The Battle for Arcanon Major (The Lost Dacomé Files #1)

By Alexandra May

“As daughter of our ruler I grew up in the crossfire of an ongoing war... All I’d ever wanted to be was a great warrior and ultimately lead my people into victorious battles."

With only a small army at her command Halíka Dacomé, a skilled warrior and daughter of the Elemental King, is ready to lead one final battle to save her planet. A battle against the savage, bloodthirsty Primords who want to extinguish the diminished race of Elementals once and for all.

But before battle commences her father is given an ultimatum from the enemy leader, Arfron Uhnok. If the king agrees, Halíka Dacomé must marry Arfron Uhnok to prevent further bloodshed. If the king disagrees they, as a race, will all perish.

Horrified by her fathers decision Halíka Dacomé leads her army onward regardless of the consequences. Because her heart belongs to another. A love that blossomed many years ago. A love that her father has forbidden.

Halíka faces her toughest battle yet and learns that not all battles are those fought with a sword...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alexandra May
• Release date: Jan 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481939133

Alexandra May

Alexandra May is an English author of four books, bringing together the epic saga of Halíka Dacomé and her modern day equivalent, Rose Frost.Elemental: The First, Elemental: Origin The Battle for Arcanon Major and Ethandun draw in Alexandra's love of strong women characters, sci-fi, history, romance and a little warmongering on the side!For information on the series please visit her website http://www.alexandramay.co.uk

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The Battle for Arcanon Major

(The Lost Dacomé Files #1)

by Alexandra May

© Alexandra May 2013

A SCIENCE FICTION FANTASY

ALEXANDRA MAY ASSERTS THE MORAL RIGHT TO BE IDENTIFIED AS THE AUTHOR OF THIS WORK.

This book is entirely a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Except for use in any review no part of this e-book/publication may be reproduced, extracted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise circulated without the prior permission of the author.

Alexandra May can be contacted at www.alexandramay.co.uk

or by email at [e-mail]

Before the people shall be free

Three tyrant rulers shall she see.

Three rulers in succession be

Each springs from different dynasty.

Mother Mary Shipton – Prophecies

For Stuart

Scribe Notes

File #1 - An account of the Battle of Arcanon Major

during the 71st Dynasty of Capíok Dacomé, Ruler of Xiryathon

As told by Halíka Dacomé to Scribe Welíjka

Our home, Xiryathon, lies in the Arcaneda system and is the closest of four planets that orbit twin suns. The now stark, barren landscape covering the globe was once an industrial metropolis. War, sands, and decay have eaten away at our once-thriving cities leaving us, the Elementals, on the brink of extinction. The rich interior core that our planet was renowned for, the Xerilium—hard, strong, unyielding mined metal—was the main source of interplanetary barter and revenue for many years, but our mines now lay unworkable and as unfruitful as the land above.

Civil war has ravaged Xiryathon for twenty-seven years. Our enemy, the inferior Primord race, has been fighting for an end to the Elemental monarchic rule. Though our races have existed together on the same sphere, we are vastly different. Elementals are an advanced, gifted, superior race of beings, whereas the Primords are not. Squat, malformed, and almost creaturelike in character, the Primords now only take pleasure in the chaos that war provides.

For eons the Primords have accepted the passive good nature of the Elemental ruling class, and have been treated and judged fairly in all aspects of life by their more advanced neighbours.

But the psyche of the Primords has changed in more recent decades. They hunger for control, power, and want nothing more than to end their minority ruling. They savour the taste of bloodshed. They destroy everything that lies in their path. The other larger cities of the planet were left in ruin; the small towns on the edge of the plains were destroyed. Elemental families who lived outside the protective walls of Arcanon Major were slaughtered, their homes razed to the ground.

And the Primords gloried in the carnage.

We stand on the brink. The final conflict that will leave Xiryathon an anarchic wasteland if the Primords finally win, with the ultimate reward being the total annihilation of the Elemental race.

Only one bright city, one small dominion remains unscathed from the terrible destruction, but the population is ever declining and we are losing hope. The inner city of Arcanon Major, supreme capital of Xiryathon, is now under siege. All that is left of the Elemental reign now lies here. The twin rows of barricades that circle the inner city are sturdy and well built but remain the only defense for the Elementals. It is only a matter of time before the barricades are breached.

The Elemental army of just four thousand will fight an army over six hundred thousand strong. The Primords are aware that their greatest advantage comes in an Edict written in the 68th Dynasty by Fontíoc Dacomé, an historic Elemental ruler.

In the proclamation, written after a personal tragedy, Fontíoc Dacomé declares that all Elementals are forbidden to use their magical abilities in the time of war.

Battles, the Edict affirms, should be won using only the mettle and brawn of men. Victory can only be deserved if the bravest of all fight with stealth, strength, and honour. Any man caught using magical abilities will face the penalty of dismemberment or incarceration, a choice that only trial can decide. All lands, titles, and rights will also be forfeit to the State.

