Drugan and the Island of Ealdume: The Enrovia Series, #2

By Anna J Walner

After a desperate attempt to end the war between Drugan and the pure essence of Enrovia, Hailey finds herself at the forefront of the war, and a prisoner on the island of Ealdume.

She will need to stay strong and true to herself, while an unlikely alliance forms to rescue her.

Surprising revelations about the world and the friends she's made will lead to a proposition that will change her life forever.

The second book of the Enrovia series continues the journey of Hailey through moral dilemmas and perilous quests in a thrilling book for children and adults to enjoy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna J Walner
• Release date: Jan 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393345466

Book preview

Chapter 1

Hailey

Two months ago, I didn’t think my life could be any more normal. Normal school, normal friends, a normal every-year trip to the same coastal town, fishing the same bays I had for years. My persistence paying off this year, when at the end of the week, my Dad let me take our bay boat out for the very first and probably last time. 

I hadn’t expected the terrible storm that morning, and I certainly never expected to find myself in a strange new world with animals that could talk and a war that had been raging for centuries. A war that I had now become a part of.

When I first came to Enrovia, all I wanted to do was go home. I had lived on the island of Evisara since coming here. I had made myself a home and friends there.

We devised a desperate plan to end Drugan’s war and to get me back home safely. That is until Drugan deceived us all. In what was supposed to be a final attempt to end his rule over the island of Ealdume, things had gone terribly wrong. Ethera, Lars, Sengei, Nuneuka, and I had failed.

Drugan had taken me against my will, through the seas between the islands to the island of dark essence. His kingdom of Ealdume, where my boat sat useless and beached on the dark black sand.

I looked around again as if willing myself to wake up from a dream. But dreams weren’t supposed to hurt, and the terrible throbbing on the side of my head was a painful reminder of being thrown into my boat and hauled off to the crumbling island.

I had been kidnapped. I remembered the heels of my feet digging into the sand of Evisara as he drug me toward my boat. Everything was a little blurry still, and foggy. I had to work hard to remember it all. Anger and rage drew me to my feet as the jet-black cliffs surrounding the small shore swirled and I bent over, heaving.

Told you, Drugan’s unsympathetic voice echoed in the small cove. 

I stayed bent over, willing the nausea and the spinning to stop. Once I felt my stomach calm, I took in my surroundings. Black cliffs jutted into the sky, waves breaking over the ones that extended into the surf around the tiny beach of coal-colored sand. My white Robalo bay boat stood stark against the ground, pulled far up onto the island, useless and beached. 

Drugan was carefully coiling the white nylon cord around his hand and elbow grinning at me, amused with my confusion and fear. 

I sat, still piecing together the morning. Leaving the city at the center of Evisara, desperately trying to make to the beach before he did. Thinking that the others were in my pack, that we were still on schedule.

Then I remembered Drugan shifting into a terrifying imitation of me. My realization and fear that our plan had failed. Then he grabbed me and . . . . I was in the boat, my head was throbbing, just like it was now. But I must have blacked out at some point. I don’t know how I ended up on the beach. I don’t remember the ride over here at all.

As he finished rolling up the rope, he dropped it to the ground and started toward me. I recoiled as he opened his arms wide, shouting above the loud breakers, Welcome to my kingdom Hailey. This is Ealdume!

I scuttled backward trying to make my feet gain purchase in the fine ebony sand.

C’mon Hailey, let’s do this the easy way. He took his time slowly stepping toward me as I managed to turn over and stumble to my feet, then lost my balance and landed face down. In the real world, I’m pretty sure I would be going to the hospital right now, probably with a concussion. But here I was merely helpless and at his mercy. 

I heard his feet crunching into the sand with each step, getting closer and closer, then saw him bend down, offering his hand from the corner of my eye. 

No! I grunted and swatted him away. 

The kind and manipulative voice he’d used with me in the forest returned, I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.

I rolled over on my back staring him down with as much hatred as I could, Really? Because the pain in my head tells me otherwise, I snarked. 

