Dark Moons on Chimera: Birthright Under a Sign

By Tim Conley

Birthright Under a Sign is the first book in the Dark Moons on Chimera saga. Dark Moons is closely tied to the Rhumgold Sagas as they inhabit the same planets and contain some of the same people. Birthright is a four volume set that details the events and personages leading up to the occupying of the Triple Thrones of Theuniss. Read & Enjoy as our adventurers seek the ways and means of thwarting the machinations of the Guild.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tim Conley
• Release date: Aug 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005361228

Tim Conley

Hi, my name is Tim Conley. I live in Philadelphia, MS with my beautiful wife, Carmela. My son,James (JD) is in the Air Force and has a son Joshua who is 21/2 with another boy on the way. Carmela's son - Enrik just graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in Teaching.I have been writing for over twenty years and have published 67 books so far - two recently with Amazon/Kindle. I'm currently working on a fantasy anthology of 28 books called The Rhumgold Sagas.I have always been interested in publishing via eBook format but just haven't found the venue until now. I'm really looking forward to participating in the eBook experience. There are 22 e-books available now and 16 more that are being prepared for release in 2020. Read, explore and enjoy!

Book preview

Dark Moons on Chimera:

Birthright Under a Sign

TIM CONLEY

Copyright © 2012 Tim Conley

Dragon’s Breath Publishing

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1-4802-2536-3

ISBN-13: 978-1-4802-2536-7

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Appendix 1

Map

Dedication

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Other Books by Author

C1 Birthright Under a Sign

Stars and planets were aligned that night. Silver eyes stared as blackness – stark and ominous, covered Chimera's primary moon. Deep purple shadows struck terror into hearts already made feeble by rumors of cataclysm. Time for changed walked the face of Chimera. Changes the likes that no being alive had ever been witness to. Evil was going to rise again. The Mages had predicted as much.

Glendola looked out her window and shivered as night wind came across the casement. The evil wind kicked at the shutter as she drew it across the moon – now completely black. It seemed to her the very elements were positioned to give her mistress a difficult, if not impossible, birthing. Just this afternoon the physicians had told the old king that Aleana had more than one spirit living within her. The Mages had predicted as much.

Why did she have to go into labor at this time? she asked herself yet another time. She knew the predictions. Aleana the stupid is what they should call her. She should not have tempted the fates! Now she will surely die to please the predictions. No woman can carry three spirits within her and safely deliver. The Mages had predicted as much.

Hanging her head, Glendola looked around her small room and realized tonight would probably be the last night she would reside in the small hole.

Straw within the corner bed rustled and moved. The room was otherwise barren, almost as she wished her mistress had remained.

Tomorrow I'll join my mistress in her celestial celebration. What an honor of signal importance. She hoped her hand would not falter in its final preparations.

In the Queen's apartments, far above Glendola's small room, Aleana lay on the birthing couch. Horrible thoughts of death's head were going through her mind as she lay waiting for the physicians to make up their minds. I wish they would hurry. Aleana felt nature's urgency, taking its course – despite their hesitancy.

The physicians were huddled in one corner discussing Aleana's request that the shutters be removed from the high windows so she could witness the heavenly event. We can't do that. protested Philoges the Elder. It will surely affect the birthing.

But she will surely have your august head if you don't, Siomane of Kaff pointed out. I would much rather deal with the King than with her vile temperament.

That said – they moved to perform the Queen's bidding. Everything was coming together up there. All had been predicted save the extinguishment of the moon. That part of the process spelled danger for everyone. Aleana realized as much as she watched the night sky. Stars never seen before drew close.

How foolish I've been to try to birth when the elements are in such unique array. But the Mages said the portents were good for a strong ruler to be born when all the planets are aligned with the stars of faraway Porteous.

They were now aligned. Rhumgold's opposite orbit had brought the thrice ringed planet into the equation. The long white beard of Kitopus could be seen peeking around the southern end of the gigantic Gorgon.

Looking inward with the astronomer's glass one could see – before tonight, the planets of Renas and Magus as they made their much shorter trips around Drackeon. All the planets could usually be seen completing their portion of the glorious alignment. Using Ra, which was in full phase at the moment, as a marker, one could look at all of them. But – something sinister – unpredictable had happened.

Aleana felt the terror building up in her heart again as the pains in her abdomen made themselves apparent again. She was going to have a difficult time of it. She screamed loudly as Glendola walked into the room with an urn of hot water and some birthing cloths. She screamed again in frustration at Glendola.

Where the hell are those physicians? I demand they come in here and take these devils from me immediately! Glendola approached and tried to console her mistress. She had also been puzzled by the physicians. They should have been gathered around the birthing couch by now. Aleana was past due. Glendola had seen the final stage of birthing many times. She placed soothing compresses on Aleana's head and tried to calm her. But things were past due.

Aleana grunted and screamed. Glendola moved around and looked underneath the covers. A head was poking out. Something had to be done. Glendola screamed herself – for the physicians. Then she took position to assist as Aleana screamed once more and heaved.

