Summoned

By Susan Leigh Noble

At the age of four, Lina discovered she could start fires with a mere thought – a trait which had died out long ago. Cautioned by her telepathic cat, Tosh, she kept this Elemental power a secret to avoid being an outcast. That was easy to do growing up in the remote grasslands of Zena.

Now an adult, she had no plans to leave her beloved homeland. So when a strange urge compels her to travel north to an unknown destination, Lina resists this unnatural feeling. But her plans to stay in Zena are taken out of her control when she is kidnapped by gypsies and wakes in a foreign land. The desire to travel north is as strong as ever. She fears she will have no choice but to give into the compulsion. When a raging fire prevents her return home, she realizes she must find out once and for all what or who is summoning her.

On her journey, Lina befriends an odd assortment of allies. Together they battle mystical creatures and unnatural forces despite the fact that such magic had died out over 800 years ago. Lina reluctantly begins to use her innate Elemental power as she becomes more certain that someone is using magic against her. When she discovers the shocking truth, it will change her life in ways she could never imagine.

Summoned is the first book in The Elemental Trilogy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Leigh Noble
• Release date: Aug 14, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466170094

Susan Leigh Noble

Susan Leigh Noble has always loved dragons and magic so it is no wonder that she became an author of fantasy novels. As a cat lover, she also had to throw in a telepathic cat to the mix in her The Elemental Series. Her latest book, The Heir to Alexandria, is her first stand-alone fantasy novel.In addition to writing, Susan spends her days taking care of her two children and husband in Texas.

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Summoned

Book One of The Elemental

By Susan Leigh Noble

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination. Any resemblances to persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

Original Copyright 1995 by Susan Leigh Noble

First Digital Publication: August 2011

Published by Susan Leigh Noble at Smashwords

Cover design by Donna Casey (www.digitaldonna.com)

Photos used to create the cover were obtained from dreamtime.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or retransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system -- except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the web -- without expressed written permission in writing from Susan Leigh Noble.

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 recipient. 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.

To my husband,

Without you, this book would not exist

1Prologue

His wings beating softly, the golden dragon soared over the rocky mountain. The heat of the sun bore down on him as he stretched out his wings, tilting them to catch the downdraft. He effortlessly glided toward the valley below. The golden dragon glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of three of the five dragonets that flew with him today. As one, they swooped down into the valley and settled on the dusty valley floor. He slowly folded his wings against his back and turned his graying muzzle toward his charges. Two reds, two greens, and a golden dragonet formed a half circle in front of him.

Nix studied each dragonet. He tried to gauge their understanding of the lesson. The five-day trip had taken them over much of the Land. Nix had explained how once the dragons did not only live in the mountains of Phila but everywhere. Then they had lived and worked with man.

The young dragonets did not seem to understand man. Not that Nix could blame them. After all, the dragonets were only two years out of the shell. He sat back on his haunches as he thought of how to explain why they must learn not to hate man for the things man had done to the dragons. He knew through the thoughts and memories of all dragons that had ever lived why this was important but these dragonets had not yet learned to use the power of their minds. They could not yet access all those memories. However, when they came of age next year, they would have all the memories, the good and the bad, of all the dragons. Before then it was important to instill in these young ones the values and beliefs of all dragon kind.

What was it like, Nix? One of the red dragonets rose to ask, his voice eager as it entered Nix’s mind. What was it like before the Great War?

Nix looked at Salis. His mind rushed with memories that were not his own as he had been born after the Great War. How did he explain the fall out between man and dragon? The dragons had done nothing wrong. It was man who had changed.

Man respected us, Nix said, his eyes sweeping over the others. Suddenly, movement caught his eye, and he quickly swung his head. On the cliff above, sat a small dragonet, his black hide gleamed in the sun, his eyes intent on Nix as if he was absorbing every word he spoke. Such an odd one Nix thought. The black dragonet was just out of the shell not more than a couple of months, and already he had taken an intense interest in man. Every time there was a lesson about man, the black dragonet always appeared.

Did man hunt us then?

Nix focused his attention back on his students. He turned to Tre, the other red dragonet, who had asked the question. No. He did not. However, the Great War brought many changes, some good, some bad. He paused. So many changes had happened since man had severed their alliance with the dragons. He shook his mighty head in an attempt to clear his thoughts.

By the time of the Great War, the Elementals were already gone, and the Learners were at their peak. Both the Kings and the Learners wanted power. The common man revolted. They took control and banished the Learners and the Kings. And in that fury, they dissolved our relationship. There was little we could do to make them understand we were different from those who had created us. During that time, man killed many creatures created by the Learners. But they did what they thought was right. They did what they thought they must to bring the Land under better rule. They made it so the Land was ruled with peace, caring, and not the greed of the Kings or the Learners.

