Kin Seeker

Paperback Edition

Hardcover Edition

### Content Guide

Use of advanced vocabulary and fantasy terms (avid reader recommendation); mild fantasy violence;a demonic summoning scene; some scenes may disturb younger readers

### Themes

Self-discovery, Friendship, Courage, Loss, Destiny

## Chronology

### Next

The Beacon Thrones

Kin Seeker is the first novel in the five-part series, Dragon Calling. The book was first published 12 August 2013, by independent publisher, Starsea Press, located on the Gold Coast, Australia.

The author, N. R. Eccles-Smith, is also the illustrator of her works, including all maps, illustrations, glyphs, comics, and characters.

Kin Seeker is available in both eBook, paperback, and hardcover formats, with plans underway for an audiobook edition.

## Dedication

*"For Charlene, sister, confidant, and the one who always believed."*

The book is dedicated to the author's sister, whom during the long years of the book's transformation, is known to have been the foundational supporter of the author's efforts and dreams.

## Book Blurb

*“Please, I ask you to look with all your heart and strength for the other dragons. You must—far more is at stake than you can comprehend.”*

The dragons have mysteriously vanished from the lands of Valadae—except one.

With no memory of his past, or what happened to his kin, Laeka’Draeon begins the daunting quest for answers, well aware the stakes are more than personal.

If the dragons fail to return and restore the waning magic of the legendary towers of Klonnoth Aire, the consequences could bring about the return of an ancient and devastating enemy.

The peace between the eleven allied kingdoms hangs in the balance, and only Laeka’Draeon can set things right.

## Glossary

#### Titles and Phrases from the Hilesal Language:

**Atun**—Meaning to *stop*, *end*, or *cease*.

**Beruun Terrolaghn**—Meaning, *Black Mountains*. Once known as the Border Realm, the mountain range of the far north was re-named after an influx of corrupted manna transformed it into a perilous, desolate wasteland, where other corrupted energies found a hold to thrive.

**“Daho gisdel tu’ga gilet’gisdel ta’li’wenok’atun, ta’li alin larate’sa.”**—Translated: *‘Your spirit into peace eternal, it is my prayer.’* A ceremonial expression used by unicorns to honour the dead. Ubi chanted those words for Boedek.

**Denin**—Meaning *magic*, or *of magic*. The term used to describe an individual or creature-kind capable of manipulating manna, both from their surroundings, and from their own body.

**Elrathil**—Meaning, *beautiful*, or *of beauty*. The title once belonged to the forest now known as Darks Whelm. Elrathil is also the name of the Great Power from the unicorn’s ancestral creed, said to bestow the energies of rejuvenation and beauty.

**Et’denin**—Meaning *not magic*, or *not of magic*. It is the term used to describe an individual or creature-kind not capable of manipulating manna. Although it is possible for an Et’denin to reach a degree of magic through certain influences, it is a difficult art to master, and a poor replication compared to its natural counterpart.

**Gisun’gisuthet**—Meaning, *Soul Reading*. A rite performed by the Misht’thurelin, in conjunction with the artefact known as Imurainiir. The purpose of the practice is to glean insight from beyond time that would otherwise be unobtainable. Potentially dangerous to the mind of the user, it is performed sparingly.

**“Hitye Gisdonetu misht, ko’opre alin ta’li larate’sa. Ta’li’wenok’atun idones ko’opre standend, tu’ga alin gisdel li Deliye. Ko’opre kithon tuplok ta’li’wenok’atun, idones et’del li. Imurainiiur alin hilesa.”**—Closest translation: *‘Hear Creator high, out from me is this prayer. Sword of endless truth, into my spirit be Sight. Out from moment and space unending, truths unseen be. Imurainiir I summon!’* This is the Song of Summoning Belzor Ven’Ho sung as part of the Gisun’gisuthet.

**Misht’thurelin**—Meaning, *High Prophet*. The translation of “high” in the hilesal is used to describe an individual’s status in a family/ community unit, calling, or between his/ her fellow creature-kind, and has nothing to do with the measurement of physical height.

**“Niten, besod, tu’ga daho alin hilesa. Ko’opre daho, besod, dethet li”**—Translated: *‘Listen, friend, into you I call. Out from you, friend, awaken be.’* Those were the words sung by Ubi and empowered by her Light magic, in order to awaken one of the Ludas from its self-induced enchantment of dormancy.

