The Crescent Mountains: Mythera Chronicles, #2

By K.C. Auburn

In the time before Aylith, the world has been scarred by the Strigoi in the Red War. An elven prophecy tells of a great Elven Priestess meant to unite the races, the Pontem. Tsillah is destined to be the bridge but her Strigoi blood leaves others mistrustful of her dealings. Her heart is called to aid the Strigoi in finding security within the Crescent Mountains. Yet the she-elf's works are thrown into chaos at the rise of a treacherous scheme. Tsillah's fate becomes uncertain as the world seems to turn against her and she vanishes.

            Aylith and Lusha journey to the fabled sisters to translate the ancient texts recovered from the Athenaeum. The Eruanna emboldens with each passing day and Lusha marks her changes for the Order's research. The book could reveal much about Aylith's power and the Order's fears. Yet there is more that this tome will unearth from the caverns than any of them realize.

            Caden and company find that the Athenaeum is abandoned, having missed Aylith's passing. The boys look to Ahriman for guidance after confessing their true intentions for travel. The trio's bond strengthens, and they set out north following the hints of Caden's sister. Each day grows darker for Bradyn as a sickness creeps over him. Caden can feel the presence of the Morhach following then. They do not realize that their urgency is leading them down Cain's desired path. The veiled being remains close to them, watching for signs of his host.

• Language: English
• Publisher: K.C. Auburn
• Release date: Oct 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215458549

K.C. Auburn

K.C. Auburn is a first-time author that began the Mythera Chronicles in middle school, but it soon fell away from attention. In the final year of high school, Brianna, K.C.’s older sister, learned about the fantasy trilogy. Brianna encouraged K.C. to write the books and that she would help out as the editor. The pair then began excitedly trading the world back and forth. Upon Brianna’s passing, K.C. took a break from their story. After coming to terms with Brianna’s death, Mythera’s journey continued. Less than a year after writing again, the series was finished and ready to be shared with the world. The hope is that everyone who reads this story will feel Brianna’s presence in the text. Now K.C. writes on rainy days while drinking a cup of tea at home in Raleigh, NC with the family pup nearby. Nice and Cozy.

Book preview

For Brianna

To my wonderful older sister, 

Thank you for encouraging me to continue my story from middle school, and always believing that my writing was achievable. Your way of writing was always so much better than mine, and I tried to emulate your abilities in the way I told the story. I miss you every day, and after all this time, I finally finished our book series. I just wish you were here to read it before I send it out into the world. I pray that it’s everything that we hoped it would be.  I'm sorry it took me so long to finish it, but for a while, it was too painful to even look at it. Yet here it is, I hope that I’ve made you proud. I will see you again someday Brii.

With all my love,

K.C.

Special Thanks

My sincerest gratitude to all the people that supported me in finishing my book series. A special thanks to my younger sister, Ashley, and her encouragement. Thank you for being one of my editors and my biggest supporter. Thank you to Michelle, who read my story from start to finish in a month for editing purposes. You were a huge help. Thank you to my friends and family that wanted to be the first to read my story and giving me assurance that I did well. I can't express to you how much it means to me that I finally finished it. I know Brianna is appreciative of your belief in my writing and she’s happy to finally see it complete. You all mean the world to me.

Warmly,

K.C.

Map Description automatically generatedA picture containing text, map, book Description automatically generated

Name Pronunciation

Tsillah  Sil-ah

Aredhel AR-eh-del

Ofra  Oh-frah

Eligor  El-eh-gor

Annairb A-nair-bee

Yesak  Yes-ik

Yelhsa  Yel-see

Aylith  AY-lith

Lusha  LOO-sha

Caden  CAI-den

Bradyn  BRA- din

Ahriman Ah-RI-mon

Hersium Hair-SEE-um

Eara  E-yar-ah

Guide

1The Red War..... ....................................................7

2 The Pontem.........................................................24

3 The Blood Moon...................................................65

4 The Order.......................................................129

5 Vanished..........................................................162

6 A long road.......................................................192

7 Lost...............................................................218

8 Wicked............................................................249

9 Dragon Claw Cove..............................................300

10 Discovery........................................................352

11 The Ruins of Argorath.........................................409

12 The Sisters......................................................433

1

The Red War

She had never seen something so empty.

