Looking back, he knew he couldn’t save them all. Not all four that remained. He just couldn’t hold his breath long enough. It wasn’t possible. He could come back down. They might make it if he could come back down fast enough. He swam back into the bus and grabbed the arm of the next person he came to. Perfect, he thought. Just who he’d always imagined saving. Gabriel grimaced and pulled Eddie to the emergency door, pushing him through and giving him a shove toward the surface as he had with Emily.
Just enough, he thought. Just enough air. One more and I’ll go back up. Just one more. He twisted around and swam back into the capsized bus once more. The next unconscious person he came to was Larry, the sickly boy who was always sneezing.
Larry’s arm was wedged between the seat and the wall of the bus. Gabriel pulled on Larry’s arm, but it was no good. Gabriel tried to pull at the seat. To bend it back just a little. Nothing. He pulled the seat with one hand and Larry’s arm with the other. Harder. Harder. His lungs stung again. His vision was getting blurry. But he kept pulling. Then Larry’s arm slipped free. Gabriel tugged at Larry and pulled him toward the emergency door. Then the world shifted.
The weight of the bus settling on the soft river bottom sent it tumbling again, lurching sideways once more. Gabriel spun with the bus as Larry’s unconscious body fell on him, a shoulder pushing down into his stomach, forcing the air from his lungs in a burst.
Gabriel pushed and pulled at Larry’s unconscious form, but it was no good. Larry was slight, hardly weighing a thing, but the angle of the seats kept him wedged against Gabriel.
He fought. He fought to move Larry’s body. He fought to slide out from under him. He fought to hold what little air was left in his lungs. He fought to keep his vision straight. He fought the temptation to open his mouth. He fought as hard as he had ever fought for anything, but he couldn’t stop himself. His body betrayed his will. His mouth slipped open and the bubbles of air flooded out. He tried to stop it. But it didn’t last long. He pushed against Larry’s body again. He knew it was a body now. Larry was dead. There was no saving him. No saving the others in the bus. No saving himself.
He held it as long as he could. Held the moment between breaths as long as he could. He knew how it would end. Just as it had ended in the dream. Maybe that was why he had come back down. Not to try to be a hero. Not because his conscience told him he should, but because of the dream. Because he knew the dream would be fulfilled no matter what he did.
He held on, hoping that someone would come down after him. One of the other students. Maybe a driver of a passing car. Someone. He held that un-breath and held it and held it and then before he knew it his mouth was open and he was sucking water into his lungs against his will. He willed his mouth to close, his lungs to expel the water, the spasms of his body to stop. He willed his eyes to stay open, his mind to stay clear, and his vision to remain. He willed the blackness to stop. He willed his heart to start beating again. He willed his mind to remain conscious. He willed himself to remember his mother’s face and the kiss she had given him. He willed himself to remember his father’s hug and his smile. He willed himself to remember who he was. He willed himself to remember his name. He willed himself to live.
And then Gabriel Salvador died.
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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
KOSMOSAIC BOOKS
The Dargon Star (Realms of Shadow and Grace — Volume 1: Episodes 1-7)
G.L. Breedon
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Copyright 2016 by G.L. Breedon
All rights reserved.
Art Design: Tsufit Isaacy
This book is available in print at most on-line retailers.
