She and her companions sat on the branches of a towering trang-anog tree. Close by stood an o’rant farmhouse, a barn, and a wagon. In the distance, Ornopy Halls stood elegantly basking in the bright spring sunshine.
Fenworth looked around anxiously. “Most uncomfortable! Did we lose anyone? Head count! Lee Ark, Leetu, and Brunstetter. Three. Should we count the meech egg? No, I think not. Don’t drop it, Brunstetter. I’m to take that home and raise it. Ridiculous, being a parent at my age. Where were we? Oh yes, three. One o’rant, two kimens, two minor dragons. Eight. A librarian and a diplomat. Ten. We’re missing one.”
“Who’s the diplomat?” Kale asked Librettowit who sat on the branch above her.
“Dar. Doneels are often considered quintessential ambassadors.” He cleared his throat and raised a hand to catch Fenworth’s attention. “You forgot to count yourself.”
The wizard bristled. “Nonsense. I’m the oldest, so I counted myself first.”
“You’re the oldest, and you didn’t count yourself at all.”
Three mongrel dogs charged from the open barn door, barking furiously. They surrounded the base of the tree. One stood with front paws against the smooth olive-green trunk and issued a challenge to the interlopers in its tree. Another leapt in the air, snapping at Brunstetter’s heels dangling just beyond its jaws. The third raced pell-mell around the base of the tree and furiously barked its opinion of anyone who dared enter its territory in such an unconventional manner.
The farmer and his wife appeared in the door of their home and gazed with amazement at the scene in their front yard.
“Bring a ladder, man,” commanded Fenworth. “We return, the conquering heroes.”
The farmer’s wife nudged her dumbfounded husband. He nodded to her and darted for the barn, coming out a minute later with a long ladder under his arm.
Kale turned to Dar sitting in a clump of broad trang-a-nog leaves on another branch. “What happens next?”
“We celebrate…and we go home.”
The words sounded as sweet to Kale as music. Home. Not to the Ornopy Halls, but to The Hall, The Hall in Vendela, Paladin’s Hall.
EPILOGUE
Almost There
Dar traveled with her. Paladin had given him permission to enter The Hall and train for service.
Veazey and D’Shay had flown with the large dragons over the mountain pass as soon as the weather permitted. Merlander and Celisse carried Dar and Kale on the lengthy journey south along the Morchain Range. When they reached an area Kale recognized, she insisted they land beside the trade road.
“This is where I left Farmer Brigg’s wagon, Dar.”
She stood beside the bustling road and stared across the valley at the beautiful city of Vendela. Metta and Gymn flew around her head in excitement. They touched down on her shoulders, only to take off again, chittering to each other and turning loops in the air.
Spring had come and gone. The approaching Summer Solstice Feast Day had brought many travelers to Vendela, capital of Amara. The sun sparkled on the city’s sheer white walls, shining blue roofs, and golden domes. Spires and steeples and turrets towered above the city in a vast variety of shapes and colors. More than a dozen castles clustered outside the capital, and more palaces were scattered over a hilly landscape on the other side of a wide river.
“This time I’m going in,” said Kale to her companions. “This time I’m not afraid of the proddings in my mind that say there are too many new things in Vendela for me to even count.” She felt again the pulse of the city, the many minds filled with their own thoughts and spilling into her consciousness. She easily blocked the torrent, controlling the flood of humanity and retaining her own identity. Her mindspeaking talent no longer made her uneasy.
“This time I’ll be able to ask questions and get answers. I’ll learn about Wulder and Paladin, and I’ll learn more about me as well. I may even learn about the Allerions.”
She put her hands on her hips and sighed with pleasure. “We’re almost there.”
“Almost there is not there. Come on, let’s go,” Dar said as he walked back to Merlander. “This time tomorrow you’ll have your leecent uniform.”
“Leecent? What’s leecent?”
“The lowest rank in Paladin’s service. Not that you’ll be treated badly for being the lowest, not in Paladin’s service, but—”
“Wait. Are you saying I’ll be Leecent Kale?”
