Myths of the Magaram 4: Quest of the Heart

By Carl Johnson

HEROES ARE CHOSEN TO SAVE BOTH REALMS
TRIED, TESTED, AND PROVED TO BE WORTHY

It used to be that his purpose was infatuation and curiosity. But the years of facing deadly opponents in the seemingly labyrinthine forests have passed and Julio finally catches up to the woman that ignited his fires.

Of course, it isn't as simple as he thought it was.

He knew that she is not of this world, that she is more mythical than real. But when Julio steps foot on the fabled realm of the Magaram, a race that for most humans only exists in folklore, he not only proves that he is right... he learns how unprepared he was for the truth.

It is not the ever after that he hoped.

Quest of the Heart, fourth of Myths of the Magaram Series, brings to light the real reason why Julio has been chosen. Every deadly adventure he has bested was not to prove his love for the Magaram woman, but a test for something else.

The human realm is about to get into the Second World War, and though there is no way to stop it, it can be cut short. He is not the only agent that had been tested, but he is the one closest to one pivotal area – the province where the Japanese Imperial Army will hold sway.

With nothing more than a vague promise to go on with, Julio embarks on a journey that puts him in harm’s way—again—and makes him question the motives behind being chosen.

For not only will he be fighting humans—he will also be fighting Magaram.

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EXCERPT
As their training progressed, Julio became more and more entranced by her. All throughout his stay in the realm, she had been nothing but an observer, and yet that did not diminish his fascination with her. But when they entered the plane, he had seen her do just about anything he could not imagine a woman doing—including schooling him.

By the fourth time they engaged in an impromptu sparring session, usually brought about by his doubts and stubbornness, Julio began to accept that he would never be as good as she was. He recalled the respect the other high guards had shown her.

Every day, his mind was filled thoughts of adventures with her, living with her, loving her. A week had passed before he had the nerve to ask.

“Why do you care?” he asked, tending to the young flames that were to be his source of warmth for the night.

“I do not follow,” she responded.

“I mean... why do you care if I survive or not? You said it yourself—there is going to be war and it’s going to be big.”

“I did say that, yes,” she replied.

“Look, say I fail and die. What difference does it make?”

“Nothing. Everything. No one truly knows,” she responded honestly.

“What... what is it to you?”

She was caught off guard. Her head turned in his direction like a whip. She stared at him, her long, elegant neck giving her chin more prominence. Julio’s heart stopped. He swallowed, though his mouth was suddenly dry.

You finish this, he told himself. Do not back out now.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandra Ross
• Release date: Jun 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311856159

Book preview

Quest Of The Heart

By Carl Johnson

Published by Publications Circulations LLC.

SmashWords Edition

All contents copyright (C) 2014 by Publications Circulations LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, companies and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

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Chapter One

THE ONASIPI WAS the great building that crowned the hanging city from where the Araman held council. The beauty of the structure filled Julio with so much awe that he was almost fazed. He was already impressed with its facade, but when the great stone doors opened, he was dumbstruck.

He noticed that he could look through to the other side of the building, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he followed Irina's cue.

Julio immediately grabbed Irina's arm once they were inside. They were hanging, suspended on air. His feet told him he was on even ground but his mind was telling him he was about to fall. Everything was transparent and Julio immediately felt dizzy. He turned back to see the closed stone doors and found it was the same.

From inside the building, he could see the entire Magaram landscape, as far as his eyes could discern. The high ceiling, the second story where the Araman had private quarters, was the only part that was opaque. If not for the fine adornments and jeweled linings, it would have been hard to tell where the walls were.

Come, Irina swayed him.

She held on to his hand as led him across the large hall. Julio could not stop himself from looking down. It was disorienting to see the small outlines of shops and schools below him.

Looking ahead, he saw a group of male and female Magaram, seated, engaged in a lively discussion. From the floating jewels, Julio surmised there was a wall between them but he could see inside just the same.

The jewels started to turn as Julio and Irina approached. He immediately guessed that a door had opened, the retreating jewels and golden lines on both sides confirmed it. As they stepped in, Julio became aware of how ridiculous he looked holding on to a woman, so he let go.

The first thing that struck him was the clothing the Araman wore. They were of the same variety he had seen earlier that day, except theirs were lined with glittering material that changed color depending on the angle. He assumed it was the angle because every time they moved, the glittering colors changed.

Greetings and welcome, greeted a male Magaram. I am called Araulo.

He did not reply. He noted that Araulo spoke in his tongue but it still had traces of the formality he had heard from Irina. He was a most handsome male, at least by human standards. His jet black hair shone where the light hit it and was neatly swept back.

As he gestured to introduce the other six Magaram, Julio noticed that he was wearing a finely crafted ring-entwined serpents bearing a deep red gem that was set at the top. Looking at the others, he found that they too wore rings just as finely crafted, but with different gems and designs.

I trust that Irina already gave you a short tour? asked a female named Ara.

She was a striking woman. Of the three women that composed the Araman, Ara seemed to be the oldest, yet she exuded the most grace. By human standards, Julio placed her around her forties. In this realm, he may never guess.

Yes, he replied.

Wonderful, Ara commented. We anticipate that you may have many inquiries. We shall endeavor to respond to them all.

I was just told there was not enough time, he plainly answered.

"Time. It has been long since I have heard of the word," piped in the one named Guriat, the oldest of them all, at least by appearance.

'Tis true, we needed your person here in the swiftest possible period, Araulo explained. Though time in the realm, as I trust Irina had related to you, appears different, slower by your measurement, it is considerably so here in the Onasipi.

You can do that? But how is that possible? Julio asked, genuinely curious.

With the passing of events, time, as you call it, Araulo answered, Everything is possible. Come now, you must have plenty of queries.

Given the signal, Julio started his barrage of questions. All his queries had answers and explanations but some of them, he did not understand. He accepted their answers, but sometimes he challenged them, too.

Throughout the course of the entire exchange, Julio had learned just about everything he wondered about the Magaram realm. He learned about creatures in both realms and their characteristics. He learned about plants and trees and their uses. He learned about how the Magaram did not have a king like he imagined months ago. He learned about how the Magaram hid in plain sight.

Most of all, he learned about magic. The Magaram explained it to him as best they could. No matter how hard they tried to disillusion him, it did not remove his awe. He was assured that what appeared as magic was just something misunderstood by his kind.

Yet this had no effect on him, he was still fascinated by it. All of the gathered Magaram were amused by his fascination.

The entire session was made easier by the figures that appeared, hovering above the circular table that appeared to have been made from one piece of dark stone.

Signaling that the time for questions had ended, two young Magaram boys entered the room, bearing food and fruits. Julio had been enjoying the entire conversation so much that he did not pay attention to the passing of time.

Seeing the food being brought in, he suddenly realized how hungry he was. When Arxe, the redheaded Magaram woman nodded to him, denoting that it was all right to dig in, he did so with much gusto.

Pardon us for insisting but we must continue, Araulo spoke. As you must have suspected, we do have a task we were hoping to charge you with.

The Magaram in the room all nodded their heads with Araulo's words. Julio was beginning to think he was the king. All the other Araman respected and deferred to his words, Julio observed.

Irina already told me. What could you possibly need from me that you don't already have? he asked.

"Quite possibly,