*****prologue*****

The drizzle fell in threads, though the funeral was kept dry under a large tent. The urn was brought forward, and the ashes emptied into the pit, before being covered with a silver leafed tree, little more than a sapling, but it would soon grow to be as magnificent as the many trees surrounding them in the grove of the dead. The arch druid stood before it and cast the tethering spell, before stepping aside, and allowing the deceased to say her bit. She stood for a moment before the assembly, her silvery form trembling like the leaves of her tree

“i know that the speech is customary, but I feel have said all I needed to say. this day has been a long time coming, and I know there are those of you who wish, for my sake, and for my son’s, that it could have happened sooner, but the things that happen, do so in the way they do, and we cannot change that. Thank you all for what you’ve done”

the assembled group started to stand, making their farewells, one man, holding a child’s hand, walked toward the silvery woman

“i thought Tannis might like to see you before we went” he said cheerfully as he approached

“thanks Art”

“i start sword training today!” the little boy proudly held up his blade, only a training sword, but still exciting

“and I bet you’ll do brilliantly, I want you to visit again when you finish, so you can tell me all about it, and I want you to come back again after practice every week so I can hear about your progress, OK, and do as Artan tells you, OK?”

“i will mum” the boy replied, and went to hug her but fell through the insubstantial form. She laughed as Artan helped the unfazed child up

“I’m glad you’re dead now,” the boy said, looking into her smiling face “you seem so much happier”

“i am Tann, I really am”

the little boy ran off, swinging his sword playfully, his mother watched him go a little way before turning to the man

“look after him Artan”

“like my own Kattia, I promise”

*****chapter 1*****

Tannis woke face down in a small puddle of his own drool, roused by a bar of bright sunlight falling across his face. He opened his golden eyes, slowly worked his way out of bed, and climbed into some clothes before rolling downstairs to the kitchen. Artan, as usual, was already up, eating his usual breakfast.

“i left yours in the oven, Tann, it should still be warm”

Tannis merely grunted in reply and retrieved his food.

By the time he had finished he was feeling far more awake, and so, having washed his face with water, drawn from the well, he left for the training grounds with his sword. As he stepped out of the door a flock of dragons, about the size of his palm and in various colours, clumsily scattered and flew off, he watched them go, but as a group of them crested a rooftop opposite, he saw something odd, a large black bird. You didn’t tend to see birds in the village, they usually stuck to the forests beyond the hills that surrounded them. The bird looked at him, and was gone, flying off into the pale sky, Tannis watched it go before continuing on to the training grounds, but He hadn’t taken more than half a dozen steps before he heard a voice behind him.

“hey, Tann, wait up!”

Tannis turned and saw a lanky figure running up behind him

“Mettis! Cutting it a bit fine aren’t you?”

the young man reached Tannis and doubled over, breathing heavily with a small pouch to his nose

“I’m not the only one am I? Look at you, ambling along like you’ve all the time in the world”

Mettis straightened up and rubbed his chest, his breathing returning to normal

“then again, you sort of do”

“what do you mean Mett?”

“you the best swordsman in any class, Grand Master Jonnas must have told you millions of times that you don’t need to come any more, the only people you can train with are the masters, and even they can’t beat you, you practically teach them.”

“and what if I do leave? Even the best masters need to keep their skills, honed, and you can only do that with constant practice”

“so, what? You just keep humiliating the rest of us forever”

“Mett, you’re my best friend, it’s my job to humiliate you. Anyway, it’s not forever. As soon as i’m old enough i’ll be accepted as a master, and be teaching classes myself”

“well at the rate I’m going I’ll be one of your students”

“maybe you’d be better with a different weapons class?”

“ah it’s too late for that, I’ll just have to make do with being soundly thrashed every week”

*****

the two friends came out of the training hall several hours later

“you didn’t have to wait for me Mett”

“what’s a friend for? I wanted to watch you teach your first lesson anyway, I think you taught master Tinnik a few things”

Tannis laughed at this

“not likely. It was nice of her to ask me to help with the new recruits though”

“you do realise this makes you an honorific master, don’t you”

“well that’s something to tell mum, fancy coming?”

“of course, I love your mum”

they turned off at the council house toward the grove of the dead, and in the middle of the street stood a large black bird, looking at Tannis with beady, unblinking eyes. It cocked it’s head to the side, it’s gaze holding

“Tann, is that bird looking at you?”

Tannis took a step to the side, the birds head straightened as it followed his movements, he looked at his friend.

“I’d say that’s a yes”

the bird let out a cry and flew off

“well that was weird, what’s a bird doing in the village?”

“i think I saw it this morning, opposite my house”

“that’s crazy Tann. Come on, we’re nearly there”

they got to the gate, the silver leaves reflecting the noon light like fire, they wove through the trees, stopping to say hello to some of the residents

“mum!”

Tannis’s voice rang through the grove as he approached her tree. He placed his hand on the trunk, running his fingers over the smooth white bark

“mum, how are you”

a breeze disturbed the leaves above his head for a moment

“you ask me that every week, things don’t change much when you’re dead, darling. How are you?”

he turned around to see his mothers silvery form, hovering behind him

“did you do well at training today? You’re later than usual”

“ Tinnik asked me to stay behind”

“why? Is something wrong?”