“Sure.”
“And Lee Ark? The Lee means…?”
“Highest rank. Actually, he is General Lee Ark, higher than Major Lee or plain Lee.”
“Leetu?”
“Two steps down from Lee. Didn’t you know that, Kale?”
Kale shook her head slowly. Master Meiger was right. I don’t know anything.
She grinned at her doneel friend. “But I’m learning!”
Tonight she’d sleep at The Hall. Tomorrow she’d wear a leecent uniform. There was a festival to see, and she had teachers to meet, classes to attend, a life to live.
Kale ran across the little hillside and jumped onto Celisse’s saddle. “Let’s go!”
GLOSSARY
Amara (ä’-mä-rä)
Continent surrounded by ocean on three sides.
armagot (är’-muh-got)
National tree, purple blue leaves in the fall.
armagotnut (är’-muh-got-nut)
Nut from the armagot tree.
Battle of Ordray (ôrd’-rā)
Historic battle where Bisonbeck army threatened to overcome kimens. Urohms, aided by wizards and dragons, fought to save them. Ordray is a province occupied mostly by urohms in a southeast Amara, a wedge of land between the Morchain mountain range and the Dormanscz volcanic range.
beater frog (be’-ter frôg)
Tailless, semiaquatic amphibian having a smooth, moist skin, webbed feet, and long hind legs. Shades of green; no bigger than a child’s fist; capable of making loud, resounding boom.
bentleaf tree
Deciduous tree having long, slender, drooping branches and narrow leaves.
bisonbecks (b’-sen-bek)
Most intelligent of the seven low races. They comprise most of Risto’s army.
blattig fish (blat’-tig)
Freshwater fish often growing to a length of two to three feet, voraciously carnivorous, known to attack and devour living animals.
blimmets (blim’-mets)
One of the seven low races, burrowing creatures that swarm out of the ground for periodic feeding frenzies.
The Bogs
Made up of four swamplands with indistinct borders. Located in southwest Amara.
borling tree (bôr’-ling)
Having dark brown wood and a deeply furrowed nut enclosed in a globose, aromatic husk.
bornut
Nut from borling tree.
brillum (bril’-lum)
A brewed ale that none of the seven high races would consume. Smells like skunkwater, stains like black bornut juice. Mariones use it to spray around their fields to keep insects from infesting their crops.
broer (brôr)
A substance secreted by female dragons through glands in the mouth, used for nest building. It hardens into a rock-like substance resembling gray meringue.
brook dabbler
A freshwater fish having silver scales on the belly, a coal black back, fins are the colors of a sunset.
brushwood
Spiny, dense shrubs having delicate purple flowers in the spring and black, poisonous berries in late summer.
chukkajoop (chuk’-kuh-joop)
A favorite o’rant stew made from beets, onions, and carrots.
cygnot tree (si’-not)
A tropical tree growing in extremely wet ground or shallow water. The branches come out of the trunk like spokes from a wheel hub and often interlace with neighboring trees.
crocodile melon
Shaped like a cantaloupe with hard, dark green, bumpy rind. Tastes bitter but not poisonous.
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deckit powder
Yellow crystalline compound used for explosives.
doneel (do’-neel)
One of the seven high races. These people are furry with bulging eyes, thin black lips, and ears at the top and front of their skulls. They are small in stature, rarely over three feet tall. Generally are musical and given to wearing flamboyant clothing.
double-crested mountain finch
A small, colorful bird with a double crest on the crown of its head.
Dormanscz Range (dôr-manz’)
Volcanic mountain range in southeast Amara.
druddum (drud’-dum)
Weasel-like animal that lives deep in mountains. These creatures are thieves and will steal anything to horde. They like to get food, but they are also attracted to bright things and things that have an unusual texture.
drummerbug
Small brown beetle that makes a loud snapping sound with its wings when not in flight.
emerlindian (e’-mer-lin’-dee-in)
One of the seven high races, emerlindians are born pale with white hair and pale gray eyes. As the age, they darken. One group of emerlindians is slight in stature, the tallest being five feet. Another distinct group is between six and six and a half feet tall.
ersatz (er-zäts’)
Imitation, substitute, artificial, and inferior to the real thing.
