The Infinity Gate Part 70

Maximilian's son.

Ravenna wept in joy.

She cradled their son against her breast and was delighted when he began to nurse. He would grow strong here, learning from her and from her nightmarish midwives.

"And one day," Ravenna whispered to him, "one day I will take you home to Elcho Falling, which is your right."

She smiled yet again, then, in a soft voice, began to tell her son about Elcho Falling and all it would mean to him.

One day.

Glossary.

Alaric: a nation in the extreme north.

Aqhat, palace of: the home of Isaiah, Tyrant of Isembaard.

Armat: one of Isaiah of Isembaard's generals.

Axis: see SunSoar, Axis.

Baxtor, Garth: a physician who employs the Touch (the ability to determine sickness through touch). Garth was primarily responsible for freeing Maximilian Persimius from the Veins eight years before this tale begins.

Bingaleal: one of the Lealfast leaders.

BroadWing EvenBeat: an Icarii, and friend of Maximilian Persimius.

Central Kingdoms: a loose term incorporating Hosea, Pelemere and Kyros.

Coil, Order of the: an order which once lived in Serpent's Nest, now Elcho Falling. They wors.h.i.+pped the Great Serpent and used the bowels of living men to foretell the future.

Coroleas: a continent to the west, renowned for the immorality and cruelty of its peoples, former home of Salome.

DarkGla.s.s Mountain: an ancient pyramid originally built to provide a pathway into Infinity. Once it was known as Threshold.

Doyle: A member of the Emerald Guard and former a.s.sa.s.sin.

Drava, Lord of Dreams: the Lord of the Land of Dreams. Once Ravenna's lover. He was also instrumental in rescuing Maximilian from the Veins many years previously.

Dreams, Land of: magical dream world ruled by Drava, Lord of Dreams.

Egalion: captain of the Emerald Guard, and friend to Maximilian Persimius.

Elcho Falling: a magical and mysterious citadel of legend.

Eleanon: one of the Lealfast leaders.

Emerald Guard, The: Maximilian Persimius' personal guard, composed of former prisoners of the Veins.

Escator: a poor kingdom on the coast of the Widowmaker Sea. It is ruled by Maximilian Persimius.

Ezekiel: Isaiah of Isembaard's most senior general.

Falayal: a Lealfast elder.

First, the: the top caste of Corolean society comprising Forty-Four-Hundred Families. The First commands virtually all of the wealth and power within Coroleas.

Georgdi, Chief Alm: general of the Outlander forces.

Gershadi: a nation in the extreme north.

Hairekeep: a fortress standing at the southern entrance to the Salamaan Pa.s.s.

Hereward: former kitchen steward of the Palace of Aqhat in Isembaard and companion of Isaiah on their escape from Isembaard.

Icarii: a mystical race of winged people who once lived in the mountains of Tencendor. The Enchanters among them wielded the Star Dance to produce powerful enchantments. Now, a scattered remnant from the destruction of Tencendor live about the Central Kingdoms.

Inardle: one of the Lealfast, lover of Axis.

Insharah: captain of a band of Isembaardian soldiers. Friend of Axis SunSoar.

Isaiah: Tyrant of Isembaard and G.o.d of the Waters.

Isembaard, Tyranny of: a ma.s.sive empire below the FarReach Mountains, currently ruled by Isaiah.

Josia: see Persimrus, Josia.

Kalanute: one of the Lealfast elders.

Kezial: one of Isaiah of Isembaard's generals.

Kyros: a city state within the loose alliance of the Central Kingdoms. It is ruled by King Malat.

Lamiah: one of Isaiah of Isembaard's generals.

Lealfast: an Icarii-like race of the frozen north.

Lixel, Baron: a trusted baron of Maximilian Persimius, currently ruling Escator in Maximilian's absence.

Lord of Dreams: see Drava, Lord of Dreams.

Malat: King of Kyros.

Margalit: the major city of the Outlands, and Ishbel Brunelle's childhood home.

Maximilian Persimius: see Persimius, Maximilian.

Nightmares, Land of: a terrible bleak world beyond the Land of Dreams.

Nzame: an ancient demon who once controlled DarkGla.s.s Mountain in that time when it was known as Threshold. He was trapped in Infinity by Boaz Persimius, then a Magus of the One.

One, the: DarkGla.s.s Mountain and Infinity incarnate in flesh.

