The Guardian Child's Return: The Age of Awakenings Book 2

By Diana L Wicker

One of the Tales from Feyron - The Ripples of Power stories

The Guardians have awakened after the Time of Sleep and returned to renew the magic with the clans of Faie. At the request of the Guardian, Lord Grypos, Keeper of Knowledge, the Master Scholar travels through the Outer Gateway with craftsmen and apprentices to coordinate the repairs of the once great oasis that houses the ancient archives of knowledge known as the Island in the Sands.

As the summer wanes and the oasis begins to return to its former glory, the Guardian calls the Master Scholar to the meditation room in the wee hours of the night to discuss a journey. In the fire an image flickers of the red desert sands speeding past, a land of grey beyond the desert, and a cavern of twilight behind an obsidian wall. “Arwyn and Shyamal are to go there for me to seek out that which was once mine.”

What starts as a seemingly simple journey becomes an adventure with life threatening consequences as the two are unexpectedly joined by their friends on a journey far from home beyond the Realms of Light in a realm that few within the clans of Faie knew could even be reached.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diana L Wicker
• Release date: Nov 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311635532

Book preview

The Guardian Child’s Return

The Age of Awakenings - Book 2

Tales from Feyron - The Ripples of Power

by Diana L. Wicker

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Copyright © 2013 Diana L. Wicker

All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Created in the United States of America

Cover Art Images Copyright 2014 © champukun - Fotolia.com; BigStockPhoto.com

Cover Art Copyright 2014 © Mia Darien

Revised Edition: Editing and Formatting, courtesy of Mia Darien (http://www.miadarien.com)

Author’s Note: No substantial changes have been made to the story from the original edition.

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The Realm of Feyron and its characters are the creation of Diana Wicker. Names of characters and locations are pulled from author’s personal family history as well as the mythology of various cultures. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

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Dedication

To my dear friend Alex for taking this journey with me from gaming buddies to indie authors. I would have given up on the stories long ago without you. Thank you for always nudging me forward.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my beta readers for the time they spend reading my stories and offering feedback. Alex, Andrew, Bethany, Brooke, Elizabeth, Nancy, and Willa, thank you for all of your help.

I would like to thank my dear friend Laura T. Hall for bravely taking on the task of cleaning up my rough draft.

I would like to thank my darling husband, Neil, for his patience and diligence in formatting the first book cover for me.

I would also like to acknowledge those who have gone before me and were inspirations during my formative years:

My great-grandfather, Louie, the pastor whose personal Bible with sermon notes I have the privilege of owning.

My grandmothers, Jewel and Lillian, both of whom were writers of poetry and story - I have the privilege of owning a copy of a poetry anthology with a poem from my Grandmama.

My uncle Paul who was a wonderful professor and director of theater - I have the copies of his drama thesis and the outdoor theater textbook that he wrote.

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Preface

The Realm of Feyron continues to grow. I have outlines and story sparks aplenty that I hope will all someday become stories to share. I find as I write, that while the Storyteller and her audience remain fairly constant across the tales, the characters in her stories change. Life moves on, even in Feyron, and sometimes characters grow up and start their second lives (as those in Feyron refer to the passage into adulthood). Never fear, there are always youngsters eager to find adventure, and often adventures eagerly awaiting discovery. I hope you enjoy and embrace the new characters and look forward to bits of news about your favorite old characters who have entered their second lives. Who knows, given time, you may even see a few as they pass on their duties to the next generation and look forward to their age of rest (something we today might call retirement).

I would like to note to the readers that the archaic spellings of words in the tales from Feyron are purposeful. Language is a living, breathing thing, just like myths, legends, and lore; and I think it is good to remember sometimes that the spellings we see today in modern American English have much deeper roots. The Storyteller does not live in Modern America, but a land out of time. I invite you to open your favorite search engine and study a bit of the past as you read the story.

