Eleventh Cycle

ELEVENTH CYCLEBook One of the Mistland series Copyright © 2022 Kian N. Ardalan. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination. Line Editor: Aubrey SpiveyCover Illustration: NinoIsCover Design and Interior Layout: STK•KreationsMap: Justin CullenSymbols: Hafizhtedho Trade paperback ISBN: 978-3-200-08673-9 Worldwide Rights1st Edition Kian N. ArdalanWohlmutstrasse 15-17, top 24Vienna, Austria, 1020www.KianNArdalan.com To my father. Thank you for giving me the life you never got to have. CONTENTS Title Page Map Foreword Characters and Glossary Prologue Chapter One: Dalila Chapter Two: Dalila Chapter Three: Nora Chapter Four: Erefiel Chapter Five: Chroma Chapter Six: Chroma Chapter Seven: Dalila Chapter Eight: Dalila Chapter Nine: Chroma Chapter Ten: Dalila Chapter Eleven: Chroma Chapter Twelve: Dalila Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen: Erefiel Chapter Sixteen: Dalila Chapter Seventeen: Chroma Chapter Eighteen: Dalila Chapter Nineteen: Dalila Chapter Twenty: Erefiel Chapter Twenty-One: Dalila Chapter Twenty-Two: Erefiel Chapter Twenty-Three: Dalila Chapter Twenty-Four: Dalila Chapter Twenty-Five: Nora Chapter Twenty-Six: Nora Chapter Twenty-Seven: Nora Chapter Twenty-Eight: Dalila Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty: Chroma Chapter Thirty-One: Nora Chapter Thirty-Two: Nora Chapter Thirty-Three: Dalila Chapter Thirty-Four: Dalila Chapter Thirty-Five: Dalila Chapter Thirty-Six: Erefiel Chapter Thirty-Seven: Nora Chapter Thirty-Eight: Nora Chapter Thirty-Nine: Nora Chapter Forty: Nora Chapter Forty-One: Nora Chapter Forty-Two: Nora Chapter Forty-Three: Dalila Chapter Forty-Four: Dalila Chapter Forty-Five: Dalila Chapter Forty-Six Chapter Forty-Seven: Chroma Chapter Forty-Eight: Nora Chapter Forty-Nine: Nora Chapter Fifty: Dalila Chapter Fifty-One: Nora Chapter Fifty-Two: Chroma Chapter Fifty-Three: Dalila Chapter Fifty-Four: Nora Chapter Fifty-Five: Nora Chapter Fifty-Six: Dalila Chapter Fifty-Seven: Erefiel Chapter Fifty-Eight: Erefiel Chapter Fifty-Nine: Dalila Chapter Sixty: Dalila Chapter Sixty-One Chapter Sixty-Two: Erefiel Chapter Sixty-Three: Dalila Chapter Sixty-Four: Erefiel Chapter Sixty-Five: Erefiel Chapter Sixty-Six: Dalila Chapter Sixty-Seven: Nora Chapter Sixty-Eight: Dalila Chapter Sixty-Nine: Nora Chapter Seventy: Nora Chapter Seventy-One: Nora Chapter Seventy-Two: Nora Chapter Seventy-Three Chapter Seventy-Four: Erefiel Chapter Seventy-Five: Dalila Chapter Seventy-Six: Chroma Chapter Seventy-Seven: Chroma Chapter Seventy-Eight: Dalila Chapter Seventy-Nine: Dalila Chapter Eighty: Chroma Chapter Eighty-One: Chroma Chapter Eighty-Two: Dalila Chapter Eighty-Three: Chroma Chapter Eighty-Four: Chroma Chapter Eighty-Five: Nora Chapter Eighty-Six: Erefiel Chapter Eighty-Seven: Dalila Chapter Eighty-Eight: Erefiel Chapter Eighty-Nine: Erefiel Chapter Ninety: Erefiel Chapter Ninety-One: Dalila Chapter Ninety-Two: Nora Chapter Ninety-Three Epilogue Afterword Acknowledgements About the Author FOREWORD CONTENT WARNING:The foreword below does address potential triggers which some may consider a spoiler. If you’ve gotten this far, it means that you are either reading a sample or have the book in your hands. I’d like to give you a message before you enter this world. Eleventh Cycle is a story about many things, and tackles subjects which many may feel uncomfortable with. It deals with disability, with mental illness, with abuse, and even descriptive sexual content. I included these matters not for the sake of it. Not to simply shock with a blunt weapon, but rather to deliver the image of a raw world. The material this book is based on is dark; it doesn’t shy away from unsettling matters. However, it is about perseverance in the face of absolute hopelessness. It is about tearing down the veil and facing whatever face evil wears. It is about people living in an indifferent world which will pull no punches, and finding your own path. However, I need to also take a moment and mention the late Kentaro Miura, author of Berserk. Without him, the Souls franchise may not be where it is today and this book may never have reached your hands. I won’t tell you how to enjoy this piece, but I will give you one piece of advice for the journey. Too often are books about clarity, about being as succinct as possible. This isn’t true to life very often. As you read this book, you may find yourself confused, or unsure of how it all fits together. Only once one reaches the end will the pieces align themselves. CHARACTERS AND GLOSSARY Aeolus: A tall spawn of a Yungblood with an equine and salmon coloured body, and ever shifting horns. Seen as a companion for the Seed. akar: A race born from the end of the 6th cycle with large, charcoal-hue bodies and monstrous strength. The receding mists have turned them into feral opponents of the Elders. Beck: A friend of Dalila’s. Ben: Dalila’s younger brother. Blacksmith: The Elder Blacksmith charged with forging weapons for Elders. His lower half is missing and he is bound to his eternal forge as punishment. Bolton: The third major city of Bravnicka and seen as an industrial city where Haar is primarily bottled after being collected. Bradley: Nora’s closest friend. Brother Clemence: A blind member of the Brotherhood of the Faithful. Candice: Another member of the Sisterhood of the Faithful. Cassidy Femur: Son of Jason Femur, and a nobleman delegated to Erefiel’s company under his father’s wishes. Chitons: The behemoth insects slumbering in Mount Duran. Chroma: Born to an akar refugee camp beside Crowtown. Chroma longs to live up to his father’s legacy and be a warrior worthy of his akar heritage. Cleria: The capital of Bravnicka and also known as the golden city. The centre for scholarly pursuits of magic and where the main military is housed. Dale: Son to Gallivax. Is a musician with dreams of becoming an Inspired. Dalila: A farmer girl and the only daughter of the Reed family. Duncan: Nora’s uncle and discharged soldier. Now works in Bracken. Elder King: The highest being of all the lands and known to be the most ancient. The Seed is always born from his blood and he holds the most power. Elders: The strangest and most powerful beings