Ascension of the Whyte: The Afterland Chronicles, #1

By Karen Wrighton

Today, she died - tomorrow, she must save a world.

What if you died and woke up in a land where anything seemed possible? A land of magic, privilege, and prejudice where wizards and dragons reigned. What if you were asked to lead a magical war against a being so powerful that he once obliterated an entire race. Would you?
Rose accepts this challenge, entering the Aurum Oratory - a school of magic and wizardry, where she is prepared for a dangerous, magical quest. It's aim - to destroy one of the greatest evils of all time. 

What readers are saying:

"An epic fantasy to rival that of the great classics" 

"A magical fantasy adventure story, I wished it would never end"

"I haven't experienced that wonderfully magical feeling since I read the first Harry Potter book when I was a child."

If you loved Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson or Game of Thrones series, then you should enjoy this magical, roller coaster ride of fear, tenacity, and courage. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Magic Press
• Release date: Mar 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386172642

Karen Wrighton

Bestselling Young Adult Author  An established British Author, Karen Wrighton is an Amazon bestselling author of books for teenagers and for adults with teenage hearts. Karen's books are a blend of everything she loves to read - tales of Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem! Most of Karen's work falls under the broad umbrella of Speculative Fiction, a genre of fiction that involves supernatural, futuristic, or other imagined elements. This encompasses the traditional genres of Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Supernatural Fiction and Science Fantasy. This eclectic genre provides Karen with the flexibility to write stories which, appear to be very different from one other, yet maintain that 'other worldly' element which characterizes her work. Karen’s début novel ASCENSION OF THE WHYTE became an Amazon Bestseller, as did the second in the series RYTE OF PASSAGE. The Afterland Chronicles series, described as Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter, will be completed in 2017 with the release of ICE AND FYRE, the third book in the series. Karen’s Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian novel, THE LAST GIRL GUIDE, also won high praise. Breaking with the current trend for ‘Zombie’ Apocalypse books, the novel has been favorably compared to similar works of speculative fiction such as ‘The Road’ and ‘The Girl With All The Gifts’. Karen has two daughters and lives in a small cottage in rural Norfolk, England with her husband John, crazy dog Jinks, and Pippin, their remarkably lazy cat. You can find Karen at www.karenwrightonbooks.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenwrightonsbooks  Twitter: @KarenWrighton Get Karen’s FREE Starter Library - two best-selling novels - by signing up for her mailing list at: www.karenwrightonbooks.com

Book preview

Ascension

Sara Carson was too young to die. Fifteen was too young for anyone to die. Sara never saw the vehicle that hit her, the screech of tyres and the acrid scent of burning rubber barely penetrated her senses before the truck ploughed into her. Distraught shoppers dropped their packages and hurried to her side. Amongst them, two girls, wearing the same tartan uniform as Sara, hands sheltered their gaping mouths. Blood oozed from her shattered skull, forging a meandering path down into the corner of one violet blue eye gazing fixed and unseeing, into a vast and callous sky. As the growing crowd looked on, powerless to prevent it, Sara’s final earthly breath escaped her body, spiralling upwards, a mere wisp of vapour in the cold, damp, air. Yet this was far from the end of her story …

Dawn was breaking on Ascension Day in the Afterland of Aurum, and it was as golden as the city of Aureus itself. Shafts of amber sunlight lit the majestic skyline, picking out the silhouettes of the citadel, its dark rooftops lit with slivers of gold. The most striking of the buildings was the Pyrus, the parliament building, its magnificent golden spires flying white standards displaying the three golden fyre hawk emblem of Aurum .

Adjacent to the Pyrus loomed the enormous dome of the ascension basilica and beyond this two gigantic golden fyre hawk statues flanked the gates of the ancient Oratory, the oldest building in Aurum.

Inside the basilica, two custodians waited for the year’s new intake of novices to ascend. Senior Custos Baroque fingered the golden keychain on his girdle. His tall frame was draped in the golden-threaded robes of Aurum. Pinned at his shoulder were the apis bee and half sun pins, marking his magical potens and his office. 

Even now, in his thirtieth year as Custodian, Baroque still felt a surge of excitement as each cubiculum filled with ascension vapour and the sound of the ascension bell rang out over the citadel.

