He swept a paw across his pad and the symbol disappeared.
Then he turned the pencil over again. And this time he did touch the tip to the pad.
He looked at the firebirds—and waited.
“You want us to make up a title?” said Azkiar.
The dragon wrinkled his snout. A smoke ring left his nostrils. It floated through the Is, turned into a butterfly, and fluttered away. “One letter will suffice.”
“One?” said Aurielle. There were very few books with single-letter titles.
“Hmm,” said the dragon. “What’s your favorite letter?”
Both firebirds replied together. “A.”
Just as dragons revered the letter G, so firebirds loved the opening letter of the Librarium’s alphabet. It was why their names began with it.
The dragon wrote the letter A on his pad.
Aurielle felt the stars stirring again.
The dragon blinked his oval eyes. “Now the Librarium decides,” he said.
The firebirds stared into the matrix again. More letters were appearing there.
Aurielle counted four in all.
T
R
H
E
They danced around the pad for a moment or two, then decided to settle either side of the A.
“Done,” said the dragon.
He turned the pad around and showed them the result.
And there was the title of the new book on Floor 47.
EARTH.
Aether—a strange, omnipresent force that permeates the island world of the Wyvern and maintains an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence.
Auma—the life force or spirit of a being, derived from an ancient word for “fire.” When a dragon dies and sheds its fire tear, its auma is believed to return to the creator, Godith.
Aurauma Fantalis—a mysterious belt of stars around Ki:mera, thought to be the eyrie or “playground” of Godith. Each star is believed to be the spirit of a dragon, though there is no tangible evidence of this. Described by the De:allus as “an infinite matrix of space and time,” most dragons, out of fear, never enter the Aurauma. Those who do rarely emerge sane.
Auricular flaps—small flaps of skin that protect a dragon’s ears.
Caarker—Hom name for a crow.
Cantorus and Crune—the two moons of Ki:mera.
Cold flame—under certain atmospheric conditions, dragons are capable of producing a cool flame (pale blue in color) that does not ignite combustible materials.
Commingle—a “coming together,” usually of minds. All dragons develop the ability to communicate telepathically, i.e., using thought alone. A deeper extension of telepathy is commingling, in which a dragon focuses its awareness to such an extent that it is able to meld with another dragon’s consciousness and read or know all of that dragon’s thoughts.
Darn—a free-floating piece of graig.
De:allus—a highly intellectual class of dragon whose lives are devoted to understanding the wonders of Godith’s universe. De:allus are scientists or problem solvers, characterized by their bright yellow eyes. It is not known how their eye color developed, though it’s often said (somewhat disparagingly) that their optical triggers have become impaired because the De:allus like to look too long at small things.
Domayne—any parcel of land claimed by a dragon; their home territory. The term can also describe a large region of land mapped out during colonization.
Drake—a young male dragon (sometimes also called a weardrake).
Elder—a senior dragon (usually, but not exclusively, male) whose role is to administer Ki:meran law. Up to three Elders would normally accompany a colonizing Wearle, to steer and advise them.
Erth—home planet of the Hom.
Eyrie—an ancient word of dragontongue meaning “high nest.” Now more commonly used to describe a superior cave or settle, such as that of a queen or the Prime dragon.
Fathers, the—the spirits of Hom dead.
Fhosforent—pink crystalline mineral found in Erth’s volcanic rock, said to be the blood of the fallen dragon, Graven. Ingesting large quantities of fhosforent is known to cause devastating mutational effects in dragons, though some still believe the ore can be used to a dragon’s advantage.
Firebirds—a highly colorful species of bird, closely related to dragons but very much smaller than them, who live in a cloaked dimension of the Kashic Archive known as the Librarium. Their job is to watch for “rips” in the fabric of time and space and repair them as quickly as possible, even if this means manipulating the destiny of living beings.
Fire star—a portal in time and space, called a “star” because of the flash of light emitted when something passes through it.
Fire tear—a single tear cried by a dragon at its death, said to contain its auma in the form of a spark. In extreme circumstances, a dragon might die without shedding its tear. In this case, its primary heart will turn to stone, along with the rest of its body if it is not burned. To die and not be called to Godith is the worst fate that can befall a dragon.
Flutterfly—Hom name for a common butterfly. The flutterflies on the island world of the Wyvern are able to glow in the dark.
Frooms—the Treemen’s word for mushrooms.
Galan aug scieth—a sacred phrase of dragontongue meaning “we are one.” It is spoken as a greeting between dragons with a close bond, but can also have a more literal meaning, as in the permanent commingling between Ren and the Astrian dragon, Grystina.
Gibbus—a Hom-like variant who dwell in underground caverns in the Wild Lands, a barren area of natural rock. Described historically as “playful,” they have been growing steadily more aggressive since moving from a fruit-based diet.
