Ocean of Empathy: Rebound of Power, #5

By Lori Svensen

Meet Ardin, an artisan on the beach of Varkevand who has a good reason to distrust A'mara. Simply being a survivor of the disaster that orphaned him has made him a target of the Neví, something that Kami and Moxara wish to rectify. Yet, their unwelcome attempts are repulsed by Ardin who wants nothing more than to be left alone. Together, can they unravel the mystery in time? Can Ardin open himself up to be healed? To love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Viking Ventures
• Release date: Jun 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386115953

Lori Svensen

Student-of-the-world, jill-of-many-trades; mother and dreamer ready to share dreams with the reader.  Lori has never been able to follow everyone else, nor always follow directions or social expectations. Hence, her writing also tends to cross genres to create her own unique blend. A'mara Books are stories about personal relationships with strong flavors of fantasy, sci-fi, action and adventure, all wrapped into one plus a sense of social and moral responsibility that tends to be lost in today's world. 

Book preview

Dedication

To my children:

Our combined imagination gave birth to Terrenden and our A’mara in the beginning. It is ultimately for you that I have worked to give A’mara breath.

♥

To all who aspire to be A’mara:

You make the world a better place through your love of peace, knowledge and understanding. May we use this to bring people together.

♥

Last, but not least

To my husband:

My number 1 fan.

♥♥♥

Terrenden Atlas Pages

Kranisis – (KRAN-ih-sis)

Steisal - (STYE-suhl)

Other Places of Interest

Irola – (eye-ROLL-uh)

Gaskarii - (gas-KAR-ee)

Tephsa – (TEFF-suh)

Terrenden – (TAIR-en-den)

Island of Varkevand

Ilim City - (ILL-im)

Kalix - (KAY-lix)

Varkevand - (VAR-keh-vand)

Pronunciation Guide - People

People

Alyona Toban – (al-YON-uh)

Ardin Kree – (AR-din)

Belmara Wolfkin – (bell-MAR-uh)

Danil Veleda – (DAN-ill)

Fashi Wolfkin – (FASH-ee)

Inessa Landry – (ih-NESS-uh)

Jasper Jarly – (YAR-lee)

Ja’tel Krijo – (juh-TEL)

Jessten Toban – (JESS-ten)

Kami Byske – (KAM-ee)

Katya Toban – (KAT-yuh)

Ksen Flypp – (KEH-sen)

Laisen Toban – (LAY-sen)

Leena Pieron – (LEE-nuh

Lubara Toban – (loo-BAR-uh)

Moxara Tevy – (moh-KSAR-uh)

Neví – (neh-VEE)

Saraca Krijo – (Suh-RAH-kuh)

Semyon Kint - (SEM-yon)

Tamryn Towanen Landry – (TAM-rin)

Tasya Hauk – (TAS-yuh)

Tiva Towanen Landry – (TEE-vuh)

Tle-sun Orivesk – (tlay-SUN)

Also mentioned: victims and survivors of the Ilim Diner Disaster.

♥

The Calendar

Terrenden operates on a 9-day week.

The days are named after gods except Terraday which represents the world or the void in popular mythology.

Muranaday (mur-AHN-uh)

Majanday (MA-JAHN)

Rinday (RIHN)

Terraday – midweek break – holy day for Faldur sects.

Fenjaday (FEN-ya)

Tharnday

Wirnday

Silnaday (SILL-nuh) – weekend – holy day for Silatians.

Vasanaday (vuh-SAHN-uh) – weekend – holy day for followers of Vasana and other Faldur.

The month is roughly 45 days always ending with the double full moon and beginning with a festival. Terrenden has 8 months in a year.

––––––––

Note: glossary and image credits at the end.

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Prologue

850 T.C.E.

end of year, month of Avrinari

Isle of Varkevand

.

Varkevand is an interesting island off the coast of Steisal. Technically-speaking, Varkevand belongs to Steisal in 850 of the Terrenden Common Era, though for once, the politicians understood their delicate position and allowed Varkevand a high level of autonomy.

Other than the tourist revenue generated from lush Varkevand, there was little else to interest the elite of Steisal and the other countries of Kranisis. However, as the natives were unusually gifted in empathic and telekenetic abilities, there was a strong A’mara tradition on the island. Legends suggested that this island might have even been one of the early homes of the original A’mara – long before they settled in the cold north. There is no proof of this, of course, but some believe this is why so many A’mara came from Varkevand in generations past.

When the Silatian missionaries settled on Varkevand, things changed. Some things improved, some things were not so good, especially for the Faldur and the A’mara. Thankfully, most Silatians admitted that the A’mara were mostly a force of good and tolerated them, though they were still suspicious enough to avoid them.

Ardin was in neither camp, neither Silatian, nor completely Faldur, but he had his own reasons to be suspicious of A’mara.

♥♥♥

1

(Tharnday)

.

The ocean's voice was lower than usual. Ardin wondered if there was an early seasonal storm looming off the horizon... but usually,  that was a louder voice. Perhaps this was something more prophetic than usual... a warning from the guardians of the deep.

He hoped the weather would hold.

He was glad of his anticipated journey to Ilim City in the morning. He had many creations to sell. Hopefully, the throng of voters would be enticed to become buyers for the weekend and part with their hard-earned cash to help him buy needed supplies.

The remote roads were dilapidated following the conversion of society to wheel-less traffic. Sure, for the past twenty years, local travel had returned to less-advanced methods, but most still traveled by hoverbus if they were going into the city, small as it was. The wealthiest could afford the severe taxes for a hoverbil, but Ardin only had an antiquated bicycle and a small trailer. As no one in the elite cared about the roads this far out, they were in poor repair requiring one to become proficient in tire repair in order to ride anywhere.

People often thought he was at least 20 years older than he was, but maybe that was because he didn't cut his hair and was very knowledgeable in anything which interested him. Maybe it was because people made him feel old...

The past fifteen years since the deaths of his parents and siblings in a battle and explosion in Ilim City had been drudgery. He barely had enough to live on, still living in the shock of loss and the inability to trust those who had been placed above him.

He carefully packed up his beads, paintings, collages, seashell buttons and all his many treasures that he offered to buyers once a month. It didn't make sense to make the trip more often, and to be honest with himself, he didn't enjoy the company of people that much to make more of an effort.

When he grew lonely, he turned on his old-fashioned radio. True, the analog signals had not been broadcast for as long as he had been alive, but a little tinkering around found that he could receive the audio signals put out by the HoloNet Media news programs. Not that he trusted them. The big corporation pretty much had the monopoly on Terrenden news. They more-or-less owned the news... And no competition means a degradation in quality, by definition.

Before going to bed, Ardin went back outside to listen to the ocean... He wondered what the new sound meant. Maybe it was nothing. But that didn’t put his mind to rest.

He retreated to his upstairs bedroom. He added that to the old beach-hut shortly after he arrived. It gave that little bit of extra security in the event of an extra high tide. He did worry about tsunami, but he really didn't have many options anyway, and his bicycle could give him a means of escape – at least as far as the bluffs down the coast road. If a tsunami was higher than that, well, then that would be the end for him. There weren’t many places on the Isle of Varkevand which were safe in that event.

The sound of the ocean was also his lullaby at night. The constant sound like the beating of Terrenden's very heart... comforting... and he was asleep.

♥

The A’mara of Varkevand were having a late meeting in last-minute preparation for the elections the next day. The leader of the group paced the room as was usual for him, his forest green cloak fluttered behind him, the customary fringe of the abári glinting green in the lights.

"We need to change some of our assignments for the next two days – and increase