Strace (M, 27, Hologrim) – A Tiger, a high-ranking Pirate of the Catsclaw. He brought Cockatrice to Wyverna.
Thamba (F, 28, unknown) – A bartender at Screaming Midnight in the Blue Light quarter.
Tiolt (M, 54, Kharvay) – Head of the Kharvay family, who once ruled the ice islands and now runs the Library of the Past.
Wakár (F, 37, foreigner) – A member of the Panam Kell caste of Black Mar’Kesh, she is a powerful mind witch who has infiltrated Wyverna.
Warlord (F, 36, Oribul) – Founder and ruler of Wyverna.
Water (F, 26, Hologrim) – Sorceress who lives in Ilkour.
Wormlight (F, 43, Hologrim) – Sorcery Master, also called the Head of the Ancients, one of the five Fence lords; believed to be the most powerful sorceress of Wyverna.
Glossary
Auxars – Hereditary guardians of the Throne of Sight; they are always Oribuls.
Bhinroot tea – A bitter stimulant normally drunk in the morning, rather like coffee.
Black Cat Kharvay – The legendary pirate queen who founded the ice islands and the Kharvay family centuries ago.
Black Mar’Kesh – see Mar’Kesh.
Blue Light – A section of Ilkour, two blocks wide, known as a gathering place for the underworld. The air glows blue.
Bright Light Order – An order of monks in the Greycowl Mountains on the mainland, forebearers of Wyverna’s Hollow Eye family.
Carousel, The – A tavern in the Blue Light quarter of Ilkour, where powerful underworld figures gather; renowned as the most dangerous bar in the city.
Cataracts – An inn in Ilkour owned by Morbid; her headquarters.
Catlord – The leader of the Catsclaw and lord of the Catsclaw District.
Catsclaw – The military of Wyverna, who command the great ships on raids.
Catsclaw District – The district where the military live and train, just north of Ilkour.
C’Blange – The main social spot in the Catsclaw District, featuring gambling, music, food, alcohol, and rooms for rent.
Claw, The – The headquarters of the Catsclaw District.
Cockatrice (also known as the Assassin of the Kahlrites) – A golem built to be the ultimate assassin. Created in the Old Empire city of Madness more than 1,600 years ago.
Cold Harbor – The harbor at the center of Ilkour, the downtown district. Several warships lie at anchor here.
Crèche - A communal nursery in the Catsclaw District, where military children are raised and trained together.
Crone Crab – An inn in the Stone Hearth District.
Crone moon – Slang for the crescent moon.
Devourer – A elemental force of chaos and destruction; its name is used in oaths and curses by Wyvernyrs.
District Lords – The heads of the seventeen districts of Wyverna. Many of them are also heads of families.
Dragon Fire – A powerful stimulant the Catsclaw use during battles to keep themselves going past the point of exhaustion.
D’Rast family – One of the smallest families; its members have a reputation for cruelty and depravity, particularly the family head, Mayden.
Dreamweed – A hallucinogen, usually smoked.
D’Zonge – A large casino/tavern, the main gathering spot in the Fence District.
Esthen family – Most members of this small family are politicos or administrators, and live in the Fence District.
Fates – One of the most popular gambling games in Wyverna, similar to a roulette wheel.
Fence – The slang term for the government of Wyverna. Also refers to the government district (Fence District), the magical wards around the district (Fence wards), and the circle of five lords who rule Wyverna under the Warlord (Fence lords).
Fence District – The government district, wedged between the downtown district of Ilkour, the Catsclaw District, and the mountains (Yahsta’s Claws).
Fence of Mirrors – The third layer of the Fence wards, this magical dimension looks like a maze of mirrors and stretches across Wyverna, providing rapid access to any point in the city for those who know how to walk it.
Gaol – Wyverna’s prison, located underground in the Fence District.
Green Market – One of Wyverna’s largest and most respected markets, with outlets found throughout the city.
