Elaina J. Davidson's Blog, page 70
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Excerpt: The Drowned Throne - Volcanic Power
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FERVENTLYTORRULLIN HOPED to see autumn again.
As Rayne he was entranced by theamazing spectacle of it, the many feasts as the harvest was brought in,culminating in the huge Harvest Festival of the month Haerfell. Reno, herecalled, loved it too, as had the boy Torrullin. Torrullin the man neededValaris whole, for all reasons, not merely the majesty of autumn … and yet itcalled.
Shortly before dawn, he jerked upright,inadvertently tumbling Saska to the ground. She came awake grumbling. Brieflyapologising, Torrullin vaulted to his feet.
“What do you sense?” Vannis whisperedfrom the seat of power.
Taranis was already standing, sword tohand.
“Valleur sorcery. He is doingsomething.” The Enchanter’s eyes glazed in concentration.
Saska rose, looking up. The cloud coverhad thickened and darkened during the preceding hours, all stars vanished. Inthe indistinct almost-light of pre-dawn, it appeared forbidding and dangerous.It was unbearably cold and quiet.
It would rain later.
Torrullin focused on them and his eyesglittered. “We had better pray for the mother of all storms in the next fewminutes. Margus is unsealing the volcano in Gosa and has begun agitating thecore.”
“Mother of all gods,” Vannis said,flinching. He straightened, his nakedness blue and goose-fleshed. “Gosa is tooclose for comfort. How much time do we have?”
“None,” Torrullin said.
“I thought the volcano was extinct,”Saska frowned.
“That will not stop him,” Taranis saidin controlled fury. “Still, Gosa is a fair distance from here, with desert allaround.”
“Agitating the core is unhealthy,”Vannis murmured.
Torrullin’s eyes glazed again. “Thefirst gasses escape, the Horde has retreated to a safe distance. It will blowany second.” He focused on Vannis. “I believe they intend to direct the flow.”
“Into the Sound,” Vannis muttered.“Naturally.”
Torrullin faced west, staring over thetreetops.
Taranis sighed, a hopeless sound, andSaska was rooted. No one, except Vannis, realised how potentially devastatingthe situation was. They did sense it on a more instinctive level.
“I can make it rain, like on Ardosia.Belun showed me,” Taranis offered.
Torrullin shook his head. “No heroics,Taranis. It takes time and when it blows you go with it.”
“Rain has never stopped lava,” Saskamurmured. “Only big water … oh, I see,the Sound. The sea will go crazy and we will be in it … crap.”
“Exactly.” Vannis spat.
“Tremors,” Taranis whispered, staringat his feet.
It was the first shivers of a core atodds with itself after a long period of stability and dormancy, tremors thatwould swiftly become earthquakes, waves of motion to shake up entire regions.
The greyness began to glow then as if agiant cauldron had just had its lid lifted - precisely the case. Bright incandescentorange, not the dawn, no; that would materialise behind them in the east. Avolcano preparing to erupt was unmistakable, even on Valaris where it had nothappened in living or dead memory.
UNBEKNOWNSTTO THEM, a number of theHorde left in pairs to wing their way across the continent. Two by two, notcapable of total annihilation, but nonetheless able to cause certain damage,they laid waste to the empty and near-empty cities and towns; Galilan, Gasmoor,Tetwan, Saswan, Actar, Mintor, Linmoor, Winnish and Farinwood.
If Margus and his Horde were defeated,it would take Valaris centuries to return to former glory.
THETREMORS WERE faint, butincreasing in frequency.
As unmistakeable as a volcano preparingto erupt had been moments ago, thus it was with the actual eruption. They heardand felt a distant roaring, and the orange heavens in the west became afireball, great and hot. The land shook in terror.
“Phet, investigate … cautiously,”Torrullin said.
The Falcon took to the air.
He returned quickly, tail and wingtipssinged.
Icould not get close, Enchanter, so I went high. Thereis a gigantic hole in the Gosa Mountains and it spews lava at a rate. I cannotadequately describe it. The sand burns, and already much land is covered inash. Secondary eruptions are constant as gasses explode and there is no sign ofanyone. Enchanter, they have engineered the main lava flow to head for theSound opposite Aqua Islet and this one. It cannot be stopped.
“How soon before it hits the water?”Taranis asked.
Ten,twelve minutes - a guess only.
“Thank you, Phet,” Torrullin said. Timenow to think, but not much of it available. “It is no isolated attempt atdestruction. As with everything else, this too has purpose. If sufficient lavaflows into the ocean, and let us assume that will be the case, Margus couldengineer a land bridge to the mainland. The Sound will be left with only oneoutlet at Emleth.”
“The water level will rise,” Taranisfollowed, “although not significantly. I would suggest the problem lies inearthquakes, and the currents, naturally, will go haywire … god, tidal waves.”
“Yes,” Vannis said. “That is what thisis about. He is challenging the island and, by inference, the Throne. Genius.Safe distance and a topographical alteration we are powerless against. Fine.”Vannis was grim, his eyes black. “The Throne is in danger. No magic canwithstand changes of this nature to the terrain it requires to operate in. Ifthis chair,” and he slapped the armrests, “is toppled, its power will beunleashed. It will be a disaster worse than a thousand volcanoes.”
An ancient seat has the power todestroy
From thecesspool of Silas Island into the underworld of Two Town, the battle continues.As epic storms batter the continent, men, women and children succumb to soltakintouch and darkling blade.
It is time to reveal the hidden half-race from underthe sands of the Vall Peninsula; Valaris needs soldiers as much as she needshope. It is time also to face Margus in his lair and throw down the gauntlet.
Arrayed against his might is the small team ofdefenders, among them Taranis of the Guardians, Vannis of the Valleur, andTorrullin, a man with a dual nature, who as often fights the darkness risingwithin as he fights to protect his world. Visions plague Torrullin; he strugglesto find himself when fate appears omnipotent, and love ever beyond his reach.
The extinct Gosa volcano erupts as sacred sitesimplode, creating earthquakes and tidal waves. A monster surge races to thesite of an epic confrontation before an ancient and powerful golden seat.
The Valleur Throne is about to assume ultimate status.Will it save or conquer their world?
THE DROWNED THRONE
February 3, 2024
February 2, 2024
February 1, 2024
January 31, 2024
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Zodiac Signs as Mythical Creatures
Nicked from FB, but I can't now recall who put these together. All credit due to the artist!
I'm a dragon. YES!
