The Legends of Zenith: For those who are Broken

By Josiah Childs

Ominice are creatures of reptilian skin, long slithery tails, and dragon like wings; Jair is such a creature and since his arrival he had always been neglected in his present home, the village Salacine. He never really did fit in, and everyone in the village knew he had been given away by his previous home in Yarmara when he was very young, so they have always treated him with a disdain that left him unsure of who he was and what he could become, but then the village is suddenly attacked, Jair’s once nearly nonexistent life becomes a living nightmare. His entire village is either killed or left behind and Jair finds himself captured by the most ruthless of all species on the earth, the Kraw. Now forced to live as a slave in the ashen fortress, Whither, Jair fights every day just to stay alive, and it becomes worse as they begin to torture his body with fire and ash for reasons that are unknown to him. Then when all hope seems lost and he is ready to die, fate turns and he meets a beautiful soul. Nilo-Hain, she is a griffin who has been born and raised under the Kraw’s iron grasp, and together the two of them escape the fortress of the Kraw and seek a new home in a new land. Jair must then find the courage and strength to lead himself, and all the friends he meets along the way, through hostile territory and to a new land where there is rumored a city of many races, the city Zenith, but danger is not over for Jair, as a new threat reveals itself upon the land. only this time the Kraw are the least of their problems. Will they reach the city Zenith in time, and if they do will this new threat challenge even the strength of a unified city? Find out in the Legends of Zenith for those who are Broken.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Josiah Childs
• Release date: Apr 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476074337

Josiah Childs

Josiah Childs lives in a small town in Iowa with his rather large family of four brothers and four sisters, as well as several different pets. The Legends of Zenith was written by him years after he and his brothers built a fort in a little thicket of trees close to where they lived. The fort they called Zenith and this is where they had many different adventures playing together and later he decided to use Zenith as my main center for his book The Legends of Zenith. This is the first book he has ever written and he wrote it with as much imagery and feeling as he could. All the art done in the Legends of Zenith is done by Josiah as well. He wrote the book not specifically for himself but for his younger brother, and they encouraged him to have it published. He hopes that others will like it as much as he does, and said that this book was written for the people that enjoy the fantasy world of strange creatures and desperate situation, and looks forward to connecting with others with similar interests. He would love to hear from you and know what you think of his work. You can contact him at [e-mail]. He would personally like to thank you for taking the time to read his book and is interested in any reviews you have to offer.

Book preview

Prologue

The Great Falling--it was a term of legend among the Ominice People. According to the elders, there were creatures that had inhabited the earth long before them, but a war bigger than anything the Ominice people had ever seen had wiped the creatures out about a thousand years before the Ominice came to be.

Ominice are reptilian creatures with hollow bones, long necks, thin, slithery tails, and wings which most Ominice did not use. Only a certain few would actually learn to fly. These fliers were known as Graurer, and they were great warriors that surrounded the high liege, or king. of a clan.

Jair, of course, wanted to learn to fly and become a part of the Graurer, but he was only a yearling. In order to be in the Graurer, you had to be a Yarling, or eighteen years of age. Jair was determined to do it, though. His body was strong, and his eyesight was good. He only needed to be older. As a small Ominice pup, he had watched the Graurers fly from their Cliffside keep, watching over the land surrounding them. Ever since then, he had been captivated by the thought of flight.

Growing up in the small Salacien village, he had always heard tales of the Graurers flying into battle with some of the other neighboring clans, but being born from a different clan himself caused Jair a slight problem--the problem of blood. Jair was not an actual native-born Salacien. When he was young, he had been given to Salacine as a peace offering by one of its neighbors, the Yarmara clan. This caused Jair a great many grief’s throughout his life because very few treated him as a true Salacien. Jair had no parents since he was given away, and he was only given a small hollow in which he lived by himself, learning all that he could about life by watching others, and doing as they did.

It was by watching others that he met his best friend, Quein. Quein was born roughly the same time Jair was, and his parents had a burrow dug next to his. Now, most of the Ominice would have disregarded Jair’s presence, but Quein's parents--a sandy-colored female named Clair and a light blue male named Hrow--had a soft heart for young pups, so they let Quein and Jair play together. As the years went, by Jair’s and Quein’s friendship grew and grew until nothing could separate them. It was as Jair and Quein were reaching the beginning of their Yarling years that the legend of Zenith truly began.

