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  The Six Elements

  AIR

  Rosie Scott

  Copyright, 2018

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except for use in any review. This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locales, and events are pure invention, and all incidents come from the author's imagination alone.

  Cover design by Jes Richardson.

  Map design by Rosie Scott.

  Dedication

  To Tim and Matt, the two best dudes in the universe.

  To my most loyal readers: thank you for reading, reviewing, and just generally being awesome. I hope you love this book as much as the others.

  Other Books by Rosie Scott:

  Dystopian

  The New World series:

  The Resistance

  The Betrayal

  The Acquisition

  The Insurrection

  The Calamity

  Fantasy

  The Six Elements series:

  Fire

  Earth

  Water

  Air

  Life

  Death

  For More Information:

  Publisher's Website:

  www.amazon.com/author/rosiescott

  Author Blog:

  www.rosiescottbooks.wordpress.com

  Maps, timelines, and additional info about books can be found here!

  Business Inquiry Contact:

  [email protected]

  Important Terms and Characters

  Abaddis – The goddess of destruction.

  Ahebban – The god of conflict and bloodshed.

  Alderi – Casually referred to as dark elves. Blue, purple, or blackish in color with black or red eyes. A brutal and crude race suited to the underground and sly dealings.

  Aleyah – The goddess of communication and travel.

  Altan Marcet – The first Sentinel. Fire mage and wielder of a chain. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  Alteration magic – A school of magic dealing in the altering of material objects. Used for practical purposes and for battle support. Includes spells like telekinesis, detect life, and shape shifting.

  Ancients – An ancient race of beings that not much is known about. Accredited with the creation of the gods. Said to have existed during the beginning of the Golden Era.

  Anto Erikur – Former gladiator of T'ahal. Dual-wielding warrior. Member of the Seran Renegades. Half-breed of orc and Celdic blood.

  Arrayis – The world, consisting of all continents and oceans.

  Arturian Kilgor – Kai Sera's biological father, and a magical scientist. The discoverer of the Kilgorian Law, and founder of the village of Kilgor.

  Azazel Beriah – Former slave of the underground. Wielder of karambits, a long bow, and alteration magic. Member of the Seran Renegades. Full-blooded Alderi.

  Battle of the Dead – The battle between Chairel and the Seran Renegades/Naharan Army just north of T'ahal in the year 418. Catalyst for the War of Necromancers.

  Beastmen – A term to describe the tribe of people who live in the untamed wildlands and can transform into beasts by will. The term can be used interchangeably with shapeshifter.

  Bhaskar Almon – The seventh Sentinel. Skills and identity unknown.

  Bjorn Berg – The late general of the Seran Army, and the only positive father figure Kai has ever met. Executed by Sirius Sera in the year 417 for his assistance in Cerin Heliot's escape from Sera's dungeons.

  Calder Cerberius – King of the underground. Beastman who is blood-kin with a horned lizard. Ally of the Seran Renegades. Sometimes referred to by his given name Alastor. Full-blooded Alderi.

  Celdic – Casually referred to as wood elves. A peace-seeking race not prone to battle. Most have light complexions and stand slightly taller than humans. Most reside in the tree city of Celendar.

  Cerin Heliot – Kai Sera's lover. Dual caster of life and death magic. Wielder of scythe. Member of the Seran Renegades. Half-breed of Icilic and human blood.

  Chairel – A rich country mostly known for its four major cities of Sera, Comercio, Celendar, and Narangar. A land of forests, grasslands, and mountains. Main enemy of the Seran Renegades and allied with Hammerton.

  Cicero – The god of chaos.

  Ciro – The god of the sun.

  Cup of Eteri – A term to describe the northernmost plains of Eteri due to being contained in a “cup” of the surrounding cliffs.

  Cyrus Anil – The second Sentinel. Water mage and wielder of katars. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  Dark Star – The season of winter.

  Dual Caster – A mage capable of wielding two elements.