Other works from the series:

Tales from Feyron - The Ripples of Power

The Dreamweaver’s Journey: The Age of Awakenings Book 1

The Guardian Child's Return: The Age of Awakenings Book 2

Legacy of Mist and Shadow: The Age of Awakenings Book 3

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Realm of Feyron - Realms of Light

Age of Awakenings - Spring Returns

Realm of Feyron - Borderlands beyond the Light

Age of Awakenings - Spring Returns

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Cast of Characters

Guardians of Feyron - bestowers of magic to the clans of the Faie

Lady Kali - the great leviathan, Keeper of Time

---Shyamal - guardian-child, water serpent gifted forms of whippet puppy and winged serpent by his mother - He left the Stoney Deep with the Dreamweaver.

Lord Okapoti - the great unicorn, Keeper of Life, bestower of creation magic (healing, growing, innovation/creativity)

Queen Luyung - the great red dragon, Keeper of the Elements, bestower of use of the elements (earth, air, fire, water)

---Daiyu - the great black dragon, known as the Queen’s First

----Shan - dragon-son, earth

----Wen - dragon-daughter, cloud

----Xia - dragon-daughter, cloud

----Xue - dragon-son

----Yun - dragon-son, cloud

Lord Grypos - the great griffin, Keeper of Knowledge, bestower of divination (visions from the Mists of Time - Then, Now, or Could Be)

Clans within Feyron

Heron Clan - unicorn children, gifts of creation

Lord of the clan - Tiernan, worker of miracles (thaumaturge)

Lady of the clan - Lei of Phanai, divination, former scholar’s apprentice

Son - Master Aneurin, called Nye, life-binder (also known as soul-keeper, rare gift combining necromancy and creation)

His wife - Soifra of Caris, daughter of Clan Master Reike, shapeshifter - favors the black dragon form

Bru’yn Clan - dragon children, gifted use of the elements

Lady of the clan - Meifeng, air

Lord of the clan - Nerius of Phanai

Youngest son - Miltiades, called Miltos, earth-child (special gift of crystal shaping)

Caris Clan - shapeshifters, formerly of a World Beyond, now residing in the Lesser Forest - Their leader is titled Clan Master, not Lord, like the other clans.

Clan Master Reike - shapeshifter - favors the golden griffin form

His wife - Elaina of Tyrel, sister to Lord Hyatt, griffin-child like her mother

Their children living at the manor:

Daughter - Zilya - griffin-child

Daughter - Miria - shapeshifter

Son - Rian

Mistress of Caris - Reyna, Reike’s mother

Her other descendants:

Master Rohan and wife Myrna, several children

Mistress Rowan (twin to Rohan) and husband Oran, several children

Scholars at the Temple of Pyli - anyone may pledge to study at the Temple

Master Scholar Teagan, griffin-child - head of the scholars

Master Scribe Edmond - heads the Scriptorium in Luhung

Mistress Kissa, shapeshifter of Caris, mistress of apprentices

Arwyn, daughter of Lord Tiernan, grower (plant creation), scholar’s apprentice/novice scribe

Orabelle, water-child of Bru’yn, scholar’s apprentice

Neria, summoner of Vocare (clan from World Beyond), scholar’s apprentice

Clans from Worlds Beyond

Tyrel Clan - magic is passed to the male line, true sorcerers

Lord of the clan - Hyatt, sorcerer

Son - Master Nolan, sorcerer

His wife - the Dreamweaver, Aideen of Heron, daughter of Lord Tiernan, (divination through dreams and fire reading, summoner of the Guardians)

Over the ages as the clans of the Faie have mixed and mingled, so have their magics and means of using them.

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Map - Realms of Light

Map - Borderlands

Cast of Characters

The Story Begins

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

The Adventure Begins

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

The Return

Epilogue

Index of Short Stories

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The Story Begins

Settling comfortably on the gold brocade silk cushions laid out for her on the circular wrought iron bench surrounding the great oak, the Storyteller watched with amusement as the young ladies setting out refreshment tables around the large circular deck, used as an outdoor classroom for her lore lessons during summer academy, chattered away with excitement, discussing which of their friends had reached their sixteenth summer and which would be presented this evening at the Midsummer Ball. They speculated about whom their friends would dance with, and if any matches would be made this night. The Storyteller well knew the apprentices had other places they wished to be and chuckled as she waved them away after they set out the last of the glow crystals along the deck rails.

