The Red Dragon Awakens (Avana, book 3): Avana, #3

By Annie Lavigne

In a world of gods and demons, Avana, the child of the Light, must face her Darkness. Will she manage to master the Red Dragon which is awakening within her? Will the mages succeed in assembling the circle of the four elements before the invasion of the Shadows? The road to the Primordial Breath will be long, and Avana will be faced with the ultimate test… In this last volume, the Light and the Shadows come together for a final battle where the future of the people of the land of Erin is at stake.

On the Emerald Isle, nature has been corrupted by the forces of Cythraul. Volcanoes have begun to erupt, and the earth has been shaken. While Maeve, Queen of Connacht, heads to Scotti to seek the help of the sorceresses of the Ancient Faith, those who have survived the disasters take refuge in Cruachan, where the knights fear another attack from the Fomorians.

In this last book of the series, the author leads the characters to the culmination of their personal quests, and each one of them will be transformed by their choices and awareness. Stay with the story all the way to the end, and you will witness an epic finale as the four elements are brought together to form a sacred circle. Then you will discover who Zha’hor, the Great Lord of the Shadows, really is…

A worthy match for the best fantasy novels, this exciting saga is a tale for grown-up children, transporting us into a Celtic universe of druids and knights.

Feel free to read the sample before purchasing.

Intended for readers of 16 and over.

Since 1994, Annie Lavigne has published a dozen novels, including her best-seller ‘Marie of the Sea’ which has sold 17,000 copies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Annie Lavigne
• Release date: Apr 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781071540237

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Sea of Forgetfulness shone brightly as Shay dived beneath the surface. When he plunged into the water, his body shivered slightly. Then he no longer felt the need to breathe. He had just entered a parallel world...

This is it! he thought, exhilarated. At last I’m going to find the Mother of the Oceans...

The elementalist of water swam further and further down, guided by the three mermaids who had come looking for him. The rays of the daytime star faded and gave way to a more subdued light. Completely at ease in the water, he allowed himself to be carried along by the creatures of the Otherworld, gradually forgetting where he was...

Suddenly, the elementals let go of his hands and went away, vanishing into the blue expanse. Unperturbed, he sank into the depths of the Sea of Forgetfulness.

Time stood still.

Carried away by the gentleness of the water, he felt as peaceful and safe as baby in its mother’s womb. In this place, where a comforting silence reigned, he experienced a sense of serenity and great calm.

He looked up. He had travelled so far down that the sun’s light could not reach him, yet the waters were just as clear as on the surface: thousands of silvery glimmers sparkled all around him.

It is so beautiful...

Little by little, Shay’s memories faded. Twirling around slowly, he tried to recall the events that had brought him here, but he could remember nothing at all. He was completely at peace, though. Neither past regrets nor worries about the future haunted him. All that existed was the present moment.

Who am I? he wondered.

He had even forgotten that. Who was he? Where had he come from? More importantly, where was he going? He knew nothing.

He surrendered completely to the Sea of Forgetfulness, swimming into its depths, overcome by a sense of fullness in which he felt neither fear nor sadness. The glimmers of light faded gradually, and around him there remained only darkness; immense and infinite...

The mage stayed inside this watery void for an eternity. It was only a few hours in the realm of mortals, but an infinite amount of time in this parallel world. His desires had been reduced to nothing, his feelings no longer existed, and even his thoughts had disappeared. All that was left was the essence of his being: unspoiled, untouched and pure. Ready to live again.

Then his consciousness returned.

I am in the original womb... I am floating in the water of origins... I am no longer what I was in the world on the surface. I am no longer that physical body. At last I am what I have always been... eternal... divine. I have returned to the Source... from whence I came.

His human nature gently gave way to his divine nature. 

As his spiritual memory slowly awakened, Shay recalled his birth, his passing from uncreated to created, like a piece of the Source which must experience the world. He saw again snatches of his previous lives, in hundreds of worlds where he had passed through all kinds of existence.

I am as one with all the Source’s life forms, he thought, sensing once more that he was creation. It was in him, like billions of suns lighting up his inner life, and he was in it, a man at the heart of the universe.