Glamor—a rarely used word which describes a dragon’s ability to mesmerize others (usually prey) with a stare.
Goyle—a word used to describe anything ugly or grotesque, particularly the mutant form of a dragon (known to the Hom as a “darkeye”).
Graig—a word from the old tongue simply meaning “rock.” The component parts of the dragon world Ki:mera are constructed from millions of pieces of linked graig (see also darn), which form the labyrinths and mazes the dragons inhabit.
Guardian—a male dragon who protects a matrial and her wearlings.
Gwadrach—a witch, in the Gibbus tongue.
Heart(s)—dragons have three hearts, closely linked. The largest or primary heart maintains bodily functions and is concerned with power and strength; the second, about three-fifths the size of the primary heart, controls love and emotional reactions; the third, which is small and just hidden by the second heart, gives a dragon its spirituality.
Higher, the—name for the collective minds of the most advanced beings on Ki:mera. These creatures (their exact number is uncertain) have evolved beyond their physical form to exist in a neural web. It is not known whether the Higher evolved purely from dragons or are a construct from the mind of Godith, but they guide dragons, spiritually, in everything they do.
Hom—an early form of the human race.
Hopper—Hom name for a rabbit.
I:mage—the ability to create external structures from mental images. There are two types of i:maging, natural and physical. A natural i:mage is a floating three-dimensional picture (a kind of hologram) that fades as soon as it outlives its usefulness. Physical i:maging is used to create more permanent structures or to alter the parameters of existing matter. (See also phasing.)
Intraspace—quite literally the collective space between the pieces of graig that make up the structure of the dragon world, Ki:mera.
Isoscele—the triangular scale at the end of a dragon’s tail. Primarily designed for balance during flight and as a navigational aid. Also a valuable tool in battle. Commonly used to point or gesture.
Kaal—a tribe of humans. The origin of the name is thought to derive from “cave” and refers to the Kaal’s preferred choice of habitat: any mountainous region near water.
Kashic
Archive—a vast, complex labyrinth on Ki:mera that holds the entire history of dragonkind in thousands of “memory stones.”
Ki:mera—the homeworld of dragons, created for them by the breath of Godith. Literally meaning “place of fire and light.”
Librarium—see firebirds.
Mapper—a dragon who maps out territories. A good mapper can record the layout of a landmass from a variety of heights or directional approaches and reproduce it accurately, in the form of an i:mage, for other dragons to see.
Matrial—an honorific title for a female dragon who has had wearlings.
Memory stones—orbs of condensed energy, housed in the mysterious Kashic Archive, that contain information in the form of stored i:mages. Memory stones are to the Archive what books are to the Librarium.
Mutt—Hom name for a dog.
Myss (or wearmyss)—a young female dragon.
Nutterling—Hom name for a squirrel.
Olfactic glands—tiny organs at the back of a dragon’s nostrils that give them their powerful sense of smell.
Optical trigger—the mechanism that controls a dragon’s extraordinary ability to zoom its vision and record i:mages of any landscape. The class of dragon called “mappers” have the most advanced optical triggers known to dragonkind.
Ora—the ubiquitous soft purple glow that gives color to the “atmosphere” (or intraspace) between the millions of laby-rinths on Ki:mera.
Per—an honorific title given to a dragon who mentors a younger dragon or one of lesser status.
Phasing—the ability to move through time, usually during flight. The technique is a sophisticated form of i:maging, in which the dragon must be able to “see” itself ahead of time and then “dissolve” into the dark energy of the universe as if it were no heavier than a breath of wind.
Prime—an Elder who is also the supreme leader of a dragon colony.
Pupp—Hom name for a young mutt, but can be used for any young creature.
Redfur—Hom name for a fox.
Roamer—a young dragon who is experienced enough (in the opinion of a per) to be allowed to “roam” where he or she pleases, within reason. At least half of a colonizing Wearle will be made up of roamers.
Sawfin—fine scales in a ruffed shape behind a female dragon’s ears.
Scorch line—a line charred around the boundary of the dragons’ domayne, which the Hom are not allowed to cross.
Sensaur—a rare breed of dragon, thought to be able to see or sense spirits.
Seren—the star at the center of Ki:mera’s network of graig. A debate has raged for centuries about whether Seren is Godith in physical form.
Sier pents—term meaning “green fish,” used in a derogatory way to describe the Veng.
Skaler—Hom name for a dragon.
Skrike—a squeal or sharp cry.
Snorter—Hom name for a pig.
Spiracles—breathing holes in a dragon’s body, most notably along the sides of the throat.
Sprites—Erth spirits revered by the Treemen. Sprites govern wind, rain, sunshine, and many other natural things.
Stigs—the horny extensions on a dragon’s head (and to some extent their wings) that contribute to their ferocious appearance. Most stigs are inert and purely decorative, but some, like the primary stigs, are sensitive organs that can be used as antennae to detect signals or surroundings or changes of air pressure.
