by Elon Vidal
Saion frowned, his face flashing between images in the disconcerting way that he was able to do, as if he was trying to decide which visage of all the souls he had stolen he wanted to spook her with next. He settled on a dark-skinned silver-haired woman who was much older than he had ever chosen before. Why had he stolen this woman’s soul? What had she done to deserve a death pulled by an immortal when she had clearly been so close to the natural edge of it?
“I can. But I will not.”
“But--”
“If you get enough Crystals for yourself, you can go anywhere you want. However, I will not.” The torchlight in the chamber flickered as the pressure of his words swelled. Nerka placed a gentle hand on Ella’s back, reminding her to tread carefully. There was no sense in pushing an Entity beyond their willingness to aid. He could snuff out Ella’s life as easily as the candlelight, if he was so inclined. He could wear her face and use her voice or forget her just as easily. He could make the entire world forget her.
“Okay, thank you.” Why not! Don’t you understand what is at stake here? She wanted to wail. Was it a respect for other realms? Was it a truce he had with them? But she knew there was no point. The other point he had brought up, about getting enough Crystals, was information to slot away again that aligned with some of her recent studies. Another reason for them to head to the Balite chromital mines. And soon… She sighed. “What we are seeking, then, is a way to get to Alpha.”
“You seek the root of your dreams?” Saion laughed, as if that was an idiotic thing to do.
Ella threw a hasty glance toward the others. Not all of them knew about her nightmares that occurred over and over on the moon. She hadn’t been inclined to tell them. There was no reason for her to reveal any sense of fear going into the mission. QT might say that dreams were omens, but she knew for a fact there were no robotic banyans growing on Alpha. It was a partially terraformed piece of desolate rock satellite to Methula Four. That was all.
“No, we need to talk to the werewolves.”
“Have you learned to howl?” Saion twisted his face to the guise of a werewolf whose soul he had stripped and let loose a chilling howl into the dark chambers. Hair stood up on the back of Ella’s neck and her heartbeat quickened. The others looked just as disquieted.
“The werewolves speak Etherian.” I’m pretty sure…
Saion flickered his hand, then started to float toward Luna, then Nerka, then Teffa. He hung for a moment in front of each of them, staring inquisitively into their eyes from the werewolf face. It didn’t seem like he was seeking to intimidate, more that he was curious about Ella’s team.
Then, he stopped in front of Juro.
Saion’s face shifted again and Ella recognized him as a famous Sintila Labs scientist that had died years before. Ella recognized him from her classes. Apparently Saion had killed him. Juro’s laugh was a bark in the serenity of the torchlight: the young man knew the scientist. Perhaps even been studied or poked and prodded by him.
“Why do you hide in these shadows? Why don’t you just come out and give us the tools we need to fight!” Juro smashed his fist into his hand and a ripple of his anger flooded into Ella beside him. His biggest trial would surely be his emotional control over his Crystal.
Saion floated toward Juro, the scientist’s face continuing to mock him. Then the face spun, all the way around on Saion’s neck, and looked at Ella. “How can I teach you to fight shadows if you refuse to think of yourself as a light and a particle at the same time?”
Riddles… Always riddles…
“I don’t need to fight shadows. I need to fight Underworlders. We need a portal to Alpha, Saion. Please. We need to speak with the werewolves so I can get my friend QT back.”
“What makes you think he wants to come back?”
The instant anger that leapt inside Ella was hard for her to bite back. It was only because Teffa had asked something so similar that was able to avoid the reactionary remark to Saion that might cost her her life.
“I know QT’s heart. The possession the Underworlders have on him is not real. I will be able to free him.” Ella held tightly to her hips to keep from letting her hands become fists. No aggression… Show no aggression to the Entity…
“Chaos is a construct that provides freedom from any reality. Don’t you think he has enough of that?” It was infuriating to Ella that Saion seemed to be having a good time as he taunted them. All they needed from him was a portal to the werewolves if he wasn’t willing to grant him one to the Underworld.
“Please, Saion. What can do for you so that you may feel inclined to open us a portal to Alpha?” Humility… Maybe humility will work. Not sure the Entity even knows what humility is, but, hey, worth a shot.
Saion spun back to the face Ella had seen him use most often. A young man, blond ringlets and blue eyes that had no white sclera. Alluring, yet off-putting.
“I will make you the portal, just to see what you find there, Ella Larisse. You have not done all that you need to do with the Eye of Evermore Sight, which disappoints me. But maybe you need to live out your dreams, first.”
Ella’s sharp intake of breath at the memory of her recurrent nightmares was involuntary. The robotic banyan tree, the inability to breathe, the sense of helplessness… Was Saion telling her that was what would greet her if she went to Alpha?
