The Fallen One

by Lexy Wolfe

  "Hey!" Nolyn called above the din. "Stop causing such a ruckus and get down here!" The shouts shifted to uniform amazement as the fiery bird swooped down and alighted on the back of Zoe's sofa, his flames extinguishing. "I suppose that is my cue to get on with my report to the council," he grumbled. "Damned impatient featherduster."

  "I have it on good authority patience is not a natural quality of Desantiva," Ellis noted. He smiled down at Zoe as the girl sat on the step at his feet. With her sitting, the Desanti sat as well.

  Nolyn stepped out and turned to face the council. Squaring his shoulders, taking a deep breath, he stated, "Many months ago, Estania requested my assistance for a matter of trouble along their border with Gallilae. My first encounter with the creature that troubled the hunters and trappers of Estania nearly proved fatal, but with Unsvet Guardian Val-… Unsvet Edai Valerian, we contained the creature temporarily. My gratitude to Woodsman Ursin Farover for hauling my near-dead self back home cannot be overstated."

  He looked back to the Desanti. "With the aid of Githalin Su'alin Star il'Citali, I was able to recover from that illfated encounter. After I had recovered, I made plans with the Swordanzen to return and resolve the matter with this monster that tormented so many." He indicated the phoenix. "The matter was dire enough that even the Githalin Swordanzen recruited creatures from Desantiva itself to assist Forenta."

  The bird chirped, tilting his head in puzzlement. Seeker grunted. "I guess blurry truth is easier to manage over stark reality." Feathers fluffed as the bird shook his head, his feathery crest rising briefly before relaxing.

  "But thanks to those faithful to their god's teachings, and through the joint blessings of the Knowing One, the Raging One, and the Timeless One, we were able to free one more tortured soul from the grips of a filthy darkling that sought to continue to poison our population." He turned to the side, waiting patiently.

  From the shadows, a looming, hunched figure appeared wearing a cloak that reached from shoulder to the floor, his face hidden within the darkness of the deep hood. He hesitated when he reached Nolyn's side, regarding the mage uncertainly. Nolyn nodded once, encouraging him to step forward with a small handwave.

  The figure took one step, reaching up for the edges of the hood. After several long moments of tension-filled silence, Endarian lowered the hood to reveal his face. Zoe jumped up to her feet, staring in shock as he undid the cloak clasp and allowed the garment to fall to the ground. The chamber was dead silent for several minutes before the whispering began. The Trisari fanned his wings, lowering himself to one knee and bowing his head. "My lady," he whispered.

  Zoe walked forward with stuttering steps, her eyes unblinking as she stared. She stopped in front of the Trisari, still saying nothing. He looked up, tears in his eyes. "My lady, forgive me," he begged. "Please. I—" Zoe cut his words off, throwing her arms around his neck and held him fiercely tight.

  "She forgave you a long time ago," Zoe said, her voice harsh with emotion. "You were right. You did what needed to be done, as painful as it has been to everyone. She says She was too blind, too proud to heed your warnings." She let go of him to put her fingers on his lips. "Hush. The past is in the past. Now we can look to the future." She smiled brightly up at him. "We are so glad you are home at last!"

  Closing his eyes, he looked away with an agonized expression. "But I cannot… I cannot return to Her side. Not until—"

  Her small hand reached up to touch his cheek, turning his face back to hers. "I know. But because you have shown your loyalty to Me and the children of magic these past thousands of years, despite having every reason not to have faith, protecting and guiding them to the best of your ability despite being hobbled as you have been, the ancient trinity has granted us a boon." Taking his right hand, Zoe moved it up, palm facing outward. The girl then put her palm against his, looking tiny in comparison. Metallic curls snaked down Endarian's arm, echoing the appearance of an Illaini mark, but with three colors: copper, gold, and emerald green.

  Endarian stared in shock, then closed his eyes as he felt the touch of his goddess through the link. Pale in comparison to what he had known before, his gratitude to have this much humbled him. He started to bow his head to Zoe again when she threw her arms around his neck. "I have missed you, my Knight," the goddess whispered.

  "And I, you, my Queen," he whispered, careful to keep from crushing the girl in his equally fierce embrace, his wings trembling with his emotion.

  Ellis watched with a benign smile, arms crossed smugly. "Think we will get much more useful done today, Eptina?" he asked.

