Origins of the Tainted Bloodline Read online

  The Six Elements Origins

  Origins

  of the

  Tainted Bloodline

  Shapeshifting Seas Trilogy

  Book One

  Rosie Scott

  Copyright, 2019

  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 art by Nikita Drizhenko.

  Map design by Rosie Scott.

  Dedication

  To Thomas, my number one. I will always love you and I miss you every day. In the slim chance that there is a heaven, it does not deserve you but I envy it for having you.

  To Tim, my husband and number one fan. Thank you for your support in making my books the best they can be, and thank you for your never-ending excitement when it comes to my written art and its success. You continue to be the best life partner I could ever ask for.

  To Besty. Here it is, you lovable bastard. The first book featuring your favorite Six Elements character. I hope you love it.

  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

  The Six Elements Origins:

  Rise of a Necromancer

  Shapeshifting Seas Trilogy

  Origins of the Tainted Bloodline

  TBA

  For More Information

  Author Website

  Business Inquiry Contact:

  [email protected]

  Important Terms and Characters

  Alderi – Casually referred to as dark elves. Blue, purple, or blackish in color with black eyes. A brutal and crude race suited to the underground and sly dealings. Shortest height of all elven races but the highest sexual libidos of all races. Non-monogamous.

  Aleyah – The goddess of communication and travel.

  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 shapeshifting.

  Amora – The goddess of love.

  Ancients – An ancient race of beings that not much is known about. Possibly based only in myth.

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

  Astred Miller – An opportunistic pirate. Wielder of push daggers. Full-blooded human.

  Aysel Lee – A free-spirited resident of Silvi. Full-blooded Celd.

  Azazel Beriah – An ingenious brothel slave in Hazarmaveth in the underground. Full-blooded Alderi.

  Azmaveth Urbina - A brothel slave in Hazarmaveth in the underground. Hotheaded twin brother of Fraco. Full-blooded Alderi.

  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. All beastmen have the ability to wield alteration magic, for it is required to learn how to shapeshift.

  Blades of Meir – A cult of cannibals which worship the second moon of Meir. Reside in the deserts of Nahara.

  Blood-kin – Used to define or describe the animal a beastman has mixed blood with and can transform into.

  Blood mixing – The scientific process of becoming a shapeshifter by mixing blood with a chosen animal while using alteration magic to evolve the fluids as one.

  Briona Fermi – Beastman and blood scientist in charge of shapeshifter recruit first transformations in Silvi. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  Calder Cerberius – Born as Alastor Cerberius. A brothel slave in Hazarmaveth in the underground. Later ship captain and ferris smuggler. Beastman who is blood-kin with the horned lizard and wielder of alteration magic. Full-blooded Alderi.

  Cale Woodburn – Vruyk Kleng's right-hand man. Pirate and rempka addict.

  Celdic – Casually referred to as wood elves. A peace-seeking race not prone to battle. Most reside in the tree city of Celendar.

  Celendar – One of Chairel's four major cities, made of nothing but trees that date back to the time of the Ancients. A former country before its annexation by Chairel in the late Golden Era.

  Chairel – A rich country known for its four major cities of Sera, Comercio, Celendar, and Narangar. A melting pot of races, particularly human, Celdic, and dwarven. A land of forests, grasslands, and mountains. Known for its strict magical law system and domineering ways.

  Chance – The god of trade and fortune.

  Dark Star – The season of winter. 90 days in length. Last season of the year.

  Devlyn Hartwood – Ferris distributor who resides in Silvi and imports product from Tenesea. Full-blooded Celd.

  Dual Caster – A mage capable of wielding two elements.

  Elemental magic – Deals in the elements of fire, earth, water, air, life, and death. Mages may wield one element or two, but no known mage in history has wielded three or more elements.

  Eran – The first, smaller moon of Arrayis. Shows itself in the sky all year round.

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

  Ferris – An herbal drug often smoked rolled in paper. Grown only in the wildlands. Said to have pain relieving properties. Harmless, but does cause a high.

  Fraco Urbina - A brothel slave in Hazarmaveth in the underground. Pacifist twin brother of Azmaveth. Full-blooded Alderi.

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

  Gods – An race of creatures said to have been created by the Ancients. The source of most of the religions on Arrayis. While many claim they actually once existed as tangible beings, none have been heard from in hundreds of years.

  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.

  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.

  Hassan Naaji – Mercenary sailor and self-proclaimed troublemaker. Wielder of arbalest. Native of Jaalam, Nahara. Half-breed of Alderi and human blood.