But if they hunt us, why can't we hunt them? The green dragonet, Ral, demanded. It is not worth it to trust man. Or to let him live.

Ral!

Nix advanced on the shaking dragonet until he towered over him. The young green dragon stared up at him, his eyes wide.

Man does not respect us. He will not change. It will never be as it once was.

No. It will not be as it once was, Nix agreed, the regret evident in his voice.

If only the Elementals, Salis began.

If only . . . Ral said with a flip of his head. They are no more.

Nix lowered his head until his graying muzzle almost touched the young dragon's muzzle. The Elementals will return. His tone was stern. He thought briefly of the legend which foretold of their return. With their return, the breach between man and dragon might be fixed. Some day the Elementals will be needed, and as they did once, they will come to the rescue of the Land. That, Ral, is why we must learn about man. We must be prepared to help. A threat to this Land will affect man and dragon alike. Some day man and dragon will reunite under the same cause – to save the Land.

Nix stared hard at the little green dragon. He hoped Ral understood. Nix’s bones ached and he knew he didn’t have many years left. He would never see the return of the Elementals. However, Ral and the others might just live that long.

The Elementals will return? The dragonets all spoke at once. Why did we not know this?

When? The black dragonet demanded.

Nix rose up, glancing at the black dragonet before turning away to study the young dragons before him. All I know is a threat will come to the Land and in the days before this threat, a full Elemental will be born to the Land. This Elemental, The Elemental, will be the Lands only hope. And ours, he silently added.

Chapter One

The young woman tossed in her bed, muttering softly. She rolled over, her long honey-colored hair covering her pale face. Her fingers dug into the mattress. She shook her head as she sank deeper into the dream.

The yellow light cut through the dark. Her eyes stayed focused on it as it flickered before her like a hundred candles dancing in a soft summer breeze, growing brighter as she neared. As she walked, her hands reached out, touching the smooth, cold stone wall. That alone should have warned Lina something was not right. Even as her mind called out that this was all wrong, she continued down the hall toward the light and toward whatever was calling her.

No one called out her name. No, the calling was unspoken but strong. The urge to respond to it consumed every part of her. She knew she must obey. What was calling her and why were unimportant to her now. All that mattered was she must go.

As she reached the end of the hall, Lina paused. The bright light hung above a curved stone staircase. She lifted her hand, shielding her eyes. She wished she could block out the light. And the calling. Then she saw the doorway to her right. Without thinking, she opened the door, slipping into the dark room. She heard low voices coming from the adjoining room. She tilted her head as she listened but the words were too soft to understand. She moved toward the room, pausing in the archway. What she saw next made her tremble with fear. Her hand flew to her mouth as the cloaked man before her turned. Suddenly, the floor trembled. The walls began to tumble and the floor collapsed beneath her. She saw her hair swirl around her as she fell. She opened her mouth, a scream on her lips, yet nothing came out. She pressed her eyes closed as she waited for the impact she knew was coming.

As she hit the ground, Lina gasped, her eyes flying open.

Her heart raced. She sat up, breathing fast. She pressed her hands into the soft mattress below her as she looked around. A small table separated her bed from another narrow bed. A dresser and a table with two chairs completed the room’s meager furnishings. The room was vaguely familiar.

Lina? Are you all right?

The gentle voice of Tosh filled her mind. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, stopping on the small grey cat lying on the table. This was not her room. She shook her head slightly trying to clear her mind, trying to piece together what had happened. Then it came back to her. Harmony. The trip with her father. She glanced at the motionless form in the other bed. Good, I did not wake him, she thought.

Tosh’s yellow eyes glowed as he jumped onto her bed, his paws sinking into the thick mattress. Was it the dream again?

"Yes," she answered, silently. And the feeling has increased. I don't know how much longer I will be able to ignore it, Tosh.

Lina shook her head. The feeling, or calling as she had recently begun to call it, grew slightly each time she woke from the dream. Her pounding heart began to return to normal. She tried to recall what scared her, but the dream was already fading from memory. It was like something dangling just out of reach. Now all she could recall was the feeling that she had been falling. She sighed. The dream and the calling had to be linked. They had not only begun at the same time but whenever she had the dream, the feeling drawing her north increased ever so slightly. There must be a connection. But what? She rose from the bed, moving toward the window.

As she and her father had traveled north toward Harmony, the feeling had strengthened. It was as if she was destined to go north. Lina looked out the window at the moonlit street below. She still could not get over the fact the city was made of rock and mortar. So different from home, she thought. Her mind flashed back to her first sight of the capital of her homeland. The grey stones had risen impressively out of the lush green Grasslands. She had seen more of the beautiful countryside on this trip than ever before and her love for her homeland had grown to a new level.

