Nadir - Preview

Prologue

There had been no clouds that night, long ago. The stars burned brightly in the crisp, clear sky. The ground beneath him was soft and slightly damp as he lay there thinking; wondering. He had seen her for the first time that morning across the crowded market place, and his heart had stopped. It had been barely a glimpse, though it seemed like much longer, before the crowd had closed again between them. She had been on his mind ever since. An owl hooted nearby as he replayed the moment for the thousandth time, and wondered what it was about this girl that had so captured his attention, and why he couldn't get her out of his head. Since he had been old enough to walk his mother had kept him busy with chores, and he had never felt entirely comfortable with the other boys and their rowdy play, so he had spent most of his nine years with only himself for company. No girl had ever even taken any notice of him, and that had suited him fine. Until now.

Something made him half turn: a sixth sense, or perhaps his subconscious. She was standing there, looking down at him, in the same white dress she had been wearing that morning.
He scrambled to his feet, tripping over his words `H... He... Hello.'
`Hi.'
Seconds passed, turning into minutes, and neither of them moved.
`My name's... Zeke,' he said suddenly, remembering at last both it and his manners.
`Yes, I know,' she said. `I asked the other boys. My name's Narael. I've seen you around, strange that we've never spoken before. You always seemed distant somehow. Not this morning, though.'
`This morning? I'm sorry, I just noticed you across the marketplace.'
`I noticed you noticing.'
`Yes, ah...' Zeke stumbled again. `I was just... thinking.'
`About me?' Narael flashed a small smile.
`Well, yes,' Zeke admitted. Silence fell once more, and Zeke began to feel awkward. He opened his mouth to say something, still unsure of what it would be.
`I'd better go,' interrupted Narael. `Mother will be wondering where I am. Maybe I'll see you around?' she suggested.
`Yeah, maybe you will.'
She walked up to him, snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, then ran off down the hill. He stood there, stunned, and watched as she ran all the way to the edge of the town below. Once there she turned, just for a moment, then was gone.

He sighed, and lay back down on the spongy grass. It was, of course, only the beginning.

Chapter 1

High on the thermal currents rising off the sea-cliffs floated an eagle. Its black eyes flickered to and fro over the landscape below. A shoal of fish, glittering silver, ran out on the tide from the bay that sheltered the trading port of Oumine, but the eagle had fed recently and paid them little heed. Tucking its wings to its side it dropped from the updraught and streaked westwards across the harbour and the busyness of the docks, over the tiled roofs of houses and emporiums, the inns and alleys of the merchant heart of Cenine. It passed, too, over the less respectable heart of Cenine: thieves' dens, smugglers' hideouts and houses of ill repute.

In latter centuries, a comfortable peace had settled on the lands to the west of the Plarun Sea. The wars of old were a distant legend, border disputes were now unheard of, and the last major civil war had taken place over six hundred years ago. Food and land were available in plenty and though the concepts of rich and poor seem ingrained in human nature, for the most part even the lowliest peasant had little to complain about. There were bandits and thieves to be sure — criminals both petty and large — but lowlifes and scum will emerge to feed off any society that grows large enough.

At the western gate a steady stream of people came and went, mostly on foot, some drawing wagons or dray, still others on horseback. A few looked up, shading their eyes, as the eagle passed across the sun now an hour past noon. In the field before the gates stood a crossroad, the westward route out of the city meeting with the highway that ran from the border of Helkae in the south to the Dutean capital of Tahfra in the north. With a single beat of its wings the eagle shifted its heading slightly to the north, leaving behind the people below on their way to and from the outlying towns and villages.

The countryside of Cenine was abundant and richly soiled, though sparsely peopled. Its meadows, pastures, paddocks and orchards clustered close in to the villages and towns, leaving wide open grasslands between. It was early summer, and as the eagle passed overhead farmers tended their crops, almost ripe for the early harvest, carpenters hammered, and fishermen sat lazily dangling their rods in pool and stream. With the domain of most lords being substantially greater than a day's ride from one side to the other, the people of Cenine were being left more and more to govern and police their own affairs. A small tithe makes little difference to an abundant harvest, and so commoners and nobles alike were content.