In four thousand years, no man has dared to violate the Edict, until the Battle of Arcanon Major.

Halíka Dacomé resides in prison, awaiting news that will change her life forever—exile—and I, Scribe Lydnet Welíjka, will now tell her story.

Chapter 1 - Dawn

Blink.

What?

You never blink.

I can’t afford to blink, I might miss something.

Jerik scratched his stubbly chin. That’s not true and you know it. This breeze’ll dry out your eyes the more you stare, that’s all.

I swept my copper hair off my shoulder and glanced momentarily at my brother. Jerik Dacomé was seven years my junior. Much to his dismay he spent most of his time kept away from the heavy action—for good reason. Being here on this embankment was a novelty for him. For me it was an everyday routine.

As the brisk morning wind flicked at our hair, it was hard to believe how much he’d grown up since joining the 5th Legion only a year ago. He was no longer the small boy I wanted to shield from danger. He was almost my height, and almost a man.

A sudden gust pushed a stray lock across his black eyelashes hiding emerald eyes, so like my own. With confident grace, he secured it back into its tidy leather thong.

Little brother, you fuss too much. Are you so keen to get back to the 5th Corridor? I said sarcastically and smirked. I’ll have Orelían drag you back, you know I will.

All I’m saying is that you’ll damage your lenses. This dust and sand gets everywhere. I’m just looking out for you. He let out a deep sigh, defeated, not catching the wit in my voice.

My lenses are fine. Stop worrying. Anyway, there’s nothing to see yet. But I must remain vigilant, Jerik. The Primords will be on us sooner than I’d like. I have to be ready the moment they appear. Guilt was an emotion I wasn’t used to but I was aware that I’d stamped on his feelings. I’m used to this. This is what I do, I said softly.

Sorry, Hally, he shrugged absently. His courage made me laugh. Nobody was allowed to call me Hally but him. You know I meant no disrespect.

Sniffing into the air and smelling nothing out of the ordinary, I smiled broadly. Don’t be sorry. It’s nice knowing you care, I whispered back.

At last Jerik’s face lifted into a tender smile. A smile that was meant only for me.

I am Halíka Dacomé, daughter of Capíok and Alíanka Dacomé (now deceased) and sister to Jerik Dacomé.

My name was a court title in itself. The last name Dacomé signified the royal bloodline. We had no use for standard royalty titles as the other planets in our alliance used. Dacomé names were created to be spoken together—Halíka Dacomé—reverently and respectfully. First names only were considered the worst condescension and carried a heavy penalty for disloyalty to the Crown.

If Jerik had called me Hally when my father was around, the boy would’ve been flogged for betraying the royal code. I allowed a few close friends to call me diminutives but they were careful enough to use it when my father or any other dignitary was out of earshot. Personally, I disliked the royal code and its pointless rules. It wasn’t as if someone had stolen anything, or hurt anyone intentionally. Still, I had to lead by example. And until my father relinquished his throne, the rule stood.

As daughter of our ruler, I grew up in the crossfire of an ongoing war. As a young child I would sit on my mother’s knee, watching the Skeptics debate in the War Rooms. From the age of four and encouraged by my mother, instead of playing with ribbons and posies like the other girls of nobility, I eagerly grasped a sword, knife, or glaive in one hand, a shield in the other. By choice, the art of weaponry and warfare was my only schooling. Until I was old enough for the real thing. All I’d ever wanted to be was a great warrior, to ultimately lead my people into victorious battles.

On my sixteenth birthday and now considered an adult, I was granted my greatest wish. By order of the Arcan, the most senior Council of the City and as a birthday gift from my father, I was given absolute authority over the Arcanon army.

In my new role as Legion Overlord, the captains and soldiers soon learned to trust my natural instincts and skill. Even the old-timers, those of the Old Elite who’d seen more wars than most. The mantle of being the youngest ever Overlord, and a woman, had been a heavy one in the beginning.

But war was never over, merely an ever-changing, evolutionary cycle. Like the ebb and flow of a tide. Never the same a second time.

An end to this war was long overdue and I craved something I had never known with all my heart.

Peace.

My father finally saw his great reign as a failure when we lost the other Xiryathon cities one by one. The Primords had overtaken and assumed control easily. The loss of our people living in those cities was devastating. Capíok Dacomé was more broken now than he had ever been. He no longer had the luxury of his people’s confidence and his authority was growing weaker every day. He kept himself isolated in the palace, rarely seeing Xiryathon’s one last stronghold with his own eyes, too scared to be amongst the people he ruled. To him, he would lose nothing because he had nothing to lose anymore.

I missed my mother more than anything. Her kindness and strength, her optimism and infallible faith in me. Her death, at Jerik’s birth, had maimed me like nothing ever had. When my father laid his eyes on me, I knew he saw a replication of her, and he disliked me for that reason. His relationship with Jerik had always been strained. Whether blame was behind my father’s reserve, I wasn’t sure, but both Jerik and I remained dutiful. We were both taught from a young age that a kingdom is not just a king. A kingdom is the people, and they needed our strength to guide them through these dark days.

