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Sam’s mother loved Nalia, of course, though Nalia’s vocabulary in English was not very extensive and her accent was thick. She doted on the Sapsyr as if she was her own daughter. Whether it was because Nalia was so delightful or because Sam’s mother was happy to see Sam happy with someone wasn’t clear, but he supposed it didn’t matter.
“She is so beautiful,” Nicole Sharp said to Sam when Nalia left to use the restroom, “and such a dear. You better not mess this one up, Sam.” She elbowed him affectionately.
As for Nalia, Sam was surprised yet again at her versatility. She was the perfect guest, polite, charming, and utterly delightful. As he cleaned up the dishes so she and his mother could talk more, he found himself stealing looks at her. Once, she looked to him and saw his intense gaze and his smile and she favored him with a big smile of her own. It made his heart flutter.
When he was finished, Sam knew it was time to tell his mother what had happened. Starting at the very beginning, Sam told her the whole story, leaving nothing out. When he got to the end and the revelation that his uncle had still been alive, mother and son cried freely. When the tears settled down, his mother looked haggard and worn, but strangely relieved.
“I am so sorry that I reacted the way I did, Sam. I probably shouldn’t have removed us from everything and everyone you knew and moved us out here, cutting off all ties. It was just so traumatic for me that I knew I would go insane with all the reminders. Once we went down that road, it was too late to turn back. I’m afraid I have done a horrible thing to you.”
“No, mom, it’s ok. I understand. I saw in Uncle Grayson’s memories how much you all cared for each other, and for me. I don’t blame you and I don’t blame him. In the end, he made the choice to end his own life because of the things he’d done and the things he had suffered. I don’t think any less of him for that.”
He hugged her, glancing at Nalia to see her sitting expressionless. Before he could make a move or say a word, his mother did so. “Nalia, I know you have suffered too, and at the hands of my brother. I am so sorry for the loss of your mother.” And then she pulled the surprised Sapsyr into a hug. When they finally released each other, both women were crying.
Sam stood up and went to the entryway to retrieve his backpack. “Mom, there is one more thing,” he said, “care of Uncle Grayson.” He pulled out a large ingot of pure gold and laid it carefully on the table. “We should probably cut or melt it into smaller sizes and then we can sell it. It should let you pay the house off and have money extra besides.”
Sam’s mother looked dumbfounded. “Sam, no. Keep it. You can use it more than me. I’m all right.”
With a big smile, Sam put another ingot next to the first. “You don’t understand. I have enough for both of us.” He put two more ingots down. “As for me, I believe that a nice little house on a piece of heavily forested property would be the perfect thing. You are welcome to join us. I don’t think the desert is really for me, and I have the perfect place in mind.” Winking at Nalia, he brought out a map from his backpack and started to explain.
Epilogue
Ix teleported away from the Sapsyr knowing that she had been given her life as a gift. Why had the woman not finished me? I was at her mercy, powerless.
Ix had been raised to hold honor in the highest regard but she had not thought of such things for years. Was it perhaps honor that had saved her life? Not hers, but the warrior woman’s? She would have to think on it. Looking around her at the trees and the road to the entrance of the Gray Fortress less than a quarter mile away, she wondered about where her life had taken her.
When she had teleported away from her room, she had just gone to a place nearby, close enough to where she had lived these last few years to easily walk back, but far enough that she was away from the intruders in the fortress. She thought to break her word and to return in a surprise attack on the woman and her father, but now she was not so sure.
Seating herself, she calmed her mind and contemplated her situation. No doubt, the Gray Man had killed all three people, four if you included the old man, by now. Still, it was time for a change. She had been feeling more and more unfulfilled of late and it was time to leave. But where would she go and what would she do?
An idea came to her as she sat, breathing deeply and focusing on nothing. Honor. What did it really mean? What was it really worth? Perhaps it was time she found the answers to these questions. Time to find out more about herself. Yes.
With a suddenness she herself found surprising, she had made her decision. There were things she must do, answers she must seek, plans to make and complete. With barely a look at the massive fortress walls off to her right, the dark gray stone of the fortress itself illuminated by the early morning sun, she exerted her will and disappeared, teleporting to a place where she hoped to find the answers to all her questions.
Glossary
Ahimiro (ah·hee·meer'·oh) – the name of Sam’s porzul wood staff, meaning “fire pole” in Old Kasmali.
Ahu (ah'·hoo) – a small bird that takes its name from the Old Kasmali word for “funerary monument” because of its habit of digging holes into which it lays its eggs.