  Eptina wiped the corner of her eye at the emotional scene. "No, Ellis. Or for a sevenday at the least."

  "Agreed." He tapped the bell four times and called formally, "This session of congress of the Edai Tredecima is recessed until next sevenday!" He looked down at the hammer in his hand. "There is a lot of work ahead we need to get to."

  Glossary

  A

  a'alisna — (ah-ah-LIS-nah) Vodani term for the nomadic urge to move from place to place

  A'tyrna Ulan — (ah-TIR-nah OO-lahn) Stone pillars that are the remains of ancient Desanti-Forentan halfborn

  Almek Two-Tones — (AL-mek) The last living Guardian of Time bearing two colors on his divine mark Oldest wandering Guardian at over 500 years old; Sevmanen-Vodani halfborn

  Alysha — (ah-LISH-ah) an Unsvet Guardian of Time who is an herbalist and caretaker of the terminally ill

  Amelana — (ah-MEH-lah-nah) Formerly great grandniece of Ellis Avarian who was stripped of her family name for her crimes; Ash Andar's former journeyman student

  Ana — an abused young woman Valerian rescued and retained as a personal aide

  Ancestral agony — Vodani term for the Psia Re

  Ancient Triad — The first gods, Creator, Destroyer and Time, see also ancient trinity

  Ancient Trinity — The first gods, Creator, Destroyer, and Time

  Andar — Ash's birth home, uninhabited due to the disaster that left him orphaned

  Andarian Barrier — a magical barrier created by the twin brother master mages Ellis and Bennu Avarian to keep an unnatural fire and whatever caused it contained

  Anibu — (ah-NEE-boo) Totani, the Shadow Jackel

  Anton Ganessi — Head of the noble house that rules the port city of Ganessi

  Arman Zeridius — (ahr-MAHN) Grand Master of the Zeridian healing temple

  Arrowhawk — A black falcon with blue markings used by the Vodani people to carry messages

  Ash — Forentan man, master mage and Illaini Magus

  Aughas Oberlain — mage apprentice

  Avarian family — (ah-VAH-ree-ahn) One of the oldest of the Ancient Houses in Forenta

  B

  Bard — A wandering minstrel and neutral arbiter, usually Vodani-born

  Bayuli-volsha — (bah-YOO-lee VOLE-sha) A Desanti term for a bond between souls, considered extremely sacred to Desanti

  Before Time — Desanti term for the time before the Great War

  Bek — A crude Sevmanen caravan worker

  Bella — A Vodani Unsvet Guardian

  Benilus - (BEN-i-luss) A Guardian of Time, second to the Dulain of Sanctuary

  Bennu Avarian — (beh-NOO) Deceased Forentan mage, Ash's former master and grandfather, twin to Ellis

  Berrik — (BEAR-rik) member of the Morlaiz clan

  Bethal Lirai — (BETH-ahl LIR-eye) senior librarian of the Quoesia library

  Black water — The ink produced by squids

  Blisarj leaf — (BLIH-sarzh) A toxic Desanti herb used to treat pain

  Blood crystal — A crystal made from blood by a Totani that ties the life force of a Swordanzen to another

  Blood Oath — A mystical bond created between a Forentan and another

  Blood magic — The Desanti equivalent of magic

  Blue Rose Inn — A tavern the travelers stay at

  Bo-alia — (bow ah-LEE-ah) a dice game related to cross bones, except the dice are eight-s
ided.

  C

  Caryla Zeridius — (cah-RIL-ah) master healer at the Zeridian temple, wife of Arman

  Ceremony of Choosing — a holy Forentan ceremony where the mortal servants of the Knowing One are publically chosen.

  Chaining — method of multiple users of the same energy work in unison, increasing the effect through focus and sharing the resulting backlash

  Change Winds — A post-Great War event that mutated all remaining living things in Desantiva

  Chase — A Swordanzen who had been Storm's th'yala.