Marcus, a young man in only his second year as Custodian, was Baroque’s assistant. Baroque watched him with amusement as the young Gold obsessively monitored each cubiculum for the flickering vapour wisps that marked the beginning of the ascension process.  Nervously Marcus brushed back his long flaxen hair, before checking for the third time that he had laid out the correct number of robes, shoes, and girdle belts on the small marble tables in each quarter.  His excitement was tangible, almost as if he sensed that this Ascension Day would be like no other before.

It’s starting! Marcus rushed to inspect one of the stone ascension caskets known as cubicula.

Peering in through the glass of each of the Gold quarter containers, his eyes sparked with excitement.

I have wisps in four cubicula, he said as he caught the aroma of first ascension vapour. It was the fragrance of the honey flower, the vapour scent of the Golds.

We have four Golds ascending in the first quarter. Expectantly, the young man careered around, checking each of the cubicles for vapour wisps. He smiled, hearing the faint hiss as the thick golden vapour flooded into the four cubicula. The ascension bell tolled four times over the citadel. Ascension had begun.

The circular ascension chamber had four quarters, each housing four cubicula. Fashioned from ornately carved Aurum stone, gold and glass, the cubicula were festooned with the emblems of each land. Each quarter brought forth ascendants from Terra Coram. These newly formed beings, all ultimately destined for one of the four Afterlands, would attend the adjoining Oratory to prepare for their designated roles. In ancient times, the cubicula ascended four casts, today there were but three. There would be four Gold ascendants for the land of Aurum, four Muds for the land of Ferrum, and four Bloods for the land of Hydrargyrum. The remaining four cubicula would not bring forth ascendants and had not for over a thousand years since the Afterland of Rhodium had fallen at the end of the great Dragon War. There were no Rhodium Whytes left to ascend.

An unpleasant, sulphurous aroma filled the chamber as the four Hydrargyrum cubicula began

to

wisp

.

Four Bloods wisping now! Said Marcus, buzzing as he watched the Hydrargyrum chambers hiss and fill with orange-red vapour.

He rushed between the cubicula impatiently tapping his hands on the glass as he gazed inside. Looking back over to the Aurum chambers where the Golds were ascending, he could see their vapour beginning to solidify, forming the delicate angular features of the Golds. Their faces were now easily distinguishable through the glass and remaining shreds of mist, there were two male and two female, as was the custom. The last scent to fill the chamber was the crisp, clean smell of pinewood, as the Muds began to ascend.

It is time, Baroque watched the last hazy wisps curl and descend into the bodies of the newly formed Gold ascendants.  Prepare to receive the Golds.

Marcus grabbed the pile of clothing he had laid ready and hurried to the first Aurum cubicula. At its foot, he placed one folded golden robe of Aurum, one pair of golden slippers and one golden spider’s silk girdle. Then he stood at the head of the prime cubicula and looked to Baroque for a confirming nod, before pulling on a large golden lever on its side.  Marcus stepped back as the four cubicula began to tilt slowly upwards until they were upright and then, the glass doors swung open to reveal four perfect, naked human forms.

The Golds were a beautiful cast, delicately boned, thick golden hair, honey coloured skin and eyes the colour of amber, flecked with shimmering gold. As their eyes opened, Marcus saw within them the expression of bewilderment and fear that was common to all new ascendants. One of them, a male, attempted to vacate too quickly. In his post-ascension, trance-like state, and with his newly formed body still infant weak, he stumbled. Marcus barely managed to

catch

him

.

Where am I... who? He said, with a look of bewilderment towards Marcus and then to Baroque. I don’t... 

There is nothing to fear here Baroque’s words were softly reassuring. Please, do not be afraid.

He held out a steadying hand and helped the young Gold back into the support of the cubicula before stepping back to address the four Gold ascendants.

All will be made clear in time, As always, Baroque marvelled at the beauty and wonder of the ascension process, and once again, he felt privileged to be a part of it.  Attempting a brief introduction, he gestured towards Marcus.

Lord Marcus and I, Lord Baroque, as Custodians, bid you welcome to the Afterland of Aurum.

