perished in Rockton campaign
Khan, Former Apprentice wizard of Kesh/Ke-Tor
King Korwell, Former ruler of Ulatha
L
Luc Terrel, Grandfather of Targon, deceased
Lunde, Jungle of the South
M
Mage’s Maze, Nickname for the Keshtor dungeons
Malik Terrel, Targon’s brother
Marc Thorton, Brother of Marissa, 6 years old
Marissa, Young frontier girl, Ulathan refugee, 12 years old
Margeret Humphrey, Elderly Ulathan woman, Kesh slave, wife to Walter, aka Marge
Mary, Rockton woman, Kesh kitchen slave
Mary Thorton, Mother of Marissa
Matthew, Ulathan boy, Kesh slave, son of Estelle
Monique, Teen girl, Ulathan refugee, 17 years old
Muddy Marshes, common name for the Kero Swamp (See: The Black Dragon)
N
Nob, Kesh brigand and translator for Kaz, deceased
O
Olga, Elderly woman, Ulathan refugee
Onyx Tower, Seat of government for Kesh, seat of the High Mage
P
Pickled Pig, Tavern near the main gate of Korwell Castle
R
Roarwell, King of Tyniria, Ancient Realm South of Ulatha
Rockton, Realm south of Kesh, common name for Tyniria
Ruster, Kesh prison guard
S
Safron, Realm to the south of Ulatha known for its fine tobacco and weed
Salina Moross, Wife of the king’s guard captain Bran Moross, mother to Cedric & Karz
Sara, Moon of Agon, first to rise
Sceptor of Death, Ancient Akun artifact able to command the undead
Sheila, Rockton woman, Kesh kitchen slave
Silis, Balarian Assassin
Staff of Alore, First magical staff of Agon
Sybal, Server at the Wild Mermaid
Swashbucker, The, Clothing store in Balax
T
Talaman, Healing globe
Targon Terrel, Ranger, Zashitor, Defender of the Arnen, Protector of Ulatha
Theobald, Elderly Ulathan man, Kesh slave
Thomas, Orphan boy, Ulathan refugee, 12 years old, deceased
Tira, Moon of Agon, second to rise
Torwin, Keshtor and Onyx Tower gate commander
Trovis Mountains, Mountain range in the West of Ulatha
Turner, Owner of the Swashbuckler store in Balax
Tyniria, Ancient kingdom southeast of Ulatha
U
Ulan Utandra, Ancient name for capital of Ulatha (Korwell)
Ulatha, Valley Realm where Targon lives, West of Kesh
Ulsthor, Western town of Kesh, closest to Ulatha
Uthor, Ancient Duke and founder of Ulatha
W
Walton Humphrey, Elderly Ulathan man, Kesh slave, husband to Margeret, aka Wally
Western Sea, Sea to the west of Ulatha
> Wild Mermaid, The, Inn and Tavern in Balax
Will Carvel, Soldier of Korwell, sergeant of the gate guard
Winters, Former sergeant of the Ulathan southern scouts, former sergeant for Malik
Y
Yolanda, Middle aged woman, Ulathan refugee, mother of Amy
Z
Zashitor, Ancient name for a Ranger
Zorcross, Former apprentice wizard of Ke-Tor, Kesh wizard
The Blue Dragon
Chapter 1 Excerpt
“Is that the dragon?” the pudgy administrative bureaucrat asked, peering over the ridge line near the beach.
“No, that is its watcher,” the Kesh wizard replied, looking intently at the Balarian government official.
“Well, it looks like a dragon, though I can barely see it from here,” the pudgy man said, moving to the side to get a better vantage point.
This brought an immediate reaction from the wizard. “Do not step beyond the two orbs, Overseer Jaxon.”
Jaxon rubbed his chin, stepping back from the ridgeline to assess the wizard’s words. “Why? Can it see us?”
“Not if we stay between the orbs,” the wizard replied. “It has ways of seeing in more than just the visible light.”
Mad Mage: Claire-Agon Ranger Book 3 (Ranger Series) Page 36