Chapter One

Jair and Quein

Jair sat motionless with his wings clamped tight against his body, his eyes shut lightly, and the sound of nothingness surrounding him. An air bubble silently floated past his nostrils and quietly made its way to the surface, where it sat until a dragonfly swooped down and popped it with one of its many legs. Grasses moved gently to and fro on the muddy floor of the lake, disturbed only by a passing fish as it floated by in search of food.

Suddenly Jair’s first set of eyelids snapped opened, leaving a second clear membrane to protect his pupils from the intruding water. He then started looking for the fish that he sensed not too far off to his left. It was a decent-sized fish--perfect for a single meal. He was about twenty feet below the surface of the great lakes and had been lying dormant, feeling for the fish’s movements in the water for almost ten minutes. Now he would make his strike like he had done so many times before.

He saw the carp lazily swimming through the lake’s gentle underwater currents hidden beneath the surface of the lake, and, with a quick thrust of his tail and wings, he came up upon it and caught the tail end of it between his jaws before the carp ever had a chance to move more than a few feet. His needlelike teeth held it in place as he made his way to the surface, and as he surfaced, another Ominice was already waiting for him. He was the color of desert sand with a blue streak that ran along the left side of his face. He fluttered his wings and cocked his angular head towards Jair.

Nice catch, Jair. His words came sharp and to the point, almost glittery as he spoke them.

Thanks, Quein, Jair replied. Quein was a yearling like Jair, only he was a lot smaller, and his movements weren’t as smooth as Jair's. The two of them had managed to get the same village job together last summer and had spent a lot of time in the Great Lakes, learning all of the tricks and special fishing areas as part of their village duty. Everyone in the village worked not for themselves, but the entire clan, and each Ominice had a responsibility to perform, so that everyone could benefit from the work.

Quein suddenly stood up. His clawed feet scraped against the gravelly earth, and he dove head first into the water. A splash issued in his wake, and Jair watched him weave his way through the water, much like a snake would. Quein’s fishing tactics were far different form Jair’s.

Jair preferred to let the water calm down, so he could let his senses pick up the movement of the fish, but Quein preferred a cat and mouse approach. He would spot a fish in the water and chase it all over the lake, trying to outmaneuver it, rather than ambush it. He justified his actions to Jair after fishing one day a while back. He said it gave the fish more of a chance to escape, and that he preferred to catch them by outmaneuvering them rather than just using a trick. Jair didn’t bother replying back. This was the way his friend was, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

A few moments later, Quein came up with a fish between his jaws. The fish struggled meekly as Quein pulled himself from the cool water, and the water droplets wove their way through his scales, in search of the ground. Quein spit the fish out on the ground and began flicking his tongue in and out of his mouth. This was one of the many ways the Ominice detected pressures and smells in the air.

I think it’s going to rain, Quein said as he looked to the sky. Large trees surrounding them kept a good portion of the sky out of sight, except for what was directly above the lake. This was why detecting pressure variations were so important to the Ominice. The forestry surrounding their home was only broken up by the many lakes that had laid themselves into the ground so close to the tree line that some of the trees were half drowned by the lakes water, and the gnarled ancient trees rose hundreds of feet into the air, keeping the ground far beneath them bathed in shadow so that no one could ever know what the weather was really like above. Jair began to flick his tongue in and out also but, after a few moments, he stopped and looked at his friend.

How do you do it? he asked

I don’t know. I just sense it, replied Quein.

I have been lying in the lake trying to tune my senses for days, but they will never match yours, Quein. You definitely have something special. I think it’s amazing how precise you are every time. There will definitely be a special job for you when you’re a Yarling. Maybe you will even get into the Graurer.

I don’t know about that, Quein replied, all I do is feel the pressure fluxes, but you will get in for sure, Jair.

I wouldn’t count on that, either, Jair said, feeling slightly depressed.

Why not? Look at you, Jair. You’re almost twice my size, your wings are twice as long as mine, and look at the size of your Gorors."

Gorors were spines that lined the ends of the Ominices’s tails. They were like large porcupine quills, and they grew up to as long as one foot. Ominice sometimes had Gorors on their head or arms also, and this was one of the main ways the Ominice fought. The Graurers derived their name from the word Gorors because, while in flight, the Ominice would use their Gorors to try to injure their opponents, and Jair’s Gorors were rather large for his age.

