Book one: The Chyrons Belenus Rising

    BOOK ONE BELENUS RISING 

From birth, Belenus Wardyne is humiliated and bullied for not inheriting elemental powers which would enable him to control the Chyrons. He is considered to be an unsuitable heir to the Ruler of Cazam Goral but as he grows up he plots and takes revenge on his detractors, particularly his family and the Veleta. Having seized power, he falls under the influence of an evil relic, The Heart of Sulyan. By partaking of the Heart he gains the powers he previously lacked, longevity and the promise of immortality should he be killed. He and his Master Guardian Ignatius, create the Cult of Sulyan and succeed in almost wiping out the Veleta, who once controlled the Chyrons. Under the influence of the Heart, Belenus' actions deteriorate further from being a cruel, bitter and resentful dictator to an increasingly paranoid psychopath. He is opposed by the remaining Veleta, mostly comprising the Caelan Family, who live in hiding. They fight a guerilla war with few resources, reduced powers and their family problems often interfering with any progress they may make. To make matters worse, the Dragons find that they cannot help the Veleta as they are prevented from confronting Belenus by a great secret that threatens their freedom. Cai of the Caelan, leader of the so-called rebels, has another serious problem apart from organising resistance to the Wardynes. He is a half-brother to the Triune, three dangerously powerful Sorcereresses with one calculating mind between three bodies. Cai and their sister, the powerful Rhiannon of the Caelan; their parents, Sorcerers Caradoc Dewin and Mair of the Caelan and Cai's wife Eleni Caelan, the renowned alchemist, are ordered to control the Triune as they become increasingly dangerous and unpredictable. As Belenus' sanity deteriorates, The consequences of the Triune finding and partaking of the Heart of Sulyan threaten plans by both sides and unbeknown to all, they are preparing their terrifying revenge. Nevertheless, finding the Heart of Sulyan and the book of spells to use to destroy it becomes a priority for both sides but withstanding the overpowering attraction of the evil Heart of Sulyan makes these quests doubly dangerous and leads to betrayal and tragedy.or A dark, complex, fast-moving story of revenge, courage, trust and betrayal that spans the generations and continually springs surprises and plot twists. The complete story is told over nine books: The Saga of the Chyrons. The story begins when Belenus Wardyne, the only son of the Ruler of Cazam Goral in Arcaikos, realises he has not inherited the necessary ability to control the elemental powers to control the Chyrons. He is constantly bullied and humiliated for his lack of talent. To rule the city of Cazam Goral and the surrounding province, he must be able to calm Chyrons; forces which cause natural disasters. On reaching the age of maturity and feeling bitterly resentful, he seizes the city, kills his parents and their courtiers and with the help of a renegade Master Guardian, begins a prolonged persecution to rid the country of the Veleta, who are people with the ability to calm Chyrons, and replace them with his own Cult of Sulyan. Most of the Veleta fall to his violent enforcers and the Chyrons appear more frequently, causing many disasters. Belenus discovers an evil relic, ‘The Heart of Sulyan’ and partakes of it in a dark ritual. It offers longevity, additional power and the promise of immortality, but it soon grows in power, seducing others to partake and spreading mistrust and fear. The remaining Veleta can only hope that the old prophecy, which states that in such circumstances, the Osanë will appear and restore their fortunes, happens soon. Neither they nor the dragons that live a parallel existence in this land and work in a different way can say when they will come. The remaining Veleta begin a quest to discover a way to destroy partakers but face great danger, betrayal and frequent misunderstanding which limits their progress. The appearance of the Triune, three very unsettling, naïve, young women with one joined mind and limitless power, puts all their schemes in danger of failure. The evil relic, the Heart of Sulyan, grows in power, beguiling more people to partake, and destroying trust and relationships. The Caelan family lead the opposition to overcome this treachery, destroy Belenus and control the Triune (a trio of powerful Sorceresses) before they themselves succumb and the Chyrons cause irreversible environmental damage.  

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 Prologue  Cazam Goral   7660

The day after the Autumn Equinox, in the year 7660, began dismal, cold, grey and noisy. The bells in the Basilica of the citadel of Cazam Goral rang out harshly, proclaiming the invisible dawn. The ceremony to welcome the day proceeded as usual in the crypt; the loud, competitive chanting adding more discord to the cacophony. 

The bells also served to waken the guests, summoning them to celebrate a much-anticipated wedding. Outside, the gathering gloom added a depressing air to the start of the proceedings and the bell ringers caused further irritation by continuing for some time longer than usual. Afterwards, they had the gall to blame the Initiates for making an inharmonious noise. 

The more knowledgeable and educated guests, having no choice but to rise from their uncomfortable beds, gave each other looks of resignation, shrugged their shoulders and muttered darkly humorous remarks behind their hands. 