"I can't leave, Tosh." She turned to look at the cat sitting on her bed. This is my home. It is where I belong. But this feeling...I don't know how I will be able to ignore it if it gets any stronger.

There must be a reason for it. Tosh replied calmly. Maybe the answer is even here in the city.

Lina nodded. She hoped he was right, but she feared that the answer wasn’t here. The urge to go north still pulled at her.

She climbed back into the thin bed, listening to her father’s steady breathing. She wished she had not had the dream. Not tonight. It had been at least three days since the strange dream had woken her. Now on her first night in the city, when she was already tired from the trip, she had been robbed of her sleep by the dream. She lay in the bed knowing there was no chance she would get back to sleep now.

Her mind turned to the city and the mere thought of exploring the capital filled her with excitement. She had been ecstatic when a month ago her father suggested she accompany him. He had to attend the Record Keeper's meeting, so why shouldn't she come, he said. Her father felt it would be good for her to visit Harmony, since she would be going to school nearby this coming harvest. They were to visit the school on their way home.

Her mother of course had not approved of her going on the trip. But then again, her mother rarely approved of anything she did. She thought Lina should be searching for a husband like many of the other young women her age. Eighteen years old and she should be settling down, her mother would say. She sighed. Her mother was old fashioned that way. She constantly complained about the soft leggings and white shirt Lina usually chose to wear. A dress is more proper for a young woman her mother would tell her. Her mother did not even like the fact she went by the nickname Lina rather than her full name – Karlina.

So it came as no surprise that her mother also did not think Lina should be going to school to become a Land Keeper. She had certainly never understood her daughter’s desire to explore. But Lina had always wanted to be a Land Keeper. When she had passed the entrance exam, something so few people were able to do, she and her father had been thrilled. Her mother was not. Lina knew this career choice would allow her to travel and explore her homeland and maybe even one day to visit the other Lands. Then why, she thought, does the idea of leaving her homeland to follow the calling seem so wrong. Why, if she wanted to see the other Lands, was she reluctant to go now? She knew the answer. She was scared. But she wasn’t sure of what.

Maybe you are afraid of what is out there. Or maybe you just don't want to go alone.

Lina glared at the cat beside her. "Can't you keep out of my thoughts?"

If you were not thinking so loud, I would be asleep right now.

She pushed away her uncertainty and began thinking about what the next day would bring. Her father did not have a meeting until the following day, and he had promised to show her the city. The glimpses she had seen when they arrived earlier in the evening flashed before her eyes. And her father's warning echoed in her mind. It is very busy this time of year, Lina. Both the High Council and the Record Keepers are meeting now. You must be very careful.

Then when they had reached the city gates, the guards had questioned her father intently and even searched the wagon before allowing them to enter. She knew there must be a reason for these precautions but couldn’t understand who would want to hurt the High Council for that was the reason her father had given for the guards' search.

Lina, even in our time of peace, there are those who disagree with the High Council's rulings. Her father's words echoed in the night. Though her father insisted it was only a precaution, the thought still troubled her.

Lina! Please go to sleep.

She sighed. Sometimes Tosh was as bad as her mother.

***

Lina and her father stood in the middle of the street. The sun was high and heat rose from the paving stones. The market square lay before them. Booth after booth lined the rows. Everything imaginable seemed to be for sale. At the closest booth, women and men crowded around bolts of fabric. They touched and lifted the different bolts of fine velvets, lace and silks under the watchful eye of the large man behind the counter. Women at his side measured and cut the cloth as a tall, thin man haggled with the customers over the price. At the next booth, pots and pan, buckets, tins and many things she could not name were piled. Here too people gathered around, eagerly haggling for the goods. Other booths held meats, fruit, glass items, shoes, saddles and even livestock. The crowd moved swiftly; servants overburdened with packages trailed finely dressed women, tired looking mothers tried to keep track of their children as they pushed their way through the crowd while carrying small children or their purchases.

Lina glanced at her father. He was a well-built man in his mid-fifties. His brown hair had begun to grey in the last few years, and he had begun to put on a little weight. But she still remembered him as he looked when she was a child, a tall man with a closely trimmed brown beard and deep humor-filled brown eyes. Her father turned to her and smiled. Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the mayhem. She swung her head from side to side, as she tried to take it all in. A bright blur of color caught her eye, and she turned. A group of men and women, dressed in vivid reds and blues, stood behind several booths. A young woman no older than Lina stood on a wide wooden bench dancing to lively music. Her skirt twirled wildly as she spun. Intrigued, she turned toward the booths.

No, Lina, her father said sternly as he grabbed her arm. "Not that part of the market. I do not even know why the city lets people like them in here. No telling what they are selling. He moved off in the other direction pushing Lina in front of him. Next thing you know they will be selling women and children."