Greycowl Mountains – A large mountain range on the continent. Several orders of monks live in its peaks, and the ruined city of Madness lies at its feet.
Gryffon coin – The main currency of Wyverna, equivalent to about $20 in our world.
Harpy – One of Wyverna’s warships; it brought the relic Cockatrice back from Mar’Kesh.
Hollow Eye family – One of the smallest families, they live in a monastery in Yahsta’s Claws and are descended from monks of the Greycowl Mountains.
Hologrim family – Wyverna’s largest family, making up about one-third of the population. Many Hologrims are sailors, farmers, and fishers. The family is also renowned for sorcery.
Hotbed Arena – One of the main arenas in the Catsclaw District, home to a large number of mid- and high-ranking Pirates; a social hotspot.
Hunger Market – One of the smallest and strangest markets of Wyverna, avoided by most people. An outlet of the Hunger Market sits in the plaza at the center of the Blue Light quarter of Ilkour.
Ice islands – The original home of Wyvernyrs, just off the west coast of the continent, now in ruins.
Ilkour District – The downtown district of Wyverna, also called the Jewel District. It surrounds Cold Harbor and is located about midway along the north-south axis of the city.
Implementer – The colloquial title of the District Master, one of the five Fence lords; Mayden holds this position.
Jacks – The slang term for the rank-and-file officers of Wyverna’s police force.
Jaguar – The highest rank in the Catsclaw; there are currently only three Jaguars, including the Catlord.
Kahlrites – One of the priest castes in the city of Madness; they created the golem Cockatrice.
Kardic dancing – An athletic style of dancing practiced by the Veajhing family.
Kharvay family – One of the three main families of Wyverna; they founded and led the ice islands. Most of them are Catsclaw or sailors, and they are also renowned as scholars.
Library of the Past – The best library in Wyverna, located in the River District and run by Tiolt Kharvay.
Mad Dream family – A small family, known to possess an unusual magic of visions and prophecies. Many of them live in the Stone Hearth District.
Madness – An Old Empire city at the foot of the Greycowl Mountains, now in ruins. Cockatrice was created here.
Map Room – A room on the lowest level of Mort Glave, used for private conferences.
Margays – The elite Fence guards who serve the Warlord; most of them live and work in the caverns of Mort Glave. They also guard the Fence gates.
Mar’Kesh (also known as Black Mar’Kesh) – A coastal city on the continent, feared and shunned by most nations. Wyverna trades with them regularly.
Mort Glave – The caverns beneath Yahsta’s Claws that house the government.
Mountain coin – Worth 100 gryffon coins, the equivalent of about $2000 in our world.
Nameless Market – The black market of Wyverna.
Obrail – A country on the mainland, the original homeland of the Oribul family.
Old Empire – The empire that ruled the mainland more than 1,100 years ago.
Oribul family – One of the three main families of Wyverna. Gorgo is an Oribul, as is the Warlord. They are dark-skinned and of noble descent, originating from a kingdom on the mainland.
Oyster District – A long promontory with Storm Point on its tip, and oyster beds in the shallow waters around it.
Panam Kell – The order of witches who rule the city of Black Mar’Kesh on the continent. They possess the power to infiltrate and control other minds.
Panther – The second-highest rank in the Catsclaw.
&n
bsp; Passionflower Court – A large courtyard surrounded by a circular building with rooms for rent; the main gathering place in the River District.
Pig moon – Slang for the full moon.
Pirate – The title for high-ranking members of the Catsclaw.
Plunder House – The building in the Sealord’s District where all the wealth from piracy is processed and catalogued.
Ptalmilkour – The capital city of the ice islands, now in ruins.
Pton Enclave – Gorgo’s family group, part of the larger Oribul family. The Ptons all live in one large compound of buildings in the River District.
Red Paw arena – The most prestigious arena in the Catsclaw District, where the highest-ranking military members practice and where public exhibition duels are held.
