Luthian waved to the musicians to continue and the two began to dance. The floor had largely emptied by this time and so all eyes were on the striking couple. The lady was clothed completely in black and the High Minister in a matching black trimmed in red. The only contrast between them was the white of Luthian's hair and the black of Morana's; somehow it made them that more striking.

Alador decided that now was the time to leave. The last thing he wanted was Luthian to decide to introduce his heir to the G.o.ddess of the Black Sphere. He feared what she could discern at a mere touch. Alador could not risk her learning of his friendship with Jon. He set down his goblet on his way to the nearest servants' door, not pausing to become drawn into the whispered conversations.

Once outside, he began sweating despite the coolness of the air. 'Why was she here?' His thoughts swirled as he dodged bowing servants. Cursing softly, he emerged outside the manor, magically transforming what he was wearing to darker thicker clothing to hide him better in the crisp night. Swiftly he made his way to the stairs, nodding to the guard at the top of the steps.

The faint sounds of music still played from the hall behind him: a haunting melody that seemed foretelling and ominous. One thing he was clear about: when he had last glanced at Luthian, he was certain that there had been fear in the High Minister's eyes.

He could not help but feel as if he has been outmaneuvered. How did one outplay a G.o.ddess? He could feel Renamaum seething within him. By Luthian's body and expressions, even the High Minister had been unprepared for that swift turn on the game board.

'Regardless, things just became much more complicated,' he thought bitterly. 'Much more complicated, indeed.'

Glossary.

Blackguard an elite army of half-Daezun and half-Lerdenian who have shown the capacity for spell-casting. First school of mages established on the isle.

Blood-mining - The practice of feeding a chained dragon to full health then cutting it so that its magical powers and blood meld into the ground. The mixture is harvested and planted into dirt in a nearby mine to congeal into bloodstones. Process takes a minimum of one two turns.

Bloodstone A magically embed stone created from the magic and the blood of a dragon. These combine into a hard substance that can be drained or used for item enhancements.

Circle- In an attempt to control birthing and population, Daezun use this ritual for coming of age, reproduction and celebration of high summer.

Daezun A shorter stocky race proficient at mining and other trades involving the use of hands. Daezun cannot cast spells. They revere the dragons and the G.o.ds.

Geas an obligation or prohibition magically imposed on a person. In this case, the geas was established to whoever harvested Renamaum's bloodstone.

Korpen Korpen had originally been slow moving pests that traveled in herds and are now domesticated for farm use. Their ma.s.sive heads had double, vertically-oriented horns. The upper horn curved forward from behind the head, while the lower emerged from the head itself. As a protection from predators such as dragons, the spikes along their backs were almost impenetrable. That was useful to the miners as well: korpen were strong and a great amount of weight could be attached to each spike Lerdenians Lithe and lean, many have white hair due to magical drain. Most Lerdenians are capable of some spell casting.

Lexital These unique flying creatures had a strange curved beak with what seemed to be like the sail of a boat rising above both beak and eyes. Their neck was long and serpentine, moving side to side as they steered through the sky. Their eyes were red and rimmed in blue. Their wings were varying shades of blue with a ridge of red that seemed to arch out mid-feathers. There was a natural dip in this neck right before the body that could carry the rider.

Medure- Medure was a hard metal that glistened with flecks of blue; it was difficult to find and harder to work. Used as currency in rectangle pieces.

Panzet large birds with long legs, prized for their long purple feathers. Often used in comparison for those who have a focus on appearance but lack intelligence.

Prang A local herbivore, their white and brown coats made it easy for them to blend in with the dead foliage of the cold winter months. An adult prang could weigh up to two hundred and fifty stones too large for individual families. A prang's up-swept and back-curving horns could be used in medicine for headaches and eyesight.

Slips- Another name for medure that has been formed into currency. These are small rectangles of the medal with a small hole in one end so that they can be strung into strings of one hundred.

Trading Tokens Smaller form of currency for day to day items. There are fifty trading token in a single slip.

Trench- A below ground level area carved out with a central ca.n.a.l that takes the city sewage out to sea. Many denizens of Lerdenian cities that do not have spell casting abilities are forced to live there in abject poverty.

Turn How the denizens of Vesta measure time. A turn is approximately eight earth months and is measured from winter to summer solstice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

Cheryl Matthynssens is a mother of four and a grandmother of four. She graduated from Western Washington University as an English Education Major with a minor in Psychology. She later went back and received certification as a Chemical Dependency Counselor.

Combined with a love of helping others, there has remained a strong pa.s.sion for all things fantasy. An avid reader, RPG player, and as her family calls her a computer nerd, Cheryl has never given up her writing or desire to share her art with others.

She has six prior books published at this time. Many are available in hard, electronic and audio formats through Amazon and Audible.

Children's books:.

Not an Egg!.

How the Dragons Got Their Colors.

Once Upon a...Wait!.

Adult Novels:.

Outcast.

The Blackguard.

Magic Scorned Sorceress Chronicles.

Cheryl also has a blog and website. You can contact her through those sites at dragonsgeas.blogspot.com or http://dragonologists.com/.

Dedication.

This book is dedicated to Robin Chambers, an outstanding author in his own right. Robin has taken the time to work with me to improve my style and technique as he shared his love for my creative vision.

He has his own series that I highly recommend. The Myrddin's Heir series is a blend of magical intrigue and adventure. His work not only entertains, but it leaves you with things to ponder and it encourages personal growth. Written with three distinct messages, they are so subtly interwoven that they only add to his timeless work.

Robin believes in being read and so all of his creative treasures for e-book is only .99 cents. I am currently working my own way through the series and I do not think he will be able to write them as fast as I am reading them around my own writing.

So with special thanks and tribute, I dedicate this book to Robin Chambers for being willing to take time out of his own busy schedule to mentor and guide me on my own path in creativity.

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