**Tuplok’koriminod**—Meaning *Space of Corruption*. The unseen paths in which manna flows in reverse to the course of the Space of Life (tuplok’gisdelara). This form causes manna distortion, depletion, and degeneration.

#### Other Titles and Phrases:

**Ayrelan**—The mysterious homeland of the dragons.

**Bandu’ur**—The larger of Valadae’s two central kingdoms, known for its dry, windy climate, and vast spans of grasslands.

**Beruun Hunadreas**—An ancient city spanning the depths of Beruun Terrolaghn, and primary stronghold of the hobgoblins. The city once belonged to the duards, however they were betrayed by the hobgoblins and driven from their domain roughly seventy cycles before the War of Shores. Shortly after the duards were exiled, the mountains fell into tainted ruin.

**Braeweur**—The Yokushin of the dragon creature-kind.

**Cacodemon**—A corrupted spirit capable of sustaining its own physical form by means of receiving a deliberately surrendered body from a living creature, or summoned into the physical realm (subservient or not) by powerful dark magic.

**Caroo chekka**—A verbal mifflin term; very generalised and with no particular translation, other than primarily being an expression of surprise, pleasure or wonder.

**Centaur**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Cultured and beautiful, centaurs are often the inspiration for sculptures, and eloquent proses. They are fierce warriors, and devoutly spiritual, both traits lending them a strong sense of justice. Although Et’denin, centaurs have studied the arts of Healing magic for hundreds of cycles, and those who dedicate their calling to the gift, often excel at it.

**Deijech**—From the faerie dialect, meaning *damned* or *curse and condemn*. It is a predominantly coarse and vulgar declaration, used in anger or frustration.

**Denin Lore**—A series of unbreakable conditions bound to the manna of certain creatures. The origins of Denin Lore vary from culture to culture, although there is a general agreement most Lores are never a natural occurrence.

**Dragon**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Intelligent learners, formidable fighters, and unsurpassed in magic and foreign culture, dragons are received with a mixed response: revered by some, abhorred by others. Despite the mixed reputation, dragon-kind signifies Transcendence and Might—the unity between the Eternals and the Temporary.

**Duard**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Duards are robust and hard-working, skilled in mining, metal smithing and all variants of stone craft. They are renowned for their architecture, innovative inventions, and obstinate natures.

**Fennidel**—From the faerie dialect, meaning *Fallen Place*. It is the last known Field of Ludipis in Darks Whelm and received its name after six of the seven remaining Ludipis clans sacrificed their lives in order to seal away the great plague—known as the Parasite—and end its spread of devastation.

**Gelian**—The second largest kingdom in Valadae, famous for its military power and beautiful, wild landscapes. It also has the highest cycle of rainfall.

**Gestk**—From the faerie dialect, meaning *get off it*, and is generally used as a mild expletive of surprise or annoyance.

**Ghoshmyl**—Large, powerful quadruped reptiles, with two leathery wings and a plated head armed with thick twisted horns. Aggressive and greedy by nature, they pose a threat to nearly all other inhabitants of the tundra and mountain regions they occupy. Ghoshmyls live in a hive-like social structure—with the most vicious female as the matriarch.

**Gollow-gellidi**—From the faerie dialect, meaning *Hollow Soul*, is one of several titles used to describe creatures born from failed cacodemon transformations. When the soul of the creature a corrupted spirit is trying to fuse with is too strong to overthrow, the struggle for control warps the energies, binding the spirits together and severing their ability to control the body. What becomes is an abomination without memory, heart or will. The monster Sotaik, which attacked Laeka’Draeon and his companions, is a gollow-gellidi.

**Hemlan**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Hemlans are a well-adapted, creative, and generally impulsive kind, with a wary disposition toward powers greater than their own. Their original culture is difficult to source from amidst the sundry blends adopted from other Valadilian kinds, although it is due to this inherent curiosity and absorption that their expanse of knowledge is one of the greatest.

**Huenwrii**—The Yokushin of the unicorn creature-kind.

**Imurainiir**—Also known as the Rapier of Revelation, it is an effigy of a sword and a bowl carved from the rare, transparent mineral of a fallen star. When the energy coursing through the mineral merges with an active soul by means of a conducting element (such as water), the Imurainiir has the ability to deflect across time and space and send echoes of events—of past, present and future—into the mind of the recipient. It is the centaurs’ most treasured artefact.