  Elemental magic – Sometimes referred to as destruction magic. The hardest school of magic to wield. Deals in the elements of fire, earth, water, air, life, and death.

  Emil – The god of envy, jealousy, and zeal.

  Eteri – A mostly isolated country to the north of the wildlands. A nation of highlands and vast plains. Home of the Vhiri elves.

  Fortnight – A period of two weeks.

  Giants – A race of people ranging from ten to thirty feet tall depending on age. Natives of Eteri. Magnificent architects.

  Gods – A powerful race of beings said to have been created by the Ancients. The source of most religions on Arrayis. A vengeful and arrogant race.

  Golden Era – An era spanning 5782 years before the current Mortal Era, said to be a time of discovery, including the forming of most major nations of Arrayis. An era of which little is known for sure, given the mix of myth and history passed through the generations.

  Glacia – A continent that also serves as its own country, home to the Icilic elves, at the northern most point of Arrayis. Currently not involved with the war.

  Hades – The god of the dead.

  Half-breed – A person who carries the blood of two separate races and contains traits from both.

  Hammerton – A country to the east of Chairel. A nation of forests and mountains. Home of the dwarves. Ally to Chairel in the war.

  Hasani Samara – The prince of Nahara, and an ally to the Seran Renegades. A fantastic fighter and war general. Full-blooded human.

  High Star – The season of summer.

  Icilic – Casually referred to as snow elves. The oldest lineage of elves in all of Arrayis, known for their magical abilities and disdain for other races. Extreme isolationists.

  Illusion magic – A school of magic dealing in the creation of illusions for entertainment or nefarious purposes. Includes spells such as charm, frenzy, or invisibility.

  Jakan Yair – Former thief. Wields a crossbow, scimitar, and illusion magic. Member of the Seran Renegades. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  Jediael – The god of knowledge.

  Judai – The goddess of lies and deception. Slain by Cerin Heliot in 419.

  Kacela – The goddess of the hunt.

  Kai Sera – Wielder of the six elements and the lesser schools of magic. Adopted daughter of Sirius Sera. Leader of the Seran Renegades. Half-breed of god and human blood.

  Kilgorian Law – Named after its discoverer, Arturian Kilgor, it is a scientific law which states a mage's magic energy is pulled from reserves in a natural order: environment, weather, self.

  King Adar – The king of Nahara. Resides in T'ahal. Full-blooded human.

  Kirek Sjors – The third Sentinel. Earth mage and dual-wielder of axes. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  Magnilda (Maggie) Roark – Queen Tilda's chief engineer. Inventor and developer of Eteri's magical warship shielding systems. Wielder of a war hammer. Half-breed of dwarf and giant blood.

  Malachi – The messenger of the gods.

  Malgor – The god of war. Slain by Kai Sera in the year 418 in the Battle of the
Gods.

  Material element – Another way to describe the elements of fire, earth, water, and air.

  Meir – Arrayis's second moon, and the largest. Only appears twice a year, and for weeks at a time.

  Moons – Another word for seasons, as in, there are four moons in a year.

  Mortal Era – The current era, directly following the Golden Era. Any dates referred to in The Six Elements are of the Mortal Era, unless otherwise specified.

  Nahara – A country known for its giant beasts and vast deserts. Ally of the Seran Renegades.

  Nanya – The goddess of lust, and Kai's mother.

  Naolin Zeru – The fifth Sentinel. Fire mage and wielder of a sword and shield. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  Narangar – The dwarven capital in southwest Chairel, nestled deep in the Golden Peaks just above the Chairel/Nahara Border.

  Necromancy – Another term for death magic, and the only element that is banned across Chairel. Deals in the reanimation of the dead, the leeching of energy from life, and the decomposition or plague of living forms.

  Nemesis – The goddess of vengeance.

  New Moon – The season of spring.

  Nirit – The goddess of nature. Slain by Nyx Sephtis in 419.