Saion just looked at her, then reached a hand out into the air and began to spin up a portal. It flickered in reds and purples, sparking slivers of yellow illuminating the messy, oily array. “Howl away.”
Ella looked at the others, then jumped through the portal. The chill of the passage clung to her as she was sucked through to the other side.
Alpha’s desolate, grey desert stretched out into crags and the occasional sloping peak. Ella surveyed the landscape, fear clenching her throat closed. The pit in her stomach seemed to be getting bigger as she scanned the horizon for fiery eyes in dead banyan trees reaching their long, spasmodic, robotic limbs jerking toward her, like in her dreams.
But there were none. Just the barren landscape, dotted occasionally with agriculture plots. A chill wind bit across her cheek. It was a thin atmosphere that was breathable, but much colder than Methula. The dome of the terraformed, life support area where the werewolves lived on Alpha rose above her, tracing a shimmer of light blue across the sky, flanked by stars and the pitch of blackness in the expanse that stretched between the sister moons and, in the distance, the home planet.
Living in a shelter dome in an otherwise inhospitable hunk of rock. What had driven the werewolves to call this place home?
A light distracted her outside the dome. It was off the horizon, not even rooted to the planet. A beacon of some sort floating in the sky… It pulsed and glittered, and her body seemed to vibrate in time with its throbbing. It was intoxicating. The longer she looked at it, the more she started to see vibrations in the swirls of the airless expanse around it. Something similar to the auroras she made with her fingers, it filled her with a lightness and awe. Her Durgic senses were spinning out of control with the message of connectivity and raw desire.
I have to know what that is…
The feeling gripped her so strongly that she took a step toward it, nearly tripping over Luna as she exited the portal. The girl shot her a curious look and Ella shook herself.
Focus, first. We have a purpose here…
She tore her vision away from the pulsing beacon. She turned to look at her team, making sure they had all made it through Saion’s portal. The swirling mess of red and purple snapped closed as soon as Teffa dived through, shaking out his mane.
“At least that Entity sent us to the right place. Seems like I should be more trusting of all-powerful beings--” Teffa’s words were cut away as an arrow sliced through the air between him and Ella. His golden eyes went wide and he flitted up into the air.
More arrows rained down on the team.
Ella looked in the direction of the assault, drawing her daggers immediately.
The others stacked against each other and drew their weapons, too.
A pack of a dozen werewolves stood tall on the crest of a peak behind them, bows drawn, spraying arrows down across the expanse in between.
One broad-shouldered, fur-chested man with a sash across his chest stood forth, his wolf-head flung back, fangs gnashing. “How dare you disturb our home!” He flashed his clawed hand at his brethren and they fired again.
Ella lunged to the side, brandishing her daggers at the incoming arrows, not knowing how that would help at all, as the werewolf attack came down on them.
And still, to the left, something pulled at her entire body. Something in the distance, floating off to the side, not inside the dome, jerking at her soul, as if every molecule in her body needed to obey its command.
Her eyes strayed toward the beacon, fingers tingling, heart leaping. I have to follow it…
Howls erupted from the wolves and she was brought back to the moment as her team surged into the fight. She gripped her daggers and focused: first I have to live through this. Then I figure out why the light over there makes me feel more alive than I ever have.
TO BE CONTINUED
ELON’S AUTHOR NOTES
APRIL 22, 2021
Thank you for having read the first part of two in The Chaos Wielder. I hope you’re enjoying Ella’s story.
This is the third installment in the series. One (The Attraction Wielder) I giveaway for free as a prequel novella, and the other (The Time Wielder) fully tells of Ella’s earlier quest.
It’s incredible how far these Crystals have taken them, and the incredible obstacles they must still face.
In the process of creating this series I’ve had to learn a lot more than you’d think about some concepts that seemingly seem out of reach. Well, for me at least. Whether it’s the nature of time, quantum energy, the role chaos plays in nature, why there’s something instead of nothing…
And I enjoy it.
I’ve binged a ton of content, documentaries, interviews, conferences, wiki entries… you name it. Do I have a clearer picture of what’s in our universe… eeeh, maybe. But it at least inspires me to use it creatively in ways that shape Ella’s story.
So strap on, because the chaos has just begun!
Big hug Light Riders!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ELON VIDAL
Writing a book is the result of many minds and interactions coming together. Inspiration, experience, and insight is gathered from everywhere, and this shows in how this all finally comes together.
I want to begin by thanking you, the readers, who become a part of these stories by reading, reviewing, recommending, and buying the books. It is thanks to you that people like me get a chance to keep tapping into the imagination and sharing new stories. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Thank you also to the team at Light Age Media. Without Erynn, Jordi, and several others, this would not have been possible. You have breathed life into these stories and made it so that they could engage with a wider audience.