  High Star – The season of summer. 90 days in length. Second season of the year.

  Human – The weakest of the mortal races, and the most common race to populate Chairel and Nahara.

  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.

  Jaecar Rapp – An escaped slave of the underground. Sailor. Scout of Tenesea. Alchemist. Wielder of dual scimitars.
Beastman who is blood-kin with a bat. Full-blooded Alderi.

  Jayce Helaku – Deals in the ferris and blood trades. Leader of beastmen defensive hunting and scouting parties in the wildlands. Beastman who is blood-kin with a crocodile. Sister of Vallen. Native of Eteri but resides in Tenesea. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  Jediael – The god of knowledge.

  Jeremoth Boivin – An escaped slave of the underground. Owns the only tavern that serves Alderi ale on the surface, located in Silvi. Full-blooded Alderi.

  Kali Qadir – Mercenary sailor. Wielder of cestus gloves. Beastman who is blood-kin with the mantis. Native of T'ahal, Nahara. Full-blooded human.

  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.

  Killick – A tropical island just south of Nahara. Part of the country’s rule, but mostly lawless. A hub for mercenary ship trading.

  Koby Bacia - A brothel slave in Hazarmaveth in the underground. Calder's best friend. Later ship captain, navigator, quartermaster, and ferris smuggler. Alchemist. Wields a short sword. Full-blooded Alderi.

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

  Melodi – The goddess of music.

  Moons – Another word for seasons, as in, there are four moons in a year. Sometimes used as a method to describe the passing of time.

  Mortal Era – The current era, directly following the Golden Era, said to belong to the mortal races of Arrayis given the disappearance of the immortal races such as the Ancients and the gods. Any dates referred to in The Six Elements are of the Mortal Era, unless otherwise specified.

  Nahara – A poorer human country known for its vast deserts. Just south of Chairel. The only surface country to have legal and widespread slavery, where people are trafficked to participate in the gladiatorial battle events held in its capital of T'ahal.

  Nanya – The goddess of lust.

  Narangar – A dwarven city in southwest Chairel, nestled deep in the Golden Peaks just above the Chairel/Nahara Border. Home to the great Narangar Harbor.

  Neliah Clevon – Mercenary sailor. Former soldier of the Eteri Army who was discharged due to behavioral problems. Beast wrangler. Wielder of twin hooks and fire magic. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  Nemesis – The goddess of vengeance.

  Nerezza Sitz – Brothel owner and master of the slaves Alastor, Koby, Azazel, Azmaveth, and Fraco. Full-blooded Alderi.

  New Moon – The season of spring. 90 days in length. First season of the year.

  Patrick Killian – Captain of the Ollie. Trader and smuggler. Full-blooded human.

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

  Red Moon – The season of autumn. 90 days in length. Third season of the year.

  Rempka – A highly addictive and damaging opioid. Occurs naturally in Celendar but smuggled across the world. Appears as a clear syrupy liquid and can either be drank or injected directly into a vein. Causes the slow degradation of the body (loss of teeth, hair, fingernails) and can lead to death by overdose. Rempka highs are unpredictable but usually dull pain and give bursts of euphoric energy.

  Sentinels – A title given to the seven prestigious war generals of the Eteri Army.

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

  T’ahal – The capital city of Nahara.

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

  Underground – The misandrist nation beneath the earth of Arrayis, with cities built straight out of stone. Enslaves all its males. An isolated land of underground caverns and tunnels. Home to the brutal Alderi assassins.

  Vallen Helaku – Deals in the ferris and blood trades. Leader of beastmen defensive hunting and scouting parties in the wildlands. Beastman who is blood-kin with a bear. Brother of Jayce. Native of Eteri but resides in Tenesea. Full-blooded Vhiri.

  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.

  Vruyk Fleng – Leader of the largest gang of pirates that has ties in every port city and patrols the seas south of Nahara.

  Western Isles – A group of tropical islands spotted along the lower eastern coast of the wildlands.

  Wildlands – An untamed land of swamps, tropical forests, and wild beasts. A land of anarchy.