Over the Garn Ranges in the west, the sun was setting, draining the light from the grasslands of Cenine as it went. The eagle passed over the walled town of Ersen, people below in the streets lighting the lamps as dusk came, and on it flew into the sunset and the gathering darkness. Its sharp eyes spotted flickering torchlight to the southwest, but now was not the time to interfere, so it passed silently to the north. The darkness had by this time fallen completely, and the moon was not yet risen. A small town, barely more than a village, was just visible to the west and it was towards this that the eagle flew. Circling overhead it spotted a boy emerging from a doorway below, lamplight flooding out onto the street for a moment until the door swung closed once more.

* * * * *

He could still see the flames.

Zeke and Narael had been best of friends since that night, long ago. They laughed and talked together for eight years. They had delighted in each other's company, and were steadfast friends, but never anything more. One night in the early summer of their seventeenth year, Narael had called Zeke up to the hill behind their town of Kolrin. Often they would sit up there and talk late into the night. Zeke had eaten his dinner early, and as night fell he set off towards the hill.

Kolrin was asleep. As Zeke wandered through the streets of the small country town, he was somewhat surprised that no one was about. Usually it would be a full hour before people settled in for the night, but tonight the streets were clear early and the dull noise of conversation heard through walls and doors seemed somehow subdued. The clacking of Zeke's sandals on the cool cobblestones echoed sharply through the town square in contrast. The soft glow of candlelight spilled out onto the street from a few windows, but the only other illumination was the clear pale light of the stars. The moon had not yet risen, and no houses faced onto the now empty marketplace. A Dutean Owl hooted forlornly against the constant chirping of crickets as Zeke crossed through the centre of the plaza. Away behind him, a black shadow detached itself from the darkness in the far corner of the square and scrambled up a drainpipe, leaping away across the rooftops as Zeke continued, oblivious.

Narael had been acting strangely lately and Zeke had often found himself wondering what was wrong, but knew better than to ask; she would explain it in her own time. It occurred to him that perhaps that was why she wanted to speak to him now. Worrying about it now wouldn't help, anyway. He would know soon enough. He glanced at the homes around him as he made his way southwards through the streets; the houses in the south of the town were larger than those near his own home, and well built. He would like to live in one of the grander homes when he reached his maturity. He was to be apprenticed to Udlin, the local woodworker, when the Midsummer festivals came around this year, and had heard rumours that the job paid well.

Dim light outlined the hill to the south as Zeke left the streets and set off across the grass. The moon was rising. Something made him look up as its ashen globe crested the hill. A solitary female figure stood atop the mound, her hair and dress streaming behind her with a sudden gust of wind. Zeke was taken aback at how beautiful Narael looked. She had become a familiar figure in his everyday life, and he had grown used to her appearance, he supposed. The somewhat peculiar circumstances of the night, however, made him look at her in a different way, and though it was strange, he had to admit he liked what he saw. The figure atop the hill turned toward him, and he realised he had stopped walking. He shook his head and set off again. He would have to deal with all that later; Narael was waiting.

`I didn't think you would come,' Narael remarked as Zeke stepped up behind her.
`Sorry, but Mother wouldn't let me come out until I'd eaten. She's a bit fussy lately, what with Midsummer approaching. I don't think she's going to be too happy about letting me go when it comes to it.'
`I know how she feels. It doesn't matter, you're here now anyway,' she said as she turned, her dress swirling at her feet. `We're good friends, aren't we Zeke?'
`Of course we are Narael. The best,' Zeke replied, still wondering at her strange mood. There was a long pause.
`I... I have something I need to tell you,' she said at last, avoiding eye contact. Zeke could see tears on her cheeks, glistening in the dim glow of moonlight. She turned away again, sniffing. `This is so hard. We're best friends, you'd think that would make it so much easier.'
`You can tell me anything, Narael. You know that.'
`It's not that easy, Zeke. I don't know how you'll react. If you stopped speaking to me, it would be too much to bear,' she sighed. As she turned back to face him, Zeke caught her eyes, and a wave of raw emotion passed through him so forcefully that he couldn't identify it. `Zeke, I... I love you,' She finally blurted out. `I always have. I can't imagine life without you. With your apprenticeship coming up, it won't be long before you can leave Kolrin. I couldn't bear being left behind.'