  Nyx Sephtis – Kai Sera's best friend. Former assassin. Wielder of dual daggers, throwing stars, and illusion magic. Member of the Seran Renegades. Full-blooded Alderi.

  Queen Edrys – The ruler of Chairel. Has a regent in each of the four major cities. Resides in Comercio. Full-blooded human.

  Queen Tilda – The ruler of Eteri. Resides in Mistral. Wielder of earth magic. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  Red Moon – The season of autumn.

  Ricco Mara – Beastman who participated in the liberation of the underground. Casualty of the 420 takeover of Hazarmaveth.

  Sentinels – A title given to the seven prestigious war generals of Eteri's army. Promoted in rank based on time served and battle accomplishments.

  Seran Renegades – Group of rebels started by Kai Sera in the year 418 with the goal of taking over Sera and, by extension, all of Chairel.

  Servis Ocean – The ocean which separates the continents of Arrayis.

  Silas Galan – Kai Sera's former lover and bodyguard. A Celdic elf of royalty from Celendar. Abandoned the group at the end of Fire for his refusal to follow Kai into illegal activities.

  Sirius Sera – Headmaster of the Seran University and regent of Sera. Wielder of air and life magic. Full-blooded human.

  T'ahal – The capital city of Nahara.

  Terran Sera – Biological son of Sirius Sera, and heir to the Seran throne. Wielder of earth magic. Full-blooded human.

  Theron Boa – The late friend of Kai Sera, killed during the Battle of the Dead in the year 418. Former member of the Seran Renegades. Full-blooded human.

  Tyrus – The god of the forge and metal-working.

  Underground - The nation beneath the earth of Arrayis, with cities built straight out of stone. A land of underground caverns and tunnels. Home to the brutal Alderi assassins. Liberated in the underground takeover in 420. Ally of the Seran Renegades.

  Uriel Anemone – The sixth Sentinel. Life mage and wielder of spear. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  Vallen Helaku – Beastman who participated in the liberation of the underground. Brother of Jayce. Casualty of the 420 takeover of Quellden.

  Vertun – The god of weather and seasons.

  Vhiri – Casually referred to as high elves. A highly magical race of elves known for their arrogance and hatred of the politics of Chairel. Most have bronzed or deep brown skin.

  Vita – The goddess of life.

  War of Necromancers – The war started by Kai Sera and the Seran Renegades after her refusal to surrender to Chairel during the Battle of the Dead in the year 418. Nations currently involved: Chairel, Hammerton, Nahara, the wildlands, and the underground.

  Wildlands – A so-called untamed land of swamps, tropical forests, and wild beasts. Home of the beastmen. Ally of the Seran Renegades.

  Zephyr Lian – The fourth Sentinel. Dual caster of life and air magic and wielder of chain-sickle.

  Ziarre – The goddess of the skies.

  Relevant Spells and Translations

  Fire

  Creatius les fiers – Create fire

  Creatius les fiers a nienda – Create fire that sticks to another spell

  Generat le meteora a multipla – Generate meteor shower

  Explodis a fiers – Fire bomb (area-of-effect)

  Earth

  Tranferra la terra ti ___ - Transform earth into (sand/metal/stone)

  Creatius el crevas – Create crevasse

  Creatius el roc projectille a multipla – Create multiple rock projectiles

  La terra te sinka – Sink earth

  La terra te closura – Close/fill earth

  Ades in meta – Imbue object (i.e. weapon) with metal

  Explodis a meta – Metal bomb (area-of-effect)

  Air

  Creatius la bolta a multipla – Create chain lightning bolts (wielded by hand)

  Generat le funel – Generate tornado

  Generat la bolta – Generate lightning bolt

  Generat la bolta a multipla – Generate lightning storm

  Ades in bolta – Imbue object (i.e. weapon) with lightning

  Circa a wava de therma – Heat wave (area-of-effect)

  Water

  Creatius a friz projectille – Create ice shard

  Creatius la wava a tyda – Create tidal wave

  Tranferra la agua ti ___ - Transform water into (ice/steam)