  Relevant Spells and Translations

  Alteration

  Tranferra sel ti kin a blud – Transform into blood-kin

  Oxi del agua – Water-breathing

  Parliz – Paralyze

  Parliz a multipla – Mass paralyze (area of effect)

  Resist a mana – Resist magic/energy shield (swirls)

  Absort la mana de spula – Absorb offensive spell energy (vibrates)

  Tranferra la mana del electro rys – Create light (translates to “transfer energy into electromagnetic rays”)

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

  Sik le life – Detect life

  Mel y prugres material del compat – Meld and evolve two compatible substances (i.e. humanoid/animal blood during blood mixing process)

  One

  47th of High Star, 349

  Tortuous screams of agony shattered off the cavern walls, reverberating painfully over cold stone until they made a permanent home in my fractured psyche. The stench of blood and urine had long ago become familiar, so when a new wave of it filtered through the tiny window of my cell, I didn't flinch. Pained wails continued between pleas the man made for his life. The women torturers only laughed cruelly and continued beating him. Before long, the slices of blades in flesh resounded through the air, followed by the splattering of blood. The screams devolved into a desperate whimpering.

  It was an average day in the underground.

  I kept my eyes closed. I couldn't see the man dying from my confinement, for they beat him in Hazarmaveth's city square outside my brothel. But I could hear it. I couldn't escape my oppressive situation or help the man who had since fallen silent, but somehow, closing my eyes allowed me to pretend I was safe in the blackness behind my eyelids.

  “Your stock is getting pathetic, Nerezza,” a woman spat far to my right. I opened my eyes and gazed down the row of slave cells to the doorway at the end of the hall. Nerezza, the owner of the brothel we resided in, tugged Azmaveth into the room by the chains of his shackles. Azmaveth was a fellow sex slave who had worked here for decades. The female client following them both glared at Azmaveth with disgust before she added, “How old are you, whore? You don't look a day past your second century and you can't even get it up.”

  Azmaveth fought in his chains to turn back toward the client and spit. As his saliva ran down the woman's face, he hissed, “Nobody gets hard by the sight of you. I'd rather fuck a disfigured gimp.”

  The woman laughed sarcastically as Nerezza shot illusion magic at Azmaveth. The spell sunk into his flesh until it affected his mind, calming him so he no longer struggled. As Azmaveth heaved labored breaths of anger and adrenaline, Nerezza unlocked the door of the cell he shared with his twin brother Fraco and shoved him inside. Fraco watched despondently as Azmaveth sat on the grimy stone nearby. Though they looked alike with their gray skin, limber builds, and black hair, the two brothers couldn't have been more different. While Azmaveth had multiple escape attempts on his record, Fraco had none. Azmaveth rebelled against our female oppressors every chance he got, while Fraco seemed to believe pacifism would prevail. So far, neither of them succeeded in bettering their lives or improving their happiness.

  “Spitting is normally something I'm into,” the client declared, wiping Azmaveth's saliva from her face,
“but not like this, Nerezza. I demand a refund.”

  Nerezza turned from the cell, but she didn't put the key ring back on her belt. Instead, she motioned to the rest of us and said, “I'll give you a discount if you can find another to your liking.”

  The client twisted her lips to the side and glanced down the row of cells. Her eyes caught on me before she asked Nerezza, “How much of a discount?”

  “Half-price for double the time,” Nerezza replied. “I'll give you a full hour for fifty gold.”

  “Gods damn,” the client blurted happily, walking up to my cell. Her black eyes rolled over me in a degrading inspection. I glared at her in response. She chuckled at my exuding hatred and said, “I can feel the hostility from this one. I'll take him.”

  “Alastor Cerberius,” Nerezza announced my name, and the client raised an eyebrow. She sorted through keys as she asked, “You're sure you want him? He knows how to please, but he's known for being bitter and hateful.”

  “Hate creates a sensual passion unlike any other, sister,” the client replied, crossing her arms and nodding in affirmation of her choice. “The opposite of love is indifference. This one hates. He'll have my eyes rolling in the back of my head.” Her lips raised in a demented smile of perversion.

  “Stand up, Alastor,” Nerezza commanded. The scraping of my iron shackles resounded off stone as I did so. I waited against the back wall as Nerezza unlocked the door.

  I glared at the woman who paid for my non-consensual affections as Nerezza led me out of the cell by my chains. “I'm flattered to be discounted goods,” I said in monotone as I passed her.

  The client chuckled as Nerezza led me past the other cells and to the dark stairwell that would bring us to the floors of beds. “I'd expect damaged goods to be discounted,” she replied condescendingly behind me. My hatred for her only grew.

  Nerezza secured me to a bed by the chains of one ankle minutes later, allowing me only enough freedom with which to do my job. The client looked me over again before settling her gaze on my eyes. “Can he see?”