The Chosen - Rise of Cithria Part 1 Read online

RISE OF CITHRIA

  THE CHOSEN

  by

  Kris Kramer, Alistair McIntyre, Patrick Underhill

  Book 1 of Rise of Cithria

  * * * * *

  PUBLISHED BY:

  www.the4threalm.com

  Rise of Cithria – The Chosen

  Copyright © 2013 by Kris Kramer, Alistair McIntyre, Patrick Underhill

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Cover artwork by Marek Purzycki

  https://igreeny.deviantart.com/

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/igreeny-Graphics/123983141043597

  The4threalm.com

  The authors of this work are part of the4threalm.com, a group of writers who work, edit, critique and publish collaboratively. They would like to invite you to see more of their work, along with that of several other talented people, at the site below. And be sure to participate in the discussion. The4threalm.com is nothing without its readers!

  https://www.the4threalm.com

  Rise of Cithria Books

  Book 1 - The Chosen

  Book 2 - The Descent

  Book 3 - The Breaking

  Book 4 - The Master

  Book 5 - The Exodus

  Book 6 - The Siege

  Click to see the full-sized image.

  A Note From The Authors

   

  This will be quick. Promise. 

  For most of you, the story you're about to read won't be told in a way you're accustomed to seeing. As indie authors, we're allowed quite a bit more latitude in how we tell our stories than we would be if we were working with a traditional publisher. Which is fortunate for us, since this is a story that requires quite a bit of latitude. 

  Rise of Cithria is a big story. Over twenty main characters, from multiple kingdoms and realms, told across three different storylines that all converge only to be split once or twice more. The breadth of this tale could require us to write nearly 750,000 words by the time it's done, and that's only if we keep the plot moving pretty briskly. That's too big to be condensed into a single volume. Well, that's not entirely true. Thanks to the lack of size limitations with ebooks, it could be one book, and we may just do that once it's complete. But we're also dealing with print versions as well, and a story this big can't really be printed in a nice little book without squeezing a thousand words onto each page.

  So we decided early on that we'd have to break this story up quite a bit to tell it, and that meant releasing it as five separate books, or parts. The Chosen, the Descent, the Breaking, the Master, and the Siege. Parts 1 through 5 of the Rise of Cithria series. But lots of fantasy stories have multiple books. Why is this one any different from those? 

  Well, the difference is that each book is not a complete story in and of itself. It's merely part of a bigger story, one that will be told over the course of the series. That means we'll need you, our readers, to bear with us until we reach the end of this exciting endeavor. So think of this book, and the ones that follow, as smaller pieces of a larger whole. A slice of literary cake, or pie, or cheesecake, depending on what you prefer. Each book stops at what we consider to be a natural break point, typically in the guise of a cliffhanger. We like some drama and suspense in our stories, and we hope you do, too. So when you reach the end of this book, don't be shocked. Be glad that you have at least four more chances to spend time with these characters.

  Prologue

  When the Thandaran Empire arrived five centuries ago, they found an untamed, fertile island called Andua. As with every other new land they discovered, the Thandarans subjugated the Anduain people, including the old races of elves, nuathreens and firbolgs. They renamed the island Caldera, and colonized it with their own citizens. Over time, the Anduains and their culture diminished, retreating to the west, into the oldest, most remote areas of the island imaginable. They were hunted, and persecuted, but they endured, and they kept their stories and history alive for centuries, until the moment finally came when the Thandarans left the island, retreating to their besieged homeland far across the sea.

  With no Thandaran army to keep the peace, the island fractured. The east, under the control of former Thandaran nobility, remained Caldera. The west became Andua once again. And lurking across the narrow sea to the north was the land of Bergmark, home to fierce havtrols, opportunistic dwarves, and magic-wielding humans. War broke out, leading to chaos, death and destruction… until Damhran, grandson of a Thandaran clerk, ascended to Caldera’s throne.

  Damhran rallied the Calderan forces to victory after victory, eventually claiming most of the island, staying the hand of Bergmark, and forcing Andua into a tenuous peace. From his home in Corendar, the capital city of Caldera, Damhran presided over an era of prosperity unprecedented in the history of the three realms. But resentments and rivalries simmered below the surface. Damhran’s peace strained, but held for almost forty years – until the day the Century Star appeared.

  The Century Star grew bright in the sky, and then faded away, as it did every hundred years, and its arrival triggered prophecy, introspection, and devastation. Damhran saw the star as a sign that his time as King had run its course. A young Anduain warrior named Darren believed that the star signaled the rise of his people. In Bergmark, however, the star coincided with a tragedy, as a volcano erupted, destroying the dwarven kingdom and covering the lands of Bergmark in fire and ash.

  War came once again. Damhran retired, passing the throne to his son, who was ill-prepared to handle it. Darren ascended the throne of a new Andua, and he rallied his people to the cause of freedom as their King. And the people of Bergmark, with no lands left to sustain them, invaded the island, looking to claim greener pastures.

  For seventeen years now these nations have fought, trading lands, glory, and lives. The balance of power has shifted back and forth among them, but none of the three kingdoms has managed to strike a blow decisive enough to claim a final victory. But times are changing. Bergmark’s fierce yet ageing armies have slowly dwindled in numbers, and Andua’s forces have suffered several notable defeats. Caldera, long under siege, is at the brink of victory.

  But old enemies lurk beneath the surface, waiting for the right time to strike. The three kingdoms, weakened by decades of war, are at their most vulnerable. The fate of these lands, and their people, is at stake.

  A new war is coming.

  Caldera