Finally it all made sense. Her strange moods, the way she had been acting lately. She loved him. Zeke, though, was unsure of what to think. Not five minutes earlier, he had been thinking about how beautiful she was, but this was all coming too fast. For eight years they had been friends, and now in a moment things had changed. He tried to think rationally, but it seemed a thick fog had settled in his brain. Narael stepped closer and, standing on her toes, kissed Zeke on the lips. Zeke gasped, and took a step backwards.
`I think I need some time alone, Narael, to work through all this,' Zeke muttered as he took another step away. He turned and ran down the hill. As he reached the base, he heard Narael crying behind him. He almost stopped, but decided against it though it tore at him. All he could think of was that kiss.

Back in his bedroom, Zeke sat on his bed, thoughts racing. He kept going over the night's events in his mind. He didn't know what to do. Narael had occasionally kissed him on the cheek in the past, and he hadn't minded at all. Besides, his mother kissed him on the cheek. Her kiss tonight, however, was something different entirely. To tell the truth, he had quite enjoyed it; it was all he could do to stop thinking about it. The problem lay not with the kiss, but with the fact that he wasn't sure what his feelings were for Narael. He gazed out the window at the stars and thought back to the night they had first met.

He had never been interested in other people much, no matter what age or sex. Even his parents, though he loved them, were difficult for him to relate to. Narael was something different. She thought like he did. She was fun to be around, and was the only person who could make him laugh. He could make her laugh too, and did so as often as possible. No problem ever seemed too big when shared with her, and he was sure she felt the same. In fact, he couldn't imagine his life without her in it. Of course! That was it! All of the pieces fell into place. Finally he realised what he had felt that night when they first met. It was love. It must be. At once his raging mind quieted. He lay back on his bed, still fully clothed, and drifted off to sleep. He would tell her everything in the morning.

The pale light of pre-dawn filtered through Zeke's window as he lay in a half doze. Something was amiss. Blearily he looked around his room, but everything seemed to be in its place. He shook his head to try and clear his thoughts, and then he realised — people were screaming. Leaping to his feet, he sprinted from his room. In two bounds he was down the stairs, and in another he was out the front door. There he skidded to a halt, eyes open wide at the terror before him. Kolrin was ablaze.

To be continued...

Preorder the full book today!