“The 'Great Dissonance' has begun,” one wisecracked to another, referring more to the way that the bride and groom were likely to rule than to the weather, discordant chanting or rebellious bell ringers.

At the twelfth hour, Rhodri Wardyne, the new and vigorous young ruler of the city would marry Celemon of the Vyse, from Corach, an event that had already prompted much anticipation and discussion amongst the upper echelons of Arcakosian society. The friends, relations, allies and competitors who had come to witness the event, were there for only one reason. The marriage between the ruler of Cazam Goral and the daughter of the respected Owain of the Vyse, the influential Master of the Goldsmiths Guild of Corach, was a significant social event. The presence of high-ranking members of the Wardyne, Vyse, Druantia, Tryduana, Huath and Eydis families, most of whom were rulers, guardians, guild-masters or administrators in their respective cities, promised glamour, pomp and ceremony, as well as much idle speculation and fatuous discussion but above all, a desire to be there, if only to be seen, motivated even the most indolent. 

Hundreds of years before, the Wardyne family had built Cazam Goral, on the northeastern shores of the Sea of Arusio. It had a gloomy, impregnable citadel surrounded by high walls punctuated by eight oddly shaped towers, all built from various hues of grey stone. Its founders had built a stronghold on top of a dark rocky prominence where on the western side, sheer cliffs dropped directly into the water. On the landward side, the slopes were less steep and the oldest parts of the city clung to the sides in horizontal tiers, while later buildings spread out onto the flat land below or clustered around the port.

Surrounding the city was an extensive hinterland of rich, productive farmlands called The Kyrgessi. This meant well-fed citizens and lucrative exports, so even though the people of Arcaikos had lived in a state of peace and calm for generations, Cazam Goral maintained formidable walls and heavy gates that protected the entire city and port. That no one asked why, speaks volumes about the natural characters of the Wardyne Rulers.

Situated almost opposite Cazam Goral, on the western coast of the almost circular inland Sea of Arusio, the city of Corach, home-city of the bride, lay a few miles inland from its port, Ozera. A rambling castle built on a ridge, at the confluence of many narrow valleys that extended back into a mountainous region known as Kiruna, guarded the principal centre of mining and a city that dominated trade in minerals, gems and precious metals. Corach was renowned for its venal merchants, tough, hardworking but intimidating people and gold.

The wedding was no love match but an alliance born of an overriding interest in wealth and trade and thus was a match of mutual convenience and advantage. The couple entered into this lucrative connection happily and looked forward to many years of uneventful prosperity with enviable complacency.

Poor weather continued to mar the day. Cold winds, low cloud and icy drizzle preceded heavy rain and sleet but this was normal in Cazam Goral, so only the guests from elsewhere complained. 

At the tenth hour, the bridal procession began to wind its way up through the cheerless city streets. Carriages carrying the great and the good from the many mansions and palaces situated along The Wynde, a wide, tree-lined avenue with extensive views that almost circled the city, attempted to follow but on reaching the western entrance to Great Darkgate Street that led steeply up to the citadel, the horses and carriages could not continue. Rain poured off the high, stone buildings, turning the streets into swirling torrents. The strong breeze had blown wet, autumn leaves from the trees onto the roofs and clogged up the gutters causing water to spill over from above and puddle in the yards and stables. Muddy waters and stinking effluent formed large, inconvenient pools and rivulets on any flat surface. Above the rooftops, low, swirling clouds hid the eight mismatched towers set in the high curtain walls of the citadel in an enveloping miasma of clinging drizzle. 

The bride and groom cared little about the weather and laughingly mounted horses to complete their parade up to the citadel. Carelessly, they joked with their intimate friends as the mud and rain ruined their expensive clothes and further stretched the patience of the organisers and guests.

Until this time, the normally curious citizens had stayed indoors, for there was little to see. They sat instead around their warm hearths and muttered darkly about what this levity might portend for the future governance of the city. However, the more hardy guests and important inhabitants of the city felt obliged to make an effort so they sent for heavy cloaks and hoods to cover their fine clothes, elaborate hairstyles and hats and proceeded to the Basilica in sturdy boots that sensibly replaced their delicate and costly shoes. 

To the delight of the citizens, these changes caused much general public fussing, brought about as much by irritation as disappointment. This was better entertainment. The citizens moved to their windows, doorways and towers and derived great amusement from the procession of dripping nobility suffering further discomfort and indignities. Increasingly annoyed, the guests traipsed behind the wedding party, making their way awkwardly and hurriedly through the water on foot, while trying hard to remain aloof in the face of the hoots of derision and comedic comments aimed at their backs from behind half-open shutters.

There were no representatives of the Caelan family at the nuptials. They and the Wardynes were ancient rivals, bordering on enemies but whilst they did not choose to attend, the wedding celebrations were of interest to them. 

