Tylandra and Kreida talked about simple things while Kreida continued making the stew and freshly baked bread. The crew was often fed in three shifts but that night would be different as the entire crew was readied for the need to defend the ship. Kreida would be able to feed them more or less all at once though many would have to eat in quarters or above deck. Fortunately, Kreida was a crafty cook and had prepared for that meal all day. Everything would come off without a hitch.

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter I

Chapter 4: Assault

Thanu Isharu, the day of rest, begins at dusk at the end of the sixth day of the week. People gather together in the temples and begin with prayer and a song of praise to God. Then, a priest or priestess will read from the scriptures, those scriptures appointed for that week's worship and discussion. This follows a chronological succession which begins at the first of the year with the first scriptures of Yia'arakh, our Holy Book, God's Word to Arzou.

To begin with, I want to share where I grew up and what my parents were like then. Sadura is a large body of land in the tropics of the Western Sea. It is home to more than three million people and has the world's largest sea port. In the Midlands, there are three places of specific import, two of which existed when I was a child and the other was built under my planning and direction. The two are Yiatheril, where I was born, and the village called Yiamethargat which is usually simply called the village.

One of the men across the field from him looked toward the West and pointed, causing the others with him to stop. Even from this distance, Enaros could see the displeasure on Khormash’s face. He too looked westward and saw the figure, wearing telltale feathered armor, quickly approaching. It was Hameia. Puzzled at his niece’s appearance, he held up his hand, signaling his party to relax and wait. A few moments later, she arrived.

"Faesha Ona? How did the creature get into the Vale of Dawn if it was a sacred place?"

"The Darkness has always been in the universe, Hameia," Ona said. "That one has forever sought to undo what Light has made, to turn the hearts of the Faithful from love to hatred. That place, though sacred, was opened to Darkness that Faithfulness could be demonstrated and rewarded with the blessings of Righteousness and Power."

Prologue