Sweeper—a dragon who patrols the scorch line, checking for incursions or threats.
Symbol of the Universe—an i:mage recognized throughout the universe as a sign of spiritual i:llumination and creativity, most closely linked to the dominant species of humans, dragons, and bears.
Tada—a word for “father,” from the old dragontongue.
Transference—the ability to transfer huge amounts of information by mental power alone.
Treemen (or Tree People)—a Hom-like tribe who inhabit the Whispering Forest. They are so well adapted to their environment that they often grow moss and other flora on their backs.
Vapor—a floating dragon spirit, a “ghost.”
Veng—a particularly fearsome class of fighting dragon, commonly employed as security for a new colony.
Wearle—a large community of dragons. A Wearle would number more than a wyng, but anything more than a hundred dragons would be considered a fixed colony. There were twenty-four dragons in the first Wearle to visit Erth, sixty in the second.
Wearling—a young dragon of either gender.
Whinney—Hom name for a horse.
Whispering Forest—home of the Treemen.
Wild Lands—a vast, and mostly barren, rocky area to the west of the mountains occupied by the Kaal. Home to the wild creatures known as the Gibbus.
Wyng—a small group of dragons with a common purpose (e.g., a search wyng).
Wyrm—a deadly parasite similar to a slug. When inserted into a creature’s body (usually via the ear) the wyrm will attach itself to the host’s neural network and disrupt brain function.
Wyvern—a gentle class of dragon who inhabit a world of many islands that appears to run in a timeline parallel with Erth’s. They have none of the colonizing instincts of their bigger cousins and are happy just getting on with their lives.
This will almost certainly be my last major foray into dragon culture. I couldn’t have written such a poignant story without the help of some great creative minds. Notably they would be my UK editor, Sarah Leonard, and her US equivalent, Lisa Ann Sandell. I’d also like to put in a mention for my old friend Sue Cook, who copyedited the UK text and was so generous with her comments about it. And last but not least there is Jay d’Lacey, who kept me believing in the project through numerous drafts and some dark winter months. My dragons and firebirds love you all for helping to bring them to life on the page. One last time, from Erth to Ki:mera—hrrr!
CHRIS D’LACEY is the author of several highly acclaimed books, including the New York Times bestselling Last Dragon Chronicles series (The Fire Within; Icefire; Fire Star; The Fire Eternal; Dark Fire; Fire World; The Fire Ascending; as well as Rain & Fire, which he co-wrote with Jay d’Lacey), the UNICORNE Files trilogy (A Dark Inheritance, Alexander’s Army, and A Crown of Dragons), and The Erth Dragons series (The Wearle, Dark Wyng, and The New Age). Chris lives in Devon, England, with his wife, Jay, where they are at work on his next book.
THE ERTH DRAGONS
The Wearle
Dark Wyng
THE UNICORNE FILES
A Dark Inheritance
Alexander’s Army
A Crown of Dragons
THE LAST DRAGON CHRONICLES
The Fire Within
Icefire
Fire Star
The Fire Eternal
Dark Fire
Fire World
The Fire Ascending
Rain & Fire (with Jay d’Lacey)
Copyright © 2018 Chris d’Lacey & Jay d’Lacey
First published in 2018 in the United Kingdom by Orchard Books. Orchard Books is a division of Hachette Children’s Books, a Hachette Livre UK company.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, SCHOLASTIC PRESS, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: D’Lacey, Chris, author. | D’Lacey, Chris. Erth dragons; bk. 3.
Title: The new age / Chris d’Lacey.
Description: First American edition. | New York: Scholastic Press, 2019. | Series: The Erth dragons; Book 3 | “
First published in 2018 in the United Kingdom by Orchard Books, a division of Hachette Children’s Books.” | Summary: The coming of the dragons has upset the balance on Erth, and now other creatures, the wild Gibbus, and the Wyvern, are being drawn into the conflict between dragons and humans; while the dragons Gabrial and Grendel guard the young dragonets in their care, and the human boy, Ren, struggles to control his new powers, the world seems to be coming apart around them—and the firebirds are manipulating the threads of destiny.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018033251 | ISBN 9781338291926
Subjects: LCSH: Dragons—Juvenile fiction. | Magic—Juvenile fiction. | Human-animal relationships—Juvenile fiction. | Interpersonal conflict—Juvenile fiction. | Adventure stories. | CYAC: Fantasy. | Dragons—Fiction. | Magic—Fiction. | Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. | LCGFT: Action and adventure fiction. | Fantasy fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.D6475 Ne 2019 | DDC 813.6 [Fic] —dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018033251
First American edition, February 2019
Cover art © 2018 by Kerem Beyit
Cover design by Shivana Sookdeo
e-ISBN 978-1-338-29193-3
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
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