Roc

By Rustin Petrae

The Blak Army’s power is growing as they sweep across Purga, intent on destroying anything and everything in their way. They have no compassion. No mercy. Everything is a target and with every day that passes, the army only gets stronger and more powerful.

The Kingdom of Roanoke is gone but the Terraquois nation survives. And now they are facing the Blak Army alone. Technology will meet the mystical power of the Terraquois in an epic battle.

King Rowan has fled to Edaeri to seek refuge and regain his strength but even on the remote floating city, there is no escape from Wilhelm. The Black Army quickly finds him there and attacks. Now Rowan has to survive an assault and protect a city at the same time.

The battle for Purga has begun and the only chance for survival is the unlikely pair of Rone Varlamagne and Keiara, a Rook prince and the daughter of the Terraquois chieftain. As Rone searches the ends of the earth for Keiara, he soon realizes that finding her is the least of his problems.

Together, everyone must fight for their lives as enemies become friends, friends become enemies, and the world keeps falling to darkness. Chaos is growing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rustin Petrae
• Release date: Aug 11, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301111596

Rustin Petrae

Rustin Petrae is the author of the Histories of Purga Novels, the Bane Pack Novels, Hybrid Earth, and Forfeit. He is also an art director/graphic designer and recent BFA graduate from The Ohio State University. Currently, he lives in Ohio but was actually born in San Antonio, TX. However, he spent most of his childhood and early adulthood overseas in Japan and Korea. The experiences gained from living in Japan (Misawa Air Force Base) and Korea (Yongsan Army Base and Osan Air Force Base) helped shape his writing. Living among other cultures did a lot to expand his worldview. He started writing very early on but was interested in becoming an author even back in elementary school. In fact, when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up as part of a school project, he said he wanted to be either a cartoonist or an author. While he still draws here and there, he spends most of his time working to hone both his writing and graphic design skills. He's written several stories, flash fictions, a few novellas, and six novels. He also creates his own cover art and promotional materials.To get up to date news on Rustin's projects, freebies, and more, check out his official website at: rustinpetrae.com.

Book preview

Chapter One

The wind howled around three figures trudging up the side of a mountain. Their faces were red. Their eyes were squinted shut against the cold. Their hands were enveloped by thick, wool-lined gloves. Heavy coats with thickly padded hoods covered their heads and bright silver packs were strapped to their backs. They all wore three layers of pants. Despite their best efforts, each one was nearly frozen solid.

We need to go back the way we came! one of them shouted as a small drone hovered close to his head. He screamed it as loud as he could, trying to be heard over the shrieking winds.

The figure in the lead turned around. There was a hard, unyielding glint in his icy blue eyes.

I’m not going back, Asher! he yelled.

Rone, this is suicide. Even if she’s up here, it's nearly impossible to get to her. We have to be reasonable! Asher begged. He hated himself for even saying the words, but somebody had to. If they kept going, the only thing they would get for their trouble was a slow, frozen death. He glanced up. Way up. They were on one of the biggest mountains in the Polaris range. Its snow-capped peak was still a couple of hundred feet up. It was too much.

Can we go home? Fowler moaned from the back. His eyes were squinted so tightly they looked like they were closed.

Shut up! Rone yelled, whirling on the both of them in fury. Asher and Fowler flinched. Just shut up! I’m not leaving her. She risked everything to save my life. I’m not leaving until I do the same for her. She’s here, I know she is.

He turned away from them without another word and resumed the rough hike up the mountain’s treacherous slopes again, his body bent forward slightly to shield himself from the wind.

Asher let out a breath and followed after the Rook.

Fowler grumbled to himself and started walking as well, wishing he’d never left Vitari.