Arzbedim, singular Arzbed (arz·bay'·deem, arz·bade') – a group of rogue Zouyim who place their own selfish desires for power above all else; they are the natural enemies of the Zouyim.
Azlyb Range (az'·lib) – a range of mountains that corresponds to the San Bernardino mountains in Southern California. This range borders the Rangi Forest.
Bayton – a fairly large city (for Gythe) that is in the exact location as San Franciso on Telani.
Chen Feng Dao – fighting monk who accidentally transported himself to Gythe and founded the clan to which Ix belongs. Feng Dao means loosely “wind knife” or “wind sword”
Chen Heng An – Ix's father. The name means, roughly, “constant peace.”
Chen Hua Ye – Ix's given name , meaning roughly “dark flower” or “night flower
Danaba Kemp (dahn'·ah·bah)– leader of the Red Fangs, a group of bandits that lives in the Grinder.
Dead Zone – an area where there is essentially no life because of devastation hundreds of years ago. On Telani, this area is what surrounds Olympia and extends to the north of Seattle
Dr. Walter Wicket – a physicist/archaeologist who was arguably the expert in ancient societies’ use of vibrational energy. He disappeared several years ago.
Gawzay (gah'·zay) – the artisans who make ceramic glass items, especially weapons.
Gray Man – the successor to the Arzbedim, a tyrant who has plans to control two worlds, the primary antagonist in the story.
Grayson Wepp – a paleontologist who was transported to Gythe by the Arzbedim.
Greenfeld – a town that is approximately where Medford, Oregon is located on Telani.
Gythe (gaith) – the world in which Sam finds himself accidentally. The name, in the Old Kasmali language means roughly “the physical world.”
Hapaki (ha·pah'·kee) – a race of furry telepathic creatures that looks somewhat like a lemur mixed with a badger. Skitter is hapaki.
Iba (ee'·bah) – the term of endearment Rindu uses for his daughter, meaning “heart” in Old Kasmali.
Ikalau (eek'·ah·la·oo) – a small fishing village around where Eureka, California is on Telani. The name means “large fish” in Old Kasmali.
Ix – the Gray Man’s chief assassin. She took her name from the 8th letter of the Old Kasmali. The name of the letter meant roughly “fence in”, or “destroy.”
Kasmali – the language spoken on Gythe.
Khulim (khoo'·leem) – the state of consciousness just on the edge of going into a trance; “dream” in Old Kasmali.
Kimatar (keem'·ah·tar) – a pear-like fruit with a sweet taste.
Kokitura (koe'·kee·too·rah) – The mountain on which the main temple of the Zouyim was located before being destroyed by the Gray Man. The name means “Storm Mountain” in Old K
asmali and is called Mount Shasta on Telani.
Kori rohw (koe'·ree roe) – sets of movements or forms for bringing the body into harmony with the surrounding rohw; in Old Kasmali, “rohw play.”
Kuwpo (koo'·poe) – large vegetarian gorilla-type creatures in the Grinder area.
Lahim Chode (lay'·him) – the only prisoner in the dungeons at the Gray Fortress who survives. Reportedly, he has a talent for remote viewing.
Manu (mah'·noo) – a large bird, somewhat like an ostrich but bigger, typically used as mounts.
Mark Sharp – Sam’s father, deceased, previously husband to Nicole Sharp.
Marybador (may·rib'·ah·door) – the location of the headquarters of the Sapsyra Shin Elah. The location is called Crater Lake on Telani. The name means roughly “Bowl of Fire” in old Kasmali.
Medit – A town located approximately where Portland, Oregon is on Telani.
Moswryq Range (moss'·rik) – a range of mountains that corresponds to the Sierras on Telani.
Nalia Wroun (nah'·lee·ah roon) – one of the Sapsyra Shin Elah, perhaps the last one living, daughter to Rindu Zose and Ylleria Zose.
Nick Magnus – Sam’s only friend on Earth (Telani).
Nicole Sharp – Sam’s mother, wife to Mark Sharp.
Old Kasmali – an ancient language of Gythe, not spoken any longer except in fragments, much like Latin is on Telani.
Onekai (own'·eh·kai) – a vegetable that grows close to the ground; the name means “earth fruit” in Old Kasmali.
Pantor – large predatory cats, much like the panthers or cheetahs on Telani.
Patchel's Folly – a city in the area of the Dead Zone, located approximately where Olympia, Washington is on Telani.
Porzul (pore'·zool) – wood from the tree of the same name, having properties of metal and very conductive to vibrational energy.