In the time before Aylith, the world was plunged into the Red War. Elves and the men of the west set aside their differences to conquer the dark entity and his followers.

Lady Usoara held her hand over a wounded elf warrior. A deep gash clung to his side and four smaller ones on his chest as if he had been mauled by a wild animal. He was struggling to breathe, but it was not too late. She spoke softly. The ancient healing words left her lips, cascading like waterfalls down to a weary stream. Her hand glided over him, light flowed between her palm and his injury. Her piercing blue eyes tenderly watched him as he began to stir. He awoke, gasping as the pain departed his body. The elf looked up to her, and the light began to fade from around her figure. He gazed into her strong and beautiful face. He reached for her gentle hands and lifted himself up.

Thank you, he whispered through exhaustion, thank you.

Usoara touched his cheek to calm him, laying him back down to rest. She stood upright then moved to the next injured soul. She started again. Her long golden hair trickled down her back. She brushed the blonde waves behind her pointed ears. The other elves followed her movements to heal the fallen. The injured archer below her was now able to stand.

Usoara opened her arm to lead him, and another she-elf came to help him. She could hear the battle raging in the distance. Her face remained calm. Her ear perked towards some hurried footsteps.

My lady Priestess, you should not be here. The soldier said in a worried tone.

He stood tall. His face was firm, and he had long flowing brown hair that was tightly pulled back. His armor was scuffed and dirtied. The metal plates pulled around the natural contours of the wearer and incorporated nature motifs such as leaves, trees, and floral designs. A great stag head was embossed on the chest plate to signify his status in the army. He held his helmet under his arm, his face blackened with ash. He looked around the tent as the lady turned to meet his eyes.

Lady Usoara, you must return to Eara. Hyleth Tirion is no longer stable. His voice was resolute, and his accompanying guard waited for his orders.

I cannot leave this place. Our people are dying. My purpose is to heal them. Her tone was adamant, and the sound of her voice washed over them. She stood tall against them. Her fair skin seemed to glow an ethereal light. Usoara had come to the back of the battlefield against the will of the council. She knew her people would need her for this war. The elf moved closer to her.

M'lady, it has been commanded by the council. The Strigoi are coming. We cannot hold them back. Think of your child.

A sense of severity fell on her. Her hand touched her swollen belly. Usoara looked away towards the remaining warriors who needed healing. She watched her students tend to them. Their healing palms moved over the still bodies just as she taught them, rejuvenating their life before they were too far gone. She faced him again.

What of Nor?

He comes from the west. I pray the armies of man can aid us against these beasts.

She longed to see him again. She told him to return by the full moon when their baby was foretold to be born. Yet, Nor had sent word ahead that he was coming alongside an army of men. Their kings could not find the Eruanna. He had seemed to abandon the world in its time of great need. None had yet realized this human of might had a hand in this darkness. With the start of the war, there seemed to be a shadow that swept over the land, enabling the Strigoi longer periods to advance across the kingdoms of Mythera. The army would soon be marching into the battle to hopefully end the five-year war. Many villages, to the east, had been taken before word reached the great kingdoms. So many lives had either perished or were forcibly converted.

The Strigoi had bred and fed in secret, massing their numbers of mindless beings. Only a few would regain their consciousness from their human lives, and so many of them fell prey to the power that being undead could bring. It was said that the first Strigoi sold his soul to a dark entity to gain the long life that he envied from the elves.

He hid for a hundred years, concocting his plan to lead the Strigoi supremacy to dominate all life. Then the more their numbers grew, the corrupted conscious, used black magick to forge their subservient creatures in the belly of the world. The leaders of this new cult forced many innocent men into their ranks with a simple bite. The tyrant's blank-faced soldiers would follow any command, and attack wildly with the vigor of untamed beasts.