I remember... I remember all that I am...

I am the Source.

Shay had just become aware of his affiliation with the Source: he was not separate from the rest of the universe and creation. The fears and insecurities still buried inside him disappeared altogether, giving way to his divine spark. His physical body merged with his body of Light, his immortal body. Every cell of that body gave out an intense radiance, lighting up the dark waters.

For just a moment, he became a dazzling sun in the middle of the cosmic ocean, illuminating the depths of the Sea of Forgetfulness as well as the whole universe, because a human, a child of the Source, was returning home.

After that, the light from his body dimmed. It was then that he spotted an object sparkling in the distance. The thought occurred to him that he wanted to take a closer look, and straight away he was beside it. He peered at the original essence of water as it changed from silver to pale blue and then to dark blue in tiny undulating waves.

The Mother of the Oceans, he murmured, his memory gradually returning. That’s what I was searching for!

You may take it, a voice said from behind him.

He turned around to find himself facing a creature with feminine features, bluish skin and long, silvery hair. She resembled the mermaids, but she was more translucent and luminous.

Gwyar... he said, pleased to meet the spirit of the water whom he had invoked so often.

Congratulations, Shay. Your search for the Mother of the Oceans has resulted in your completion of the cycle of death and rebirth. You have clothed your body with the Light. Now you may come and go between worlds.

I will make my way to the Sidh in good time, but for now I must continue with my quest.

Master of the water, if the circle of the elements is found, know that we, the spirits of the elements, will be ready to make manifest the four elements in the new world.

Shay picked up the Mother of the Oceans and turned to face Gwyar. She was smiling and holding out her hand. He took it, and the spirit of the water rushed back up to the surface with him.

When he emerged from the depths of the sea and felt the heat of the sun on his face and the wind on his skin once again, it was as if he was leaving his mother’s womb in an explosion of joy, moving all the spirits of nature who were present to witness the event. He had just been born again.

Chapter 2

Ever since the Father of the Mountains, taken by Brendan into the Shadows, had been corrupted by the forces of Cythraul, volcanoes had been constantly spewing their lava over the Emerald Isle. Streams of fire had set the green plains ablaze, destroyed forests filled with trees that were hundreds of years old, and flowed into the lakes and rivers, leaving them contaminated. The countless erupting volcanoes created enormous ash clouds, totally altering the landscape of the Land of Erin. This volcanic ash was carried along by the wind, then fell down onto the ground, destroying the few crops that had escaped the lava.

Every day, the earth shook, and the ground continued to crack. In the forest, the trees had lost their leaves, and their sap-deprived trunks were dried out. Overcome by the forces of the Shadows, nature had been transformed. On the plain of Magh Ai, once a lush green, the grass was completely covered with ash. Animals had left the forest in search of food and were wandering around the plain, attacking each other in order to survive.

Almost two weeks had passed since the Ulaid arrived at Cruachan. Each Ulaid clan had been given accommodation with a Connachta clan, and they were all living together relatively peacefully in the fortress, knowing that their survival depended on it.

Since the Fomorians had taken Emain Macha and invaded the Emerald Isle, no-one had ventured beyond the fortifications at Cruachan, apart from a few gallant knights, including Finn, Cathal and Celtchar who risked their lives every day to hunt wild boar and deer on the plain. Thanks to these brave young men, the inhabitants of the fortress were not short of food.

The Ulaid and the Connachta concentrated their energy on defending the capital of Connacht, the last bastion of humanity in the land of Erin. Anticipating an imminent attack from the armies of the Shadows, all the men of fighting age had been knighted and were training hard in the art of combat. Warriors were teaching peasants to fight with sword, axe or mace, and showing the women, children and druids how to defend themselves with sticks, pickaxes and scythes.

In the fine ash rain, Uxellia watched the scene, her heart heavy. The high priestess knew that, if Zha’hor’s armies attacked them before Maeve or the elementalists returned, these blades and pieces of wood would not protect them from the Shadows. Faced with thousands of Fomorians who wanted to take back the Emerald Isle for themselves, their only hope was the portal to the new world.

