Green shadow, p.36
Green Shadow, page 36
She smiled at me, and I moved in her direction. There was something familiar about the aura radiating off her.
“Hello, Mackenzie. It’s lovely to finally meet you in person.” Her voice sounded like the wind rustling through the grass. It was a tone I recognized immediately. This was Ddear, the guardian of earth’s magic.
I bowed. “Welcome, earth mother. I am glad you had time to see me.” I lifted my head, and she motioned me to sit beside her.
“I should have made the time sooner. It is my greatest regret that I left you to flounder as I did. I hope that, in time, I can earn your forgiveness.” Lowering myself onto the bench, I faced her. I was still angry, and I didn’t have it in me to forgive her. But that didn’t mean I would waste this opportunity by acting petulant. I could put aside my feelings for now, and absorb whatever knowledge she wanted to impart.
“If it were up to me, I would rip you out of this place and make your captors pay. But I cannot. I, and the others, are limited in our ability to interfere after we have infused our anchors with a portion of our aura.” Ddear flattened some imaginary wrinkles in her skirt. I watched the woman with a keen eye. She was saying all the right things, but trust came slow. I wasn’t ready to accept all she had to say at face value yet. It seemed a little to convenient.
“I won’t say I forgive you. I can’t yet. You gave me all this power, then left me in the hands of monsters to shape that magic. It’s a wonder I turned out sane.” I took in a deep breath. “It’s a wonder any of us are sane. What the hell were you lot thinking? Putting all your anchors in the same place.” I threw my hands up. Exasperated.
Ddear shrugged. “We didn’t look at location. We chose based on inner strengths along with magical potential. We had to have children who had a natural well of magic. As you’ve learned, adults don’t take to the influx of power well.” She laid a hand on my knee. “The fact that you were all in the same location shouldn’t be a surprise. Your tormentors brought in thousands of children.” Her eyes grew sad. “What they did not realize is that you cannot give magic to someone who does not have any. The gene, or whatever you want to call it, must be present. It was fatal otherwise.”
She was right. The government wanted so bad to have weapons that were once human, they tried to screen out anyone who might have the smallest hint of supernatural blood. That my siblings and I were missed was a very small fluke.
“Fine. You have better things to do. I understand even if I don’t agree.” I moved out from under her hand. “You mentioned training when you spoke through Evie. Is that still on the table?”
I still hated the position she put me in, but she was a being of higher power. To her, I must seem the smallest of ants.
Ddear clapped her hands together. “Of course. It is why I came. Where would you like to start?”
I thought for a moment. “What are anchors, and what can my power encompass?” My siblings and I had figured some of it out, but I wanted concrete answers, not guesses.
Ddear waved a hand, and a stump grew from the ground behind me. Guess I’m in for a lecture.
“Your magic is that of the earth. As an anchor, you can use any power that has ever manifested within the umbrella of earth magic,” she said, her voice taking on the tenor of a master to a student.
“Some magics overlap many branches, such as healing. A healer with a root in earth magic would use plants and animal parts in their healing — usually, in tinctures or salves.” I nodded. Understanding the theory. “Seers are another classification that roots in many elements. Some see the future with stone, or the bones from creatures of the forest, and so on. Some use water, or fire or air. Or in the purest sense, touch.” My mind went to Curtis. He was extremely powerful in his gift.
“So, my powers encompass stone, dirt, plants and animals?” I asked.
Ddear nodded. “Terrestrial animals only. Those of the sea belong to water, and those of the sky to air.”
Just to be a dick I asked, “What about the ones who live in two worlds? Turtles come to mind along with salamanders.”
She chuckled at the question. “Amphibians belong to water.”
“How can I learn the different magics?”
“Ah, that is easy. Once you know a power is within your prevue, you will have access to the magic. After that, it is simply a matter of practice.” She stood from her seat and walked towards one of the young apple trees I’d planted.
