As they left their horses to graze, Dianna led Quin over near the arch. “So, have you thought at all about the last time we spoke?” Dianna needed to know she was not the only one pining for her love.
“When would that have been, Dianna? I’m a little fuzzy about when I saw you last. Maybe you could refresh my memory for me?” Quin had sat down beside her on the crumbling wall.
“You don’t recall professing your undying love and devotion to me? Quin, you must remember that.” Dianna realized she hit her mark when she saw the hungry look in his eyes. Yes, he had been thinking of her.
“I don’t believe the conversation went exactly like that. But I do faintly—ever so faintly—remember the taste of those rosy, red lips of yours. I wouldn’t mind having my memory refreshed.”
Epilogue
City of Kyosti, Country of Mal Ingo
Reaching the rooftop, Pol slowly filled his lungs and closed his eyes while he savored the sweet air. For the last couple of weeks, the air held a trace of something special. That slight hint became more distinct every day. He wasn’t sure what had caused the world’s atmosphere to regain its lost composition, but the result could not be denied. Years earlier he spoke with a dying wolf-shifter who explained how his people changed the very air used to breathe.
Pol was one of the dragonkin, possibly the last of his species. He could portray himself as he stood now, basically human in appearance or he could transform himself into one of the world’s mythical beasts—the mighty dragon. The wolf-shifter was an entirely different species—a member of the Ebonese Elves. For centuries the dragonkin battled the Ebonese until one of Pol’s ancestors decided to block their path by creating a wasteland between the mountainous region the Ebonese called home and the rest of Mal Ingo. One of the unfortunate consequences of the drastic action caused the trees of the region to become extinct. The by-product of their elimination was a change in the composition of the surrounding air.
The Ebonese were a warlike tribe of mainly black-skinned elves and many of them were also wolf-shifters. They noticed within a short period of time that they were losing the power to shift. After researching and studying their lore, they realized it was due to the destruction of their forest and one species of tree that grew there. They also came upon another such tree, which would affect the dragonkin. The tree grew only across the ocean in a country called Bhaelor. The dreamer elves honored these trees and built a temple within the forest, but the Ebonese made desperate plans to rid the world of these trees, which were named kol-da by the elves who worshiped them. Once the trees were eliminated, so too would dragonkin.
The plan, according to the wolf-shifter, went smoothly and soon the dragonkin began dying off. Pol knew this to be fact, he had watched impotently as his kin died one after another. Pol’s mate, Cari, was the first to realize that those who shifted often were the first to die. All of them felt their power run dry and where normally the air itself would replenish what they used for magic, it no longer contained the necessary element. Pol and Cari decided to never use any sort of magic unless it was an emergency but still, Cari lost the battle and died nearly sixty years ago.
Since then, Pol had been without family. For years he hibernated up north on the island of Sigurd, but he was called back to Kyosti to keep the human tribes from wiping each other out. When he first left the city for the island, all was in order and should have been easy to maintain, but the tribes to the south eventually tried to take control of each other and mass chaos ensued. Tribes began selling members of their own families for profit and vengeance. Pol arrived back on the continent and wrested back control over all the tribes and once again, they were content and prospering.
Breathing in deeply once more, Pol went back down to the reception room. He had noticed one of their ships had come into port and saw the captain was rushing toward the Hall. By the time Pol arrived at the doors, he could hear the excited captain inside.
“I tell you, Alfarr, it was she. I’m sure of it. She quickly disappeared into the marketplace, but I would know Desta even if it has been over twenty years. She looked much the same as she did as a child, but even more beautiful—well, with the exception of the slave brand scar across her left cheek.” The captain’s face was animated throughout his story. Pol remembered Jerrik as being a first son of the Nightling tribe and Desta had been promised to him as a mate.
“I’m positive my sister would have managed to return home if she was still alive, Jerrik. She would want to be with her family. All the released slaves who returned from Mandalay were questioned and none remembered ever seeing her. As much as I would love to believe it’s true, I just can’t get my hopes up for something so unlikely.” Alfarr turned from the captain. Pol saw the tears brimming in his eyes. Al was still far from getting over his lost sibling.
