The Dragon's Tear (eBook)
Book Three of the Oracle Series
eBook Download:
EPUB
2015
|
1. Auflage
250 Seiten
Revelations (Verlag)
978-0-9912454-5-1 (ISBN)
250 Seiten
Revelations (Verlag)
978-0-9912454-5-1 (ISBN)
The Quest has only just begun. The threat to the Lands is far from over. With the release of the Red Eye's hate, the seal to the Quietus' prison has broken; Barracus has escaped the underworld; and the Adderiss has taken Aidan and issued a demand - Ren must find the Dragon's Tear, the third Eye of the Quy, the Eye of Pain. The Adderiss and Barracus want to control the Lands with the Eyes' power; the Quietus just wants complete destruction. The Defenders stand ready. Aaron travels to find a creature that may provide the magic to stop Barracus. Nigel intends to mend the seal in the Quietus' prison. Chris joins Ren to search for a way to save the Lands, but their search will lead directly to the Tear. When Ren learns it can be used as a portal to travel back in time, will he choose to withstand its pain in order to obtain a secret that will help defeat the darkness? The truths are needed. The quest is on. But there is another reason Ren needs to find the Tear. The Tear will ensure his death. It is the only way. Let the purpose be revealed . . .
Chapter 2 – The Message
Magnus could no longer stand. Ren and Aidan caught him before he fell and propped him against Similian, the silver dragon. Ren glanced at Zorc only to find his teacher wearing a worried frown. If Magnus didn’t reveal his message soon, it would be lost for eternity.
Ren’s friends surrounded him, all gazing at Magnus with fearful eyes. Aaron, Chris, and Nigel, the three defenders, linked to Ren by something none of them could explain, remained still and silent. Morrus, Markum, Lazo, Neki, and Galvin stood slightly apart from the circle surrounding Magnus, as if distance could protect them from what the mage was about to reveal.
Ren turned to gaze at the Eye of the Dragon, a hole in the mountain’s face that looked similar to a dragon’s eye. The rocks around the edifice formed the dragon’s head, further accentuating the illusion. Months ago, the Eye had started it all by bringing the silver dragon through its hollow. Ren had thought the Eye only a symbol then. Now he knew better.
The Eye was a gateway to a vast expanse of nothingness – timelessness. Over nine centuries ago, Magnus had merged with the silver dragon and entered the void in order to return when magic was reborn. Now that he was in the world again his body was aging rapidly.
When Ren turned his attention back to Magnus, the few heartbeats it had taken to glance at the Eye had aged the ancient mage even further. Magnus wouldn’t live past a sun’s click.
Zorc touched Magus’ shoulder in a silent entreaty to speak his mind. Everyone surrounding the mage leaned closer. Even Similian, the silver dragon, lowered his head and calmed his sharp breaths.
“When magic was first born, the Maker knew we would be unable to handle the extremes of the power,” Magnus said. “Because of this, he sent the guardians of the Oracle: Choice, Chance, and Fate, to be our guides. In those days, the Oracle was a permanent temple anyone could enter for guidance. The guardians were flesh and bone. They loved mankind.”
Ren blinked in surprise. He had walked the Oracle’s halls once before, but the guardians hadn’t been what he had expected. They had been cold stone. They had once been flesh?
“When the Oracle realized we couldn’t responsibly handle the extremes of the Quy: creation, destruction, and emotions, the guardians formed the Eyes. The Red Eye holds the extremes of the Quy’s hate, or destruction; the Silver Eye holds the extremes of the Quy’s love, or creation; the Dragon’s Tear holds the extremes of the Quy’s pain, or emotions.”
The hairs on the back of Ren’s neck stood on end. There were three Eyes, not two. Across from him, Zorc closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. The wizard hadn’t known about the third Eye either.
“The Eyes are made from coagulated poison, found in the talons of silver dragons, and have powerful properties. Magic was added to these crystals to expanded and strengthen them so that they could possess the Quy’s extremes. Then to meld each Eye to a solid mass, a silver dragon sent its fire over them, forever encasing the extremes of the power in crystal.
“Each guardian of the Oracle took an emotion and molded it to their own power. They created the Eyes so strong only a person with power thereto unprecedented, or a silver dragon, with the particular emotion in question, could awaken.”
Ren was glad he had realized that truth. The silver dragon had just saved the Lands by breathing its fire over the Silver Eye in time to neutralize the Red Eye’s hate. Ren hadn’t been able to use his power at the time; hence he had been unable to awaken the Silver Eye’s love. Once the love had been released, Ren had been able to use his power to fight Barracus, the spirit who had tried to claim him by emerging through the portal the Red Eye had opened.
“Time went on. Magic grew.