Rone kept walking. He slipped several times, falling heavily onto the icy snow, only to get back up to continue on with single-minded persistence. A voice inside his mind screamed at him to stop being such an idiot. He was going to get himself killed, along with Asher and Fowler, but he ignored it. He shut it out. The only thing he let himself believe was that he would see Keiara again. That he would get to hold her, comfort her, kiss her, love her. He missed her. All he could think about was her. His mind was cluttered with visions of her stunning face. It brought him images of her when she was tied to the post in Roanoke, flames wreathing her like a dress, her eyes streaming as Wilhelm pulled the trigger and shot him. Then the images switched and she was as she looked in Vitari, beautiful and alluring. Exotic. Compassionate. He remembered the first time he’d seen her after he’d woken up in a Terraqouis healer’s hut, scared out of his mind and utterly alone. He’d been disoriented, confused, and a little violent. Still, even during all that confusion, he couldn’t help but think she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

Hours went by and it looked as if they’d made no progress. To make things worse, night was coming on fast and the snow and wind only seemed to pick up. The temperature plummeted. Despite his best efforts, Rone knew that they needed to stop and make camp. They needed to shield themselves from the weather or they wouldn’t last another hour.

He looked through the blinding snow, trying to find a place that would offer some measure of protection against the elements. Thirty or forty feet up the mountain was an overhanging ledge. The protection it offered was minimal at best, but the bleak terrain didn’t offer anything better.

We’ll camp there, he said, pointing up the slope to the ledge.

Asher nodded his head, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. Fowler just let out a sort of grunt as his entire body trembled.

They hiked to the overhang and Rone quickly shed his pack. His nanos flew out and created a sturdy domed tent with solid metal walls. A circular door opened and they all shuffled inside, including Blink, Asher's nano-machine that Rone had given him.

It was pitch black inside but Rone quickly took care of it. He willed his nanos to create an electric lantern that he placed in the middle of the tent. The shrieking winds could still be heard outside, but their banshee-like screams were muffled.

Can you make something useful? Like fire? Fowler asked, hugging himself. His body was still trembling violently.

Rone concentrated for a moment. When he had what he wanted firmly pictured in his mind, he had his nanos create it. A second later, a cylindrical object with slatted vents appeared, blasting 360 degrees of heat into the tent. He turned to his mechpak and tapped a few buttons on the screen. The blueprint for the heater suddenly appeared and he saved it into his database. He knew he’d need it again.

Better? he asked them.

Asher and Fowler immediately sat as close to the heater as they could, nodding their heads vigorously. Blink even beeped happily as ice and snow started melting off his metal exterior.

Rone moved closer to it too, but weirdly enough, he didn’t feel as cold as the other two seemed to be. His body wasn’t trembling and his teeth weren’t chattering. His face was slightly red but that was about it.

After everyone got warmed up, they slid into their respective sleeping bags and tried to get some rest.

***

Asher woke up first. The wind had died down a little sometime during the night. He put on his heavy coat and went outside. Blink joined him and the two glanced around. Asher had the machine change into a couple different things to distract himself but it was no use. Nothing would keep his mind off their current predicament. He was scared and worried that they were all going to die.

You won't let us die right, Blink? Asher asked with a half joking, half hopeful smile on his face.

Blink just stared back out of his glass eye. He made no noise. Not even a small beep.

The message was clear.

I make no promises.

Well, at least you're honest, Asher responded.

He didn't say anything for the next couple of minutes. Instead, he went back to watching the world around him. It was still snowing, but not as much as before. The sun was filtering through grey, dense-looking clouds that looked like they were headed straight for his little group. He had a feeling the weather was eventually going to be worse than it was yesterday, despite its current mildness. He thought about trying to convince Rone to head back down again but immediately dismissed the idea. He remembered the look Rone had gotten on his face when he’d suggested it before and wasn’t eager to see it again. For a minute, he thought the Rook prince had gone insane.

He looked back up the slope, to the distant peak that was nearly invisible. Somewhere up there was his sister. Or so Rone said. They had trekked across Purga, hurdling numerous situations that almost got them killed (a company of rebel soldiers, a quicksand pit that almost claimed Fowler, and a very angry and particularly mean crocodile in the Farwick Swamp, just to name a few) only to end up at the foot of the Polaris Mountain range. At times, it felt like Rone had no idea what he was doing or where he was going. At others, he seemed like a man guided by something Asher couldn’t see. The closer they’d gotten to the mountains, the less Rone looked aimless and the more he looked guided. It was weird, but true. When Asher asked how they were even supposed to find Keiara in the range, Rone had pointed to one of the highest peaks without hesitation and said that one.

He had no doubts. He said it as if Keiara herself had told him.