May the elementalists can find the circle of the elements in time... Dana, guide them in their quest, Uxellia prayed.

Chapter 3

The people were crammed inside the stone tower. Knights, druids, women and children had all been invited to a meeting. An argument had broken out while the warriors were training, and the sovereigns had been obliged to intervene.

Conor Mac Ness, the king of Ulster, was sitting on Maeve’s throne, as she had left for Scotti two weeks earlier to ask the sorceresses of the Ancient Faith to help them in their fight against the Shadows. On either side of him stood Uxellia, the high priestess, and Tuachall, the chief of the knights of Connacht, who had promised to govern Cruachan in the queen’s absence.

All eyes turned to look at Celtchar and Cathal as they entered the great hall which was already packed with people. The Ulaid had a black eye, while the Connachta was limping. They stopped in front of the rulers and lowered their eyes.

You two?! How dare you? Tuachall raged, exasperated. Two of our greatest knights who should be setting an example, you should be ashamed! We ought to banish you from the fortress so that you can continue your arguments among the Fomorians!

That idiot attacked me from behind! Cathal exclaimed, still furious.

Finn glared at his brother, while Uthechar shook his head from side to side, disappointed with his son. Uxellia, a compassionate expression on her face, was trying to think of a solution which would alleviate the tension.

Celtchar turned to face the king of Ulster.

I was defending our honour, my king, the impetuous warrior stated, his eyes filled with hatred. This filthy dog insulted the Ulaid people!

The room was in uproar. The king rose and silenced everyone with a simple wave of the hand. With his impressive stature and strong build, the figure of Conor Mac Ness commanded respect.

I do not wish to hear! he declared in a solemn, authoritative voice. Your behaviour has dishonoured us. It has dishonoured all the knights of the Red Branch!

At one time, the king might have encouraged a duel between these two men, so that blood might wash away the offence, but he knew that these barbarian practices must end. Uxellia could tell from the king’s face that he was attempting to rein in his anger and pardon this insult. Such a thing did not come easily to Conor Mac Ness, but the king showed his wisdom, putting the wellbeing of his people above everything else.

He exchanged a few words with Tuachall, and then spoke up again.

I understand that years of hatred and war cannot be forgotten in just a few days, but you must make an effort. We must live together and learn to respect each other because we will soon have to fight side by side for certain. If we do not manage to make peace, how will we be able to repel the armies of the Shadows?

These words gave the two men pause for thought, along with the knights of both peoples who still felt hostile towards each other. Conor was right: they must forget their old quarrels.

For now, you are being pardoned, because this is a time for forgiveness, the king concluded.

But the next confrontation will incur severe sanctions, Tuachall added.

This was the third time in three days that Ulaid and Connachta had come to blows. The men were becoming increasingly nervous, fearing a new attack from the Fomorians. Moreover, basic food supplies, such as cereals, fruit and vegetables, were beginning to run out in the fortress, since the peasants were no longer farming the land.

This is not the time for conflict, said Conor. The survival of us all depends on our cooperation. We must learn to live in peace.

The knights understood the importance of this cooperation, but they still found it difficult to agree to live with their former enemies. Everyone was trying hard to learn to get on better with each other, but sometimes that wasn’t enough.

Uxellia stepped forwards, so that she was standing alongside the two leaders, and addressed the gathering.

Do not forget that the gods are with us, the high priestess, who was united with Dana in compassion and wisdom, reminded them. All the Mother Goddess needs is our cooperation in order to pour out her love over the Emerald Isle. With your permission... I would like to guide you towards her.

Tuachall and Conor exchanged glances for a moment. The two great warriors knew that, through Uxellia, the Mother Goddess had the power to help the Ulaid and the Connachta to forgive each other. Tuachall gave a slight nod to Conor.

Uxellia, you have our full support, the king of Ulster confirmed.

She gave a wide smile, showing how pleased she was that the druidesses had received the leaders’ approval.

At the next full moon, the druidesses will perform a ceremony for the Goddess, to which all the Ulaid and the Connachta are invited, the high priestess announced. The power of the Goddess will be a blessing for us all.