For more information:
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Table of Contents
Book Description
Introductory Note
Overture
Episode One
The Fugitives Lee-Nin
The Fugitives Sha-Kutan
The Fugitives Lee-Nin
The Fugitives Ing-Ku
The Temple Junari
The Witness Hashel
The Fugitives Sha-Kutan
The Seer Kellatra
The Fugitives Lee-Nin
The Temple Raedalus
The Philosopher Sketkee
The Fugitives Sha-Kutan
The Fugitives Ogtankaa
The Temple Junari
The Fugitives Lee-Nin
The Throne Tin-Tsu
The Fugitives Ing-Ku
The Carnival Leotin
The Fugitives Sao-Tauna
The Throne Tin-Tsu
Interlude
Episode Two
The Throne Tonken-Wu
The Throne Unknown Person
The Throne Kao-Rhee
The Throne Tin-Tsu
The Carnival Yeth
The Throne Tin-Tsu
The Witness Ondromead
The Fugitives Sha-Kutan
The Throne Kao-Rhee
The Carnival Shifhuul
The Throne Dju-Tesha
The Throne Tin-Tsu
The Philosopher Kadmallin
The Throne Tin-Tsu
The Carnival Tarak
The Throne Rhog-Kan
The Seer Kellatra
The Temple Raedalus
The Carnival Palla
The Throne Tonken-Wu
The Seer Abananthus
Interlude
Episode Three
The Seer Kellatra
The Seer Rankarus
The Seer Abananthus
The Philosopher Sketkee
The Seer Kellatra
The Fugitives Sha-Kutan
The Seer Kellatra
The Philosopher Kadmallin
The Throne Tin-Tsu
The Seer Rankarus
The Carnival Palla
The Seer Rankarus
The Philosopher Sketkee
The Seer Kellatra
The Temple Raedalus
The Seer Rankarus
The Witness Ondromead
The Seer Luntadus
The Temple Junari
Interlude
Episode Four
The Temple Taksati
The Temple Junari
The Witness Hashel
The Temple Raedalus
The Seer Abananthus
The Temple Junari
The Witness Ondromead
The Philosopher Sketkee
The Temple Junari
The Throne Dju-Tesha
The Witness Hashel
The Temple Raedalus
The Carnival Leotin
The Fugitives Lee-Nin
The Temple Taksati
The Carnival Yeth
Interlude
Episode Five
The Carnival Tarak
The Carnival Leotin
The Fugitives Ing-Ku
The Fugitives Sha-Kutan
The Carnival Palla
The Fugitives Sao-Tauna
The Temple Junari
The Carnival Tarak
The Fugitives Sha-Kutan
The Witness Hashel
The Throne Rhog-Kan
The Carnival Shifhuul
The Fugitives Ogtankaa
The Fugitives Lee-Nin
The Carnival Yeth
The Seer Kellatra
The Philosopher Kadmallin
The Carnival Shifhuul
The Philosopher Sketkee
Interlude
Episode Six
The Philosopher Sketkee
The Philosopher Kadmallin
The Seer Kellatra
The Philosopher Sketkee
The Fugitives S
ha-Kutan
The Philosopher Kadmallin
The Seer Rankarus
The Carnival Leotin
The Philosopher Sketkee
The Temple Raedalus
The Seer Abananthus
The Philosopher Kadmallin
The Witness Ondromead
The Throne Tonken-Wu
The Philosopher Sketkee
The Witness Hashel
Interlude
Episode Seven
The Witness Ondromead
The Witness Hashel
The Throne Kao-Rhee
The Witness Ondromead
The Carnival Palla
The Witness Hashel
The Philosopher Sketkee
The Throne Dju-Tesha
The Witness Ondromead
The Seer Kellatra
The Temple Taksati
The Witness Hashel
The Fugitives Lee-Nin
The Throne Tin-Tsu
The Witness Ondromead
The Temple Junari
Coda
The Primary Cast
The Fugitives
The Throne
The Temple
The Seer
The Philosopher
The Carnival
The Witness
Maps
The Iron Realm
Onaia
An Onaia Gazetteer
The Iron Realm
The Daeshen Dominion
The Tanshen Dominion
The Punderra Dominion
The Juparti Dominion
The Atheton Dominion
The Nevaeo Dominion
The Kytain Dominion
Tanjii – Free City
The Sun Realm
The Sky Realm
The Stone Realm
The Wood Realm
The Ice Realm
The Forbidden Realm
A Miscellany of Fragments and Artefacts
The Urris
The Origin Time
The Forbidden Realm
The Pact
The Great Conflagration
The Rakthor Principles of Mind
The Saga of the Fallen Lands
Origin of the Name of the Iron Realm
The Coronation of the First Zhan of the First Great Dominion
Letter from a Philosopher of History to His Nephew
Soul Catchers
The Sister Moons
Spiced Fish Stew
Roagg Hunting Song
Kyluna the Forest Spirit of the Wyrin
Yutan Prayer for the Living and the Dead and the Living
Rakthor Constitutional Preamble
Pashist Teachings of the Ten Purities
Keth Dictum of Acceptance
Tot Gioth Ritual of Cleansing
The Ni-Kam-Djen Sectarian Schism
Ni-Kam-Djen — The 21 Line Prayer of Turning
Words Written on the Walls of the Free City of Tanjii
The Living Death
The Heart Prayer of Moaratanism
Shen Landscape Painting
The Unseen Codex — Page 37
Acknowledgments
About the Author
The First Chapter of The Wizard of Time (Book 1)
Copyright Notice
The Dragon Star (Realms of Shadow and Grace: Volume 1) Page 87