Maybe she did, he thought to himself and not for the first time. The relationship between the two was still a mystery to him. Each one put their lives on the line to save the other. One a Rook and the other a Terraqouis. As far as he knew, nothing like that had ever happened before. The fighting between the two races stretched back for centuries.

There was no denying that some sort of connection had been made between Keiara and Rone. A connection that was just as clearly unbreakable. He’d watched a man shoot Rone in the back and try to torch his sister alive and yet both had walked away virtually unscathed. Keiara more so than Rone.

Rone still has that tiny scar from where the…, he paused, searching for the word Rone had used, bullet. Right. From where the bullet was digging into him. Keiara, however, had walked through the flames without getting burned at all. She even controlled them like they were a part of her body. And then she turned into that…that thing.

He shuddered as an image of the monster his sister turned into flashed through his mind. Even flying high overhead, he’d gotten a good look at her and the fear she inspired. He watched hardened, experienced soldiers throw down their guns and run away with panic etched on their faces and blazing in their eyes. He couldn’t actually see their faces, but if he could’ve, he knew that’s what he would’ve seen. He was sure of that.

He went back inside the tent with Blink following right behind him. The cold proved too much for him. The heater that Rone created was still going full blast, creating a thick, enveloping heat as soon as he got inside. Rone stirred fitfully in his sleep and Fowler was sort of twitching.

He was about to go over to Rone and wake him up, but the Rook’s face suddenly twisted into a grimace of pain and his hand shot down to his left leg. The prosthetic was gone for the moment and Asher could see where his leg abruptly ended underneath the sleeping bag.

Rone's eyes popped open.

You okay? Asher asked.

Rone didn’t answer for a second. The wave of tingling, electric-like pain shooting through his amputated leg was dominating every sensation and every thought. When it passed, he looked over at Asher.

Yeah, he replied, taking a deep, steadying breath. He pulled his hand away from his leg and opened his sleeping bag. Nanos flew out of his mechpak and created his leg. Then he started getting up. I’ll be fine.

How often does it do that? Asher questioned, glancing at the bright silver of Rone’s fake leg.

Every once in a while. Always catches me off guard when it does it. He started packing away all their things, stuffing them back inside one of the three packs he’d created for their journey.

What’s it feel like? Asher asked, curious. If Keiara were with them, she probably would’ve slapped him on the shoulder and told him to quit being rude, but he couldn’t help it. He was curious and when he was curious, he didn’t stop poking until he got his answer. Maybe when he was older, he would learn to control it better.

It feels like lightning shooting around in my leg. And tingling. Lots of tingling, Rone replied, not looking at Asher.

They quit talking and the silence was heavy and oppressive. Then Fowler let out a very long and very loud snore. Rone looked at Asher and Asher looked at Rone. Then they both howled with laughter, the tension evaporating with it.

Wha.., Fowler asked, his voice still rough with sleep. He blinked at the both of them. They were still laughing like lunatics. Wha’s so funny?

Nothing, Asher managed to say, wiping tears from his eyes.

Fowler looked angry for a moment, but Rone brought out some food and his eyes sort of glazed over. He grabbed his share of crackers, dried vegetables, dried fruits, and water and started gobbling them down.

Asher watched the food disappear into his friend’s mouth with awe, wondering how he never managed to choke himself. He grabbed his own share of the rations and ate, although quite a bit slower and with less vehemence than Fowler.

Rone did the same, eating mostly to nourish his body. There was a distant, faraway look in his eyes. He was concerned about Keiara and while most of his thoughts were of her, he was also thinking about his own people, the Terraqouis nation, and Purga as a whole. A quiet fear stole through him as he envisioned Blak Army soldiers wiping out everyone.

Rone! Asher said loudly.

Rone started with a jerk and looked up at the boy.

Asher glanced back with worry evident in his eyes.

We’re ready to go, he said, glancing around the tent. He and Fowler had already packed up their stuff.

Rone forced himself to focus on their current situation and worry about Purga and the Blak Army later. He made the heater and light burst apart into nanos. They flowed back into the mechpaks on his forearms. Immediately after the heater was gone, the cold started seeping back in.

Rone headed to the circular door and it opened for him. The wind screamed inside, swirling around them.

Asher started shivering immediately. The cold seeped through his layers and layers of clothes, determined to make him freeze to death.