Usoara could sense a far darker presence coming, and the child in her womb quivered. She held her stomach in worry. Something powerful stirred within her. Her mind went blank as the images started to appear in her sight. Her breathing became labored, and she could see the insurmountable evil rising up from the shadows to conquer all known life. Even with her great strength, she began to fear for her unborn baby. Her gifts knew of a deep destiny that her part-human infant would grow to uphold. The glowing light of her inherent power began to dull around her. She looked to the soldiers and nodded, agreeing for her departure under the once blue lake to Eara.

Very well. I will go.

A small party accompanied Lady Usoara on horseback. The further they traveled from Hyleth Tirion the softer the sounds of death became. Usoara turned her long graceful neck towards the fight. She could feel Nor's presence as he entered the battle. She closed her eyes as she whispered a protective cloak over him, helping to hide him from the enemy.

M'lady we cannot stop. The soldiers urged her to keep moving. Yet their pace was slow due to the progression of her pregnancy, it was almost time.

After much travel the company crossed over the Great River. The elven city was not much farther, less than a day's ride. The moonlight dripped through the leaves. The Whitewood welcomed the elves. Usoara immediately felt comfort upon entering her forest. She kept her mind focused on her husband, maintaining the cover over him. The distance made it difficult for her to sense him, something was interfering. She listened to the sounds of the trees. A gentle humming was in the air. They began to speak to her.

You are in danger.

She looked about her as the leaves from the forest floor kicked up and began to swirl around her and the soldiers. Her horse slowed to a stop. The footmen became unsettled as an eerie stillness enveloped the air surrounding them. A faint moaning could be heard echoing through the woods. Usoara was frozen for the first time in her life. Her body turned to the direction of the far away battle. She felt Nor vanish, his life-force faded from the world and an emptiness filled her. She couldn't breathe. She tried to see him. Her mind pushed through the chaos looking for him. He was dead. Tears began to stream down her sunny face.

One of the footmen came to her side. He reached up and placed his hand on hers. What is it my lady?

Usoara looked down at him. She tightened her grip around him, and he reciprocated. Her face attempted to return to its usual calm demeanor. She began to open her mouth to speak when a blackened arrow sliced through the air, piercing the elf soldier in the neck. His body jerked backwards, pulling the Priestess from her mount. She screamed in surprise and horror as the soldier broke her fall with his dying strength. The soldiers around her began to scramble to arms as a swarm of Strigoi and Morglins descended upon them. The horses scattered in fright with a squeal.

Usoara struggled to get her bearings. Her hands remained on the chest of the soldier. He choked on his own blood as he stared into the Priestess's eyes. Her tears turned for him. She labored to her feet, holding her stomach. She was spinning around herself. The elven company was being overpowered. A set of soldiers surrounded her as another pulled her onto their horse.

Take Lady Usoara! One cried out as he cut down an advancing Morglin. He then moved to assist a she-elf in arms. The warrior looked to her aid as her blade decapitated a hollow Strigoi. Yaa! She pressed further into their aggressors to give her Priestess more time for escape.

Usoara held tight to the rider as he sped off towards the city. A few Strigoi broke away from the group and chased after the pair. Their clawed hands dug into the earth as they ripped past the trees. Usoara could hear the fear of the forest and called out to them.

Send for aid! She cried in Bole speech. She listened as the ancient trees carried out her wish on the wind. Eara was not far. They may reach it in time.

The horse twisted and turned through the forest, trying to outrun its pursuers. The Morglins soon fell behind them, but the hunger of the Strigoi nipped at the horse's hooves. Usoara held tight to her protector. She looked once more, and now only two Strigoi were at their backs. She stared into one of their hollow faces and felt sick. She had never seen something so empty. Suddenly, their horse snorted and gave a shrill squeal as the third Strigoi came swooping down in front of it. The horse reared up, throwing his riders to the ground. The Strigoi sprang forward and ripped the horses throat out with its fangs.

The elven soldier stood up with his sword drawn. His hair flew loosely around his face. Usoara began to stand, feeling the weight of fear that rang through the trees. Her eyes looked on in horror as the ravenous Strigoi tore into the innocent creature. She covered her mouth as the warrior stepped forward and beheaded the beast. She had never seen a humanoid with eyes that flashed like an animal.