Dark breath followed his words. Look, I’m sorry about that. Really, I am. I didn’t mean to hurt you, we just had to hurry. And I didn’t do that, not really. You hit your head on the railing in the boat, He explained as if that in any way justified anything. 

Yeah, whatever . . . I sneered at him. 

Red mixed with black now as his next words came out low and measured. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have. His eyes locked on mine until I turned away, feigning sickness again. I couldn’t stand to look at him, much less pretend to endure the polite or even helpful chit chat he had in mind.

I looked out over the water, past the heavy surf pounding the rocks. I’m pretty sure that was Evisara I saw in the distance, but I couldn’t be sure. I’d never been to any of the other islands, so I had no idea what they looked like. I wondered if I could make the swim . . .

Yeah, that wouldn’t be a good idea. Evisara is a little too far for you to swim, and you’d never make it past the breakers anyway, He quipped. The rocks are razor sharp and the waves would sweep you out and under before you could blink.

I’d rather die than stay here with you anyway, I shot back. 

Well go for it then. If I didn’t have the boat and three strong whites towing us, I never could've gotten you over here. But something’s wrong with your boat, Hailey, or you would’ve made a run for it the day you first got to Enrovia, He said pointedly. 

You’re right, I said not countering his assumption, letting him believe the boat was useless. He didn’t need to know about the trolling motor. I didn’t even know yet if it was a viable option. But I certainly wasn’t about to go correcting his assumptions.   

So, how about a hand? He said with mock sincerity, offering his help again. This time I reached out and allowed him to pull me up slowly as I shifted my feet, trying to find my balance. 

Slowly my equilibrium adjusted, and I felt more stable, yanking my hand from his grasp. He raised his hands, palms out laughing. Easy killer, he laughed. Just trying to help, that’s all.

I’m fine, I said, testing a step forward. 

That’s good because we’ve got to get up there, He pointed straight into the air. Chancing to crane my neck upward and not lose my balance, all I saw were the steep black cliffs I’d seen earlier. 

"You can’t exactly see it from this angle but trust me it’s up there, He said, looking back at me. Need anything before we go?" He asked, gesturing to the beached boat. 

Yeah, I said, My backpack. 

Wait there, I’ll grab it. He smiled, then trotted over to the railing and reached inside the hull, pulling my pack out and throwing it over his shoulder. 

I held out my hand so he could give it to me, but he slipped his arm through the other strap and adjusted the weight of it on his back. Don’t worry, I’ll carry it for you. He was trying and failing to win me over again. 

Just play along, I told myself. Thanks, I said. Can I grab my water bottle really quick? I asked and walked around behind him before he could answer. 

He didn’t move as I unzipped the top of the pack and grabbed my water bottle and swiss army knife, quickly tucking it into my back pocket, then re-zipping the pack. I made a show of opening the bottle and taking a quick small sip so he would know I had what I asked him for and nothing else.

Shall we? he asked, then started off away from the water without waiting for my answer. 

I turned to glance one final time across the water toward my former home, daring to hope that I might see something, anything that would let me know that help was on the way. But I only saw the distant white shore and jungle trees. No cavalry coming to my rescue, no help of any kind. 

I had no plan, and no help, no other option than to follow Drugan into a slender opening between the cliffs and into the heart of Ealdume.

Chapter 2

Ethera

She watched helplessly that morning from the edge of the forest as she saw Drugan pulling Hailey toward the water and throwing her into the boat. She heard Hailey land heavily, but she never saw her get up. She could only hope that she was okay, although she doubted that she was. 

She stayed in her mouse form, unable to help, feeling powerless and angry. She knew that without her stone, she stood no chance against Drugan. The Eluvial stone was so precious that she dared not keep it with her at all times. Especially since the war had been raging. Losing the key to the gates would have consequences she dared not think of. 

The only time she chanced to use it was to harvest the waiting lights from the gate. And even then, it was risky. Every other day now she sped to the gates, letting in more dark essence than ever before.