Fowler wasn’t faring any better. His teeth were clattering together in a rapid series of clicks and he gave them both dirty, angry looks.

I hate you guys, he told them, but he was ignored.

Rone stepped outside and the other two reluctantly followed. Then he put a finger to the tent and it burst apart too. The streams of microscopic robots twisted through the air until they were safely back in his mechpaks.

Rone’s focus turned razor sharp again, his eyes trained on the ground directly in front of him. He concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. He blocked out the wind and the cold.

He blocked out how high they still had to go. He blocked out Fowler’s constant complaining. The only thing he didn’t block out were his thoughts of Keiara. That was the force driving him forward and he let it. He let it cement his determination in his mind and turn him into an indestructible engine that would keep going and going until he found her.

They kept the pace that Rone set for four hours. The higher up they went, the thinner the air became. Eventually, he had to create re-breathers for them so they could keep going.

He pressed them to go on for another hour, but after that he could tell Asher and Fowler were getting exhausted. He decided to stop so they could break for lunch. He recreated the domed tent, then recreated the heater, and finally handed out some more food. They ate in silence, all of them cold, miserable, and tired. So, so tired. The same thought kept popping up in each of their minds. They weren’t going to survive much longer.

Can’t you just use your flying-thing? Asher had asked yesterday as they all stood looking up at the giant mountain.

The weather’s too harsh. Too much wind and snow and it will only get worse the higher I fly. I wouldn’t be able to control my flight or see anything. More than likely I’ll run myself into the side of the mountain and die, he’d explained.

Oh, Asher replied, feeling stupid for asking the question.

That would be bad, Fowler commented.

They finished their lunch. The water they brought with them was gone, but Rone grabbed some snow and started boiling it after he made a modification to the heater, adding ingredients that Asher had found during their trek to the mountain range to make a sweet, and vaguely spicy, tea. They all drank, relishing the heat. Rone let the two boys rest up a little more before he forced them to hike up the mountain again. He closed his eyes for a moment.

She’s close now, he thought. He didn’t know how he knew that, but he did. It was a simple, flat-out truth. Like the sky is blue or the grass is green. Keiara is close.

He wondered, idly, if she could feel him. If he could feel her presence then it stood to reason that she could feel his. He hoped she could. He wanted her to know that he was coming. That he would save her.

Let’s get started, he said, standing up.

***

King Rowan looked over the vast seas, watching the water ripple and churn. He was on a balcony in the highest suite of Lord Jared Valentz’s private tower in the floating city of Edaeri. He could see for miles in every direction. The water was a shocking crystal blue that was almost too bright on the eyes and there were little to no waves. The sky was a deep indigo with flecks of clouds floating lazily in it and the sun was high and shining bright. It was a beautiful day and everything about it screamed peace and tranquility. That was, of course, except for the three warships slicing their way through the water.

Rowan’s eye narrowed as he watched them come. Close to a month had passed since he escaped what was left of Roanoke with the other refugees and he’d been hoping for more time before Wilhelm sent his army after him. He watched the ships a moment more and then walked away from the balcony, limping badly as pain shot up his right leg. The best doctors Edaeri had to offer managed to heal a lot of the injuries sustained from his torture, but his right leg was going to take more time. The nerve damage from the electric shocks had been extensive, they explained.

What are your orders, sir? Lord Valentz asked. He was a man of average height and slightly portly but he carried himself with an air of nobility and dignity. His dark hair and brown skin had a film of sweat covering it that he constantly dabbed at with an expensive silk handkerchief. He was staring at the ships too, his light brown eyes narrowed in agitation. Flanking Edaeri’s Lord was an army of advisors and several high-ranking military leaders, while standing off to the side and slightly behind everyone else was Darvian Tims and Fiona Rosburg.

The King’s gaze lingered on Fiona for a moment as he remembered the monster her father had been turned into. She’d been eager to know what happened to him and ever since his recovery; she’d asked a relentless barrage of questions. He’d debated telling her the truth but he decided against it in the end. He deliberately withheld the information from her. He needed her focused. He needed her mind clear. Edaeri, being isolated from the mainland, didn’t have a highly-trained military presence and he needed all the fighters he could get. He knew she was young, but because of her father’s tutelage she was more dangerous and capable than five Edaeri soldiers combined. It wasn’t ideal, but he wasn’t left with a lot of options.