“What about your father? He will want to know.” Jerrik didn’t seem willing to give up until someone took him seriously.
“Lord Pol.” Alfarr noticed him standing in the doorway. Pol decided to sit and talk with the captain. He really believed the same as Al—that Desta must have died, so many had.
“Ahh . . . Jerrick? Where did you see this woman and how old did she look?” Jerrick happily went over every detail, grateful that someone was listening. By the end, they decided not to speak with Geir, Alfarr and Desta’s father. He was technically still the leader of the tribe but was mentally not able to handle even the simplest of reasoning, and all decision making was performed by Alfarr with guidance from Pol, who was the leader of all the tribes. It was decided, Captain Jerrik would leave within the week to sail to the Island of Orion and secure the tribeswoman if, of course, the woman actually turned out to be the missing Desta.
About the Author
S K Wee lives in West-Central Wisconsin with her husband, Jeffery, and their pooch, Sissy. She is retired from the Postal Service and spends most of her time reading and writing, but loves to travel. Though this is a stand-alone story, the world was created in the Spectrum of Color Series. Dancing Through Dreams takes place about ten years after Full Spectrum of Color and many of the main characters were actually introduced in the Spectrum series. The second installment is titled Dragonkin. It revolves around Lord Pol, Alfarr, and Darby’s young son, Mitt.
Any and all positive reinforcement is appreciated. If you have enjoyed this story please consider leaving a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. This lets the author know what works and what doesn’t.
Meet up with S K Wee and find out what else she has been working on by using the following links:
Amazon Author page with a list of all her books
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01HP4KA6W
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15415854.S_K_Wee
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Glossary
Academy – Mandalay’s primary training facility, located on the east coast
Amani – Wife of Ragnarr, King of Mandalay
Amber River – Main river flowing through Mandalay
Anduras – Regent for the Amir, brother to the former Amira Rashmi
Andy – Soul of a griffin, infused into a statue that protects the castle in Qeeta
Archie – Son of the dwarf couple, Bram and Wilma, friend of Pip
Arlie – Arletta, Darby’s wife and mother to Lysette and Mitt, sister to Rosaline
Astrial Ocean – Ocean to the East of the countries of Bhaelor and Mandalay
Baaqir – Giant village north of the Grainbridge Mountains, former home to Groot
Bangal River – The major river in Eastern Bhaelor
Berko – Youngest son of Desta and Jeffro
Bess Wagner – Jack Wagner’s mother, lived in Rambert, deceased
Bhaelor – Country south of Mandalay, ruled by either an Amir or Amir
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Birgit – Possible bride for Kurush
Black Rose – Spy network in Port Devdan, run by Lil Red
Bolten – One of Frankie’s original Color Guard, captain of a team in Briar
Bram – One of the displaced Dwarf miners, became a farmer, father to Archie
Briar – City on the East Coast of Mandalay, which hosts the Briar Patch Festival
Bridge – A magical means of traveling between two areas
Calaver – Chief Steward at the Palace in Port Devdan, deceased
Chesterly Mountains – Mountain range north of the Academy in Eastern Mandalay
Conshitonti – Conny, the little-used given name
Crown Jewels – Brothel in Port Devdan, all the ladies are named for jewels
Crusty Crumb – Inn in Port Devdan, unofficial headquarters of ‘The Black Rose’
Dankal – Son of Nalu and Saxa, lives in Briar with Conny and Ekky
Darby – Name used by Wendar Cassal, a prince of Mandalay