Size is not everything, Quein. You know why I wouldn’t get in.

Blood is not everything either, Jair, and if the elders know what is good for them, they will let you in with open arms.

Well, maybe you’re right, Jair said, kicking a stone into the lake. I just hope we both get in.

I hope we do, too, Quein replied back, and then they both looked over the lake’s surface and watched the water for a moment, taking in all the sights and sounds at the lakeside bank. Jair then stood from his kneeling position.

Well, he said, we best get these carp back to the village. They are not going to eat themselves you know. Race you there!

Quein didn’t need a second invitation. He jammed his fish back into his mouth and jumped into the lake. Jair dove in right behind him, and they both swam as fast as they could to the other side. Quein won, of course, with almost a quarter of a mile distance between them, and as they both entered the Salacien village, storm clouds began forming in the east.

Chapter Two

The Falls

Wake up, Jair. Wake up!

Jair opened his eyes to total blackness. It took a couple of seconds before his eyes adjusted, and then the whole cave filled with a hazy light. He was in his hollow, and he looked around the cave and found Quein at the entrance.

What is it, Quein? he asked as he tried to shake the sleep off.

It’s nearly midday, Jair. We get the day off today, and some of the others wanted me to join them up at the falls, but I told them I wouldn’t go unless you came.

The falls sound like a great idea to me, Jair said as he rolled out of his bedding. Who is going to be there? Jair asked as he stood and stretched out his back.

Gletch was the one who invited me, so he will be there, and he also said he invited some of the others, but I’m not sure who, Quein replied and he looked down the tunnel from which he had just come.

We should be going then, Jair said, and he and Quein left the hollow and walked through the winding tunnels of the village. They met several other Ominice as they turned and twisted through the many different tunnels of the village, Several of them greeted Quein, but they did not say a word to Jair. They barely even looked at him as they passed by.

I do get tired of that, Jair said as they turned the bend and entered a new set of tunnels.

They act as if I’m nonexistent.

I wish I could do something for you Jair, Quein replied as they continued to make their way through the tunnels. They are all just stuck up higher-ups, and if they don’t acknowledge your existence I can’t force them to, even though I acknowledge your existence fully. It’s just a small bit of cruelty that is in our clan that I wish we could erase, but I don’t think it will ever change.

It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t look so different. Just by sight everyone can tell that I’m not Salacien. My snout is longer, and my Gorors are twice the size of most everyone here.

Quein looked over at Jair as they walked. A hint of worry shone in his eyes. You have been looking at the lake’s surface again, haven’t you, Jair? You should not do that. It’s not good for your health. You are Yarmara, Jair, and you shouldn’t want to be anything other than what you are.

I know, Quein. but sometimes I wish--for just once--I could live like every other family in Salacien.

Quein stopped at the path that left the village and entered the forest surrounding it.

I know, Jair, and I wish I could give you that chance, but all I can do is invite you over to my family’s home for the evening. Clair hasn’t seen you in a couple of days, and she would like to have you over for our evening meal. If you want to, that is. Would that make you feel better

Of course it would, Quein, Jair said, and Just then, another Ominice came around the corner. He was a big male Ominice and, in fact, he was the one who invited Quein to go to the falls in the first place. He was colored a deep grey and was a good deal larger than Jair. He also had a large number of Gorors on his tail head and down his spine. He was one of the few who actually had more than Jair.

Jair, you know Gletch, Quein said, pointing to the large Ominice. He was bedded with us last winter when we had the shortage of hollows.

Yes, I remember. Jair said.

That was one miserable winter, Gletch spoke up. At least there was no shortage of company to help us through it. How is life for you, Jair? Jair remembered Gletch quite well. He was one of the few Ominice that treated him as somewhat of an equal. It was due to his gentle nature, which was quite contrary to the rest of him. These are my buddies, said Gletch as two other Ominice walked up--one male and one female. Redith is the male, and Crane is the female.

Jair and Quein exchanged quick greetings with both the Ominice, and once every one was acquainted with each other, they then started for the falls, snaking their way through the forest until they came to the edge of the Great Lakes. From there they made their way up to a set of cliffs and finally into the falls. The falls were where the Aaron River connected to the Great Lakes in a spectacular waterfall. Many of the younger Ominice came to the falls because the water at the bottom was thirty feet deep, and there were no obstacles in the way. It was perfect for diving, and that’s what they did.

