The Shards

by Gary Alan Wassner

  The others had made their way to the doorway and waited for their companion to join them. They could see him hammering away at something, but the falling rubble was partially obscuring their view.

  “Hurry, Giles!” Alemar shouted urgently over the din. “I could not stand to lose you both,” she muttered fearfully to herself.

  Once more, Giles lifted the weighty hammer high into the air and with both hands, he brought it down hard upon the leash. This time, he could see the braid begin to give way. He knelt down beside it and yanked it apart. Using all the strength he had, he gritted his teeth and tried to wrest one section away from the other. The leash squeaked slightly as the pieces strained against one another, and then it separated completely. He tossed the broken section toward the wall and let the other end dangle on the floor beside the hound’s thick neck. Then, he looked over toward Alemar.

  The monster blinked its solitary eye and shook it massive head from side to side. The stone encapsulating it fell away and crashed to the floor. Slowly and ponderously, it lumbered out of its captivity. Giles was mesmerized for a moment by the sheer size of the animal as it emerged from the wall, but he was no fool. He rose from his kneeling position and began to run toward his friends. He loped across the floor as quickly as he could, as the beast contemplated its newly found freedom. It shook its head back and forth, opened it huge jaws and growled a deep and virulent growl.

  As soon as Giles caught up to the others, Alemar ushered him thorough the still sturdy opening that Premoran had uncovered, and she followed closely behind him. When Giles did not see Clovis among them, he glanced at the Princess. She looked at him in a way that spoke more than her words could have, and then she placed one of her delicate hands upon her heart. He turned from her and walked on. Teetoo bounded through the opening a second later, but Giles barely noticed the Weloh. Premoran stood alone for another moment and surveyed his former prison for the last time. He saw Margot’s body stir slightly where it lay in the middle of the floor, just before he stepped through the doorway himself. He rotated, motioned with his hands and the opening collapsed upon itself. Its closure sealed them out, while it sealed Margot and the beast in.

  Colton’s hound saw the woman’s movements too. As fast as lightning, it pounced across the floor and was upon her. Margot knew she was doomed. Still, there was no mistaking the sheer terror they all heard in her scream. It echoed down the corridor and continued to reverberate for some time in their minds as they fled from the crumbling edifice that was Sedahar.

  Glossary

  List of Characters, Items and Places

  A

  Acire. Lalas tree. Tenth tree to die. Theran’s Bondmate.

  Adain. Nephew of Elsinestra and Treestar.

  Adrianna. One of the forsaken women. Colton’s evil worker.

  Alemar. Elfin Princess of Eleutheria. Daughter of Whitestar and Aliana.

  Aliana. Elfin Queen of Eleutheria. Whitestar’s first wife. Alemar’s Mother.

  Alicea. Alemar’s great, great, great, great grandmother. Iscaron and Kala’s daughter.

  Aliya. Queen of Crispen. King Bristar’s wife.

  Angeline. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  Armadiel. Snake of Recos.

  B

  Baladar. Ruler of the city of Pardatha in the Thorndar Mountains. Husband to Briland.

  Behani. One of the Drue.

  Beolan. Elfin Prince of Crispen. Bristar and Aliya’s son.

  Bethany. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  Blodwyn. Chosen of Lalas Lilandre.

  Briland. Chosen of Lalas Snihso. Lord Baladar’s wife.

  Brimgar Daggerfall. Thorndar dwarf. Maringar and Preston’s father.

  Bristar. Elfin King of Crispen. King of the Mountain Elves. Aliya’s husband. Father to Beolan.

  C

  Cairn of Thermaye. One of the three called to educate Davmiran.

  Calipee dar Tamarand. Baron. Laord of Tamarand. Robyn dar Tamarand’s father.

  Calista. Lady of the Island. One of the Council.

  Calyx. Moulant. Cairn’s friend and protector.

  Carlisle. Chosen of Lalas Mintar.

  Caroline. Daughter of Conrad and Sophia.

  Carthane. Lalas tree. Paras’ Bondmate.

  Caryssa. Sea Elf.

  Colton Dar Agonthea. The Evil One. The Dark One. Lord of Sedahar. Premoran’s brother. Called Caeltin D’Are Agenathea by the Elves.

  Connor. Chosen of Lalas Catalan.

  Conrad. Father to Caroline.

  Courtney. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  Crea. Chosen of Lalas Wayfair.

  Crispen. Kingdom of the Mountain Elves.

  D

  Dahlia. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  Dalloway. Elfin Prince of Seramour. Youngest son of Treestar and Elsinestra.

  Dashiel. Chosen of Lalas Nemaroe.

  Davmiran. One of the twins. Tomas’ brother. Garold and Lewellyn’s son.

  Dorothea. Duchess of Talamar. Wife of Leonardo.

  Drue. Protectors of the Hollows. Came into existence after the death of the first Lalas.

  E

  Edmond. Chosen of Lalas Xia.