“Before the Dark Ages, magic was slowly becoming corrupt. Although it was forbidden, there were some wizards who thought those with the Quy should rule the Lands. The Oracle was the only thing keeping them at bay.
“Although all three beings were benevolent and loving, Fate’s caring went to the depth of her soul. She trusted us, loved us, and called us her children.”
Ren remembered Fate and her kindness to him. He wished he had known her when she was flesh and bone.
“There was a very powerful wizard among us – a woman.” Zorc jumped. Magnus’ hollow, blue eyes turned toward him. “Yes, when a woman is a wizard, she’s an enigma, but she’s very strong. She becomes something less than a mage but something more than a wizard. Sorceresses, wizards, or magi alone cannot train her. She must grab bits and pieces of all, creating her own self.
“Her name was Ara. She was beautiful, energetic, ambitious, and Fate loved her. Fate trusted her so much she told Ara about the Eyes. Soon thereafter Ara betrayed Fate and stole the Red Eye. When I discovered her deception, I took the Silver Eye, Choice’s Eye, and went after her.”
“Why the Silver Eye?” Ren asked. “Why not the other, the Dragon’s Tear?”
Magnus’ hollow gaze shifted to Ren. “Although Chance loved us, she didn’t trust us. She hid her Eye – the Pain Eye. It was never with her in the Oracle. Only Ara and I knew of its existence.
“I had to stop Ara. I knew if she called upon the Red Eye’s power she would be unable to control it. As you have seen, there’s no fighting the Red Eye’s influence. The Lands would be consumed by hate and brother would rise against brother. Eventually, all would die.”
Magnus paused to cough. Aidan put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Ren feared Magnus would die before he finished what he must. No color remained to his hair and his lips were almost the same pallid shade as his skin.
“But I didn’t know where Ara had gone,” Magnus continued. “If she lost control of the Red Eye, I would be unable to call upon the Silver Eye to counter the hate she released, for I would be consumed by hate as well. Unlike you, Ren, I’m unable to shut the door in my mind to stifle magic’s influence. It would have been next to impossible in my day. Magic has built in strength since then.
“I did the only thing I knew to do. I had all the emotions: love, hate, and pain. I knew I could call to the Silver Eye, and I knew I could turn it off. The Silver Eye is love. Hence, it can create life. So before Ara could use the Red Eye, I called to the Silver Eye and created a life that craved hate. I formed this creature to wake when the Red Eye’s hate was released, and I created it so strong, that when it found the Eye it would absorb the hate radiating from it, thus stifling the Eye’s taint and freeing me to follow the creature’s trail to Ara.”
Ren glanced at his friends’ fearful faces. They had all witnessed the Red Eye’s power. A creature that could devour its hate was terrifying.
Magnus’ eyes mirrored their fear. “It’s called Quietus,” he whispered as his bony, white hand clasped Ren’s arm. “Please. Forgive me.” Magnus closed his eyes and heaved a wavering breath.
“It happened as I thought. When Ara released the Red Eye’s power the Quietus came alive and dashed to the Dragon’s Fire, suffocating the Eye’s hate and freeing me to follow its trail. When I reached Ara and the Red Eye, I unlocked the Silver Eye and neutralized the threat. Afterward, I collapsed in exhaustion. When I woke, the Quietus was gone and Ara was near death. The jewel-like appearance of the Red Eye had attracted a Wyvern, a fierce, two-legged dragon. Ara had been attacked as she fought to reclaim the Eye, but the Wyvern had taken the Red Eye from her. In my fury, I cursed Ara to die by what she feared most – snakes. Then I left her to search for the Eye.
“Only after I finally recovered it did I remember the Quietus.” Magnus shook his head, as if trying to banish the sight from his mind. “Deprived of hate, the Quietus had started mass destruction.
“All people hate,” he said quietly. “The Quietus had annihilated entire towns, killed hundreds. I went to the Oracle in remorse. What I saw … ”
Magnus closed his eyes and heaved a shallow breath. “The guardians were stone. They had taken the Quietus and trapped it in a mountain, burying it under a seal of their own creation, a seal of their love for man. They gave so much they almost gave everything. Now, because of my creation, Choice, Chance, and Fate are stone, cold and unfeeling. Because of me, the Lands will never know the beauty of the Oracle. Because of me, the Dark Ages were born and the Dark Ages grew because Choice, Chance, and Fate weren’t there to guide man in morality after the Red Eye’s influence....
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 15.5.2015 |
|---|---|
| Sprache | englisch |
| Themenwelt | Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Fantasy |
| Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Science Fiction | |
| ISBN-10 | 0-9912454-5-8 / 0991245458 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-9912454-5-1 / 9780991245451 |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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