Come on, Quein, Gletch said as they stood near the edge of the falls. I have heard that you’re an excellent swimmer. Why don’t you show us a thing or two?

Quein seemed to double in size at the praise he received from Gletch, and he made his way to the edge of the cliff and pulled off his best flip into the water. They all watched for a second as Quein made a little underwater acrobatic act beneath them. Then, without warning, Gletch leapt off the cliff also, curling up into a ball. He made an enormous cannonball splash at the bottom. Jair jumped into the lake next, and the other two followed, hitting the cool water below before swimming to the edge and then making their way back up for a second dive.

Most of the day was spent in the water or lying around on the shore. As evening rolled around, the five of them grew hungry and began fishing. They caught a fair amount of fish and then hauled them to shore, where they made a meal of them. They did not cook the fish because they had no way of making a flame, and even if they had, Jair would not have eaten it cooked, anyways. Cooking was more of a luxury rather than a need, and Jair preferred the fresh, uncooked taste of fish rather than the charred burnt taste that cooking it would bring. Fish was not the Ominice's only source of food. They could eat just about anything--roots, fruits, and insects--but meat was better. Better than insects or plants, that is.

As the day grew older and the sun began to sink toward the horizon, the small group made their way back to the village. Jair was listening to Redith talk about the surrounding lands and what creatures and sights were beyond the forests and lakes Jair knew as home. Apparently, one of Redith's parents was an elder, so they had told Redith about many of the things that they had seen. Jair was surprised to find this out because the elders were some of the worst when it came to bloodlines, and Redith had actually spoken and acknowledged Jair throughout the day. It may have been a very small thing, but to Jair, it was like a giant step forward. As far as he was concerned, talking to an elder’s son was unheard of.

Can you believe it? Redith went on. There is an area east of here that has grass as far as the eye can see, and it moves like the Great Lakes do--in giant waves. Beyond that, they say there are these huge mountains where these giant creatures live, and they have sharp talons and a beak that puts our Gorors to shame.

The female, Crane, seemed extremely interested in Redith’s knowledge--almost too interested, in Jair’s opinion, but it was none of his business. He was just happy to listen to the conversation. Jair then quickened his pace and caught up with Quein and Gletch, leaving Redith and Crane to talk. Gletch and Quein were going over burrowing techniques and swimming maneuvers. They entered the village and each went their separate ways, going to their individual homes. Jair followed Quein as they made their way back to his burrow. They were immediately greeted by Quein’s mother, Clair.

Hello, Quein. How was your day today? she asked as they came in.

We had fun. We all went up to the falls and went cliff diving, Quein replied.

I used to cliff dive when I was your age. It was always such fun, Clair replied, stopping her work for a moment and looking at the two of them. Feeling the wind fly by as you dive is like no other feeling on earth. It was the closest thing to flying I was ever allowed to get, so we went cliff diving all the time.

Where is Dad? Quein asked, looking around and not seeing his father.

He should be here shortly. They had him working later in the new burrows today, so he should be here any moment. Are you staying for the evening meal, Jair? We would love to have you.

Yes. If you will have me, Jair said politely.

Of course we will have you, Jair. Just find a seat and make yourself comfortable.

Not long afterwards, Hrow entered the burrow. He was covered in dirt and mud. Wow! What a work day, Hrow said as he sat down next to Jair. He greeted Jair as well as the rest of the family, but their talk was soon interrupted as Clair brought out the meal. Jair ate happily--glad to be in company of friends while eating and not alone in his solitary burrow as usual.

Nothing exciting happened the rest of the evening, but Jair didn’t mind. They spent most of the night in the eating hollow talking of the day’s activities, among other things. As the night was well underway, Jair made his way back to his burrow with a full stomach and a happy spirit. He loved spending time with Quein and his family. It made him feel like less of just a peace offering to the village and more a part of the village. It was a position he wanted desperately to have, but he knew that it would never come to be that way.

Chapter Three

The Elders Decision

The next few days were uneventful. Jair and Quein went back to their village chore of fishing and in the evening enjoyed some of their catch with Gletch, Redith, and Crain. They would all sit in the dining hollow and talk of the day’s activities. Jair was totally enthralled by all of the new Ominice he had met and made friends with within the last few days.