The elf raised his blade again as another Strigoi swept in from behind. Usoara cried out in pain as the second upcoming Strigoi slashed its claws against her swollen stomach. She tried to block the beast, but her movements were too slow in her current state. She fell away from the monster as her guardian threw himself between them. The elf-warrior fought them fiercely.

Usoara looked down at her bloodied belly. Her breath huffed out of her in shock. The trees around her groaned in worry, and she tried to drag herself to one of the great white tree's bases. Something new was rising in the forest when the Priestess's bloodied hand touched the white bark. The fear that surrounded her began to mix with rage. The trees were beginning to stir. She placed her hand over her wound and tried to utter the words of healing. Her power fizzled in her fingers but would not blossom forth. She had lost too much blood and was starting to fade.

The elf-warrior behind her laid waste to another Strigoi but was badly wounded. He turned to head off the last beast before it could reach the Priestess. The final Strigoi came down on him and twisted his neck around. His body went still. The honorable elf fell dead.

Usoara was now too weak to move. Her back was cradled by large roots and she held her wound, praying for the safety of her child. She watched as the only remaining Strigoi stood upright. This one seemed different from the other two that had fallen. Its face was not empty, and its eyes appeared almost human. Its posture was tall and aggressive. The creature turned to her and flashed its long fangs. The light caught its eyes and they flickered like a wolf's in the night. She shivered uncontrollably as it slowly moved to her position. Black smoke sizzled out of its mouth as it spoke, the bloodlust was on it.

Preoteasa.

It advanced towards her. Usoara could feel the ground shaking beneath her. The earth was trying to move. She struggled to push herself away from the monster but was unsuccessful. Her strength was gone. The beast reached around her head and grabbed her hair, lifting the frail elf off the ground. She squealed.

Sange pretios. The dark voice said just before it bit down on the she-elf's collarbone.

Usoara let out a scream as she felt the venom entering her, in exchange for her lifeblood. She knew this to be her end, for no elf had ever been bitten and survived. The world around them was shaking violently, and the Strigoi released the she-elf from the instability. The dark figure fell backwards in surprise as a large root burst forth from the ground.

Another root cushioned the limp Priestess as the attacking root smashed into the Strigoi, sending it sailing through the air. Its body broke against the trunk of another tree. The creature fell to the ground and slowly began to stand back up. Its bones cracked back into place, and it hissed at the roots. It intended to finish off the dying elf. The trees lashed out again. Usoara watched as the Bole grabbed onto the menace and ripped it apart before her eyes. She had never heard of or seen the peaceful Bole act in such a way.

The air softened, and she laid back to rest. The immediate threat had been destroyed. The trees attempted to soothe her. Usoara’s head turned towards a noise as her vision began to fade. She could see a battalion of her people coming into view. Her call for help was successful. Her heart filled with sorrow as the elves surrounded her. She knew she may not live to see her child. They moved her gently to a wagon and prepared to save the baby. Usoara could feel a healing hand over her, and a she-elf held her head up in her lap. The touch of rejuvenation was numb to her, it was too late, all it could do was slow her demise. There were gasps all around as they pulled a baby girl from her womb. The newborn was still, and her skin seemed blue. Had the venom reached her so quickly?

Give her to me. Usoara whispered through painful breath. The elves looked at her and handed over the child. She was weak, but her enduring spirit drove her forward.

Usoara held her close in her arms. She looked at the little elf baby, and the wisps of blonde hair on her head changed to deep crimson. The Priestess looked at the transformation in distress. She felt something powerful come over her, and a vision flashed before her eyes. Usoara could see the woman her daughter was to become and her great importance. Her daughter would help to lead the world into a new age alongside the coming Eruanna. She could feel Nor around them. His spirit watched over his newborn, waiting for his wife to join him. She prayed over the child, speaking in ancient Elvish.