In their city of Condoria Biarma, situated on the far southwestern coast of the Sea of Arusio, they discussed in a desultory manner, both the wedding and more particularly, the prospective heirs that such a union could produce. Common amongst certain branches of the Wardyne family was the affliction of insanity - the “Curse of the Wardynes.” The Caelan were optimistic of it appearing in both current and future generations and passed the day indulging in disparaging speculation.

Condoria Biarma, the southernmost city and ancient capital built on the southwest shores of the inland sea, enjoyed a pleasant, warm climate in the autumn and winter months. The ruler, Druce Caelan, his family and senior members of the Veleta gathered on this occasion, in a shady corner of one of the many sunny courtyards in their citadel. They sipped cool white wine and using scrying globes and green Chyron stones, watched the unseemly antics with aloof amusement. As the day wore on, they continued to deride the damp and dismal proceedings in the rival city and reflected gleefully on the inevitable decline of their enemies’ influence and power under the new, hedonistic ruler. Disasters were surely inevitable.

They were not to be disappointed. 

The Wardynes had employed a number of Veleta for a variety of necessary purposes connected with the celebrations but in spite of their performing the necessary rituals, they had been unable to control the weather on this important day and had failed to predict further troubles. 

The first Chyron enhanced disasters happened only a few hours later, much to the satisfaction of the Caelan who had predicted, but not on this occasion, caused them 

By the evening of their wedding day, Rhodri, Celemon and their youthful companions had worked themselves into a state of high excitement and emotion. The continuing lavish celebrations encouraged further excesses. The challenging weather and the effects of the heady Maglencian wines made the young revellers even more careless and reckless. 

When a particularly severe series of earth tremors ended the celebrations prematurely, shaking Cazam Goral to its foundations, they were unperturbed but they did concern not only the Veleta who Rhodri but also members of the mystic Eydis family who were attending as guests and celebrants. The Veleta and Eydis guests rushed to assist in restoring the Calm but as the Basilica and the high, encircling walls of the citadel swayed alarmingly around them, they were disturbed to find the ruler of the city was not amongst them.

Rhodri, as ruler, should have taken the lead in calming the tremors but he had disappeared. As a desperate situation rapidly developed, he and his bride, ignored the welfare of their guests and subjects and the increasingly urgent requests, sent as mind messages by the Master Guardian, Veleta and Eydis guests, for their assistance. Their behaviour hindered rather than helped in this emergency, for they were nowhere to be found and time was wasted searching for them. 

The tremors naturally attracted Chyrons. The Veleta and the other powerful guests set themselves to controlling and diverting the damage but for some mysterious reason, their efforts had little effect. The Wardynes and their guests suspected Caelan or Veleta interference but on this occasion, they were merely innocent observers, far away. More ancient and unfathomable forces were at work and both the damage and loss of life in the city were extensive. 

Only the day before, at the time of the Autumn Equinox a reluctant group of Veleta, to whom Rhodri had had to pay a large sum of money to come to his city had successfully aligned the elemental power in the Basilica in an elaborate ceremony. This should have greatly lessened the chances of an earthquake and its consequences and begged the question of why those who could control the power one day were unable to on the next. The Chyrons were always around and only the Veleta could bring control, but this time, their inability to do this caused widespread concern and disgraced them, the city, its ruler and its inhabitants.

There was little sympathy for the Veleta in Cazam Goral. Their twin abilities to manipulate the elemental power and communicate with each other using only their minds alienated them from ordinary people. And lately, many had cultivated a certain arrogance. The centre of the Veleta Cult was far away in Condoria Biarma, home of their enemies the Caelan so they were barely tolerated in the citadel or the city. The Wardynes employed them only because their skills were necessary to keep the Calm. Only they could hold off the Chyrons and avert the disasters they brought. The Veleta who reluctantly consented to go there from Condoria to work for the Wardynes for short periods, were often those with less ability but who needed the money. They demanded inflated fees and usually stayed only a short time before returning with tales of insults and bullying. As night fell, their spectacular failure was the main topic of conversation and they received the full force of blame and by the dawn of the following day, they were gone.

Meanwhile, Rhodri, Celemon and their young companions, after collecting large amounts of alcohol from the Great Hall, foolishly climbed to the top of the Fifth Tower, to experience the fear and danger of remaining in a swaying building during a swarm of tremors. Seeking thrills, they were heedless of the destruction happening all around them or the rightful expectation of the Veleta that they, as rulers, would use their powers to help resolve it. 

Once in the tower, they observed with some amusement and disbelief, the sea rapidly withdrawing far from the coast and a storm brewing out to sea but again they ignored the signs and continued to celebrate. Around and above them, Chyrons, attracted by the power released by the earth tremors and by the dissonant and inharmonious atmosphere in the city, absorbed the increased energy and prolonged the destruction. 

