Teaser for Guardian (Book 2 of The Caein Legacy)
As promised a while ago, here is a teaser from book two of The Caein Legacy, Guardian (c) 2020. As of this posting, the third book in the series, Harbinger, is complete. I also finished the fourth book about two weeks ago, though I am still trying to come up with a fitting title. I hope you enjoy this little snippet from Guardian. (To read the excerpt I posted from Book 1, Exile, click here).
Update: This passage has been revised since it’s original posting. It was republished 21JUL2022.
When we reached the gate in late afternoon, I was immediately enthralled.
It was built into a large crevice that split the cliff-face and carved of the same reddish stone that comprised the hillside. Two enormous panels spanned the gate, designed to swing inward upon opening. Each panel was the same height as the sheer rockface surrounding the gate, towering high above the road. The panels were held firmly in place by interlocking facets carved into the stone. An array of strange symbols decorated each panel, but they were unfamiliar, foreign, even to Lydia and Rynn. A pedestal sat near the righthand side of the gate; it stood perhaps four feet tall, and its flat top was marked with the impression of a dragon’s forefoot.
There was no easy way to bypass the gate, unless one could fly. The cliffs on either side were sheer, without visible handholds or cracks. The gate, despite the intricate symbols decorating its surface, appeared too smooth to allow for climbing. Now I understood why the magi had been forced to use the treacherous cave system and journey days out of the way, simply to reach their final destination. The gate was inaccessible.
I stared at the monumental stonework, transfixed. This was the gate that would lead me to my father’s homeland, the home of the dragon-kind. While I’d known our journey would bring us to the Dragonlands eventually, the awe it evoked was indescribable. The gate was the work of dragon-magi, the work of my ancestors. It was unlike anything we’d come across on our journey so far.
There was also another sensation, a thrumming of power that emanated from the stone itself. It vibrated through the air, through me, tangible, yet unseen. It was magic. Ancient magic, certainly, but its power remained, embedded in the earth itself.
I don’t know how long I stared at the gate before Alexander spoke up. His voice was subdued, almost reverent.
“Andrew, I know this place has much more meaning for you than it does for the rest of us. It’s truly an amazing piece of craftsmanship.”
I blinked, as though I’d just awakened from a powerful dream. “Alex, I… I don’t know what to say. Being here is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.” I looked around to take in our surroundings once more. “I can feel the power within this place. My father’s people—my ancestors—built it with magic. I can sense it…”
“I can as well,” Alexander replied. “Not as keenly as you seem to, but we all—the magi, I mean—can feel the power that remains here.”
My gaze landed on the pedestal, and my previous doubts vanished. I could sense it deep within my core, a strange resonance I couldn’t explain. If I placed my hand on the pedestal, the gate would swing inward to allow us passage. It truly was a place for all dragon-kind, no matter what form they might take.
“I’ll open the gate,” I told my brother. I was confident the magic would respond to my touch, now that I’d felt its essence.
I placed my right hand on the impression in the stone. My hand was dwarfed by the outline of the dragon’s talon. Was I truly so much larger when I shifted?
As my palm touched the stone, a warm, tingle swept across my skin. More of my ancestors’ magic. A moment later, the gate swung open to the sound of stone grinding upon stone.
(c) 2022, A.J. Calvin
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