“no, she wanted me to help out”

“that makes him an honorary master, Mrs Baund”

chipped in Mettis

“oh that’s wonderful, Tan, you’ll get the full title the moment you turn twenty-one!”

her bright smile was quickly dimmed, however, by something behind Tannis, he turned, and sitting in the branches of the tree was the large black bird.

“it’s like it’s been following me”

“Tannis, listen to me.”

he looked back at his mother, she looked upset and scared, and a little way behind her, Mettis’s face, mirrored the confusion in Tannis’s mind

“mum?”

“Tannis, you need to go home, right now, tell Artan “it’s time” he’ll tell you what do do”

“it’s time for what?”

“goodbye Tannis, I hope you return to me”

“I’m not going anywhere mum! What are you talking about?”

“Mettis, take my son home, this is important, there is a higher power at work here.”

“of course Mrs Baund”

Mettis stepped forward and took Tannis’s arm

“come on, i’m sure Artan will explain”

Tannis allowed himself to be moved forward, he turned around

“i’ll come visit soon mum”

but she was gone

*****

Tannis hurried down the street with his friend trailing a little way behind, short of breath, and a little wheezy, they reached the house and entered, Mettis collapsed into a chair, breathing through his little pouch

“Artan!”

the man appeared at the bottom of the stairs

“Tann? Is something wrong?”

“mother sent me, she said it’s time”

Artan sat down too, and took off his glasses

“i see”

he rubbed his eyes, and replaced the glasses before turning to Mettis

“are you feeling a little better?”

Mettis nodded

“yes sir”

“in that case, could you go to my room, and fetch the pack from my wardrobe?”

Mettis looked confused, but agreed, and made his way upstairs

“sit down Tann”

he did so

“tell me what you know about Deiatus”

“Deiatus? Only what the hellia vortas sanctor tells us, he built a city who’s glory shone through the veil between worlds and hoped to spread that glory through mankind, but having left us to grow we became corrupted, so he started again with the five families who were most pure, they were our ancestors”

“and those who were not saved?”

“deiatus sent a great flood to the valley.”

“and killed millions upon millions of people.”

“to save us, because he loved us!”

at that moment, Mettis returned to the kitchen with the pack, Aartan looked up, and then stood to take it from him

“thank you”

he put the pack down on the table

“Tann, mass murder is not an act of love, but trying to prevent it when you know that you will suffer for it, if that’s not an act of love then the word has no meaning”

“like Ephemet” Mettis interjected

Tannis looked at him, confused

“when Ephemet realised what Deiatus was about to do he went to the valley of mankind and tried to warn them. Deiatus cast him out.”

there was a sheepish pause

“I could hear you from upstairs”

he added, by way of explanation

“eves dropping aside, well done”

Artan said through a slight smile, Tannis looked from one to the other

“so, what are you saying? Ephemet, lord of darkness...”

“has been misrepresented, yes, and it’s important you know this”

Artan reached forward and took Tannis’ wrist, bringing his hand up so they could see the palm, which bore a pattern of twisted lines and spirals, interwoven to form a flower which had been there as long as Tannis could remember.

“you were chosen at birth, by fate, as a soldier in Ephemet’s army. Take this pack, follow the bird, the fate of humankind rests on you and your fellow soldiers, the bird will lead you to them.”

“i’m going as well,” Mettis said, decisively “i reckon you’ll need all the help you can get”

Artan looked at Mettis thoughtfully.

“you know, I think you might be right, and the forest might do you some good. Plenty of trees, the air is good there, you might breathe easier”

“i never said I’d go!” Tannis was visibly annoyed “i don’t want to leave behind my friends, my mother, my training”

“Katt knows, and if anyone else asks then i’ll explain, but if you have been summoned then that means something has changed, and forces far beyond us are awakening, you will learn things out there that your training could never account for”

*****

a few minutes later the three of them were making their way through the village, following the black shape above. No one seemed to notice them as they made their way to the boundaries of the little settlement and on to the edge of the valley, and there the great expanse of forest unfurled before them. They looked out at the canopy of trees spread out like great carpet, all the way to the horizon. After taking in this new world, Artan turned around and for the first time saw the whole village, like a model, so small compared to the massive world he was about to enter, resting in the bowl shape created by the valley. Opposite them the vague circle was broken by a long scar, running a little way into the surrounding hills, and filled with flowing silver, reflecting the bright sunlight like the surface of the lake. Somewhere in that streak of silver was his mother, waiting for him to save the world.

“Tannis!”

Tannis turned to Artan, whose hair was whipped by the strong wind

“this is where I leave you both, good luck”

Tannis looked toward the bird, which sat on the short expanse of grass before them, Mettis placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled gently

“are you sure about this Mett?”

“well I can’t let you go alone, come on.” Mettis started to pick his way through the uneven pastures. Tannis turned to Artan

“thank you” he said, and with a departing embrace was gone, following his friend into the unknown