The ascendants looked blankly back at him and then at each other before gazing vacantly at their strange and grandiose surroundings.

I request that you be still for a while, said Baroque at present you are weak from Ascension, but you will rapidly regain your strength. Then you will accompany us to the Atrium, where your induction will commence, and all will be made clear to you. He turned to Marcus. Their robes?

Marcus picked up the golden robes from the carefully folded piles and helped them to dress.

Satisfied, Baroque moved on to the Hydrargyrum quarter as the Bloods were completing their wisping. He laid out the four black robes, black pumps, and red dragon leather belts at the foot of each cubiculum before raising them. When the doors swung open, he found himself looking into four sets of slanted, piercingly cold

ebony

eyes

.

The casts were referred to in a way that reflects their hair colour as it is the feature that most distinguishes one race from another. The Bloods, for example, had a mass of unruly scarlet hair. This, when combined with their slanted black eyes, blue-grey tinged skin, and purple hued lips, made them the most striking of all the casts of the Afterlands.

As Baroque welcomed the Hydrargyrum Blood ascendants, Marcus prepared to receive the Muds. He laid out their vibrant green, woven tunics and their bearskin belts and boots. Then, pushing down the golden lever, he raised them to their feet.  The Ferrum Muds were a formidable cast with strong muscular bodies, caramel skin, chestnut-brown hair and eyes as green and bright as the rarest emeralds. The final four bells rang out over the city. The ascension dawn was complete.

The ascendants dressed, their strength growing rapidly though their vacant, trance-like state remained. When Baroque judged that they had recovered enough, he and Marcus helped them from their cubicula.

Although they appeared extremely curious about their fellow ascendants, they were slow to converse with each other. Remaining dazed and confused, they huddled together in the centre of the chamber, watching each other warily, like a group of lost children.

Baroque mounted the basilica’s central plinth; a single circular stone carved with the three fyre hawks of Aurum. He spoke with a natural air of authority; his tone measured, soft and welcoming. 

Ascended children of the Afterlands, his deep voice echoed around the domed basilica, I hope you are feeling a little stronger now. I understand that, quite reasonably, you are impatient for some answers to your questions. Therefore, without further delay, we will relocate to the Atrium. If you will follow…. 

Interrupted by a loud hiss from the fourth quarter cubicula, Baroque swung his head around with a start. The four Rhodium cubicula began to fill with vapour.

No! he turned to Marcus.

The shocked expression on Marcus’s face confirmed his fears.

Go… quickly! said Baroque Bring the Prima Magister!

Marcus hesitated, watching stunned and open-mouthed as the Rhodium cubicula rapidly filled with thickly scented ascension vapour.

Now, Baroque shouted, "get

Lord

Dux

!"

Marcus stumbled briefly on the central plinth as he ran from the basilica. The curious eyes of twelve young ascendants fell on Baroque and then followed his gaze to the four vapour filled cubicula.

Most of the ascendants, bemused and uneasy, remained huddled together in the centre of the chamber. Baroque endeavoured to pull his attention away from the Rhodium cubicula.

You need not be concerned, he said, to settle them. I am sure that it’s nothing to worry about just, very, unusual…. 

The ascension bell tolled for a fourth time, an event that had not occurred for over a thousand years. Baroque could contain himself no longer. He ran over to the Rhodium quarter and fell to his knees at the foot of the fourth Rhodium cubicula. If a Rhodium Whyte is about to ascend, then it can mean only one thing. A chill spread through his body as if an icy hand had closed tightly around his heart. His mind raced. Some sort of error perhaps, the second ascension of one of the other casts? He searched for some other explanation, but he knew, deep down, this was no error. Then, with a sudden insight, he rose to his feet and ran to each of the cubicula, in turn, filling his lungs, inhaling the scent of the vapour from each of them. At first, he was reassured as the aroma of pine wood, sulphur, honey flower permeated his senses, but at the prime cubicula, there was something else. His breath caught in his throat. Emanating from the first Rhodium cubicula was the unmistakable sweet and intoxicating fragrance of the

snow

rose

.

The ascension scriptures were clear; the fragrance of the snow rose signalled the ascension of a Whyte. Baroque shook his head in disbelief, then, oblivious to the anxious stares of the young ascendants, he buried it in his hands, rubbing at his temples with his fingertips.