  Chitan — (cheh-TAHN) a four-limbed, winged, omnivorous reptile native to Desantiva the size of a gerbil

  Chlayxin — (CHLAY-zin) the buildup of pressure in the skull caused by channeling life energy, also called magic backlash

  Chok — A crude Sevmanen caravan worker

  Citali — Totani, Winged Snake of Death

  Clarissa — Headwoman of the Avarian household

  Claire — Forentan child

  Corast — (KOR-ahst) A Forentan-Vodani border port city

  Council of Elders — The ruling council of Desantiva comprised of the oldest members of the Desanti people

  Creator, the — One of the Ancient Triad; The Unchanging One

  Cross bones — a dice game played with five six-sided dice

  Cross the Sword — A Desanti euphemism for significant life changes, such a becoming an adult or dying. Also, 'Cross the blade'

  Crysalin — a crystalline stone found in the World Spine disruptive to temporal shifters

  Cursed child — A surviving child of a dead Desanti tribe, usually left to die for fear of contagions

  D

  Dahla — (DAH-lah) Title for a Guardian of Time who scrys individuals to determine their potential

  Darkborn — A human born with the soul of a darkling

  Darkling — An entity that crosses into the physical plane from the River of Time that preys on the souls of the living

  Davin Nadeesi — An ancient Dulain of Sanctuary

  Deliah — (deh-LIE-ah) Great grandniece of Avarian

  Defiler — A derogatory Desanti term for a Forentan

  Dinnais — (dih-NAY-ss) A Desanti term for a darkling

  Desanti — (deh-SAN-tee) Singular or plural term referring to a human from Desantiva; adjective describing anything from Desantiva

  Desantiva — (deh-san-TEE-vah) The barren wasteland southern territory claimed by the Desanti people; The name of the Desanti's dragon god

  Dessa — (DEH-sah) Ash's only servant, companion since childhood; Killed by a darkling

  Destroyer, the — One of the Ancient Triad; The Changing One

  Donu — (DOH-noo) Guardian Unsvet and follower of Dremmen, stripped of the Timeless One's blessing

  Dove and Lily Inn — Upper class establishment in Ganessi

  Dragon — six-limbed giant reptile with wings

  Dremmen — (DREH-men) A Forentan Unsvet Guardian

  Drizar — (DRI-zahr) The term for a full male drizzen, synonymous to stallion

  Drizzen — (DRI-zen) Vicious, reptilian omnivores that replace horses in Desantiva

  Dulain — (doo-LANE) Senior Unsvet in charge of the Guardian city in Fortress

  Dusvet Guardian — (DOO-sveht) A Guardian of Time marked with a metallic mark of two colors on the right cheek

  Dylar — (D'EYE-lar) Guardsman captain of Ganessi

  Dzee — Rainbow wyvern Totani

  E

  Edai — (eh-DAH-ee) The Knowing One's laws about duty and the gathering and sharing of knowledge

  Edai Magus —One of the mages on the Forentan mage high council

  Edai Tredecima — (eh-DAH-ee treh-DES-ee-mah) The thirteen member mage high council

  Elder — A Desanti who is 35 years or older

  Elder bear — A giant bear native to Forenta

  Ellena — Daughter of Grand Master Healer Zeridis and wife of Davin Nadeesi

  Ellis Avarian — (EL-lis) Forentan mage, twin brother of Bennu Avarian and Ash's great uncle, highest ranking mage on the Edai Tredecima

  Emaris — (EM-ahr-ihss) Mute Sevmanan gypsy mercenary, brother of Emil

  Emil — (EH-mill) Sevmanan mercenary-thief, brother of Emaris

  Endarian — (ehn-DAR-ee-yan) patron Trisari of Andar and the Avarian noble family

  Eptina Dyndrai — (ehp-TEE-nah DIN-dry) lowest ranking member of Edai Tredecima

  Erik — Forentan boy, Nolyn's nephew

  Estania — (ess-TAH-nee-ya) a region of the Forentan nation

  Etaio — (eh-TIE-oh) Gypsy leader of the Morlaiz clan

  F

  Final Dance — A Swordanzen attack that leaves the attacker impervious to injury, but kills the attacker once completed

  Firebird — A rare bird that dwelled near active volcanos, believed to be able to live and nest in molten lava

  First Home — The only permanent Desanti city in Desantiva

  First Sundering — An ancient cataclysm that created the Forentan and Desanti nations

  Forbidden arts — Forentan magic that has no limitations that end a spells effects

  Foreigner — For non-Desanti, anyone not born of their race, sometimes assigned to those from rival regions within the same territory; For Desanti, anyone recognized as part of the Vodani nation

  Forenta — (for-EHN-tah) The heavily forested northern territory claimed by the Forentan people; name of the Forentan god