“You already have the innate knowledge of growing things.” She winked at me. “You’re work with the Lotus Berthelotii was impressive.”
I inclined my head, accepting the complement. Green pulsed around her fingers and the tree grew a few inches. Leaves filled out, and flowers began to bud.
“If I was to push this tree, I could make it bear fruit, but the tree would be damaged in the process. Nutrients taken away from making the tree strong, to make the fruit grow.”
This was all information I knew. “It would be the same with manipulating the earth, I could cause an earthquake, but it would damage the earth’s crust in the process.”
She nodded her eyes alight as if I were a pet who’d done a neat trick.
“Yes. Elemental magics live in a delicate balance with the world. If you throw the equilibrium off, it can have disastrous consequences.”
There was a warning in her tone. Something had happened, something bad, because the balance wasn’t maintained.
“It’s why Cydwysedd, the Spirit of Balance, has his own power.” Ddear murmured.
Seems Shadow’s magic was more important than I’d realized.
“Too bad my power is locked away, I can’t practice.” There was a sour note to my tone.
Ddear smiled. “Child. Practice is only a small step. The larger one, is knowing what your limits are. That is why I am here. Let us begin.”
Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading Green Shadow. If you liked it, hated it, or are indifferent towards it, please leave a review. They’re gold.
On another note, this book wouldn’t have been possible without my family’s support and my editors’ hard work.
If you write and are looking for a great copy editor, check out Simone. She is a freelance editor, and should you like to hire her to look at your work (well worth it), you can contact her at Simone_leask@hotmail.co.nz.
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About Author
By day, Kennedy works as a Rescue Specialist with the Canadian Coast Guard. By night, she patiently slogs away, making her books come to life scene by scene. Never much of an academic, she nonetheless enjoyed telling stories and can remember regaling teachers with stories of a piggy bank with nefarious plans.
Affectionately known as a ‘geek in a onesie,’ Kennedy enjoys sci-fi, fantasy, and, most of all, dragons. She’s also a big fan of the Marvel movies and has earned the nickname Cappie, after Captain America.
Never in her wildest dreams did she think her books would be so well-liked by so many people, and is forever grateful to everyone who has read her work and left a review.
But with the patience and the wondrous support of her family, friends, and random people on the internet, she finally has many novels she is proud to share.
For any of you out there who love to write but suck at grammar, know that anything is possible if you just keep plugging forward. Success is the journey, not the destination.
Glossary
It was pointed out to me that not everyone who would enjoy my book has a background in the fantasy world. And even if they do, mine might be a tad confusing. So, on excellent advice, I decided to include some terms that might give readers pause. Enjoy!
Chimera – A four-legged animal that has the body and head of a lion, with a second head of a goat (I know, right!). It also has a tail that ends in the head of a snake. In my world, the lowest cast of Gryphos shifter can take on this form. In it, they can breathe fire. In human form, they are identified by the copper
color of their eyes, which usually have a swirl of another metallic color in it.
Clans – In my world, shifters are divided into two Clans based on the origin of their beasts. The Terran Clan contains shifters who take on the form of native
animals. Canines, felines, birds, etc. The Mythos Clan is made up of shifters who can take on the form of mythical creatures. Dragons, Gryphons, Gargoyles,
etc.
Dragons – These are mythical creatures that have the body of a lizard (with a long neck) and the wings of a bat. If you’re still having trouble picturing one, google western dragons. There are some great pictures out there. In my world, Dragon shifters all have jewel-tone eyes of crystal clarity. Think of a flawless ruby or emerald, but in a wider range of colors. All dragons have a mental ability. For instance, Lucan, or dashing hero, has the ability to sense and project emotions.
Drake – This is a mythical creature who looks like a dragon, but without the wings. They are also usually stockier and have shorter necks. In my world, they are the second tier in the Dracos Tribe (see Tribe for a better understanding of the structure). They have the same crystalline eyes as dragons, with the notable difference of having one solid color veining through.