Make sure the defenses are prepared, he responded, his voice commanding and strong. He looked at Lord Valentz with no sign of fear. Ready the soldiers and make sure they are armed with the new blaster blueprints we’ve designed.

As you wish, Your Majesty, the Lord said.

Valentz bowed respectfully and left, along with the advisors and military leaders. Fiona and Darvian turned to leave also.

I need a word with you both, he told them.

They stopped and looked at their King with identical expressions of unease. He’d recovered a lot since they’d found him, but he still looked too thin and his face had new wrinkles on it that seemed to age him ten years. Sit. He gestured to two chairs and took a seat himself.

Darvian glanced nervously at Fiona for a second and then sat down. She took the seat to his right.

Yes, Your Majesty? she asked, not bothering to hide her impatience. She’d seen the warships too and was eager to help defend the city. After losing her father, fighting the ones responsible for his disappearance seemed like a great outlet for her aggression. She kept her eyes on King Rowan but her feet tapped incessantly on the carpeted floor.

Tell me again what happened in Roanoke. Tell me what happened to Rone. And leave nothing out, he ordered.

Darvian was uncomfortable at once but Fiona just looked angry. She let out a quiet huff of breath.

After the first time the King had woken up and been lucid enough to talk, both of them explained (in as much detail as possible) everything that happened to Roanoke and Rone. However, the King kept making them retell the story, as if by doing so it would somehow change. Rone’s betrayal of Roanoke, of his entire kingdom, seemed a worse torture for the king than his son’s supposed death had been.

Tell me again! King Rowan suddenly thundered.

Darvian jerked and Fiona lost the look of anger on her face.

They both began the story again, with Darvian starting from where he found Rone in the desert near Terraqouis land. Fiona jumped in when Darvian got to the part where they ran into her outside of Raleigh. Then they went over the plan they’d come up with to get inside Roanoke and into Detention Sector 1. After that, they told him about the battle there and how Rone had changed. Rowan asked for more details about this but neither one was entirely sure what happened and were not much help. They explained in detail about the tunnel and its collapse. And then Darvian explained why Rone left.

They used the Terraqouis girl as bait. They drew him out so they could kill him, Darvian stopped talking. This was the part the King seemed unable to grasp.

A Terraqouis girl? he asked. He gave up everything to protect an enemy.

She wasn’t an enemy, Your Majesty, Fiona broke in. She saved his life.

She is the enemy! he roared back.

Fiona tried to stand her ground but the anger burning in the King’s eye was too much for her. She turned her head and studied the suite’s dark brown walls.

I don’t care. She’s a savage! A killer. Just like the rest of them. He got up from his chair, rage whirling inside him. His only son and the heir to the throne of Roanoke was now a traitor. He chose a savage over his own people!

Just like…he thought but he squashed it flat. There were wounds a person suffered throughout their life, both physical and mental. For the most part, the physical ones healed. The mental ones, the emotional ones, however, have a tendency to stay open. They always seemed to be raw and bleeding and Rowan's emotional wounds were no different. Thinking of what happened, of everything that lead up to it, was a wound too vast for his mind to heal.

I hope the Blak Army killed you, son, he thought harshly.

Your Majesty, if you would just listen, Darvian stuttered.

Leave, he said. Now.

Darvian felt a huge wave of relief at being dismissed. He got up and grabbed hold of Fiona’s hand, hauling her up as well. He was focused on escaping the King’s wrath and he didn’t want to sit there and provoke him further. In his hurry to get out, he completely missed the defiant look on Fiona’s face. Before he knew what she was doing, she wriggled out of his grip and was crossing the space between herself and the King.

You arrogant, self-righteous bastard! she yelled. Look around you. Look what you’ve been reduced to. Roanoke is nothing but rubble now. A rebel army has murdered hundreds of thousands of your people. They’re coming, as we speak, and the only thing you care about is that Rone fell in love with a girl that saved his life? A girl that went out of her way to help him even though her people hate us as much as we hate them? You’re unbelievable.