  Forentan — (for-EHN-tan) Singular term for a human from Forenta; adjective describing anything from Forenta

  Forenten — (for-EHN-ten) Plural term for a human from Forenta

  Forest Sprite — A species with humanoid bodies and dragonfly-like wings favored by the Knowing One

  Forge, the — Desanti term for the hottest part of the day

  Fortress of Time — Solitary mountain near the World Spine, home to the Guardians of Time

  G

  Gabrielle Avarian — Ash's mother

  Ganessi — (gah-NESS-ee) A Sevmanan-Vodani border port city

  Githalin — (gith-AH-lin) a mortal with a bond to a Totani distinctly marked with a tattoo image of the Totani's animal form on their right shoulder, bearing a physical symbol having two edges to represent the great balance

  Githalin Blades — (gith-AH-lin) The divine created single-edged paired blades given to Githalin

  Githalin Swordanzen — A god-touched Swordanzen

  Great Barrier — The dividing line between the physical plane and the River of Time

  Great War — The war between Forenta and Desantiva that ended in the Second Sundering

  Guardian Adept — A person formally identified to be training to be tested to become a Guardian of Time

  Guardian Adept Elite — A student capable of performing more difficult tasks through manipulating temporal energy but not yet having been tested

  Guardians — Short form for Guardians of Time

  Guardians of Time — Nearly immortal servants of the Timeless One

  Gypsy — Sevmanan nomads

  Gypsy's Grotto — A giant, hidden grotto cavern deep within Fortress where the hidden gypsy clan calls home

  H

  Halfborn — Anyone with parents from two nations (example: Sevmanan and Vodani)

  Hall of Remembrance — Chamber in the butte of First Home with mosaics depicting moments of Desanti history

  Heart of Desantiva — Name for the Desanti God

  Home Port — The first Vodani city, only non-Desanti city in Desantiva

  Hollow — A Forentan term for an inn, usually lower class

  Hunter il'Thandar — The Githalin Swordanzen from the na'Zhekali tribe who sired Jaison with a Vodani weather wisdom

  I

  il'Dzee — Surname of a mage accepted by the Totani Dzee, bearing a circular pendant

  il'Kailee — Surname of a Swordanzen accepted by the Totani Kailee, bearing a two-edged blade with her symbol

  il'Thandar — Surname of a Swordanzen accepted by the Totani Thanda
r, bearing a two-edged blade with his symbol

  Illaini Magus — (ill-AEE-nee) A god-touched mage

  Ilsa — (ILL-sah) Master Vodani apothecarist of Water's Resonance

  Immortal servant — A minor divine entity that serves one of the gods

  Issonia — Only surviving su'nalia tree

  Itena — (ih-TEN-ah) A gypsy-born Oracle

  Ithesra — (ih-THEHZ-rah) Capital city of Forenta

  Ithesra proper— (ih-THEHZ-rah) The more densely populated area of Ithesra

  Izkynder - (IZ-kyn-der) son of Mureln and Taylin

  J

  Jaison — (JAY-sun) A Desanti-Vodani Unsvet Guardian from Desantiva

  Jaline — (jah-LEEN) A Forentan seamstress; Terrence's intended wife-to-be

  Jakkee — (JAH-kee) A Vodani boy of Water's Resonance

  Joban — (JO-bahn) A Sevmanan man punished by a Guardian

  K

  Kailee — (KAY-lee) A silver desert cat Totani

  Keenan — (KEE-nahn) A young Forentan man

  Kelafy — (keh-LAH-fee) Headwoman to the house of the Illaini Magus

  Kendle — (KEN-dahl) one of the Roylat line of divine servants not imprisoned in the World Spine

  Kerburn Dyndrai — (KUR-burn) head of house of the Dyndrai highborn family

  Kin song — a strong sense of family or belonging shared among gypsies

  Kiya il'Citali — (KEE-yah) youngest sister of Seeker and Skyfire, Su'alin

  Knowing One, the — The Forentan tree god

  Kraken — Giant, deep-ocean squid

  L

  Lana — (LAH-nah) mundane midwife serving Sanctuary

  Landwalker — Vodani nickname for anyone from the land bound nations

  Li — (LEE) Forest Sprite guardian of the entrance to the Forentan god's home

  Lowborn — Forentan term for someone of the lower classes

  Lupine — Giant wolf native to Forenta