Rhom – A country on the west coast of the continent; wealthy and sophisticated.
River District – District known for its mansions, gardens, academies, and artists. Gorgo’s family lives here.
Screaming Midnight – A tavern in the Blue Light quarter of Ilkour.
Scry – To watch someone from a distance by magic, for example by calling up their image in a crystal or mirror.
Sealord’s District – The southernmost district of Wyverna, where pirate ships bring in all the plunder from the outside world.
Serpent Throne – The throne of Obrail, the mainland country that the Oribul family originates from.
Shark coin – Worth one-tenth of a gryffon, this is pocket change, equivalent to about $2 in our world.
Slythe family – A mid-sized, powerful family with a bad reputation. They are known to have interbred with non-humans. Some Slythe are mutants; a few have mind powers and are known as Inquisitors.
Southern raiders – The hereditary enemies of the ice islands, now destroyed.
Spawning Moon – A month in late spring, the equivalent of May in our world.
Stone Hearth District – The district where many of the Hologrim sorcerers and most of the Mad Dream family live. It lies between Ilkour and Yahsta’s Claws, and has close ties to the Fence.
Storm Point – The easternmost point of mainland Wyverna, a high cliff at the end of the Oyster District.
Tail – The slang term for Talisman Officers of the police force, higher-ranking than the jacks.
Tea House – M’Chay’s home, a large building that sits half in Ilkour, half in the Fence District, where Wyvernyrs can come to seek justice.
Three Queens Drowned – A casino in Ilkour, where Wyvernyrs rent boxes to receive messages and payments.
Throne of Sight – One of the relics of the Oribul family, claimed by the Warlord; it sits now in a cavern underneath Mort Glave.
Tiger – A high rank in the Catsclaw, one of the Pirates.
Tricked Eel, The – A casino in the Blue Light quarter of Ilkour, owned by Na•ar.
Tryjan – A country on the continent, next to Black Mar’Kesh; its people have green skin and study mental disciplines. The Catsclaw Jaguar Luoxjarn is a native of this land.
Underworld – Slang term for criminals, including the smugglers of the Nameless Market.
Uprooting – What Wyvernyrs call the migration from the ice islands to Wyverna.
Veajhing family – Renowned for artists, dancers, musicians, and scholars, this family lives mostly in the River District.
Wall District – Located just north of the Wall, the finger of Yahsta’s Claws that divides the main city from the Sealord’s District in the south. Most of the Oribul family lives here.
Warships – Huge galleons, the largest and swiftest vessels of the fleet; there are only seven of them.
Wildcat – One of the lower Catsclaw ranks, a trainee.
Wyrm coin – Worth one-hundredth of a gryffon, equivalent to about 20 cents.
Wyverns – The great winged lizards who live in the mountains above Wyverna and give the city its name.
Wyverna – Gorgo's home, an isolated coastal city-state that survives by piracy.
Wyvern’s Shield – A medal given out for notable service to Wyverna; diamond-shaped platinum badge inscribed with a bas relief of a wyvern in flight.
Wyvernyr – A citizen of Wyverna.
Yahsta – The sea god, the only god recognized in Wyverna. He takes the form of a huge grey sea serpent, with curling horns and aquamarine eyes.
Yahsta’s Belly – A huge natural cavern underneath Mort Glave that houses the Throne of Sight.
Yahsta’s Claws – The island mountain range that rises behind Wyverna.
Yahsta’s Sperm – The nickname of a potent alcoholic beverage served in the Blue Light quarter of Ilkour.