Outlands, the: a province to the far east, renowned for its wild nomadic culture.

Pelemere: a city state within the loose alliance of the Central Kingdoms.

Persimius, Avaldamon: an ancient Persimius prince, now dead, who had fathered Boaz on an Ashdodian princess.

Persimius, Boaz: an ancient Persimius prince, as also Magus of the One, who lived in Ashdod two thousand years earlier. He was the ancestor of Ishbel Persimius and husband of Tirzah.

Persimius Brunelle, Lady Ishbel: orphan from Margalit, raised to be archpriestess of the Order of the Coil and wife of Maximilian Persimius.

Persimius, Maximilian: King of Escator and now Lord of Elcho Falling. Maximilian endured seventeen years in the gloam mines as a youth and young man when his cousin Cavor seized the throne.

Persimius, Josia: an ancient Persimius prince, now guardian of the Twisted Tower.

Ravenna: a marsh witch woman who patrols the borderlands between this world and the Land of Dreams, and is the only person able in walk the Land of Nightmares. Her mother was Venetia. She is cursed by Ishbel after trying to murder Maximilian Persimius.

River Angels: an ancient, magical race.

Sakkuth: capital of the Tyranny of Isembaard.

Salamaan Pa.s.s: a great pa.s.s which is the only easy access through the FarReach Mountains into Isembaard.

Serge: a member of the Emerald Guard and former a.s.sa.s.sin.

Serpent's Nest: a great mountain on the coast of the Outlands.

Skraelings: wraith-like creatures of the ice and snow of the northern frozen wastes, they now ravage over Isembaard and owe their loyalty to the One.

Sonorai: one of the Lealfast elders.

Star Dance: Enchanters among the Icarii wielded the music of the stars (the music made as the stars move about the heavens, and which the Icarii called the Star Dance) in order to create powerful enchantments. The Star Dance is no longer available to those Icarii remaining alive as the Star Gate, which filtered the Star Dance through to them from the heavens, was destroyed during the final Tencendor wars.

Star Gate: a magical portal which once existed in Tencendor, the Star Gate filtered into Tencendor the magic of the Star Dance, which the Icarii Enchanters used to create their enchantments. Demons destroyed the Star Gate during the final wars of Tencendor.

StarHeaven SpiralFlight: a member of the Strike Force.

StarWeb: an Icarii, and lover to Maximilian Persimius.

SunSoar, Axis: formerly a hero from Tencendor and a member of the Icarii race, Axis once reigned over Tencendor as its StarMan before relinquis.h.i.+ng power to his son Caelum. Axis died some five years previously during the destruction of Tencendor but was brought out of the Otherworld by Isaiah, G.o.d of the Waters.

SunSoar, Salome: former d.u.c.h.ess of Sidon in Coroleas, now wife of StarDrifter SunSoar.

SunSoar, StarDrifter: Axis' father, and a powerful Icarii prince and Enchanter. He is now Talon of the Icarii.

Tencendor: a continent which once lay in the western regions of the Widowmaker Sea. It was lost five years before this tale begins in a catastrophic war with demons.

Tirzah: wife of Boaz Persimius. Long dead.

Twisted Tower, the: a palace of memories belonging to the Lords of Elcho Falling.

Veins, the: the gloam mines of Escator where Maximilian Persimius was imprisoned for seventeen years.

Venetia: a marsh witch woman who patrols the borderlands between this world and the Land of Dreams. She was murdered by her daughter, Ravenna.

Viland: a nation in the extreme north. The Vilanders often have trouble with Skraelings.

Wayward, Abe: a sailor from the Outlands.

Weeper, the: a strange but immensely powerful Corolean bronze deity. It had once harboured the soul of Josia, a Persimius prince.

Yysell: Axis SunSoar's body servant.

Zeboath: an Isembaardian physician.

About the Author.

SARA DOUGLa.s.s has worked as a nurse and has a Ph.D. in early modern European history. Her first fantasy adventure, The Axis Trilogy, had an overwhelming response from readers (Starman won the 1996 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel). This was followed by the bestselling Wayfarer redemption trilogy, among other novels. Sara lives in an 1880s-era house, Nonsuch, in Cornelian Bay, Tasmania. For more information on the DarkGla.s.s Mountain saga or her other books, visit her website at www.saradougla.s.s.com.

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