Deftum – Metal mined by dwarves to extinction
Desta – A first daughter of the Starmen Tribe in Mal Ingo, held as a slave in Marcella, mother of Quin, Kolan and Berko, wife of Jeffro
Dhaval – One of the Bhaelor council members
Dianna – Daughter of Nalu and Saxa who died, raised by Conny and Ekky
Dream Dancer – A gifted elf who can enter and manipulate dreamscape
Ebonese – Black-skinned elves that live across the ocean near Mal Ingo
Ekavir – Youngest son of Ragnarr and Amani, runs the shipping company, Duke in Briar
Ellinor – Frankie and Twig’s daughter
Elpis Channel – Body of water that separates the countries of Mandalay and Bhaelor
Erram – A hawk on the Island of Orion who can communicate with Darby
Ester Bryson – Married Amir Mohana, Daughter of the Governor of Orion, mother to Frankie and Kurush
Evan – Original member of Frankie’s Color Guard, lover to Bolten, died in Briar
‘Evan Eternal’ – Memorial statue for the fallen Color Guard
Felix – Brother of King Ferdinand, took his brother’s throne and wife by teaming up with a Vandrim magic user, Takim, killed by Darby
Ferdinand – Father to Ragnarr, Wendar, and Sophia, killed by Felix
Figmiller Forest – Forest surrounding the Academy in Mandalay
Finn – Mage from Stronghold, taught by the Vandrims, Groot and Gusta
Flemming – A member of the Bhaelor council
Flicken – Blue metal used for magical communication devices
Franco – Evil god, who once ruled through the Vandrim race, son of the god Sar, brother to Frieda
Frankie – Daughter of Lady Ester and Darby, given name of Violet Francis Pemba, first leader of the Color Guard, now Master of the Academy, wife of Twig
Frieda – Goddess revered in the country of Mandalay
Fulvia – Capital city of the Island of Orion, home to Darby’s family
Gavin – Nephew to Duke Hartwig, cousin to Jackson, married Henny
Gayan Forest – Near the Monastery in Bhaelor
Gerlind – Old shipping family that bought into the slave trade and lost everything
Grainbridge Mountains – Western Mountain range of Mandalay
Grand Sands Desert – Desert in southern Bhaelor, location of original Temple of Sar
Groot – Vandrim healer, runs the hospital in Waldeburg
Gusta – Wife to Groot, Vandrim that runs the school in Waldeburg
Haku – Vandrim Shaman from the village of Chuma, grandfather to Takim
Hammish Zakir – Brother to Conny, runs the shipping company in Uttara
Hartwig – Duke in Rambert, Northwest Mandalay, father to Joleen, grandfather to Twig
Ha-yun – An elf on Kappy’s team from the Academy
Henny - From a family of refugees, married Gavin but mother to Francis aka Pip
Hightower – City on the Northeast coast of Mandalay, next to the Figmiller Forest, gateway to the Academy
Hi-lotti – An elf sect who reside in the western half of the Silvanas Forest
Huhana – Wife to Rhiver, elf couple who run a restaurant in Waldeburg
Igzelda – Notorious Duchess of North Central Mandalay, Imprisoned Wagner for over two years, mother to Arlie and Rose, now deceased
Island of Orion – Island in the Astrial Ocean east of Mandalay where Frankie’s mother was born and now governed by Darby
Jack Wagner – Son of Bess and Nash Wagner, partner to Darby, father to Twig
Jackson – Son of Jack Wagner and Joleen, also known as Twig, husband to Frankie
Jamis – Original member of Frankie’s Color Guard, now a Director at the Academy
Jeffro – Manservant for Darby, a man of many talents, husband to Desta
Joleen – Mother of Twig, Wagner’s first love, married to Lucas, now deceased
Kolan – Son of Desta and Jeffro
Kol-da – A tree that has been extinct for centuries, killed off by the Ebonese Elves
Kotim Bay – Body of water to the east of Bhaelor
Kurush – Kappy, heir to the throne in Bhaelor, son of Mohana and Ester, half-brother to Frankie
Lanzo Cassal – Oldest son of King Ferdinand, killed by Felix’s men
