The Beginning: The Daughter of Ares Chronicles: The Daughter of Ares Chronicles, #1

By Shannon McRoberts

Athine could be the one to save them...or destroy them all.

Athine does not believe in fate, but when she learns she has the power to kill other immortals her fate comes knocking.

Matters take a turn for the worse when the mysterious Kinir reveals that Harmonia, Athine's beloved sister, is the coming evil fate demands she battle.

Now Athine must choose between becoming the champion that will save her world or saving her sister.

Find out what path Athine chooses by reading THE BEGINNING, a new mythological fantasy that fans of JRR Tolkien, Sara C. Roethle, and Xena will not want to miss.

Scroll up today and purchase your copy to start your adventure with Athine!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Obsidian Poet Press
• Release date: Oct 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386723196

Shannon McRoberts

Shannon McRoberts writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy books while living in the rolling hills of Kentucky.   Shannon is a lover of all kinds of fantasy but enjoys watching her collection of favorite shows like Xena, Buffy, Firefly, Game of Thrones, and Farscape.  When she’s not busy with taking care of her family, binge watching Netflix, or making fantasy art, she is at her computer weaving myths and magic featuring women of grit and steel.

Book preview

Prologue

It was not the newcomers that worried the Sitibin, but rather it was the culture the newcomers were bringing with them...

Many years ago the world was ruled by mystical, immortal gods and goddesses.  Everything was subject to the whim of their will—man and beast alike.  Of course, even the gods and goddesses of yore were not without some form of order and rule in way of a hierarchy.  The highest ruling class of immortals was the Sitibin.  Three goddesses, Morrigan, Ula, and Saraid, formed the great triad of power.  They ruled over everyone from the isle of Ximira.  Ximira was a beautiful place full of magical creatures, ancient castles, and mystical waterfalls.  It floated high above the land of man known as Nalecia. The mortals were known as Nalecians and they worshiped the Ximiran pantheon.

No mortal or immortal living in the lands ruled by the Sitibin dared to cross the great goddesses; however, the triad was not without threat.  Migrants from the Rakicia, the great civil war in Polnaliten, were moving and settling around Nalecia.  These people were not afraid of the ruling immortals for they brought with them their own pantheon.  As the migrants arrived in larger numbers and formed towns the Sitibin became aware of a problem. 

Intermarriage of the Nalecians and Polnalitens led to a blending of beliefs.  No longer were the Nalecians giving all of their worship to the Ximirian immortals.  Some Nalecians even gave up believing in immortals at all.  Without followers, the immortals of Nalecia would lose their powers and they would not be able to protect their lands.  This angered the Sitibin.  Nowhere in the history of their rule had followers forsaken them.  Something had to be done, but they knew that destroying the newcomers was futile because more would come.  They needed a more drastic plan, something with more finality.  Morrigan, the leader of the Sitibin, formulated a plan to erase the lands of the opposing immortals—she would send her best immortal born warrior women to mate with the cold land immortals.  The children from these unions would rise up and overthrow the Polnaliten immortals.  Then there would only be the Ximiran immortals left to worship between the two human groups.

Morrigan sent her daughter Imurona and several other goddesses into the heart of Valhalla, the stronghold of the Polnaliten immortals. Their task was to intermarry with the gods in Valhalla and learn their immortal secrets.  As Morrigan suspected the group of beautiful and talented goddesses easily won the trust of the Polnaliten people and their gods. 

Many mixed bloodline children were born during the Seryeruth, or time of waiting.  Morrigan, Ula, and Saraid even came in a second wave of goddesses to bring forth more mixed bloodline children.  Imurona bore Andraste, a powerful sorceress.  Morrigan bore Raelin, who had the powers of persuasion and sensuality.  She also had another daughter, Morgance, a goddess of war and weapons.  Ula bore Saela, who was born with the ability to feel other’s pain.  Saraid bore Sabrina, who had the ability to endow weapons with magic. 