I also wish to thank Ty, Marty, Ja, and Josh who have guided my way to publishing and have opened up my world of what was possible from my laptop and with determination. I now feel much more empowered to keep sharing these stories as a way of life.
A special thank you to my Advanced Reader Group who have offered valuable insights early on to improve the story. Stay tuned to know how you can become a part of it.
A note of gratitude also goes to my early teachers at writing school. I had always wanted to write novels. Always gathering ideas and thoughts for inspiration. We began with short two-page stories on Friday evenings and soon after I was hooked and moved onto novels. It still took many years to getting down to writing my first, but I never let go. I smile every time I walk past your school and remember the beginnings.
And thank you to my friends and family who want to see me continue to do what I love. I appreciate your support on this journey and for this craft.
OTHER BOOKS BY ELON
THE SWORD OF VAREN
DARING ALINA LUXERA, BOOK 1
I hope you’re enjoying Lucy’s quest. There’s so much more in stock for Lucy.
While I still write more books in her series, you can enjoy other series in the Light Rider Universe.
READ “THE SWORD OF VAREN” NOW!
SYNOPSIS
Alina Luxera wants to become a full-fledged witch, hoping her spells will one day be included in The Enclave of Magic’s Book of Shadows taught at all covens.
When the Sword of Varen is stolen, her world is exposed to humans and magical forces they were warded against since witches were last hunted centuries ago.
The peaceful safe-haven witches created among giants, trolls, and magical creatures is threatened.
Alongside her mimic dragon, Zuro, Alina joins her covenstead’s witches on a mission to restore their world and hopefully become a full-fledged witch.
Is she prepared to meet the forces that lurk behind the impending Prophecy?
The Sword of Varen is a fun YA fantasy adventure suitable for all ages. Fans of Sarah Noffke's Beaufont series should enjoy it.
ECLIPSE
DAWNBRINGER, BOOK 1
I hope you’ve enjoyed this book. Here’s a FREE story!
CLICK HERE TO START READING IT NOW
SYNOPSIS
Dawn's destiny is about to change.
She is a Halfling (half-Fae, half-human) who would much rather lead a normal life in botany helping plants flourish.
A strange eclipse and a recurring dream of a light-harnessing Pixie in a castle signal a threat that can end the magical balance and the mortal world.
The Council of The Enlightened and the gods themselves would much rather she perish.
Can she harness the light source within?
DRAGONLIGHT
(THE INTREPID LUCY DUCEAUL, BOOK 2)
If you’ve joined my newsletter and have read my giveaway book, “Witchlight”, continue Lucy’s quest into Dragonlight!
CLICK HERE TO READ IT NOW
SYNOPSIS
Dark forces are at play and the Lightbringer prophecy is unfolding.
Lucy Duceaul must learn to harness her Lightbringer powers at Scoil Solas if she is to stand a chance.
Yet the school of Lightbringers hides secrets that aren't what she signed up for. The more she uncovers the truth hidden in the Lumenary Prophetiae, the tighter the grip is of those she thought she could trust.
Clues in the book allude to a Witchlight Quest and they seem to point her to dragon territory.
Being the daughter of order and chaos, Lucy must find the balance between the Lotus and the Dragon.
Her Sidhe side is acting up, and she's enjoying the harm she causes on those she loves. Yet that side of her is just what she might need to survive.
Dragons after all are one with the Sidhe.
THE ATTRACTION WIELDER
JURO’S BACKSTORY in THE INDOMITABLE ELLA LARISSE
When you join Elon’s list, you will also receive this bonus novella.
The Attraction Wielder (Juro’s Backstory) novella bonus in The Indomitable Ella Larisse series.
Juro Carp gets himself entangled in a web of dark magic when he steals the Attraction chalice.
The Crystals of Reality are calling their wielders. Underworlders are already on the chase.
He would much rather ride his custom-built solar-powered magnetic levitation monocycle and continue his petty thefts.
But the artifact he lifted from Sintila is a whole new game for him.
Know Juro's backstory, before he ever met Ella Larisse.
Juro’s Backstory is yours for FREE when you join Elon’s newsletter. Click here or if this link doesn’t work on your device you can also type the following: https://BookHip.com/XSBXCF. On this link you will download Witchlight and you will also be sent Juro’s Backstory.
THE DRAGON SIGNET
VALIANT EVA STELLARA, BOOK 1
COMING SOON
SYNOPSIS
Eva Stellara was exiled for endangering Luema after she ventured into forbidden dragon territory.
She sought dragon blood. Only sorcery could save her mother, the Queen.
This was more important to her than freedom, yet her father, King Stellara, still ostracized her.
The tables have since turned and she has been allowed to return ahead of time, only to find out that her family is in danger.
The light of her kingdom hides lurking shadows and her world isn't what it seems.
Dragons might not be done with her.
CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR
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