Something must have changed, he thought to himself as he lay in his hollow one evening. I have spent years in Salacien and have never had more contact with other Ominice than I have in this past year. Indeed, he was correct. Within the Elder Council, an uproar was arising as a new member attempted to change the minds of his superiors. He had kept an eye on Jair for the last few months and was not pleased to see the way their peace offering from Yarmara was being treated. He fought endlessly to try and convince the council to think on this.

Others are coming, and the Yarmara may have given Jair up half heartily due to the condition of his parents, but the others will have royal blood and will not be happy if you treat their offering as you have treated Jair. They will expect unions with the high liege’s daughters, and I would act as graciously to them as I would the high liege himself, or we could see a full-on war with our neighboring clans. We all know we will not last a day against the other clans, the new member said, standing out in front of the Elder Council.

What are you suggesting then, Reinen--that we sit Jair next to the high liege? said an older Ominice who seemed to command a great deal of importance in the council chambers.

No. All we need to do is make Jair happy. My son Redith said that Jair would love nothing more than to be a part of the Graurer.

For heaven’s sake, Reinen! We depend on the Graurers to defend our lands. You know of Jair’s parents as well as I do. How do you expect us to trust him? one of the elders spoke out angrily.

Just put him in some small position where he can cause no harm--like a scout or recon. It’s for the best, and any other clan that talks to him will find out that he is perfectly happy and will be more willing to ally with us.

The older Ominice gave a slight sigh and, after a short discussion, stated his conclusion. We will put Jair in the Graurer’s first Yarling, but if we find anything displeasing with him, he will be removed immediately.

The room suddenly came to life with shouts and arguments as some of the remaining council members were unsatisfied with the results, and Reinen left the council chambers with a look of triumph in his eyes.

Chapter Four

The Yarling Festival

Jair had never been so excited in his life. It was the first day of Yarling where all Ominice old enough were recognized as adults by the others, and Jair stood in the center of the meeting chamber. Several pairs of eyes were watching him, and there was a soft murmur of voices. This was the Elder Council. They were deciding where Jair would go and what job he would have. He looked about the room nervously. There were nine elders in the council, and they were charged with all aspects of the village, from food to development to the running of the village itself.

The council room in which Jair stood was probably the most finely furnished room in the entire village, with chairs for each of the council members and a half-circle table that fit the curve of the room perfectly. Roots ran up along the walls, which gave the room the support it needed to sustain its shape, and they looked like an enormous sculpture made of snaking branches.

All of a sudden, the soft talking stopped. One of the elders stood. His body was bent over with age, and he held a cane in his right hand. He looked as if he could fall apart on the spot, but he stood up nonetheless and looked Jair straight in the eyes.

Well, he said, his voice raspy with age. After going over what others have told us about you and then seeing you for ourselves, we are about to make our decision.

Jair slowly blinked. How long will this take? he thought to himself, and then the old Ominice made his way down from the crescent moon table and stood before Jair.

Let me see you then, he said, stabbing Jair in the gut with his cane. Jair then stood up straight and spread his wings out to their full extension, which made the room seem to shrink in size. All of the elders watched as Jair did so, but none said a word. The old one then made his way back to his seat behind the crescent table and talked to another elder for a few moments. Then he turned back to Jair. We have decided that you shall be located in the high cliffs as a Graurer trainee, and you shall learn the art of scouting, said the elder, and Jair nearly jumped out of his skin with joy upon hearing the elder’s words.

Thank you, sir! Thank you! Jair said as he backed his way out of the hollow. The old Ominice watched with no emotion as he left.

Jair was met outside the Council Hollow by another Ominice who told him where he should report the next morning and how to get there, and then Jair was free to go. The first thing he did was search for his friends. He was one of the last Ominice to receive his job assignment. His friends had already received theirs and had left. He found them in the great hollow eating and having fun. In fact, the entire great hollow was full of village people, and all were feasting and drinking as part of the Yarling festival.

Jair made his way through the hollow, dodging other Ominice as he went. Over the noise of the crowd, he heard Gletch’s deep voice boom as he called out his name. Jair looked up to see Gletch waving him over, and a moment later he stood next to the big brute.

How did it go? Gletch asked as he sat down at the table and began digging into a roasted fish that was sitting on a platter. Quein sat next to him, along with Crain and Redith.

Well? Quein asked.

"It went great. They asked me a