PROLOGUE
The Making of Aron-Lyr
In the beginning, the Allfather brought forth the powers of Order. He created Light and Darkness, Fire and Water, Earth and Air, to keep the forces of Chaos at bay. With these elements, he wove the world of Aron-Lyr into existence and gazed down in satisfaction at all he had made.
But soon, the Allfather grew discontent. His power was too great to fill his creation with life and beauty; what he crafted with one hand, he destroyed with the other.
So, he cast his celestial being into avatars, gifting each of them with only one aspect of his power. He named them the Aurea, the Golden Ones, and sent them down to Aron-Lyr to shape the world in the image he decreed and fill it with the people and creatures that sprang from his thoughts. They were to be the guardians and protectors of the world.
He created the Aurea of Light: Aramaz, the Sky Lord, as wise as he is kind, and Baradaz, the Star Queen, her beauty a beacon in thedark. From their hands, the Elves emerged, an ethereal light captured in their skin and hair, their forms as fair as their minds. They settled close to their makers in the green hills of Lyrheim, where the Aurea themselves dwelled.
To tend the Earth, the Allfather created Tanez and M’tar. M’tar, the Smith, made the hardy race of the Dwarves. Talented craftsmen, they share their sire’s fascination with the riches found deep within earth and stone. They claimed the Obsidian Mountains in the north, digging deep into their heart and building underground cities that inspire awe in all who are permitted to visit.
Tanez, the Harvest Goddess, made two races, driven by her great love for creation. The Dryads call the deep forests of Aron-Lyr their home, using their connection to all living things to make them grow; their graceful appearance hides a fierce spirit when provoked. Tanez’s second children, the Brownies, work the land, their hands filling with the bounty of harvest. Small their bodies may be, but their hearts are large, finding joy in caring for others.
Ashur, the Sea God and Aurea of Water, was tasked with governing the seas, his wild spirit seeking freedom in their depths. His patient companion, Namtaz, the Healer, soothes the pains of all living beings. On the shores of the Great Seas and near mighty streams dwell their children, the Nyx. Free and unbound, they follow the call of the currents. They embody the aspect of Water, with gills that allow them to breathe underwater and hair that shimmers in all the shades of gray, green, and blue that the sea can hold.
Sha’am, the Warrior, fierce and strong, wields the gift of Fire alongside Zamani, the Goddess of Music and Passion. The fiery mountains of the south are home to the Drakuul, the fierce warriors created by Sha’am. Their scaled bodies possess a savage beauty. Zamani gave life to the Djein, whose hair and eyes glow in the shades of flames. Theyshare their lady’s grace and love for music and dance, populating the arid wastes of the southeast.
The Air is ruled by Enlial, the Farseer, with no mystery hidden from their eyes. Their companion is Khiraz, the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion. Enlial breathed life into the Aerieth, the winged people of Air, who are as wise as they are talented in the arts. They made their home in the northeast, building their beautiful aeries in the high trees of the Argentien Forest or in the jagged mountains towering there.
Even the heavenly Father knows the weight of shadows on his spirit, so he also made Noctis, the God of Darkness. Noctis refused to create a people of his own to inhabit the shadowy corners of the world, his heart too firmly set against the Allfather’s plans. When the Allfather made the world, he raised it with the powers of Order, but Chaos still lay beneath the surface, eager to corrupt the unwary. Noctis, who had rebelled against the Allfather even at the beginning of creation, fell easily to the insidious whispers of Chaos, his heart blackened by envy for his brother Aramaz, for he desired to rule as well.
In secret, far from the eyes of his brethren, he attempted his own creations. But without the Allfather’s blessing, only hideous abominations came to life at his hands.
All Aurea worked together, though, to make the last race: the race of Humans. For the Allfather had decreed that Humans should receive a small portion of all aspects of the world, making them most like himself. But, unbeknownst to the other Aurea, Noctis, the Fallen One, was already plotting his rebellion in those days when Humans were created. He poisoned their very essence, dooming them to eternal conflict, conceived by Order and tempted by Chaos.
Those who fell irretrievably into corruption became the Rakash,a race of Humanoid beasts with fangs and claws. They formed the main part of Noctis’s dark army, as cruel and terrible as their master. When the other Aurea saw what he had done, they recoiled in horror and bade Noctis cease his evil deeds.
But the song of corruption was too strong in his blood. Instead of showing repentance, Noctis desired only to destroy everything his brothers and sisters had created. He seduced many to his doomed cause, leading them into battle.
Thus, for the first time, the world knew war.
—Arataniel the Younger, High Priest of Aramaz, Year 1755 of the Golden Tree: On the Days of Becoming
CHAPTER
1
Rada
That thrice-cursed fox was at my chickens again.
Agitated clucking woke me from an uneasy slumber. My body was still heavy from sleep as I clambered out of my warm bed, more than a few heartfelt swear words falling from my lips.
I added another savage threat to the irritating beast’s life as I stumbled around the dark room. Outside, flashes of lightning revealed fat raindrops and leaves pressed against the window by the raging winds. Storm season had begun in earnest, and this one was building up to become a big one, its harbingers having darkened Lasgallen’s usual turquoise skies for days.
The day prior, I had hurried to secure everything on the farm, my movements quick but sure as I brought in my little herd. The araks’ loud moans had resounded through the barn adjoining the farmhouse. Like me, they felt the approaching storm, a heavy pressure in the air that sizzled with wild Chaos magic. It had left me apprehensive, prompting me to check every task twice before I gave in to my exhaustion for a few hours of rest.
I would lose not a single one of my animals to carelessness.
Naturally, the clever little predator that had been causing me constant trouble throughout the summer—snatching four of my chickens despite the protective thorny bushes surrounding the henhouse—had come back the instant I had fallen asleep.
Curse just running it off. This time, I would show no mercy.
With a curt command, I activated thelyrin-stones in the ceiling; blessed with Light magic, they filled the room with a gentle, golden-hued glow. I shoved my feet into a pair of heavy work boots and threw a thick wool coat over my white cotton nightdress, tucking my fiery braid underneath the fabric. After considering for a moment, I reached past my bow for the steel-tipped spear leaning next to my bed. My archery skills were mediocre, making it unlikely for me to hit a moving target in the dark.
Reassured by the solid weight of the weapon in my hands, I made for the door of my cramped bedroom. While Lasgallen had remained a more peaceful realm than many others after the Sundering, it was still wise for a woman living alone to be prepared—even if that woman had once been the most powerful in the world.
