The Ardoon King Read online

Epilogue

  The Autumn Reality

  “Are you happy?” Ben asked.

  Thal looked up, confused. She found herself on a bench swing, Ben sitting next to her. Their shoes brushed against wooden planks painted white and the swing moved lazily side to side, urged on by the gentle momentum of their bodies. She wore a green cashmere sweater and jeans but was tucked comfortably beneath and an old family quilt, a bit tattered at the edges. A paper cup of something that smelled like hot chocolate rested atop a paperback romance on a wicker table to her right. In front of her were a series charming little turn-of-the-century Craftsman homes, well-maintained, with maple trees in their yards. The leaves on the trees were orange and red and made a soothing rattling sound as a crisp breeze passed through them.

  She leaned against his shoulder. “Yes.”

  “Sorry they didn’t have that pumpkin spice stuff. I know you like it better.”

  Thal shook her head. “Hot chocolate is fine.” She snuggled closer. “I must have dozed off.”

  “You did. I felt you twitch a few times. Bad dream?”

  Thal thought about that. “I don’t really remember it. It just left me with one of those sinking feelings, you know? Like the world was ending.” She laughed. “Seasonal affective disorder.”

  “The days are getting shorter,” her husband agreed. “There’s not as much light as there used to be.”

  The woman looked up at a sky of pastel blue and shivered as the breeze brushed her face. “Is Felicity coming tonight? Or Lil?”

  The man didn’t answer right away. “You don’t mind?”

  “Of course not.”

  Ben squeezed her shoulders. “I might invite Des, too.”

  “Des and his free stinky cigars, you mean.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll smoke them out here.”

  “No,” Thal said quickly, placing a hand on the man’s chest. “Don’t, please? Please don’t. Stay with me.”

  The man turned and looked at her, surprised at her reaction. “Wow. That must have been a bad dream.”

  “It was. I felt like I’d lost everything. Everyone.”

  “Huh. So you’re saying this is the right time for me to light a stogie?”

  She put her head back against him, closed her eyes. “I just want you to be happy. I want all of us to be happy.”

  “I thought we were.”

  “We are.” She thought for a moment. “You would forgive me, right?”

  “For what?”

  “Mistakes. I’ve made some mistakes.”

  The man brushed a few errant hairs from her face. “You? The smartest woman on the planet? I don’t believe it.”

  “I have, though.”

  “For example?”

  Thal was silent. She furrowed her brow. “I don’t know.”

  The man laughed and shook his head. “Chocolate has a weird effect on you. We’ve all made mistakes, Thal. Let’s just give ourselves general amnesty and start fresh today. How about that?”

  “A fresh start,” the woman agreed.

  Neither said anything for a moment. Above them, the swing’s wooden supports creaked as the couple rocked. Somewhere in the distance, children laughed.

  Ben said, “What if we could live here forever? Would you want to do that?”

  “Yes. Very much. What could be better?”

  Ben shrugged. “World domination?”

  The woman laughed. “I don’t think so.”

  The man was quiet. Then, “What about saving the world?”

  Thal shook her head. “A fool’s errand. Everybody wants to save the world.”

  Ben nodded. “And they don’t know how.”

  “What?”

  “The song. That’s the lyrics to a song.” He made a very poor attempt to hum the tune that was in his head.

  Thal chuckled as her fear receded. “No, dear. First off, it’s ‘change the world,’ not ‘save the world.’ Remember? Ten Years After?”

  “After what?”

  “Honey, really? That’s who sang it. The rock group. If you’d just listen to music written within the last century, you’d know that.”

  Ben shook his head. “Nope. You youngsters can have your ‘rock-and-or-roll.’ It’s the devil’s music.”

  “Right. Second, you mangled the lyrics.”

  “Really?”

  Thal nodded and began to softly sing the song to him. She had the voice of an angel. She sang the song as she might sing a nursery rhyme to a child.

  Ben listened, and as he did, his smile faded. “A fool’s errand.”

  “Mmm…”

  The woman dozed off again.

  He let her go.

  The quilt fell from her body as the woman gently rose into the air. As if lifted by an unseen phantom, she floated up and away from the man, her face glowing under the autumn sun, her arms dangling at her sides. She rotated once as she began to glide higher, and then higher still, until she was nothing but a distant speck in the beautiful blue sky, and then nothing at all.

  Alone again, the man watched the leaves falling from the trees.

  Soon there’d be none at all.

  acta est fabula

  Will There Be a Book 3?

  That depends on you, good reader.

  I’d like to thank everyone who contacted me over the past two years and requested a sequel to The Apocalypse Script. I always respond to such requests personally and the support for a sequel has been tremendous.

  or

 

  If I exceed those totals, I’ll write faster. I already know where the series is going. You could say it’s scripted.

  The only question is whether I’ll take you there.

  Thank you for reading!

  Regards,

  Samuel Fort

  (Scribe)

  Glossary of Terms

  Agati [uh-got’-ee]: Modern version of Akkadian, but influenced heavily by Greek, Latin, English, Spanish, Chinese, and various ancient languages. Bears little similarity to the ancient language of Akkadian. One feature of the language is that there are no plural forms of words. Plurality is conveyed by the context of the sentence.

  Anax [ae’-noks]: King

  Annasa [uh-nah’-suh]: Queen

  Ardoon [ar’-doon]: Anyone who is not a member of the Nisirtu ruling class. In Agati, the term means “slave.” Essentially, 99.999% of the human population.

  Asatu [uh-sah’-too]: Wife (First)

  Code, The: The modern day version of the Code of Hammurabi. The body of all laws that govern the Nisirtu.

  Channel: Monumental, traumatic events in world history designed to make the population malleable and that ensure the success of required scripts.