	Prologue There had been no clouds that night, long ago. The stars burned brightly in the crisp, clear sky. The ground beneath him was soft and slightly damp as he lay there thinking; wondering. He had seen her for the first time that morning across the crowded market place, and his heart had stopped. It had been barely a glimpse, though it seemed like much longer, before the crowd had closed again between them. She had been on his mind ever since. An owl hooted nearby as he replayed the moment for the thousandth time, and wondered what it was about this girl that had so captured his attention, and why he couldn't get her out of his head. Since he had been old enough to walk his mother had kept him busy with chores, and he had never felt entirely comfortable with the other boys and their rowdy play, so he had spent most of his nine years with only himself for company. No girl had ever even taken any notice of him, and that had suited him fine. Until now. Something made him half turn: a sixth sense, or perhaps his subconscious. She was standing there, looking down at him, in the same white dress she had been wearing that morning. He scrambled to his feet, tripping over his words `H... He... Hello.' `Hi.' Seconds passed, turning into minutes, and neither of them moved. `My name's... Zeke,' he said suddenly, remembering at last both it and his manners. `Yes, I know,' she said. `I asked the other boys. My name's Narael. I've seen you around, strange that we've never spoken before. You always seemed distant somehow. Not this morning, though.' `This morning? I'm sorry, I just noticed you across the marketplace.' `I noticed you noticing.' `Yes, ah...' Zeke stumbled again. `I was just... thinking.' `About me?' Narael flashed a small smile. `Well, yes,' Zeke admitted. Silence fell once more, and Zeke began to feel awkward. He opened his mouth to say something, still unsure of what it would be. `I'd better go,' interrupted Narael. `Mother will be wondering where I am. Maybe I'll see you around?' she suggested. `Yeah, maybe you will.' She walked up to him, snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, then ran off down the hill. He stood there, stunned, and watched as she ran all the way to the edge of the town below. Once there she turned, just for a moment, then was gone. He sighed, and lay back down on the spongy grass. It was, of course, only the beginning. Chapter 1 High on the thermal currents rising off the sea-cliffs floated an eagle. Its black eyes flickered to and fro over the landscape below. A shoal of fish, glittering silver, ran out on the tide from the bay that sheltered the trading port of Oumine, but the eagle had fed recently and paid them little heed. Tucking its wings to its side it dropped from the updraught and streaked westwards across the harbour and the busyness of the docks, over the tiled roofs of houses and emporiums, the inns and alleys of the merchant heart of Cenine. It passed, too, over the less respectable heart of Cenine: thieves' dens, smugglers' hideouts and houses of ill repute. In latter centuries, a comfortable peace had settled on the lands to the west of the Plarun Sea. The wars of old were a distant legend, border disputes were now unheard of, and the last major civil war had taken place over six hundred years ago. Food and land were available in plenty and though the concepts of rich and poor seem ingrained in human nature, for the most part even the lowliest peasant had little to complain about. There were bandits and thieves to be sure — criminals both petty and large — but lowlifes and scum will emerge to feed off any society that grows large enough. At the western gate a steady stream of people came and went, mostly on foot, some drawing wagons or dray, still others on horseback. A few looked up, shading their eyes, as the eagle passed across the sun now an hour past noon. In the field before the gates stood a crossroad, the westward route out of the city meeting with the highway that ran from the border of Helkae in the south to the Dutean capital of Tahfra in the north. With a single beat of its wings the eagle shifted its heading slightly to the north, leaving behind the people below on their way to and from the outlying towns and villages. The countryside of Cenine was abundant and richly soiled, though sparsely peopled. Its meadows, pastures, paddocks and orchards clustered close in to the villages and towns, leaving wide open grasslands between. It was early summer, and as the eagle passed overhead farmers tended their crops, almost ripe for the early harvest, carpenters hammered, and fishermen sat lazily dangling their rods in pool and stream. With the domain of most lords being substantially greater than a day's ride from one side to the other, the people of Cenine were being left more and more to govern and police their own affairs. A small tithe makes little difference to an abundant harvest, and so commoners and nobles alike were content. Over the Garn Ranges in the west, the sun was setting, draining the light from the grasslands of Cenine as it went. The eagle passed over the walled town of Ersen, people below in the streets lighting the lamps as dusk came, and on it flew into the sunset and the gathering darkness. Its sharp eyes spotted flickering torchlight to the southwest, but now was not the time to interfere, so it passed silently to the north. The darkness had by this time fallen completely, and the moon was not yet risen. A small town, barely more than a village, was just visible to the west and it was towards this that the eagle flew. Circling overhead it spotted a boy emerging from a doorway below, lamplight flooding out onto the street for a moment until the door swung closed once more. * * * * * He could still see the flames. Zeke and Narael had been best of friends since that night, long ago. They laughed and talked together for eight years. They had delighted in each other's company, and were steadfast friends, but never anything more. One night in the early summer of their seventeenth year, Narael had called Zeke up to the hill behind their town of Kolrin. Often they would sit up there and talk late into the night. Zeke had eaten his dinner early, and as night fell he set off towards the hill. Kolrin was asleep. As Zeke wandered through the streets of the small country town, he was somewhat surprised that no one was about. Usually it would be a full hour before people settled in for the night, but