Rabadur (rah'·bah·dure) large four-armed humanoids that were created genetically from humans as weapons during the great war and are still around today
Rabat Forest (rah·bat') – a very large forest that fills the area between the coastal ranges and the inland ranges of the area that is California on Telani. The name means “great forest” in Old Kasmali.
Rabathewy River (rah·bath'·oo·wee) – a very large river corresponding to the Columbia River in Oregon; means “great snake” in Old Kasmali.
Raihar (ry'·har) – a village near where San Luis Obispo and Buttonwillow, California would be on Telani.
Rakkeben , singular rakkeban (rah'·keh·ben, - bahn) – large, intelligent wolves that can be ridden as mounts, if the rakkeban bonds with the rider.
Rangi Forest (ran'·jee) – the large, heavy forest where Dr. Walt’s compound, the Rakkeben colony, and Sam’s house are located. On Telani, this area is all desert and corresponds to Plam Springs, California and the desert areas surrounding it.
Riati (ree·ah'·tee) – small, thin, hairless mutated humans most often seen in the Dead Zone
Rindu Zose (reen'·doo zoze) – a Zouyim monk, one of the last, husband to Ylleria Zose and father to Nalia Wroun.
Rohw (roe) – the energy that pervades all life in the universe, from Old Kasmali for “spirit” or “wind.”
Sam Sharp – a young man who accidentally transports himself to Gythe and needs to get back home.
Sapsyra Shin Elah, singular sapsyr (sap·seer'·ah sheen ee'·lah) – an order of women warriors, the finest person-to-person fighters on Gythe, pledged to honor, justice, and helping others.
Shordan Drees – the Gray Man’s primary man-at-arms and leader of his forces.
Shonyb (shoe'·nib) – Sam’s rakkeban; the name loosely means “fang” in Old Kasmali.
Shrapezi (shrah'·peh·zee) – Nalia’s favorite weapon, hooked swords with razor-sharp crescent handguards; from Old Kasmali meaning “iron moon.”
Silicim Mant (seel'·ee·seem maunt) – leader of the Arzbedim when they captured Grayson.
Skitter – a hapaki who gets caught up in Sam’s adventure.
Stephanie Miller – Grayson Wepp’s fiancé, deceased.
Stoker – Sam's housecat
Telani (tay·lah'·nee) – Earth, the world from which Sam comes. In Old Kasmali, the word means, roughly, “shadow.”
Torim Jet – a crazed Zouy monk who attacks the party at Tramgadal
Tramgadal (tram'·gah·dahl) – The village that serves as a doorway to Kokitura Mountain.
Wolf's Run – an area where there is a thriving rakkeben colony, approximately were Eugene, Oregon is located on Telani.
Ylleria Zose (ee·lay'·ree·ah zoze) – a Sapsyra Shin Elah, deceased, previously wife to Rindu Zose and mother to Nalia Wroun.
Zouyim, singular Zouy (zoo'·yeem, zoo'·yah) – a class of monks or mages who use vibrational energy (the rohw) and are experts in combat. Their purpose is to aid the citizens of Gythe in living peacefully and honorably. The main Zouyim temple was at Kokitura mountain before being destroyed.
Zyngim (zeen'·geem) – the artisans who are able to make steel, the only ones who can do so on Gythe because of the peculiar difficulty of making alloys of iron.
About the Author
A chemical engineer by degree, air quality engineer by vocation, certified dreamer by predilection, and writer by sheer persistence, P.E. Padilla learned long ago that crunching numbers and designing solutions was not enough to satisfy his creative urges. Weaned on classic science fiction and fantasy stories from authors as diverse as Heinlein, Tolkien, and Jordan, and affected by his love of role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons (analog) and Final Fantasy (digital), he sometimes has trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy. While not ideal for a person who needs to function in modern society, it’s the perfect state of mind for a writer. He lives in Southern California.
Parting Thoughts
Thank you for reading my book. My sincerest desire is that you enjoyed sharing Sam’s adventures in Vibrations, the first book in the Harmonic Magic series. If so, please consider taking a few minutes to post a review where you purchased the book. Reviews help other readers find exciting books and help authors to continue to write them. Your honest review would be very much appreciated. If you bought this book on Amazon, you can write a short review by clicking here: Write a Review
If you would like to get information on upcoming books, such as the next book in the series (titled Harmonics), please visit my web site at pepadilla.com and join my mailing list.
I also appreciate any comments I receive, so please feel free stop by my web site and comment on the site itself or to send me an e-mail at [email protected].
Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Copyright
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
Epilogue
Glossary
About the Author
Parting Tho
ughts
Vibrations: Harmonic Magic Book 1 Page 39
