Sea of Lucidity , livre ebook

Troubador Publishing Ltd - David Mackay

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

237 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

Losing his way in Farnwaar Forest, Ranger Taro Brook stumbles upon a startling discovery... As a band of hooded riders approach his settlement, Morusk of DunTreggan begins to suspect that things may not be all they seem... And in the land of Enntonia, Token ScriptScratcher, the Scribe of Bog-Mire Towers, takes frantic steps to thwart the impending return of a dark menace he had hoped would stay forever banished. Caught in unfamiliar surroundings where the concept of time, past, present and future appear to hold no relevance, Taro Brook quickly has to come to terms with the daunting prospect that reality may be little more than an illusion. In his efforts to return to normality he reluctantly accepts assistance from the Drifter Sanna Vrai, a woman with the ability to navigate between worlds and Messenger Two Cups, a chattering individual with an insatiable tea addiction. Remaining sceptical of all he is being told by his new-found companions, yet unable to deny the things he has seen, Taro Brook's resilience is put to the harshest test of all when he is confronted with a chilling revelation... Originally intended as a standalone novel, this gripping tale now also introduces an inspired new fantasy series which will appeal to those looking to discover and explore a myriad of worlds, all intrinsically linked and in which there exists an infinite number of everything and everyone.

Sujets

Fantasy (canción de Mariah Carey)

Fantasy

Informations

Publié par	Troubador Publishing Ltd
Date de parution	28 mars 2017
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781788038218
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0200€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

THE SEA OF LUCIDITY

Book I of
THE ELDORMAAR

David Mackay
Copyright © 2017 David Mackay

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Matador
9 Priory Business Park,
Wistow Road, Kibworth Beauchamp,
Leicestershire. LE8 0RX
Tel: 0116 279 2299
Email: books@troubador.co.uk
Web: www.troubador.co.uk/matador
Twitter: @matadorbooks

ISBN 9781788038218

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Matador® is an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd

For the moon, the tree…
And the perfect snowflakes
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
CHAPTER SIXTY
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
CHAPTER SEVENTY
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
CHAPTER EIGHTY
CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE
CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO
CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE
CHAPTER NINETY
CHAPTER NINETY-ONE
CHAPTER NINETY-TWO
CHAPTER NINETY-THREE
CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR
CHAPTER ONE
Sunlight danced furtively through the old forest. A light breeze stirred gently among the branches of the mighty conifers. In response to its silent caress the birch and aspen leaves fluttered energetically.
Immersed in his thoughts, paying little attention to his surroundings, he trudged slowly up the steep track. Reaching the top of the slope he paused to catch his breath. Close by, a small stream gurgled and bubbled contentedly as it continued its nomadic journey through the inner sanctum of the great forest.
Breaking from his reverie his gaze settled on an unwelcome sight. A short distance away, an old man stood clutching the handrail of a dilapidated wooden footbridge spanning the stream. Sitting next to the hunched figure, a collie dog waited obediently for his master’s next command.
With a sinking feeling of resignation, he continued on his way. He really wasn’t in the mood for conversation. Today, more than any other, he craved the calming solitude of the forest.
Approaching the footbridge his mood lifted. The old man was on the move, shuffling slowly along the track, his dog following faithfully behind. Sensing an opportunity for minimum contact, he quickened his pace and within minutes had drawn level with the stranger. Passing quickly by, he offered a brief greeting and a comment on the pleasant day.
His gesture was met with silence. He shook his head in disgust. Annoyed with himself for wasting his energy on false pleasantries he forged ahead determinedly, allowing himself only a quick glance back over his shoulder.
Head bowed low, the old man cut a sad figure as he shuffled slowly forwards, walking stick in hand and dog by his side. It was clear that if he was aware of another’s presence, he was choosing not to acknowledge it.
He shrugged his shoulders and continued walking. He would never lay claim to being the most sociable of people himself, but something about the old man’s demeanour troubled him. As he rounded a bend in the trail an uneasy feeling began to nag his senses.
A few moments of deliberation later, he drew to a halt. The old man had possibly lost his way in the forest and may have become disorientated. Perhaps he needed help. Kicking a small rounded stone into the water in frustration, he turned and retraced his steps back along the track.
Arriving back at the footbridge his mood swung from frustration to bemusement.
The old man and the dog were nowhere to be seen. He scanned the surrounding trees in disbelief.
Where had they gone?
Bemusement changed to annoyance. If the old man was lost, the old man would have to find his own way out. Resigned to the fact that his noble efforts had been in vain he resumed his course and quickly became lost once more in deep reflection.
His thoughts were now fixed firmly on the old man. The unexpected encounter troubled him, in part due to the stranger’s unnerving manner and no less for his sudden disappearance.
A short while later his contemplation became tainted by the growing suspicion that the old man may not be the only one who had become lost in the forest. Aware he was no longer following the safety of the footpath he found himself at the bottom of a steep, pine-clad incline, littered with wind-blown trees and moss-covered boulders. With his options limited by the dense spruce trees blocking his progress on either side, cursing his carelessness, he made for higher ground in the hope that it might offer a better view of his surroundings.
The slope was steeper than it had looked. He slipped and lost his footing several times on the rough terrain as he picked his route through the fallen trees and broken branches. The ascent culminated in a short but difficult scramble over scattered, lichen-clad rocks.
Once more on level ground, to his disappointment, he found no obvious solution to his predicament. The towering spruce, larch and fir trees, reaching high into the sky, offered no clue as to his whereabouts.
Several paces to his right an overgrown track wound its way through the long grass and bracken, to a break in the treeline. With his curiosity stoked, it felt like the obvious choice. Aware of the unfamiliar appearance of his surroundings, he focused his attentions fully on the unusual nature of his plight. He simply wasn’t in the habit of getting lost in the forest.
The track led into a shaded clearing and skirted round a pool of stagnant water. The trees whispered mockingly in the breeze as he picked his way carefully through the reeds and rushes by the water’s edge.
At the far side of the clearing the track widened considerably; wide enough to accommodate his pick-up truck, though judging by its overgrown state he surmised that a horse-drawn cart would make for a more suitable means of transport.
Leaving the clearing, his sense of adventure, coupled with the prospect of exploring an undiscovered corner of the forest, spurred him onwards.
With his senses on high alert, he had walked only a short distance when, detecting a change in the air, he came to a sudden stop.
As the breeze dropped, everything in the forest fell very still. The mighty conifers now stood almost statuesque, as if waiting in silent conspiracy. The sunlight shimmered in a peculiar, almost supernal haze.
Appearing hypnotised, as if held in suspended animation, the forest waited in quiet expectation.
He glanced around anxiously, looking desperately for sign of movement, or for some clue as to what was happening. To his dismay, he found neither. Reluctantly he stepped forward in the faint hope that his movement might break the spell that appeared to have captivated the forest.
Nothing happened… He took another cautious step… There was a loud crack as he stood on a broken branch. His thumping heartbeat seemed deafeningly loud in the surrounding silence. Glancing warily over his shoulder, with the unmistakable feeling that he was being watched, he took a few further hesitant steps forward. He stopped again abruptly, his gaze darting frantically from side to side. Try as he might, he just couldn’t shake the feeling… He was definitely being watched. By whom or what he did not know.