* * *
That morning Ardonis decided that his day would begin as it always did. Wrapping a blue cloak around himself and placing the golden headdress of the High Priest upon his crown, he made his way from his chamber, through the temple and onto the rooftop. The air felt cool against his skin and birds chattered contentedly as they welcomed in the new day. He stood, hands clasped behind him, gazing across the horizon, where the first rays of sunlight streaked across the indigo skyline. Watching the sunrise from the rooftop was a ritualistic start to his day and something that he had done for more years than he'd care to count. But today was a day unlike any that preceded it. Today, he realized, would be the last time he would ever see the sunrise.
As the twin suns of Alanar made their ascent above the mountainous horizon, Ardonis looked down into the valley. Surrounded by forestland and a winding river, the City of El Ad'dan glistened in the morning light. From this vantage point, the houses, towers, spires and domed temples of the city almost looked like little golden trinkets. Even from this distance Ardonis could see signs of activity as the city began to stir. In just a few hours the procession would commence and people from all across the kingdom would congregate at the central plaza for the activation of the gateway. A new era, the king had promised; a new dawn for the people of Lasandria. It was a time of excitement and jubilation across the land. But while the gateway promised all the glories of the cosmos, it was about to unleash a force of evil beyond imagining.
Ardonis knew, for he had seen it, over and over again. For days now he had been unable to close his eyes, much less sleep or meditate, without being bombarded by visions of annihilation. Each time the visions grew ever more intense and vivid; as though he was actually there, being forced to witness the destruction of his home.
It came as little surprise, for he had been aware of the shadow looming over the land and its people for many years now, possibly as far back as the day he was initiated into the Priesthood. He knew what it was and what it meant. It meant the end—the end of an entire civilization. It was an ancient, advanced civilization at that; a people whose work and achievements, whose art and culture spanned millennia. Alas, all that they had striven for, all of their hopes and dreams, beliefs and fears, now faded into irrelevance; consigned to imminent oblivion.
The hour drew close. Ardonis had accepted as much. But what he couldn’t accept was that he was powerless to prevent this catastrophe. He was the High Priest of Lasandria. His people, at least those still loyal to the Priesthood, looked to him to guide and protect them. In the past that was exactly what he had done. But this time was different. This time he was powerless to act. Or was he?
“Ardonis.”
Startled by the sound of his name, Ardonis turned to see his senior aide Jarado standing behind him. There was a noticeable look of urgency upon the old monk’s lined and careworn face. “Please forgive the intrusion, High Priest.”
“You bring news, my friend?”
The monk nodded. “The Council of Elders has sent word. They wish to see you now.”
Ardonis felt a tightening in his stomach. “I see.”
“You think they will agree to help us?”
“That I cannot say,” Ardonis said. “But I pray they will heed my petition, for it is the only hope we now have.”
Joining the High Priest at the edge of the rooftop, the old monk glanced down into the valley as he draped his indigo robe across his shoulder. “What about the king? What if you spoke to him again and tried to reason with him?”
“You were there yesterday, Jarado. I did everything I could to get him to abort the project. The harder I tried, the angrier he became. In the end all I did was make matters worse.”
“Then you really believe he will disband the Priesthood as he threatened?”
“Of that you can be certain. Dua-ron has been waiting for the opportunity to strike me down for years and I finally gave it to him. The Priesthood is dead, Jarado. Not that it even matters, for so too is our kingdom.”
Jarado looked up, desperation in his voice. “The Guardians will surely listen. They have to!”
“I wish I shared your confidence. But as you know, the Guardians play by their own rules.” Ardonis paused. “Either way, it is time to find out. I will make my way to the portal chamber. You go attend to your duties, Jarado. I will join you shortly.”
With a bow of his head the monk departed, leaving the High Priest alone once more. Ardonis took one last look at the golden city in the heart of the valley. Rays of sunlight shone upon its towers, peaks and rooftops as the suns climbed their way above the rugged peak of Mount Alsan, suffusing the dawn sky with vibrant washes of gold, red and orange.
El Ad'dan. A place of beauty, power and history; a place of destiny. It was here that their civilization had been born all those millennia ago, and here that would see its demise. Unless, that was, one man could now change its fate and alter the destiny of an entire world.
[Continued in the novel The Key of Alanar by Rory B Mackay]
AFTERWORD
As you will have gathered, the story is only just beginning!
The prologue of The Key of Alanar culminates in what is essentially a battle between man and the gods as Ardonis pleads with the Guardians to avert the coming apocalypse. Will they heed his plea? Can an entire kingdom be saved or is it doomed to oblivion? And how does this tie in with an orphaned teenager named David, born some ten thousand years later and being hunted for a gift he never wanted?
The Key of Alanar is a truly epic tale; an action-packed yet intimate blend of visionary fantasy, science-fiction and character-driven drama. Some twenty years in the making, it’s an adventure filled with exciting twists and turns and an ambitious, multi-dimensional climax. You’ve now had a taste of what lies in store, so be sure not to miss the rest of this journey!
The Key of Alanar is published July 16 2015. If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up to my newsletter to receive updates, more free stories and other exclusive content. You can sign up at my website: www.dreamlight-fugitive.co.uk.
Thanks again for reading. I appreciate your interest in my work and look forward to sharing much more with you!
— Rory Mackay
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rory was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1979. Since then he has lived most of his life in the north-east of Scotland, a place he finds scenic and inspiring, if a tad cold. With a lifelong passion for creative writing and art, Rory knew from a young age that he had stories he wanted to tell and adventures to share. As he grew up and became interested in philosophy and metaphysics, he came to realize the potential of literature and art as a means of sharing ideas, posing questions and exploring the nature of reality in a way that is accessible yet compelling and challenging.
Rory conceived his series of fantasy novels, The Alanar Ascendant, when he was still in high school, developing a vast and expansive mythology that offers the potential for dozens of stories. Little direct progress was made on the books themselves during this period, as he focused on his education: studying fine art, before graduating with a degree in social science. A long period of ill health brought him back to his true passion as a creative storyteller, leading him to explore the potential of fiction and art to elevate mood and consciousness. Rory has now completed the first two novels of The Alanar Ascendant series. Action-packed, emotionally charged and cinematic in scope, the books are essentially stories about life: explorations of life, death, reality, purpose and identity.
A natural born philosopher and a student of Vedanta, Zen and Taoism, Rory is an animal and nature lover, music junkie (known to create his own music too), social and environmental activist, cake enthusiast and generally a rather chilled out guy. He sells his art online and writes blogs on creativity, philosophy, spirituality and whatever else inspires him. He has written his own commentary on the classic Chinese text, the Tao Te Ching and is planning a self-help book as well as a new series of fantasy books called The Dreamlight Fugit
ives.
His debut novel Eladria was published in May 2013 by Cosmic Egg Books to great critical acclaim and his second novel The Key of Alanar is published on July 2015 by Blue Star Publishing. He has also written four short stories that are available for free via his website.
For more information and updates, please visit his website at https://www.dreamlight-fugitive.co.uk or his regularly updated blog at https://beyondthedream.co.uk.
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