**Lailil-thenen**—The capital of Whelvenlailil and central realm of the unicorns. Unlike any other city, it is a large cultivated glade protected by an immense and ancient barrier of magic. It is believed a vein of raw manna runs directly through Lailil-thenen—the only known vein to breach Valadae’s surface.

**Ludas**—The largest sentient plantae creature in Valadae. By nature, they are docile and nurturing, able to ‘bleed’ their own manna into their surroundings, stimulating periods of potent purification. They feed off sunlight, which is absorbed directly into their skin, and enrich the soil by burrowing underground and filtering dirt through their hollow thorax cavities.

**Machuu**—From mifflin lingo, meaning *indeed*, or *to be certain*; used when expressing agreement to a spoken statement.

**Manna**—The energy that forms and sustains all things. Manna that is manipulated by Denin or spells is called magic.

**Mifflin**—An avian tribal creature-kind, native to the forest regions of Gelian. Submissive and genial in nature, they are quick to trust and serve. Though small in stature they are very strong and can carry objects several times their size and weight.

**Morwulf**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. A quietly passionate, reclusive kind, morwulves are one of Valadae’s oldest civilised inhabitants, and have an enduring dedication toward their kingdom and creed. Elite contenders in the fields of music, art and war, they are both feared and respected by all other ruling kinds.

**Selnra**—A unicorn idiom, used to point focus or express importance to the speaker’s own feelings and/ or opinion. A condensed alternative to stating the full meaning, which is, *‘Harken, these are my words.’*

**Shoumeign**—A hemlan city set at the base of the Ghiaroan Mountains, in the western kingdom of Enquelandria. The city is notorious for its illegal slave trade of Denin creatures. The wescats, Cab and Taijorn, revealed the city as their destination, where they plan on meeting up with Cab’s cousin.

**Spirit Message**—A composition of raw manna implanted with the thoughts or words of an individual, intended for a chosen recipient. Steady concentration and the ability to use Spoken magic are crucial in creating a Spirit Message, although neither is needed to receive one. Spirit Messages, by design, are capable of absorbing copious amounts of material from their surroundings—adapting to changes or obstacles as needed—while retaining their original message with unalterable integrity.

**Twens Way**—A series of small, connected waterways running through the Woodlands of Caprine, from the edge of Para-cape, all the way to the southern end of the woodlands to join the Pledging River.

**Unicorn**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Alongside the morwulves, unicorns are another of Valadae’s oldest civilised kinds, renowned for their stunning beauty and their skill in Healing and Light magic. They are graceful, gentle, and steady in their disposition, although hold a fierce intolerance against any sort of corruption.

**Vel-spectre**—An ancient creature-kind, which although claim to be native inhabitants of Valadae, are believed to have originally hailed from a kingdom beyond the Border Realm (now Beruun Terrolaghn). They are discreet and elusive, with a culture steeped in the unfamiliar supernatural. If correctly skilled, vel-spectres are capable of warping space, and can breach vast distances by passing through gaps in time they call Gateways. Shrouded in cloaks and masks, they rarely reveal their physical form, and only the portraits from historical tomes offer clarification—tall, lissom, almost spectral, with hollow eyes, and long thin appendages extending from their elbows and spine.

**Whelvenlailil**—The second oldest kingdom in Valadae, and domain of the benign but reclusive unicorn creature-kind. Covered predominantly in forestry, it is renowned for its rare beauty and ancient perils.

**Wescat**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. They are the smallest of the ruling kinds. Despite their size, they are practical thinkers, adaptable to influences outside their culture, and famously resourceful in their collaborations with other creature-kinds, especially the duards.

**Woundwort**—A flowering plant used topically for wounds and abrasions and the staunching of blood. The leaves are also used in stews, and the flowers are distilled to make anti-inflammatory oils.

**Wychroot**—A small flowering shrub used for medicinal concoctions, often in the treatment of insect bites, poisonous plant stings and swelling.

**Yokushin**—An ancient and complex Continuance spell, created by merging the magic law of Spoken with that of the Blood Oath (one of the very few irrevocable castings in manna lore). A Continuance spell is a self-sustaining casting, which does not require any additional channelling or use of individual energy from those bound to it. In this case, the Yokushin is a Continuous spell placed over several dozen creature-kinds, and activated through the vocal recitation of specific names (with intent). The Yokushin’s primary purpose is to protect the thoughts and conversations of its user from forces with malicious intent.