Elemental – These are mages who have the potential to master every aspect of their element. For example, an earth elemental can move the earth, talk to plants and animals, and make things grow, just to name a few. See mage to understand the difference between the two.
Gargoyle – This breed of shifter can transform into a grotesque monster towering seven to eight feet high. The highest level of gargoyle has a humanoid shape and wings. The next level only has the humanoid shape. And the lowest cast takes on the form of an animal, with or without wings. Their skin is tough and hard to penetrate, like rock. In my world, Gargoyle shifters have eyes that are some density of gray. From the angry ferocity of a thunder cloud to the gentle gray of a morning mist. Gargoyle magic allows them to put other magic into objects or potions. For example, a gargoyle could put fire into a stone, and when the person says the keyword, the stone heats up.
Gryphon – Gryphons (UK spelling, some of you may be more familiar with the Griffin spelling, but I personally think the other way looks cooler) are a mythical creature with the body of a lion, and the head, front talons, and wings of an eagle. Google them—they’re wicked. In my world, gryphon shifters are born with metallic eyes, gold with a swirl of some other metal. For example, Quinn’s are golden with swirls of silver and bronze. The magic used by gryphons allows them to tell the truth in some form. Quinn’s dad, Tollas, can see the true form of a body, and if the person is wounded (alteration to the true form), he can right it. All magic has limitations though, and in Tollas’s case, he can’t cure someone of an ailment the person was born with.
Hedgewitch – This is a type of mage usually characterized by a lower amount of power. In this world, they don’t have less power per se, they have less abilities. A hedgewitch only has one ability, either an active power or a passive one. Though, as we see from Ethyl, they can still be badass.
Mage – These are humans who have the power over one of the seven elements—earth, air, fire, water, metal, balance, and spirit. They are able to use one active power (one that takes an exertion of will to use), and one passive power (one that takes willpower to not use). Unlike shifters, human mages can have abilities from any of the seven elements.
Mates – In this book, it refers to shifters finding a life partner. The more powerful the shifter, the less likely their beast is to find a person they think will be a good match. There is a lot of cosmic mumbo jumbo that goes into the choosing, but overall, it’s considered something sacred in shifter culture. For weaker shifters, they may come in contact with many potentials. Love is not instant, and the shifter is still expected to take the time to get to know their potential mate. Then both have a choice—accept the bond and be joined by a metaphysical rope that is unique to the pair, or reject the bond and try to find another. A few things about the bond… it’s necessary for reproduction, it can be initiated without the other person’s consent, and if it’s not returned within eight months, it usually causes the one who accepted to go crazy.
Shifters – Humans who can take on another form. In this book, they are broken into two clans. The ones who take on a mythical shape, and the ones who take on a more native shape. While there is another set of instincts, they are not some separate soul. They are simply who that person would be without all the politics and societal niceties we constrain ourselves with.
Sphinx – A mythological animal that has the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a bird. Seriously, google is your friend. In this world, they are the middle tier of the Gryphos Tribe. They have silver eyes with veins of other metals and are prone to seeking out puzzles and trying to solve them.
Tribes – In my book, there are six Tribes, three in each Clan. Mythos Clan has the Dracos Tribe (dragons, drakes, and wyverns), the Gryphos Tribe (gryphons, sphinx, and chimera), and the Stone Tribe (Gargoyles). The Terran Clan contains the Felis Tribe (cats), the Fenris Tribe (dogs), and the Omni Tribe (everyone else).
Wyverns – In traditional mythology, these are dragons who don’t have front legs. Instead, they have joints on their wings that they can use in the same manner. In my world, they are considered the lowest cast in the Dracos Tribe. They have the gemstone quality to their eyes, the same as dragons, but they have two distinct veins of solid color running through them.
If you have any terms you would like to see, send me a message and I would be happy to add them!
Kennedy, JS, Green Shadow