Who are they?

Gypsies. Her father put a certain amount of disgust behind the word.

She stared at him. He had never spoken that way about anyone. Gypsies?

Homeless, traveling men and women who will sell, swindle and do just about anything. You stay away from them. He waited until she nodded before pulling a list from his pocket. He eyed it. Now what did your mother say she wanted?

He turned and almost disappeared into the crowd. Lina hurried after him. She felt odd wearing the long summer dress her mother had packed for her. However, as they went to the first booth, she knew she blended in with everyone else. She watched admiringly as her father expertly haggled for the goods her mother wanted. It didn’t take long for her to understand why Tosh had not wanted to come. Lina loved to walk and explore the Grasslands but Tosh always detested walking great distances. That is what she and her father did all afternoon. They covered the great square at least twice before her father was sure they had everything they needed. Finally, he declared they had everything. He dismissed the man he had hired to carry their purchases back to the inn. The market was no longer busy though a few still argued over the bargains as her father glanced at the sky.

The afternoon is almost over. I should stop by the Head Record Keeper’s office I suppose. Her father considered that as he rubbed his beard. Yes, I should go make sure everything is ready for tomorrow.

They walked toward the center of the city. The buildings became more spaced out. Ornate carvings were etched in both the stones and heavy wooden doors. Finally, they reached the tall two-story building that housed the offices of the Record Keepers. They entered through the huge wooden doors into a large, open room. Evenly spaced thick pillars rose to the high ceiling. Large windows allowed the fading sunlight to light up the room. The room was empty except for a lone person working at a desk near the far wall between two doorways. Wooden benches lay against the front wall. The remaining walls were decorated with vivid pictures of the Grasslands.

Stay here, Lina. I will be right back, her father said and crossed the room, exiting through the doorway on the right.

Lina sat down on one of the benches beside the front door. She watched as men came in carrying large boxes. She guessed they were filled with the records that would be gone over and filed away by the Historians. Her father had brought his records in this morning while she had bathed and dressed.

Quite a bit of time passed before her father returned with another tall, thin man. A dark beard that had begun to grey at the tips covered his youthful-looking face. He stopped before her and nodded as her father introduced her.

Branagan and I have some things to go over. One of the Record Keepers died since our last meeting and the man who replaced him has the records in quite a state. Her father frowned. We'll walk you back to the inn.

The sun was almost set by the time they neared the inn. Her father stopped when it came into sight. We have so much to do. We will leave you here, her father said as he hugged her. He slipped something hard into her hand. Get something to eat and some sleep. I don’t know how long I will be.

Lina watched as he walked down the street with Branagan. They had done so much walking today that she was eager for the chance to sit and rest. She studied the coin her father had given her. The small metal coin gave her a slight thrill. She had never had any money of her own. There never had been a need. Thoughts of a warm meal and the chance to sit down filled her mind, and she eagerly began to walk toward the inn. She had only taken a few steps when a dark object dashed across the street a few yards in front of her.

"Tosh?" She called out silently as the creature slipped between two garbage barrels.

Lina?

She saw two bright eyes staring out at her as she neared. Then as he recognized who she was, Tosh crept out and walked toward her with his tail in the air.

"Where have you been all day?" She knelt down, scratching his head.

Oh, about. He leaned into her scratching. A little lower. Yeah, that's good. He closed his eyes, purring with contentment. Actually, I was trying to find out what might be causing your strange feeling or if there were any other strange occurrences happening.

Lina stopped scratching. And? she said aloud.

Nothing. I found only one other STAC here. Strange. There should be more in a city this size. Anyway, he was old and his thoughts were a bit rambled. He knew nothing. I even listened into several conversations around town and still nothing that will help us.

She sighed. Father and I went by the north gate this afternoon. I had to fight it, Tosh. The feeling got so strong that I almost turned and walked out the gate. She picked him up. What is this? And why me?

I do not know, Lina. But we will figure it out. He rubbed his chin against her face causing her to laugh as his whiskers tickled her nose. We should get out of the evening air.

She set him down and began walking toward the inn. Suddenly, a tall, skinny man stumbled out of the shadows. His clothes were smeared with dirt. He leered at her as the stench of ale assaulted her nose.

Where ya going in such a hurry? He staggered forward, grabbing Lina's arm. He pulled her toward the dark alley behind him.

Let me go!

The man laughed as he used his other hand to pull her close. How 'bout you give me a kiss?

The man lunged for her mouth. Lina turned her head, feeling his lips brush her cheek. She pulled back but the man held her tight.

"Tosh, help me."

What do you want me to do? Bite him?

The man took a step backward, dragging her with him. Lina had had enough of this. Her body began to tingle as she felt the power begin to race through