  Creatius le geyser – Create geyser (wielded by hand)

  La spyk a friz te risa – Raise ice spike

  Generat le shouer a friz – Generate freezing rains

  Generat la wava a major– Generate tsunami

  Life

  Givara le life – Heal

  Givara la mana – Give energy

  Promotus le imun – Promote immunity

  Sheel a phisica – Shield for physical damage

  Sheel a mana – Shield for energy damage (ward)

  Sik la trama – Seek injury

  Death

  Enflic le plague – Inflict plague

  Corpa te risa – Raise corpse (singular)

  Corpa te risa a multipla – Raise corpses (area-of-effect)

  Absort la mana del life – Leech

  Enervat – Mass leech/death bomb (area-of-effect)

  Famiin – Mass famine/famine bomb (area-of-effect)

  Combination (Dual Elements)

  Summun te golum – Summon golem (death/material element)

  Enflic le plague del agua – Inflict water poisoning (i.e. drowning from inside the body, death/water)

  Creatius la magma – Create magma (earth/fire)

  Creatius les wins a friz – Create freezing winds (water/air)

  Generat le shouer del mana – Generate energy rains (water/life)

  Illusion Spells

  Muta te sensa – Dull senses

  Persuadua – Charm

  Desoriencia – Confuse

  Panique – Fear

  Seriin – Calm

  Bilda te fasad – Invisibility (translates to “build facade”)

  Creatius flectous del electroc rys – Light (translates to “create reflections of electromagnetic rays”)

  Enhaun visua – Enhance eyesight

  Alteration Spells

  Oxi del agua – Water-breathing

  Parliz – Paralyze

  Absort la mana de spula – Absorb offensive spell energy

  Willin el material a nienda – Telekinesis (push or pull object from a distance)

  Sik le life – Detect life

  Alliv material in masse – Alleviate (translates to “relieve object of weight”)

  Ades material in masse – Burden (translates to “imbue object with weight”)

  One

  7th of New Moon, 421

  Hazarmaveth was not the same city we had left
just a year ago.

  It was free. It had evolved. It had grown. When we first entered the city via the tunnel entrance I'd blocked with fire during its takeover, the first thing I noticed was that the buildings and architecture I'd ruined with my magic were being rebuilt. Because the city was carved straight out of the stone of the underground, it was impossible to fix it to its original state. The tower I had crumbled could never be the same; after all, stone could not regrow. A mix of both men and women were mining through the eastern walls of the city to expand it, which allowed them to leave chunks of the stone for new architecture.

  My friends and I passed the assassin's guilds, which were still in service. Given the massive casualties of our takeover, they were sure to be short-staffed, of course, but it was evident that the changes in the leadership of the underground could not change everything. The Alderi would always love their brutality and espionage.

  The many brothels of the underground were converting into other businesses and gathering places. The men were no longer enslaved here, and the Alderi love of sex seemed to be the number one reason why many of the once leery women were being won over to the side of enjoying their culture's new equality. After all, they used to have to pay exorbitant prices for sex. Now, men and women were walking off together left and right, able to give into their primal urges for free and whenever they wanted.

  I was certain that there were women here who still believed men were inferior, and there were likely men who understandably did not trust the women who had once enslaved them. But the dissent was not noticeable in the slightest as we walked through the city's streets, on our way to stop at a tavern for rest and food. Our journey back to Hazarmaveth from Quellden had not taken as long as it had while going the opposite direction the last year; after all, we'd had an army of thousands, and our men had been fatigued from a lack of oxygen. Even so, once we finally exited the tunnels to the surface of Eteri, it would be some time before we came across another settlement. Stopping to trade and rest in Hazarmaveth also offered us an opportunity to check on the city's progress, and I found myself grateful we did so. My work and sacrifice over the past few years were paving the way for a better future not only for the thousands freed, but for all the generations that had yet to come to pass. Seeing the city rebuilding like this made it feel as though the lives lost and the sacrifices made were worth it.