King Rowan turned and stared at the girl in front of him, speechless. No one ever dared talk to him as brazenly as Fiona just did. He stared hard at her, his eye narrowed warningly. He admired her guts and the fact that she spoke her mind but that didn't mean he was going let a seventeen year old girl yell at him as if he were a child. He was beyond angry now. He was furious.

Get out, he said, his voice strangely quiet. Get out before I have you thrown in jail.

Yes, Your Majesty, she sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She bowed stiffly before she turned on her heal and left.

Darvian grabbed her arm and nearly dragged her out of the room. When they were in the hallway, he rounded on her.

Are you insane? he whispered roughly. What were you thinking?

I was thinking I’m tired of the king being a damned moron! she shot back, yanking her arm out of Darvian’s grip. He was angry with her for the things she said back there, but she could tell he thought the king was being unreasonable too. You know I'm right so don't get mad at me just because I had the nerve to say it out loud.

Yeah, but you don’t tell that to his face!

It was time someone did.

You’re lucky he didn’t have you arrested, Darvian hissed.

Okay, okay. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help it, she explained.

Darvian stared hard at her for a moment more and then finally relented. The tension in his body evaporated and he hugged her.

First I thought you were killed in that miserable tunnel and then you try to get arrested. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were trying to get away from me, he joked.

I guess you’re smarter than you look, she shot back with a laugh.

Ha. Ha, he responded sarcastically, leaning down to kiss her. He felt her hand slide into his hair while the other one came to rest on the back of his neck.

They stayed that way until the entire building erupted in loud, warning alarms.

The Blak Army was getting closer.

***

Rone stood with Asher and Fowler on a broad, flat ledge that stuck out of the mountain’s side. Directly in front of them was the entrance to a cave. The ground around and in front of it was black and covered in scorch marks. All the snow that should’ve been blanketing the area was burned away, leaving only the bare earth of the mountain. He heard Fowler gulp nervously.

What do we do now? Asher asked, his voice slightly garbled by the re-breather he wore. He glanced at the cave with obvious fear. He’d gotten a good look at what his sister had turned into at Roanoke. He knew that Keiara and it were the same, but that didn’t seem to matter to his brain. All it knew was that the beast terrified him. He glanced into the cave again, his heart rapping against his chest painfully. He could feel his hands trembling and all his instincts screamed warnings at him. Is she herself again, or is she still, you know, that thing?

Stay out here, both of you. I’m going inside, Rone replied, ignoring Asher’s concerns. He didn’t give them any time to argue, not that they would. Asher and Fowler were more than happy to stay out in the freezing cold and wind.

Faintly, a low rumbling sound came drifting out. It was a deep, frightening thing that belonged to something enormously huge.

Rone stared at the tunnel for a few seconds as the sound slowly died out. He fought to control the sudden panic racing through him. He didn’t want to go in and face Keiara’s dragon, especially not by himself, but he knew he was going in anyway. That resolution helped calm him and he took a couple steps forward.

The rumbling, growling sound suddenly grew louder.

He processed the sound and then shoved it to the back of his mind. He took a deep breath and then went inside.

Asher and Fowler watched Rone for as long as they could. They watch him until

Reviews for Roc

[isisunit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is a creative mix of fantasy and science fiction (that isn't likely all too futuristic, though it may seem that way when reading, yet the building blocks are already well established). Be prepared, for this book is filled with fascinating characters, a creatively designed world, and plot twists that easily challenge a corkscrew. Once you begin reading you won't want to stop until you've finished the book, and then all you'll do us want to grab Book Two, which sadly isn't due out until July, 2013.The story gets off to a bit of a slow start, and it is a bit difficult to feel lots of empathy for the main male character, but all that changes as the story progresses. The characters develop depth as the story finds its stride, with the plot serving as an excellent vehicle to create this world that seems familiar and foreign at the same time.As the description states, Rone is the wounded Prince, and Keiara saves his life, yet they are mortal enemies. But the truth is, it is their people that are mortal enemies. They are just two young people attracted to each other. With the persistence of youth in the first blush of a possible romance she convinces her people to allow him to stay for a time and learn about their culture. Then, once educated about the real Terraquios, Rone can return to his people, the Rook, share his newly discovered truth about the Terraquois, helping dispel all of the ridiculously manufactured fairy tale stories of what heinous monsters they are supposed to be.Slowly many Terras come to see the truth of Prince Rone's desire for peace between the two peoples - and his shame for the way his people always attacked the Terraquios, without any provocation to justify such attacks. Just as things are starting to look up for the pair Rone acts on his feelings for Keiara. Confused and flustered by her own emotions, Keiara runs away to another tribe without a word. Before she can return and explain her behavior to Rone the world is plunged into chaos.Rone's father, the King, is overthrown by a villain and the capital city is attacked by evil forces. Once Rone learns of this, by running into a family of refugees that he knows from home, he promptly returns home, determined to fix things. Skirmishes and battles ensue across the planet. Keiara is taken prisoner by one of the antagonists and taken to the capital of Rone's 'former' kingdom.From here on the action just keeps going without a pause - action on emotional, physical, and mystical levels. To avoid any spoilers I'll just say that families and friends are torn apart, while there are reunions for others. Secrets of all sizes are revealed. There is far, far more to this tale than I have shared here, and having to wait until July to learn what happens next is going to be sheer torture!