Witnessing the approach of a huge wave rushing back towards the land, the drunken revellers still failed to raise the alarm. The potential for disaster overstimulated their senses, which rose to a fever pitch as the giant wave approached and crashed around them. In the case of the newlyweds, heedless and careless of everything else, it led to a prolonged, ecstatic, sexual encounter lasting for many hours and the conception of their child Belenus.

Elsewhere, the damage to the city and loss of life and livelihood from this disaster was extensive and the recovery prolonged. The survivors quickly realised that Rhodri’s time as ruler was going to be difficult but could do little about it. The Caelan, under another name, sent ships of supplies to help with the recovery and paid Haelan to attend to the sick and injured.

It was later reported that at the height of the destruction, a Seer prophesied that a Wardyne child born of these parents, would have no special powers and would bring down the accepted order. A few ancient Veleta considering the disastrous events surrounding the wedding and the child’s conception predicted his birth would mark the beginning of the final days. The Caelan were the only ones amongst the ruling families who did not laugh at these stories and call them nonsense.

Belenus Wardyne was born nine months later. Rhodri and Celemon were pleased to have a son and heir but as it became clear from the learned scholars who frequently examined him and continued to monitor his early life, that he had not inherited the ability to use the elemental power, they took no further interest in him.

Unfortunately, for Belenus, these abilities were a necessary pre-requisite for becoming a ruler because his primary role would be to protect his subjects, their city and the surrounding lands and seas from devastation by the Chyrons. His condition was highly unusual and gave rise to further speculation. 

His parents despaired only briefly and continued their selfish, hedonistic lives and if they considered his problem at all, it was to hope for better fortune with any future progeny. Privately, most people agreed with them that he was a useless embarrassment and it would have been better for everyone if he had not survived. Others shook their heads knowingly, remembering the circumstances of the wedding night.

From the start, everyone treated Belenus as a failure. They sent him to live in obscurity far away in various nurseries, schools and colleges and as he grew up and attended lessons with their children, the other rulers saw, with growing malicious amusement, that the prophecies were true; Belenus, truly, had no special powers. Growing up in this atmosphere was a great trial. His peers shunned or insulted him. They used mind communication, which he struggled to master. They teased him relentlessly; beat him up often and the Veleta and other teachers denigrated him because they disliked him so intensely. The superstitious, of which there were many, saw him as a dangerous aberration. In this unfortunate situation, where everyone he encountered reviled and bullied him for his pretensions, he persisted in one thing. He was the only heir to the city of Cazam Goral and he would follow his father as ruler.

Rhodri and Celemon produced no further children. The inadequate son was an only child. The Wardyne relations waited to pounce. Rather than let Belenus inherit, they planned to usurp the title and lands, but an overambitious opportunist seeking more immediate advancement thwarted them and shattered their complacency. 

Bricriu of Moydica, A sycophantic but ambitious gold digger and powerful Veleta, managed to dispose of Master Guardian Weylin and persuade Rhodri to appoint him in his stead. With an eye to the future, Bricriu occasionally had Belenus brought back to the Cazam Goral to remind people of his existence. The lonely, unloved and reviled son suddenly acquired an unexpected and unwelcome supporter.

Belenus, forced to continue his education until he was eighteen, finally left the hated Benadur College in Melis at the first opportunity and travelled secretly to Corach, where he immersed himself in the venal underworld of trade. He quickly acquired the skills to defraud and cheat and built a reputation for avarice and ruthlessness that was notable even in that corrupt environment. Under a veil of anonymity, he targeted his uncles, distant cousins and former acquaintances from college, who had been prominent in bullying and humiliating him.

With a growing fortune and formidable reputation, he gathered a coterie of less desirable men and women, whom he paid well to protect his many interests in the city. He recruited a penniless warrior, Ansgar of Vikna as a bodyguard and soon gained his undying loyalty by including him in his nefarious actions. Being cunning and manipulative by nature, this new life suited Belenus well but his rapid rise to riches was always of secondary consideration to him.

In the dying days of the autumn of 7681, he received an unexpected invitation, supposedly from his father but written by Bricriu, inviting him to return to Cazam Goral for the celebrations of the Winter Solstice and New Year.

He saw it as a sign. He left Corach in one of his newly acquired ships, with Ansgar and twenty guards, all displaying his brand new livery of dark green surcoats embossed with a fierce green serpent with a golden tongue.

As dawn broke on the eve of the Winter Solstice, his ship stood off Cazam Goral. Belenus waited, alone on the deck contemplating the city and his future actions. He had spent almost his whole life preparing for this day. His plan was simple. First, he would remove his useless parents and their minions from his city. The Veleta would be his next and most particular target and for them, he had an unprecedented fate in mind. He would take his revenge on the bullies and his many detractors and then he would make all of Arcaikos subject to his rule. The weak, powerless and disappointing son intended to destroy all that the rulers and Veleta held dear, at whatever cost.

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