The people only had faith in one person now: me. I led my soldiers into battle again and again. Yes, soldiers died and there was no going back from that. But every battle we won, the people’s hope lifted. I saw it in their eyes when I walked through the city streets. They still clung to a sliver of hope and while they held it in their hearts, I did my best every day not to let them down. We could not lose hope; it was all we had left.

In reality, I had lost more hope than most. In a way, I had lost who I really was.

Underneath my toughened and proud exterior, I mourned greatly when my colleagues, friends, and allies were cut down in a fight. All were exceptional men and women who I would miss. The years of war had made me resilient to the misery and suffering that went hand in hand with battle, but my stonelike manner made people who didn’t know me well uneasy. That’s what it took to be an Overlord.

The soldiers who fought for me would never dare call me anything but my full name.

Chapter 2 - Nerído

Jerik, once the fight starts, you will return to Captain Orelían, understood?

He squinted. I’ve been thinking about that. I know you mean well, but for once, will you let me stay with you?

We’ve been through this already. I narrowed my eyes at him. Remaining here isn’t an option. The 1st Corridor is too dangerous, brother. You are the sole heir to the throne. I cannot afford to have you here. Father will never forgive me if you get hurt.

He let out

Reviews for The Battle for Arcanon Major (The Lost Dacomé Files #1)

[jwitt33 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Disclaimer: This is a prequel to a series I haven't read yet, which made it a bit hard to follow at times, but not to the extent that I wasn't able to keep up. Because it was a very short book, it didn't go in-depth into all the different people, which probably helped. I feel like I have a working knowledge of the different groups, though, and look forward to continuing the story. I liked Halika Dacome, the main character, and how she was a warrior and a leader but took the time to look out for the people she was in charge of, including her younger brother, with whom she was very close. Not so much her father, though, as he was a cold and heartless man, so that was totally understandable.All in all, I enjoyed this very quick read and look forward to seeing where the story goes.4/5 stars.*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Pauma Publishing, and Alexandra May for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[bailschris · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've always been wary of prequels to books, mostly because they can either frustrate your desire to read more of the books or excite you to love the characters more. Honestly, if the word prequel is attached, I tend to avoid them completely. I am pleased and excited to say that I am glad that I read this one.The Battle for Acranon Major by Alexandra May is a sort of backstory for what is happening in the book Elemental: The First. In the prequel, you are introduce to a unique world that is different from our own. These people, Elementals, are far more advanced than any human civilization and yet there is something about them that lingers far enough back in history that you know they aren't modern day characters. It doesn't take long before you are attached to the characters, to the world, to their lives.Halíka Dacomé is the center character for the story, bringing a character that I've been familiar with since I read Elemental: The First. Instead of viewing her as a hardened warrior, a vicious being, and an Elemental without feeling, I learned just how deep this character actually was. I never understood what was so amazing about her until I read this. She has so many dimensions, so many roles to play in this hierarchical culture she was born into. Her main quality as a character in the beginning is loyalty -- loyalty to her father, loyalty to her people, and loyalty to the person everyone expects her to be. It becomes clear as the story progresses, loyalty must be the first thing to go. She is a beautiful character because of how well developed and written she is. In such a short story, I became attached to her and fell in love with her story.Now, I really want to focus on the aftermath of the broken loyalty. The first thing I noticed was the fact that those closest to her were often the source of the greatest betrayal. Her friendships were her greatest weak point in her armor and it was definitely exploited throughout the story. She is such a strong character but I think her loyalty stems from trust which often connects with innocence to the betrayals of friends and family. I wanted to shake her for being naive and yet I cannot place any blame on her because her innocence and naivety reminds me a lot of myself.Don't get me wrong when I say that the betrayals frustrated me (although they were important to the plot) and that the relationships she created were a source of anxiety for me. Who do you trust? Who can you trust? That is something that the main character battles with throughout the story. I love the characters that made up her group of friends because just like the main character, they are as well developed and interesting. I was sad to not learn more about her father or the bad guys of the story but of course, the story was short. The romance in the story was good and I loved the forbidden twist to it which I know can only lead to greater heartache. All of the characters that played a part in the story were great and definitely made a great impression on me.Woohoo! I get to talk about my favorite thing: the world the author created. There is nothing quite like when an author executes a fantasy world and manages to make it connect so well with the reader's opinion of a fantasy world. I never once thought, "Oh this world is weird," or "This simply isn't believable." I completely bought into the world and could make connections between Earth and this world the author had brought to life on the page. I love when stories do that. This story is an epic prequel to what I believe will be a great series, especially if it continues to follow the pattern of this story. It can be read prior to Elemental: The First or after but it definitely fills in a lot of blanks that are left at the end of Elemental.