Glendola held a prince in her bloody hands, but she didn't have time to admire him. Yet another head was being pushed out by a furious mother. Glendola had never seen such a horrific mask on anyone, nor had she ever heard Aleana mutter some of the obscenities she was now screaming. Oblation would have to be made for both them and the children when this was over.

Glendola anxiously looked around for a place to put the young prince. A basket filled with sheets under the table would have to do.

Quickly she raised the child up and snipped the connection to his mother with her teeth, then laid him in the basket. She was just in time as she turned around and caught the next child, a princess with lots of black hair. She must have been the one giving Aleana so much heartburn that she kept complaining about. Glendola took care of her and laid her beside her brother.

A third head was poking out as Glendola heard footsteps coming into the room. She was in for it now. The physicians would have her impaled for witchcraft. A woman could not possibly hope to understand the intricacies of childbirth. She was not to be disappointed as the nearest one saw her reaching in with her bloody hands to support the head of their next heir to the throne.

Witch! Get your bloody paws away from the royal persons! he shrieked. Rough hands shoved her across the room. Glendola struck the table with force and crumpled onto the floor. Luckily she fell in a heap around the basket holding the other children as the team of physicians went to work with the royal heir to the throne of Caperne.

Glendola witnessed the birthing as the Head Physician held the heir high for all to see. It was a girl. The royal heir was a princess. Glendola almost screeched the truth, but something made her hold back. In haste she covered up the two small packages in the basket and hoped they wouldn't be noticed. Her life was already forfeit. She would be impaled as a witch. Foreboding came back to haunt her.

As the Head Physician turned toward her, others covered up the face of the Queen. Glendola sobbed as the impact of Aleana's passing hit her. She hardly heard the old fool as he ranted on about her conspiracy to kill the Queen, and the heir to the throne. It didn't matter now. She knew another chambermaid would stand beside the Queen. She would not have the honor. But she would decorate the castle walls for many months to come.

There is no place for you to hide, witch. I have given orders for the castle guard to come pick you up. You better make your peace because the King is going to mete out the stiff sentence tomorrow. Your eyes will not notice another sunset, hag! With that the physicians strode from the room, content in the fact they had delivered the heir and that she had no place to run.

Glendola lay there listening to their footsteps. Why had they been so late coming into the royal chamber? Had they neglected their Queen on purpose, and what could the purpose be? Questions were running round in her head as she waited on the guards to come.

Time passed. Glendola became aware of stirrings within the basket. She pulled the cover back to look inside and realized for the first time the impact of her actions. These two were no longer heirs, but bastards. She could not take them to the King. No one would believe the Queen had delivered two, let alone three. They would join her upon the battlement surrounding the castle – were they found.

Conviction rose within her. They must not die. Somehow, she had to smuggle them out of the castle. As if celestial beings were in agreement, a fresh moonbeam struck the still body of her mistress. The darkness was almost completely removed from the moon as Glendola gathered up the basket and left the room. A glance back over her shoulder at the covered body that still lay in the yoke made her conviction all the more solid.

Aleana was completely immersed in rays from a now strong moon. It was as if everything was saying that Aleana had not died for nothing. The stars may have been against her from the first. She had paid the price – they both had. But the children must not.

Glendola took stock of her options as she moved down the passageway. There was only one that was viable enough to consider seriously. She could take them to Mhel'Sargonus, an ex-Mage. The same Mhel'Sargonus who had fallen out of favor with the old King and the Mage Guild because he opposed the manipulation of the gene pool the King had demanded.

Aleana's selections as royal concubine had been a result of the scouring of the kingdom for maidens having bloodlines leading back to the ancient K'erth.

Aleana's first day in the castle was crystal clear in Glendola's mind. She had seemed so small and fragile when placed amongst all the trappings and finery of the royal existence. Glendola could only chuckle when she remembered how out of place a beautiful country girl had appeared when taken away from her milk pail.

Youth and beauty had almost immediately mesmerized the King. Fair, sun-bronzed, unblemished skin adorned by honey blonde hair worked miracles with the King. You had thought he was a young colt again, the way he acted. Glendola came back to the present, realizing the extent of her daydreaming. She had to hurry.

Mhel'Sargonus had his rooms in the lower part of the castle, to the back. He liked going and coming at his own leisure and knew ways in and out of the castle known to few others. Of course, he had probably been living there since before the time of anyone else living in the castle.

Glendola knocked on his rough-hewn door and stood there for what seemed eons. She had given up and was walking away when the door swung open on its leather hinges. Mhel'Sargonus stood in the doorway. Glendola shivered. She had always been frightened by the ancient Mage, but Aleana had sworn her upon her path. She tried to move around the hulking figure, into the room -- but his disposition was anything but jovial. He had seen the portents of the night. Seeing Glendola renewed his conviction that something had gone wrong.

He stood his ground, not in any mood to be bothered by an old nursemaid. What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy, or is this your day for penitence? Did the Queen send you to clean an old man's residence?

No, my lord wizard. The Queen is dead. She hadn't intended to blurt it out like that. It seemed the words just came out of themselves.

She stood in the passageway,