Acknowledgments
This story first took shape in handwritten notebooks thirty years ago, and never could have matured to the finished novel you hold in your hands without the aid of many people. My family, particularly my father, sister, and husband, were my first readers and encouraged me to keep writing and dreaming. Members of the Saturday Morning Irregulars critique group—Dan Schiro, Dan Maguire, Miki Knezevic, Navik von Bathory, Grant Smith, and many others—made invaluable comments and suggestions. My fellow author M.L. Wang helped guide me through the wilds of self-publishing. Wirawan Pranoto of Polar Engine studio provided the stunning cover art, while Shawn T. King of STK Kreations designed the striking typography. Finally, thanks to Michael Baker of Fantasy World Emporium for his patience and skill as he worked with me to create the crucial map of Wyverna. And thanks to anyone reading this book, for trusting me to take you on this journey.
About the Author
Madolyn Rogers is a science journalist who lives on a wooded hill in Wisconsin with her husband, son, and extended family, as well as their dog Xander and the occasional visiting bat or squirrel. She has loved fantasy and science fiction since childhood, when she immersed herself in Star Trek, Dune, Lord of the Rings, and the Earthsea trilogy, among many other indelible works. Professionally, she writes about brain research, and in her spare time, she studies martial arts. This is her first published novel.
Website: madolynrogersauthor.com
Email: [email protected]
Gorgo’s adventures continue in
Jackal of the Mind
coming soon
The river again. Gorgo swore, scanning the murky air. Dread coiled in his belly, but he couldn’t remember what he feared. He stood in a strange twilight. There were no stars, no horizons. Nothing but the river, its water eddying slow and black. He started to clamber up the bank, knowing only that he had to get away. Wet grass tangled his boots. His heart hammered against his ribs, but his mind stayed foggy.
The woman appeared out of the nether gloom. Her robe was blood-red, the only color in this dusky world. She glided toward him across the grass, silent as a snake. Her black hair was bleached with stripes of white. At the sight of those tiger stripes, Gorgo’s stomach knotted. He tried to run, but his legs had frozen. Not again. Please, not again.
She reached him, her smile like a scythe. Her hands were tipped with long metal claws. They flicked toward him, slicing through his belly. At first he felt only the coldness of the blades, each one a shard of ice in his innards, but they left behind a track of fire, a burning agony. He gasped. Blood poured from him. He slipped on the grass, fell to his knees, then tumbled onto his side. He curled his hands around his rent belly, trying to contain his spilling guts. Pain hollowed him. Grass filled his mouth, mingling with the blood. He tasted salt and dirt, gritty between his teeth.
The woman smiled down at him, her eyes deep-set, heavy-lidded, and glinting in triumph. She raised one hand and made what Gorgo knew to be her sign of victory, middle two fingers curled, outer two pointed at him like horns.
“I have marked you,” she hissed. The pain swallowed him.
Gorgo woke in the cold of a narrow stone room. Windowless walls and ceiling hemmed him in. A lamp guttered on a table, providing weak light. His brazier had gone out overnight, and the thick air clung to him. He shivered, soaked in
sweat.
He was still in Mort Glave. Two months now, and still trapped in Mort Glave. Devourer curse the Warlord and her rules.
Movement from the table caught his eye. A spider crept across it, a hairy golden creature as large as his hand. Rows of golden eyes gleamed at him.
Gorgo smiled at the creature, his mood lightening. He held out a hand, and the spider sprang to him, dancing up his arm. “Honeylegs,” he greeted her. “Good hunting today?” She clamped a beetle in her small fangs. “I dreamed of Wakár again,” he told her. He knew she did not understand, with her tiny spider mind, but he liked having someone to talk to. “Two months, and I’m still dreaming of her. She said she left her mark in my mind, and I’m beginning to believe it.” He felt cold to his core. “She’s still out there in the city somewhere, you know. Doubtless preying on other minds.”
Honeylegs reached his shoulder. She tapped his neck with a foreleg, her habitual gesture when he was upset. Then she settled herself, turning the beetle in her grasping pedipalps and neatly sucking the juice from it. Gorgo stroked her hairy back with one finger, cheered by her prosaic attention to food. “Well, there’s not much I can do about it from in here, that’s true. Important things first. First we escape from the Fence.”
The Copper Assassin Page 27