[cbilbo-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was given a copy of Dragon: Book One (Histories of Purga) by author Rustin Petrae, in exchange for an honest review. I met Mr. Petrae on [...]. After a quick discussion about his book, I was more than interested in reading what he had. I actually was to read the book Roc: Book Two (Histories of Purga). However, in order to understand what was going on, he sent me the first book, just to catch up.Dragon starts off in the Kingdom of Roanoke. Rone sees that Lady Guilder is sporting wounds that she received at the hands of her brutal husband, Lord Guilder. Not having patience with this, his father, King Rowan Varlamagne, expels Lord Guilder from the kingdom. Not only is he expelled, he is stripped of title an all benefits he has received for his title. Just a little upset over this, Guilder has basically sworn revenge for this action and will stop at nothing to make King Rowan pay.To help Guilder exact his revenge, a dark hooded, mechanical voice, mysterious individual appears and offers his help. Not questioning who it is or what will be expected from him in the future, Guilder seizes the opportunity to make Rowan pay.Knowing that the only thing that could bring King Rowan down would be to witness his beloved son Rone suffer. With the help of a little magic, mysterious person changes his appearance into King Rowan and gives permission for Rone to do what he is never allowed to do, go flying. Never questioning his father’s motives, Rone, being the adventurous and young man that he is, takes the leap and is flying over the kingdom.While flying, Rone is all of a sudden attacked by something. Thinking that he can out maneuver the missile, he heads for the Javardi Desert. Over the desert, he has the room to do some fancy moves and avoid the attack. Unable to avoid the attack, he is hit, thrown into a dune and left to die.While out wandering out in the Javardi Desert looking for akavi herb, Keiara and her brother Asher discover Rone. Bringing him back to their village for help due to his injuries, Keiara brings the wrath of her parents down on her. The Tarraqouis are enemies of the Rooks. This is only going to cause problems for the Tarraqouis.However, being the kind hearted person she is, Keiara insists that they help Roan. This is their one chance to prove they aren’t the evil and cruel people they have been made out to be. Seeing the logic behind his daughter’s argument, Roan is welcomed into their village. He learns of who these strangers actually are. He sees that the Rook’s have been wrong in their views of the Terraqouis. Now it’s up to him to prove this to his father and the people of Roanoke.I really enjoyed this story. The author did a great job at describing this new world the he created. His descriptions are so vivid that you can actually picture what everything looks like. It also helps that he has created a detailed map that shows the lay of the land. Some books go overboard with details on geography or they just lack the details. This was just the perfect amount of what you needed to envision this fantasy.I really enjoyed the way that the characters were able to grow and adapt to the way things were evolving. With the two tribes not knowing and misunderstanding, it takes the younger generation to see the wrongs of the elders.The book builds up to this really dramatic ending. At first, I was questioning the title of the book. I was enjoying the sci-fi parts as well as the magical aspects. But it was the ending that has me gasping and wanting more. I do have the second installment, Roc, I can’t wait to jump to this book and see how things continue.I can’t say enough good things about what this author has created. It takes a special person to create an entire new world of things that we have never seen. The imagination of Rustin Petrae has me in awe. I admire people who are willing to put those thoughts into words.