These mixed blood children were being educated in the ways of both lands.  The gods of Valhalla had hoped the children would strengthen their stronghold; however, the Ximiran goddesses had other plans for them.  Unbeknownst to their fathers, the children were training to become ultimate weapons of destruction.  Andraste was creating a new magic called Sh’cersay; it would combine the magical forces of both bloodlines.  Sabrina was learning the art of weapon making from her father who had no knowledge of her special talents.  Sabrina and Andraste were working to create weapons endowed with Sh’cersay.  Their goal was for the weapons to give the wieldier the ability to kill the Polnaliten immortals.  Morgance and Raelin trained to use the weapons.  Saela was the only child left to her own devices.  Her powers were felt to be less than useful in the quest. 

During the Seryeruth, the children underwent intense training.  Their mothers taught them to feel no love for their Polnaliten fathers and never to fall in love with any of the other Polnaliten gods.  The Ximiran mothers raised their mixed blood children to hate the cold lands and to work towards a common goal of restoring the Nalecian lands.  Once the opposition from the Polnaliten lands was abolished, the children would return to their true motherland and be hailed as heroes. 

However, the plans did not go as the Sitibin had hoped.  Saela’s unusual ability to feel other’s pain was one that no immortal had ever had before.  Often the pain she felt was magnified a thousand times.  Over time, her powers evolved and she began to feel the emotions of others.  She preferred to be alone so that she would not be overwhelmed with emotions.  Because of this, she had more freedom and was not subject to the same training as her sisters in arms.  Saela’s father was Odin, the Polnaliten High Ruler, and she was highly revered by the Polnalitens.  They knew of her plight and often allowed her to meander among their towns without bothering her.  Many of them even tried to feel happiness when she passed so she too would feel happy because she always looked so tragically sad. 

Of course, Saela was as beautiful as she was sad looking.  She had long white hair and pale skin like her father.  She had eyes like her mother, which were the deepest green.  It was no wonder that both mortal and immortal men dreamt of Saela.  Some thought it might be part of her power to bewitch them.  However, since she never approached anyone and everyone was wary of approaching her, no one could be for sure.

There was only one soul brave enough to approach Saela, a god named Ikayu.  Ikayu was a god of emotion.  He was not a highly revered god because his powers were unimpressive for a male.  He did not possess extreme strength like his brethren nor did he share their lust for war and glory.  He had the power to make anyone feel whatever he desired and could take emotions away from others.  Like Saela, Ikayu often ambled freely about the land.  It was in these wanderings that he first learned of Saela.  He had never heard of another immortal with powers like his and he knew immediately that it must be kismet.  Not long after seeing Saela, Ikayu set about gaining her trust.

At first Saela was wary of Ikayu, but he was persistent.  Every day he surprised her with gifts, but more importantly, he gave her the feeling of happiness.  Eventually Saela fell in love with Ikayu.  Whether it was by his magic or true love no one was sure, but the bond between them was strong and they were secretly wed.  This would indeed prove a problem for the Sitibin’s plans. 

A few years after Ikayu and Saela were wed Morrigan felt the children were ready to rebel.  Morgance was fitted with a sword of great power.  Andraste’s new magic coursed through the weapon forged by Sabrina.  Raelin led the group into the heart of Valhalla where the great Polnaliten immortals were having a council.  The children were ready to begin the slaughter of their elders if they failed to submit to their wishes.

Father Odin, Raelin began, I do not wish to take much of your time and I apologize for this intrusion; however, it has come to our attention that your council has overstepped its bounds.  We are here to correct those actions.  The heavy, marble doors slowly locked behind her as she spoke.

Child! Odin’s voice boomed throughout the council chambers.  What makes ye so bold as to come forth into this sacred council and accuse your elders of overstepping their bounds?

Raelin replied, "Father, your war mongering ways have caused thousands of immigrants to spill over into Nalecia, a land to the west, looking for peace.  Your escaped people brought with them cultures and trades that were offensive to