tonight the streets were clear early and the dull noise of conversation heard through walls and doors seemed somehow subdued. The clacking of Zeke's sandals on the cool cobblestones echoed sharply through the town square in contrast. The soft glow of candlelight spilled out onto the street from a few windows, but the only other illumination was the clear pale light of the stars. The moon had not yet risen, and no houses faced onto the now empty marketplace. A Dutean Owl hooted forlornly against the constant chirping of crickets as Zeke crossed through the centre of the plaza. Away behind him, a black shadow detached itself from the darkness in the far corner of the square and scrambled up a drainpipe, leaping away across the rooftops as Zeke continued, oblivious. Narael had been acting strangely lately and Zeke had often found himself wondering what was wrong, but knew better than to ask; she would explain it in her own time. It occurred to him that perhaps that was why she wanted to speak to him now. Worrying about it now wouldn't help, anyway. He would know soon enough. He glanced at the homes around him as he made his way southwards through the streets; the houses in the south of the town were larger than those near his own home, and well built. He would like to live in one of the grander homes when he reached his maturity. He was to be apprenticed to Udlin, the local woodworker, when the Midsummer festivals came around this year, and had heard rumours that the job paid well. Dim light outlined the hill to the south as Zeke left the streets and set off across the grass. The moon was rising. Something made him look up as its ashen globe crested the hill. A solitary female figure stood atop the mound, her hair and dress streaming behind her with a sudden gust of wind. Zeke was taken aback at how beautiful Narael looked. She had become a familiar figure in his everyday life, and he had grown used to her appearance, he supposed. The somewhat peculiar circumstances of the night, however, made him look at her in a different way, and though it was strange, he had to admit he liked what he saw. The figure atop the hill turned toward him, and he realised he had stopped walking. He shook his head and set off again. He would have to deal with all that later; Narael was waiting. `I didn't think you would come,' Narael remarked as Zeke stepped up behind her. `Sorry, but Mother wouldn't let me come out until I'd eaten. She's a bit fussy lately, what with Midsummer approaching. I don't think she's going to be too happy about letting me go when it comes to it.' `I know how she feels. It doesn't matter, you're here now anyway,' she said as she turned, her dress swirling at her feet. `We're good friends, aren't we Zeke?' `Of course we are Narael. The best,' Zeke replied, still wondering at her strange mood. There was a long pause. `I... I have something I need to tell you,' she said at last, avoiding eye contact. Zeke could see tears on her cheeks, glistening in the dim glow of moonlight. She turned away again, sniffing. `This is so hard. We're best friends, you'd think that would make it so much easier.' `You can tell me anything, Narael. You know that.' `It's not that easy, Zeke. I don't know how you'll react. If you stopped speaking to me, it would be too much to bear,' she sighed. As she turned back to face him, Zeke caught her eyes, and a wave of raw emotion passed through him so forcefully that he couldn't identify it. `Zeke, I... I love you,' She finally blurted out. `I always have. I can't imagine life without you. With your apprenticeship coming up, it won't be long before you can leave Kolrin. I couldn't bear being left behind.' Finally it all made sense. Her strange moods, the way she had been acting lately. She loved him. Zeke, though, was unsure of what to think. Not five minutes earlier, he had been thinking about how beautiful she was, but this was all coming too fast. For eight years they had been friends, and now in a moment things had changed. He tried to think rationally, but it seemed a thick fog had settled in his brain. Narael stepped closer and, standing on her toes, kissed Zeke on the lips. Zeke gasped, and took a step backwards. `I think I need some time alone, Narael, to work through all this,' Zeke muttered as he took another step away. He turned and ran down the hill. As he reached the base, he heard Narael crying behind him. He almost stopped, but decided against it though it tore at him. All he could think of was that kiss. Back in his bedroom, Zeke sat on his bed, thoughts racing. He kept going over the night's events in his mind. He didn't know what to do. Narael had occasionally kissed him on the cheek in the past, and he hadn't minded at all. Besides, his mother kissed him on the cheek. Her kiss tonight, however, was something different entirely. To tell the truth, he had quite enjoyed it; it was all he could do to stop thinking about it. The problem lay not with the kiss, but with the fact that he wasn't sure what his feelings were for Narael. He gazed out the window at the stars and thought back to the night they had first met. He had never been interested in other people much, no matter what age or sex. Even his parents, though he loved them, were difficult for him to relate to. Narael was something different. She thought like he did. She was fun to be around, and was the only person who could make him laugh. He could make her laugh too, and did so as often as possible. No problem ever seemed too big when shared with her, and he was sure she felt the same. In fact, he couldn't imagine his life without her in it. Of course! That was it! All of the pieces fell into place. Finally he realised what he had felt that night when they first met. It was love. It must be. At once his raging mind quieted. He lay back on his bed, still fully clothed, and drifted off to sleep. He would tell her everything in the morning. The pale light of pre-dawn filtered through Zeke's window as he lay in a half doze. Something was amiss. Blearily he looked around his room, but everything seemed to be in its place. He shook his head to try and clear his thoughts, and then he realised — people were screaming. Leaping to his feet, he sprinted from his room. In two bounds he was down the stairs, and in another he was out the front door. There he skidded to a halt, eyes open wide at the terror before him. Kolrin was ablaze. To be continued... Preorder the full book today!