Fairren Forest (fair’-ren)
A massive forest of mostly deciduous trees in southwest Amara.
fire dragon
Emerged from the volcanoes in ancient days; these dragons breathe fire and are most likely to serve evil forces.
fortaleen (for’-tuh-leen)
Bush with two-inch long thorns.
glean band (gleen)
A bracelet delicately woven by kimens out of vines from the glean plant. It wards off wasps and other stinging insects, as well as poisonous reptiles.
grand emerlindian
Grands are close to a thousand years old and are black.
granny emerlindian
Grannies are both male and female, said to be five hundred years old or older, and have darkened to a brown complexion with dark brown hair and eyes.
grawligs (graw’-ligs)
One of seven low races, mountain ogres.
greater dragon
Largest of the dragons, able to carry many men or cargo.
gum tree
Tree with sticky leaves and yellow, rayed flower heads, the center of which may be plucked and chewed.
hadwig (ad’-wig)
A sling-type weapon with a spiked ball at the end.
halfnack bird
Brightly colored, medium-sized bird.
jimmin
Any young animal used for meat. We would say veal, lamb, spring chicken.
kimen (kim’-en)
The smallest of the seven high races. Kimen are elusive, tiny, and fast. Under two feet tall.
lightrocks
Any of the quartzlike rocks giving off a glow.
major dragon
Elephant-sized dragon most often used for personal transportation.
marione (mer’--own)
One of the seven high races. Mariones are excellent farmers and warriors. They are short and broad, usually musclebound rather than corpulent.
meech dragon
The most intelligent of the dragons, capable of speech.
minor dragon
Smallest of the dragons, the size of a young kitten. The different types of minor dragons have different abilities.
moerston bark (môr’-stun)
When chewed, it soothes hunger and freshens the mouth. Bumpy, brown, and thin.
moonbeam plant
A three to four foot plant having large shiny leaves and round flowers resembling a full moon. The stems are fibrous and used for making cloth.
Morchain Range
Mountains running north and south through the middle of Amara.
mordakleep
One of the low races, associated with freshwater sources, shape shifters.
mountain dewdrops
Small white flowers growing close to the ground in an almost moss covering.
mullins
Fried doughnut sticks.
nordy rolls
Whole-grain, sweet, nutty bread.
o’rant
One of the high races. Five to six feet tall.
parnot (par’-not)
Green fruit like a pear.
pnard potatoes (puh-nard’)
Starchy, edible tuber with pale pink flesh.
Pomandando River (po’-man-dan’-do)
River runnning along the eastern side of Vendela.
quiss (kwuh’-iss)
One of the seven low races. These creatures have an enormous appetite. Every three years they develop the capacity to breathe air for six weeks and forage along the sea coast, creating havoc. They are extremely slippery.
razterberry (ras’-ter-bâr-ee)
Small red berries that grow in clusters somewhat like grapes on the sides of mountains. The vines are useful for climbing.
ribbets (rib’-bits)
Ball game played between two teams, similar to soccer.
River Away
Marione village in eastern Amara.
rock pine
Evergreen tree with prickly cones that are as heavy as stones.
ropma (rōp’-muh)
One of the seven low races. These half-men, half-animals are useful in herding and caring for beasts.
scarphlit (scar’-flit)
An oily substance used in medicinal potions.
schoergs (skôrgz)
One of seven low races. Hairy, short, and lean.
speckled thrush
Small bird with white speckles on a brown background.
Tale of Durmoil (der-moil’)
Folktale relating when the fire dragons emerged from the volcanoes.
trang-a-nog tree
Smooth, olive-green bark.
tumpgrass
A tall grass that grows in a clump, making its own hillock.
urohm (ū-rome’)
Largest of the seven high races. Gentle giants, well proportioned and very intelligent.