She watched the enchanted carriages complete the long loop from the circle of cobblestones before the steps of the Palace of Ages to the village of Gnosis and back again. The pearlescent white of the coach was offset by the gilded trim, and golden wheels glittered in the evening sun as the carriages glided by, carrying the young ladies and their fathers to the ball. Smiling, she raised her cup to the girls waving to her as they passed, knowing that she would not see many of them at her story times again until they brought children of their own to visit.

Slowly the youngsters began to gather, carefully picking their treats and drinks from the refreshment tables before settling on the deck, or playing in the grass around it as a few young parents and older youth settled in on benches along the rails. The cicada’s song trilled about them as the day faded into evening. The Realm of Feyron has always been, the Storyteller began. It is the origin of all things magical, the axis point where all the worlds meet. Every summer, all of the clans gather here.

Setting her cup on the bench beside her cushions, the Storyteller leaned forward and asked the children, Now, who can tell me the significance of the Midsummer celebrations? Why do we gather together each year?

I know! A little girl with bluish black hair and eyes as dark as the depths of the sea smiled brightly and clasped her hands. Tonight is the presentation ball where the big girls are offered matches, and tomorrow night before the Sacred Fire, the betrothals!

Silly girl, interrupted an older boy. The bindings aren’t the important part. The ritual to renew the magic is the real reason for the Midsummer gathering.

Yes. The Storyteller nodded to the young man. I see your studies serve you well. You’ll make a wonderful apprentice to the scholars when you come of age, Leucetius. The Guardians decreed to the families of magic from the Worlds Beyond that they should gather at the Midsummer Solstice here in Feyron every year to renew their magic, or risk losing the magics forever. The summoning ritual was given to the first Dreamweaver by Lady Kali, and we celebrate that ritual every Midsummer.

Except during the Time of Sleep, Leucetius offered.

Picking up her cup, the Storyteller sipped slowly. Many things were forgotten during the Time of Sleep, when there was no Dreamweaver to guide the clans and the Guardians were lost to us.

It was a shapeshifter of Caris that found the dragonkin after the Time of Sleep, a small boy interrupted excitedly after bounding onto the deck from the grass below in the form of a puppy. She flew into the Crystal Mountains to find them.

It was indeed. The Storyteller smiled as she leaned forward to ruffle his fluffy curls.

And she brought back treasures of history from the dragonkin too, didn’t she? Isn’t that how the Crystal Hall came about? he asked with a broad grin.

Well, not exactly, the Storyteller laughed, sitting back against the tree. It was a shapeshifter who went with the dragonkin to the Hall of Gifts, and they did give to her a treasure because of their special friendship. But, she was not the one who wrote the manuscript of history that brought the Master Scholar to the Hall of Gifts to see the treasures of history and meet with Daiyu, Queen Luyung’s First.

One of the young apprentices who had come back to assist for the evening piped up cheerily, It was an apprentice! It was her work with the dragonkin that led the scholars back out to the desert to study with Lord Grypos.

Not quite, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. Why don’t we start with that very important visit to the dragonkin where they offered their special friend her choice of gifts from their collection? The Storyteller smiled brightly.

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1

Soifra sat with her special dragonkin friends, Wen and Xia, in the great cavern--known as the Hoard by the dragonkin--as her husband Nye wandered about the room, poking at odd piles of this and that, the gifts offered to Queen Luyung, the great red dragon, Keeper of the Elements, by the people of Feyron over the aeons. Wen was the soft greyish-white of snow clouds while Xia was jewel-toned with the pinks and purples of clouds at sunset. Their soft singing floated through the cavern, and it was only by use of the Crystal Tears that most of