Since Drugan had taken over Empira and the well of rebirth, dark essence was coming back through the gates at an alarming rate. Which was highly unusual. Almost as if they were being shot straight back to Enrovia. 

Anxiety boiled inside her as she was forced to wait. The gulls she sent to find the others should have found them by now. Reinforcements should be on their way, but it would be too late. Drugan had already leaned into the boat, shoving it from the shoreline and into the open water. 

Ethera watched him try to figure something out, then failing and frustrated, he threw the long white rope into the water. She watched as two large fins cut through the surface. The boat began to move quickly, racing away from Evisara and straight to Ealdume. 

She had no choice but to watch now, as the boat gradually faded from sight amid the flat expanse of sea. Sengei was the first to arrive, followed soon after by Nuneuka, and Corrigan, all shifting back into their true forms, as Ethera did the same. 

What happened? Corrigan was the first to ask. 

Last night, when I came to you all and told you that Hailey had changed her mind, it was a lie. Drugan shifted into Hailey and came to see me. It was him not her! Ethera said quickly.

"This morning, our Hailey followed through with her part of the plan. I tried to make it in time, but I was too late," Ethera said telling the story to the patiently listening crowd. 

He took her. Drugan took her! He tricked me, and her. I watched as he dragged her to the boat, and threw her inside. I’m afraid that she’s hurt, Ethera said, not attempting to hide her worry or concern. 

"You’re certain she didn’t go willingly? That she wasn’t the one who deceived us?" Sengei asked, his tail flipping back and forth as he spoke.

I’m positive. She was taken against her will. Fighting him the entire time, Ethera said straight to him, her most serious look covering her face. 

What do we do? Corrigan asked anxiously.

Nothing, Sengei said, causing the others to become agitated, voices of differing opinion answering him. 

How can you say that? Ethera questioned him. 

"Because there’s nothing we can do. What do you propose? Shifting and flying to Ealdume? Going against Drugan by ourselves? He would have four new powerful essences trapped inside his stone and you know it. If that happened, he would be unstoppable. Five ruling essences would be an immense amount of power. And in his hands? I don’t even want to think what the outcome would be. Enrovia would crumble under his rule! Sengei made his point clear. Even together, we aren’t strong enough to take him down if he knows we’re coming. And any move we make he’ll expect, now that he has the girl."

The others nodded in agreement, and Ethera couldn’t argue with him. If Drugan were to acquire their essence in addition to the ones already in the Heamatic stone, there would be no stopping him then. As it was, they were holding him off, but just barely. 

Does anyone have any suggestions? Ethera pleaded to the small group. A look of confusion and blank stares were all she saw on their faces.

Does anyone have a source, someone in Drugan’s circle that is still loyal to the old Enrovia? Ethera asked the solemn group. After several seconds of silence, Sengei spoke again. 

I may know of one . . . . Sengei said cautiously. Lagos. He’s been an ally since the war began. He was a close friend and confidant of Darsythus in the old times. It’s been years, but he’s made the trip to give me information from time to time. However, I have no way of contacting him without doing it myself. He let his statement hang in the air, waiting for Ethera to speak. To ask him to take the risk. 

I’m asking you to take the risk or at least to try, She said flatly, waiting to hear what Sengei would say. We have to try something. We can’t just let her be taken by him. You know his way with words, his manipulation. What if he does manage to turn her to his side? Or worse yet. What if she refuses to take his side and then he takes her essence? Can we all stand by and allow that to happen?

If I had someone I could trust on Ealdume, I would go myself, Corrigan the mastiff spoke up. Sengei shot him a sidelong glance. 

My kingdom is completely divided, I have no one who I can think of who would help, Nuneuka spoke up. 

I too am at a loss, Ethera said. 

All eyes turned to Sengei. His anger at being put on the spot perfectly clear. I will try, He conceded under the pressure of the group. I’m doing this because you’ve all asked me to, He said as he shifted into a small moth, barely