Leon – Dwarf who owns the Big Amber Inn in Waldeburg, creates the best whiskey in the known world, husband to Merva
Lil Red – Leader of the organization called ‘The Black Rose’ which employs a large network of spies, assassins, and mercenaries
Lyndale – City west of the Academy in Mandalay
Lysette – Daughter of Darby and Arlie
Madras River – Main River in Western Bhaelor
Maelette – Sister to Nadera, captured and enslaved from Mal Ingo
Mahault – Dwarf village in the caves of the Grainbridge Mountains
Mal Ingo – Country to the East of the Astrial Ocean consisting of tribes
Malini – Team member of Kurush
Mandalay – Country of the Cassal family, Frieda’s chosen
Mansir – Town on the East Coast of Mandalay
Merva – Wife to Leon, owner of Big Amber Inn of Waldeburg
Mi-suk – Elf seer in the Silvanas Forest
MinSu – A small Elf sect residing near the Grand Sands Desert
Mitt – Uncle to Arlie and Rosaline, a Whisper, deceased
Mitt Cassal – Son of Darby and Arlie, named for Arlie’s Uncle Mitt
Mohana – Amir of Bhaelor, son of Amira Rashmi, father to Kurush, deceased
Nadera – Former slave, originally from Mal Ingo, now Frankie’s assistant
Nalu – Half-elf who lived with Ekky in Briar, husband to Saxa, father to Dank, Sylly, and Dianna, murdered along with his wife
Natsuki – Seer of the MinSu sect
Nicolaus – Duke in Lyndale, uncle to Darby, deceased
Nirav – One of Bhaelor’s council members, father of Birgit
Orion – Island of Orion, a property held by the Country of Mandalay
Orwell – Small farming town near the Monastery in Bhaelor
Oveestra – Title given to the savior and queen of the MinSu Elves
Pearl – Darby’s faithful horse, deceased
Pemba – The family name of the rulers of Bhaelor
Philandros Mountains – Mountain range in south-central Bhaelor
Pip – Given name of Francis, son of Twig and Henny, heir of Duke Hartwig
Pisca – Small farming town east of Port Devdan
Port Devdan – Capital city of Bhaelor
Portho Ocean – Large ocean west of the countries of Mandalay and Bhaelor
Pritha – One of Kappy’s teammates from the Academy
Qeeta – Capital city of Mandalay
Quintina – City in North Central Bhaelor
Quintus – Grandson of Felix, son of slave Desta
Ragnar
r Cassal – Second son of King Ferdinand, sold into slavery, married Amani and had two sons, Vendan and Ekavir, King of Mandalay
Rambert – Seat of Duke Hartwig, Northwest Mandalay
Rashmi – Amira, known for her great works of charity, and pursuit of learning, mother to Mohana
Rhiver – Elf prince, owner of The Grape Vine, in Stronghold, married to Huhana
Riley – Twin son of Twig and Frankie
Roberts – Ferry City on the Mandalay side
Rohan – Twin son of Twig and Frankie
Rosaline – Wife to Councilman Anduras, sister to Arlie, also known as Lil Red or Rose
Sar – The Creator, Father to Franco and Frieda, supreme god in Bhaelor
Sarala – An elf imprisoned with Desta in Marcella
Saxa – Wife of Nalu, Uttara
Seisyll – Sylly, son of Nalu and Saxa who were murdered, raised by Ekky and Conny
Silvanas Forest – Elf homeland, forbidden entry
Soo Jin – An elf sect residing in eastern Silvanas Forest, Willow’s sect
Sophia – Daughter of King Ferdinand, sister to Ragnarr and Darby, married Wagner
Soul Shadow – An archaic little known Stitcher spell used to trade or switch bodies
Stitcher – Type of magic used by the Vandrim race
Taichi – Elf rescued from imprisonment in Marcella, chose to reside in Waldeburg
Tharod – Brother to Henny, son of Lance, refugees from Waldeburg
Timm – Boot maker’s son in Briar
Twig – Son of Jack Wagner and Joleen, also known as Jackson, father to Pip, Ellinor, Rohan, and Riley, husband of Frankie, Mage Director at the Academy
Ulrik – Son of Vendan and Willow, in line for the throne of Mandalay
Uttara – City on the East Coast of Bhaelor, near the Silvanas Forest