This is not possible, he said, looking through his fingers at the pale form now materialising in the cubicula

before

him

.

There had been no Whyte ascendants for over a thousand years, since the end of the Dragon War and now, unbelievably, a Whyte was ascending once more. Baroque’s eyes spread wide as he realised the implications of this. Steeling himself, he drew in a long breath. He had been preparing for this day for over thirty years and yet it was a day that he believed he would never see. His duty was clear; he had to get the word south, immediately.

Marcus returned, accompanied by the five members of High Council, including Prima Magister Bertram Dux, who strode into the basilica with the self-assurance and poise of a deity.

Dux was a tall, slim man, his shaven head encased within a white and gold magisterial skullcap, a golden fyre hawk emblem embroidered at its centre.  The Councillors’ arrival provoked a general commotion when, upon seeing the rapidly filling Rhodium cubicula, they promptly shot a stream of questions at the Senior Custos. The twelve young ascendants, unsettled by the Councillors’ confusion and alarm, backed away to the wall of the chamber.

Baroque lifted his hands in exasperation.

I am afraid that I have few answers for you, he said. Except that, I believe that we are about to witness something astounding, something we have not experienced in more than a thousand years. He paused, amazed at the words he was about to utter, we are about to bear witness to the ascension of a Whyte.  

Dux’s body stiffened. A shocked silence followed. Dux bent close to Baroque, lowering his voice to a whisper. Are you saying that the prophecy of Eldwyn the Whyte is about to be realised? 

Baroque shook his head incredulously. "It appears so

my

Lord

."

Dux frowned but we have received no indication of any conflict within the Land of Ferrum. Could this not be an artefact, a fault in the ascension process?

I fear not my lord, said Baroque motioning toward the Rhodium cubicula. "The first part of the prophecy has been fulfilled; for is this, not a Whyte ascending in the female frame?"

The ascent was almost complete; through the glass and remaining vapour, they could see a human female face; a girl’s translucent, alabaster skin framed by a mass of shining silver-white hair.  As they watched, her eyelids flickered open to reveal a pair of striking violet-

blue

eyes

.

Rose The Whyte

The girl looked out from the glass of the cubicula and into the eyes of a group of strangers, regarding her with expressions of astonishment and awe. She did not know who they were. She did not recognise them or the room, with its high domed white stone ceiling and elaborately carved gold and red hawks. She did not recognise any of it. In fact, she had no memory of anything.  She had no memory of her name or where she was from, no memory of family, friends or of ever being Sara, a young girl out shopping for a gift for her friend’s birthday. Her past was an empty landscape, containing nothing but faint outlines, ghosts within

the

mist

.

As she felt herself tipping upward, she became suddenly afraid. In an attempt to regain her calm, she focussed her concentration on the cubicula’s glass doors. They were misting up as she breathed on them; their gilded lights had worn thin and were covered in a mass of tiny scratches from centuries of constant polishing. She jumped, startled, as the glass doors of the cubicula swung open and her silence was violated by a cacophony of sounds. Her head rattled with the gasps and cries of the flamboyantly dressed, observers though she caught only snatches of their rapidly spoken, muddled words and phrases.

...a Whyte, ... does this mean? Prophecy... 

Realising that she seemed to be the focus of all this excitement, she felt the back of her neck prickle. A wave of anxious panic engulfed her. Her heart pounded in her chest and then, from somewhere deep within, a voice reassured her that all would be well. Calm washed over her. She felt bewildered, she felt afraid, but something felt right.

Marcus approached Baroque We have no robes for a Whyte ascendant. He said nervously The only Whyte robes we have are in the vitrine.

Baroque took an ornate golden key from the key chain on his girdle and handed it to Marcus.

So bring them to her,

he

said

.

Marcus hurried to the vitrine, a large glass and gold display case mounted at the entrance of the basilica. For over a thousand years, it had housed the silver white robe, silver slippers and a girdle strung with silver, five petal Rhodium roses. Until today, they had been a mere tourist attraction. Visitors had travelled from all over the Afterlands to get a glimpse of the robes that, to them, were the last remaining vestige of Eldwyn the Whyte and the ancient

Rhodium

cast

.