  Eleutheria. Ice City. Kingdom of the Northern Elves.

  Elion. Elfin Prince of Seramour. Eldest son of Treestar and Elsinestra.

  Elsinestra. Elfin Queen of Seramour. Treestar’s wife. Elion, Fallean and Dalloway’s mother.

  Emerial. Elfin Queen of Eleutheria. Whitestar’s second wife. Mother to Kalon.

  Emmeline. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  Esta par D’Avalain. Queen of Avalain. Filaree’s mother.

  Etan of Balstair. Knighted by Margot, forsaken by Colton.

  F

  Fallean. Elfin Prince of Seramour. Second son of Treestar and Elsinestra.

  Farrow. Lalas Tree. Bondmate of Harton.

  Filaree par D Avalain. Princess of Avalain. Daughter of Esta. One of the three called to educate Davmiran.

  G

  Gretchen. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  Gwendolen. High Kingdom. Kingdom that was destroyed by Colton. Birthplace of the twins.

  H

  Harlan Goodheart. Discoverer of the darkening.

  Harton. Chosen of Lalas Farrow.

  Hollows. Forbidden places.

  I

  Iscaron. Ancient Elfin King of Eleutheria. Kala’s husband.

  Ishdomar. Lalas tree. Third tree to die.

  J

  Jocasta. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  K

  Kalon. Prince of Eleutheria. Half brother of Alemar. Whitestar and Emerial’s son.

  Kettin. Lord of Talamar. Son of Leonardo and Dorothea.

  L

  Lana. Princess of the Sea Elves. Daughter of Windstorm.

  Leonardo. Duke of Talamar. Husband of Dorothea.

  Liam. Chosen of Lalas Oleander.

  Lilandre. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Blodwyn.

  Lormarion. Kingdom of the Southern Elves.

  M

  Marathar. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Pithar.

  Margot. One of the forsaken women.

  Maringar Daggerfall. Thorndar dwarf. Eldest son of Brimgar Daggerfall. Preston’s brother.

  Markal. Lord. Master of Arms in Avalain.

  Marne. Loyal friend and personal aide to Queen Esta.

  Merala da. Capital city in the Sea Isles.

  Mira. Nursemaid who raised and protected Davmiran.

  Mintar. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Carlisle.

  N

  Nemaroe. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Dashiel.

  O

  Odelot. The Dead City.

  Oleander. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Liam.

  Ormachon. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Tomas.

  P

  Paras. Chosen of Lalas Carthane. Became sick and broke his bond with Carthane. Went to Praxis.

  Parsifal. Leader of the Knights of Avalain.

  Pembar. One who mutated into a tree. Resides in the Winding Woods out
side Avalain.

  Percepton. Protector of the Forest of the Winds.

  Phero. Chosen of Lalas Relamon.

  Pithar. Chosen of Lalas Marathar.

  Premoran. Wizard. One of the Council. Brother of Colton. Keeper of the shards.

  Preston Daggerfall. Thorndar dwarf. Son of Brimgar Daggerfall. Brother of Maringar.

  Promanthea. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Robyn dar Tamarand.

  R

  Relamon. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Phero.

  Rella. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  Robyn dar Tamarand. Chosen of Lalas Promanthea. One of the three chosen to educate Davmiran. Son of Baron Calipee.

  Rose. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  Ruffin. Renegade elf from Seramour.

  S

  Safira. Wife to Trevor. Raised Tomas.

  Sedahar. Colton’s home.

  Seramour. Treetop city in the Kingdom of Lormarion. Home to the Southern elves.

  Sevilla. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  Sidra. Sorceress who declined to be bonded with Promanthea.

  Silandre. Mountain in Crispen.

  Snihso. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Briland.

  T

  Tallon. Town of the Chamber of the Roots.

  Tamara. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  Teetoo. Weloh (last of the race of winged humans). Friend to Premoran.

  Theran. Chosen of Lalas Acire.

  Tiel. The equivalent of six years.

  Tobias. Chosen of Lalas Torenth.

  Tomas. One of the twins. Chosen of Lalas Ormachon. Brother of Davmiran. Son of Garold and Lewellyn. Raised by Trevor and Safira.

  Tomes of Caradon. Recorded history of the land as well as premonitions for the future. The Great Books.

  Torenth. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Tobias.

  Treestar. Elfin King of Seramour. King of the Southern Elves. Husband to Elsinestra. Father of Elion, Fallean and Dalloway.

  Trevor. Husband of Safira. Raised Tomas.

  Trialla. Evil sorceress in league with Colton.

  V

  Violet. One of the twelve Sisters of Parth.

  W

  Wayfair. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Crea.

  Whitestar. Elfin King of Eleutheria. King of the Northern Elves. Husband to Emerial. Father of Alemar and Kalon.

  Windstorm. Elfin King of the Sea Isles. Brother of Elsinestra. Father of Lana.

  X

  Xia. Lalas tree. Bondmate of Edmond.