Vendela (vin-del’-luh)
Capital city of the province of Wynd.
Wittoom (wit-toom’)
Region populated by doneels in northwest Amara.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Donita K. Paul comes from a family of storytellers and teachers, so it is only natural that she loves spinning imaginative tales interwoven with lore. A retired schoolteacher, she keeps her hands in the mix by being one of the professional storytellers in the Sunday-school department of her church.
Donita has two grown children, two grandchildren, and two dogs. She currently lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the shadow of Pikes Peak. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading all genres, from picture books to biography.
Praise for
Dragonspell
“In Dragonspell, Donita K. Paul has created an amazing world of fantasy adventure. From riding on dragons to jumping off cliffs to moving mountains, this story is sure to spark a reader’s imagination—young and old. And with a message of identity transformed from slavery to servanthood, it’s a book families will love reading and discussing together.”
—CHRISTOPHER P. N. MASELLI, children’s author of Reality Shift and founder of TruthPop.com
“A reluctant heroine, her fainting dragon, and an assortment of colorful companions make for a delightful read in Donita K. Paul’s Dragonspell. This is adventure and fantasy at its finest—a must-read for the imaginative soul.”
—LINDA WINDSOR, award-winning author of Along Came Jones and the Fires of Gleannmara trilogy
“Dragonspell is a fine, well-written tale guaranteed to entertain both old and young alike. This was proven in our household when our eleven-year-old son snatched up the book and devoured it. Upon returning it, he exclaimed, ‘It’s good!’—high
praise from a rabid fan of Tolkien, Lewis, Jacques, and company. I can only nod my head in agreement.”
—CHRISTOPHER A. LANE, author of children’s and adult fiction, and winner of Gold Medallion and C. S. Lewis awards
“Inventive, engaging, witty, insightful, touching, and profound—Dragonspell is all this and more. If Donita K. Paul’s only intention was to create a world where readers encounter novelties and wonders at every turn, then she has succeeded admirably. But she actually does much more than that: She enables us to see our relationship with God and His world through new eyes. A delight for all true fans of fantasy literature.”
—JIM WARE, author of God of the Fairy Tale and coauthor of Finding God in the Lord of the Rings
“Enchanting! A perilous quest, a timeless battle, an unlikely heroine, and a rousing adventure in a world of magic and mystery—Donita K. Paul has concocted a tale brimming with eternal truth and seasoned with delightful and amazing characters that linger in the senses long after the last page. Dragonspell is destined to become a classic for a new generation of adventurers!”
—SUSAN MAY WARREN, award-winning author of Happily Ever After
“The greatest thing any author can do is to catch you up and transport you right into the very scene, the very action, the story…in such a way that you live the book, not merely read it. That is exactly what Donita K. Paul does with Dragonspell. For a few hours, you will take a journey to a place you have never been, with a story you will never forget. Enjoy the trip!”
—STEPHEN BLY, author of Paperback Writer and The Long Trail Home, winner of the Christy award
“Dragonspell is a tightly written fantasy quest set in an extraordinarily rendered storyworld. With seven intelligent races, seven evil races, several delightful dragons, one weird wizard, and an endless supply of exotic plants and animals, you will not be bored.”
—RANDY INGERMANSON, author of Oxygen and Premonition, winners of the Christy award
“No one will ever be able to read this and doubt that Christian fantasy is a viable genre for spreading God’s Word.”
—CHRISTINE LYNXWILER, president of American Christian Romance Writers
“Charming, well-drawn characters, a story chock full of adventures and misadventures, a land populated with dragons, doneels, emerlindians, grawligs, and all sorts of other fascinating inhabitants—I ask you, what more could any reader want? With Dragonspell, Donita K. Paul has nailed a complex and engaging fantasy world. Whether nine or ninety, you won’t be disappointed.”