Marcus put the key into the lock. Turning it, he glanced down at the inscription on the ornate gold plate on the base of the vitrine:

'This robe was created from remnants of the garments of Eldwyn the Whyte, the last Master Wizard of Rhodium. Lord Eldwyn cast the powerful petrification spell, binding the Blood Alchemist, Lord Ka-ek-tal, into stone. By this act, Eldwyn prevented Lord Ka and his Ophites from breaking the seal on Tollen's Gate and unleashing the Djinn of Erebus. If it were not for the actions of Eldwyn the Whyte, the Afterlands would have fallen on that day, as did the Rhodium people.

Lord Eldwyn, struck down by fractionation venom, laid down his prophecy and constructed a potent incantatio spell. However, he did not survive this final battle. Eldwyn’s prophecy foretells of a day when the Afterlands will again be threatened and when a Whyte will, once more, ascend to these lands.'

With some reverence, Marcus lifted the beautiful white silk robe and accompanying garments from the display. Then from the store cupboard, he collected the appropriate clothes for the other three ascendants of the Whyte quarter, one for the Blood, one for the Mud, and one for

the

Gold

.

When he returned, the atmosphere in the chamber was tense with excitement. The new ascendants, appearing to have forgotten their earlier trepidation, had congregated around the central plinth to get a better view of what, evidently was an immensely important occasion.  However, they were unaware of how important.  Never before had an ascension quarter held ascendants of more than one cast, there was no precedent for it. Never had a mixed cast cell ascended, let alone one comprised of all four races.

As they stepped out of their cubicula, Marcus assisted them into their robes. Not only was there a generally excited hum in the chamber, but the news of the Whyte ascension had spread. The fourth sounding of the bell had generated curiosity in many inhabitants of the surrounding areas of the city.  Students from the adjoining Oratory jostled and chattered excitedly as they began to arrive and congregate with the new ascendants.  It was not long before a crowd had also gathered outside, in the basilica’s courtyard, between the two buildings.

Dux stepped up onto the central plinth.  The room fell silent almost instantly.

"Welcome to you all. We are honoured today to bear witnesses to a unique and historic event. Many of you will know of the prophecy of Eldwyn the Whyte and be aware of the implications of its fulfilment. However, this is not the hour for speculation. We must continue with the initiation of the new ascendants as usual for the prophecy speaks of the naming ceremony, and this may shed further light on the situation.  Therefore, I will ask you all to proceed through to the Atrium, where we can begin the induction of the new novices ascended this day.  Lord Baroque, will you lead

the

way

?"

Baroque bowed respectfully and then turned to address the assembly. 

Ascendants you will follow me to the Atrium.  Please stay with those in whose quarter you ascended.  He turned to the onlookers, Make way for the new ascendants.

The spectators dutifully parted, and the ascendants made their way to the doorway. All eyes remained fixed on the young Whyte ascendant, as she followed Baroque and the others out of the ascension chamber and into the courtyard, now teaming with people. The noise of the crowd was deafening after the relative quiet of the basilica. As the small procession entered the courtyard, the crowd quietened almost in unison, giving a muffled gasp as they saw the young Whyte. As she passed in front of them, questioning voices rapidly grew to a crescendo.

 Is she the Whyte foretold in the prophecy?

 "Lord Dux, does this

mean

war

?"

 Dux, ignoring their questions, continued to lead the procession of novice ascendants, High Councillors and Oratory students across the courtyard. Eventually, they disappeared through two majestic golden gates held in place by giant golden fyre hawk statues.

The Aurum Oratory, where the novice ascendants were schooled, was an ancient, ornate building constructed from polished goldstone and marble. Inside the building was the Atrium; a large oblong chamber with pillars and walls of stone and golden veined marble. At its centre was an opening in the roof, situated above the impluvium, a sunken pool filled with golden coloured liquid and surrounded by four large marble columns. There were steps down into the pool on one side and a large oval golden mirror towered above. The mirror slanted downwards at an angle, which enabled it to reflect the image of the rippling liquid, towards the people seated on the surrounding marble benches.

The room was humid and warm, and the air hung heavy with a