A few of the men made derogatory comments, as they struggled to accept that a woman could take the place of the Great Druid and seek to guide the people in spiritual matters. The Ulaid people had been in exile since Amorgen’s sudden death, and the druids had not had a chance to elect a new Great Druid. Meanwhile, the Great Druid of Connacht had been killed in the first Fomorian attack against Cruachan, leaving the Connachta without a spiritual guide as well.

Being at the top of the druidic hierarchy, and with an entire people who were in dire need of her guidance, the high priestess had begun to transmit the gentle and loving power of the Goddess in order to calm souls and heal hearts.

"Now that we are all safe, it is time for us to elect a Great Druid, said one sage.

His colleagues nodded in agreement, so he suggested, Since the election of a Great Druid always takes place at full moon, I propose that we hold a vote in two days’ time.

The druidesses’ hearts were heavy. They knew that the time had come for the inhabitants of the Land of Erin to listen to the Goddess, and that Uxellia should remain at the top of the druidic hierarchy in order to spread Dana’s message.

The time has come to make some changes, Uxellia told the druids. I agree that an election should be held, because the Great Druid has always been democratically elected, but I object to the fact that only men may stand for this position.

The crowd was dumbstruck: no druidess had ever dared to claim the right to become Great Druid. That position was reserved for men. Some of the druids began to protest, while others reflected, prepared to consider this request.

Although he was not in the habit of involving himself in the druids’ affairs, Conor Mac Ness spoke up.

Customs are important when it is a matter of preserving good habits among the people, but sometimes change can also be a good thing. A rule should not be kept simply because it has always been that way, but we must constantly question its validity.

The druids were surprised, but not as much as the druidesses, when they heard the king speak out in favour of Uxellia’s proposal.

So, my dear brothers, let us take a vote on whether the druidesses should have the right to become Great Druid, the sage who had first proposed the idea of an election said reluctantly. Would those who are in favour please raise...

The king interrupted him to express his own opinion once again.

Should the druidesses not also have the right to participate in this vote? And should the people themselves not have a say?

Yes! The Great Druid is the spiritual guide for all of us! We should be allowed to vote, too! a woman called from the back of the room.

The inhabitants of the fortress began to discuss the matter amongst themselves. Everyone wanted the right to vote. The druids could not believe their ears: for centuries they had always made the decisions concerning spiritual matters without consulting the people, and now it was being proposed that this privilege should be taken away from them.

Conor let the people discuss this with each other for a moment, then he silenced them.

You grant power to the druids by accepting their guidance, just as you grant power to me by accepting my governance. Therefore, I believe that you have the right to say whether you agree with our rules. So, should women be allowed to become Great Druid? he asked the whole assembly. Would those in favour please raise your hands.

Dozens of hands went up at once. Many women, including the druidesses, had been eagerly awaiting this day. Then a lot of other hands went up, one after another: the hands of knights and druids who thought that a ‘Great Druidess’ could greatly benefit their people.

Uxellia smiled. She would never have believed that she would see Conor Mac Ness standing up for women like this, but he had indeed done just that, allowing her to become equal with the druids. She put her hand on her heart.

Thank you, Dana. The power of the Goddess really is in our midst. The time for change has come.

The druids accepted the result of the vote. They concluded that the election of the Great Druid would take place two days later, at sunset, and the druidesses had the right to present themselves as candidates.

Conor dismissed the gathering, and the crowd dispersed. Uxellia stayed behind in the room to talk to him. She was curious to know what had motivated him to act as he did.

Conor, why did you risk alienating the druids in order to support me?

The king remained silent, searching for the right words. He had been prompted not by logic but by emotion, and talking about his emotions was a skill this great warrior lacked. Nevertheless, he managed to come up with a response.

I was watching you when the druids were saying they wanted to elect a Great Druid. Your eyes, your face, your smile... You were radiating a certain gentleness, love and immense peace. I sensed that you would be well placed as Great Druid.

I thank you, Conor Mac Ness. You did well to listen to your heart, she said, putting her hand on the king’s chest.

Uxellia’s slender hand felt warm as it made contact with Conor’s warm chest, inside which his heart was beating faster than normal.

Oh... it’s nothing,