A light began to form from her chest as she recounted a primordial spell. The elves around her looked on in amazement as Usoara used a fabled magic to give her remaining life to her child. The light flowed upward through her throat, and Usoara breathed herself into her daughter.

The light swirled around the baby's face and her color returned, chasing away the blue of death. She opened her eyes and began to cry. Usoara smiled and gave the child a kiss. She told them her name, Tsillah, meaning shade. The little girl stilled again and cooed. She knew her mother.

Usoara looked into her daughter's eyes, they were gray just like of her father. There were whispers amongst the other elves, waiting on their Priestess. She handed the now squirming infant to an attending elf. Tsillah began to cry once more by their separation. Usoara knew that Tsillah would need protection. With her dying breath she told the elves of  Tsillah's importance, hoping to give them reason to spare the tainted child's life.

The prophecy...

Usoara's eyes dulled. She was gone.

2

The Pontem

She was a mixture of light and dark.

Tsillah woke to another day of schooling, it had been many years since she was brought to this place. She sat up in her bed of silken sheets and yawned. She rubbed the sleep away from over the shallow bridge between her eyes. Her room was bathed in silver-blue light. The carved tree that housed her was colossal and held many rooms within its hollowed trunk. The girl walked to her nightstand and picked up her silver brush. She stroked it through her long crimson hair and the light caught a glimmer of violet in her locks. Her mind wandered to those around her. She was the only one with hair of this color. Her thoughts settled again when her large gray eyes found themselves in the mirror.  She brushed her fingers over her high cheekbones and milky skin.

Tsillah adjusted her nightwear and moved behind a wooden screen. She dressed herself in the usual way, a long flowing gown of faint blue, coming off her shoulders. The long sleeves pulled tight at her wrists. The bodice was snug against her. A silken sash was adjusted around her waist with its remaining length reached down towards the floor. She often felt an unusual desire to wear darker colors, but it was not of her custom. Her mind drifted again to how she could sense something outside the city, far beyond what she had ever known. Yet when she tried to speak of this presence with the Elders, she would be hurried off to study more.

Here is your home. They would say. Have you invested your curiosity into the priestess’ ancient text?

She was curious about how they always seemed to turn the conversation to something else. She returned to the mirror and braided her hair in the traditional manner, half up and half down. She then moved to the window and gazed through the sage green and blue tinted leaves. This was the city of Eara, the elven capital.

This was one of the larger elven cities within the Whitewood. The borders of this place were protected by a stretching ravine with a slow-moving creek. Its structures mimicked that of the trees that entwined together to hold them. The roofs of each landing were arched with natural forms like vines and leaves. Thick branches supported many gathering places and living quarters.

Stairways hugged the sides of the gigantic trees and descended upon the ground while bridges were hung between them to connect the elves to one another. The stairways were held by arches as well and swirled down the trunks like serpents. The bases of some of the larger trees held gateways to the inner palaces of the society. Silver lanterns hung on the edges of each room and walkway. Wisteria crept along the white floors and hung over the sides of each tier, dancing on the wind.

What more is there? Tsillah whispered to herself.

On the ground below the palace rested the village. These structures had arched roofs as well that touched the forest floor. Each one had a central large frame that split symmetrically into a smaller one and then another. Every home and shop were connected by smooth stone streets lit with overgrown silver lamp posts. Green growth around the homes and on the bridges were welcome, the elves had a deep communion with nature. The trees would provide cover for their inhabitants and keep themselves in check so as to not overtake the elven homes. The common elf-folk lived there among the underbrush. They looked up to the beauty above and to the Elders that ruled over them.

Tap tap. There was a knock at Tsillah's door, and she turned to face it. She glided across the floor almost as gracefully as her mother and opened the door to her beloved guardian. The Elder before her had a kind face. She stood a head taller than Tsillah and had long flowing brown hair. Her features were soft and welcoming. Her robes were deep blue with embroidered white leaves falling down the fabric, collecting at its base. Her ancient eyes were a brilliant green, and her skin was that of honey and freckled. Tsillah smiled as the Elder opened her arms to her.

Come now, it is time for your studies.

Yes Aredhel.

They went down the hall together, across a