  Consort: An official mistress to a king, and typically a handmaiden to the serretu(s) and asatu.

  Cuneiform Nouveau: Modern version of cuneiform writing system often referred to as simply cuneiform or nouveau by Nisirtu.

  Dominion, Act of: Issued by writ of a ruling king or queen, this legal action transfers all authorities over an individual (the wardum) to a single person (the dom or dominus). That person effectively becomes the regent of the affected individual. The issuer of a Writ of Dominus forfeits all power over the wardum. Consequently, the king or queen issuing the writ is unable to revoke it and such relationships exist in perpetuity, ending only with the death of the dom or dominus, at which point the wardum is killed so that the relationship may continue in the Nisirtu underworld. The actions of a dom or dominus in relation to the wardum may not be interfered with or influenced, directly or indirectly, by any authority.

  Dominus: See “Dominion, Act of.”

  Empyrean Glossa: The universal language, aka, “The Language of the Heavens” or “The Angelic Tongue.” The “primal” language of all sentient beings. Empyrean expresses thoughts so perfectly that they are always perceived as true by listeners, which allows speakers to control the thoughts of those they speak to. More benevolently, it can be used to perfectly express emotion
s, or philosophical ideas, or scientific concepts. A single word of Empyrean is more descriptive than a thousand words in a more “primitive” language, such the ones commonly spoken in the world today (English, for example, or Spanish, Chinese, etc.) Only the Ardoon King, Ben Mitchell, and the Great Sage, Ridley, share this language, though the king rarely uses it because he has determined it causes memory loss.

  Family: A royal family and its subjects, to include a sizeable percentage of the human population. Synonymous with “kingdom” and “House” within Nisirtu parlance.

  Fetch: An Ardoon personal servant and assistant to a member of the Nisirtu, responsible for ensuring his or her master is provided anything requested.

  Fifth Kingdom: The only known surviving kingdom of the Nisirtu, following the apocalypse.

  Gold Squadron (“Golds”): Cavalry Squadron of Peth assigned to escort Lilian outside he walls of Steepleguard.

  House: A royal family and its subjects, to include a sizable percentage of the human population. Synonymous with “kingdom” and “Family” within Nisirtu parlance.

  Kingdom: A royal family and its subjects, to include a sizeable percentage of the human population. Synonymous with “House” and “Family” within Nisirtu parlance.

  Legion: Within the Peth-Allati, a force consisting of 1,000 Peth warriors commanded by a Praetor. Each Peth Lord has at his disposal 5 legions.

  Lilies (singular, “Lily”): A group that believes Lilian is the rightful queen of the Fifth Kingdom and that Fiela, the unwilling hero of the Ordunas, poses a threat to Lilian’s reign. The more zealous Lilies would prefer Fiela dead.

  Lord of the Peth-Allati: Within a kingdom, the highest-ranking officer of the Peth-Allati.

  Madihee: Nomadic couriers operating 5,000+ years ago in the vicinity of modern-day Iraq, Syria, and Iran.

  Maqtu [mok’-too]: Rebel. A member of the three kingdoms that rebelled against the other seven when the decision was made to end civilization.

  Mutu [moo’-too]: Husband

  Nisirtu [ni-sur’-too]: The Hidden Ones, or Secret Treasure. The ancient society that controlled the world for 5,000 years through the use of sophisticated scripts. Descendants of the Madihee tribesmen. The Nisirtu caused the apocalypse, though they were snared by their own trap by an outside force that has yet to be fully defined in the story. Thus many Nisirtu died during the apocalypse. The Fifth Kingdom might be the only kingdom that is known to have survived. Practitioners of eugenics for most of their history, most Nisirtu are several inches taller than their Ardoon counterparts, smarter, and more attractive, though there are some negatives to the processes, to include psychopathy.

  Nocte Sicarius [nok’-tay sick-air’-ee-us]: Night Assassin. A specialized Peth-Allati. Through five thousand years of selective breeding by the Nisirtu, these assassins have superb night vision. They are also trained to use “echo location” by clicking their tongues, and have perfect memories of every step and turn they make over any terrain. Extremely sensitive to light, the Nocte Sicarius typically wear sunglasses and must protect their skin from sunlight. Most have some symptom of albinism (for example, Fiela has violet eyes and white hair, though she dies her hair red).

  Orduna: A follower of the Duke of the Ordunas who believes that Fiela should be senior queen of the Fifth Kingdom. Most Ordunas would prefer Lilian dead.

  Peth-Allati [peth-uh-lot’-ee]: Literally, “Shadow Horseman.” In modern usage, any member of the Nisirtu warrior class, or group of members. Often referred to as merely “Peth.”

  Praetor [pree’-tor]: Commander of a single Peth legion who reports to a Lord of the Peth-Allati.

  Purple Guard (“Purps” or “King’s Squadron”): Cavalry Squadron of Peth assigned to escort the king (Ben Mitchell) outside the walls of Steepleguard.

  Red Guard (“Reds”): Cavalry Squadron of Peth assigned to escort Fiela outside the walls of Steepleguard.

  Sage: A scribe of the highest rank.

  Scenario: A collection of scripts interconnected to achieve a single purpose. Often simply referred to as a script, that is not technically correct.

  Scribe: An intellectual charged with writing the scripts, scenarios, channels, etc., that guide humanity. The scripts of scribes are directed by their respective regents.

  Script: A Nisirtu blueprint for a future world event at its most elemental level.

  Scriptus: Formal title of a scribe.

  Sereti: A female Nisirtu groomed from birth to serve as Asatu or Serretu to a nobleman or noblewoman, with expertise in court protocols, ceremonies, oversight of fetches, and other high level domestic duties.

  Serretu: Wife, typically of a king or high noble, but of lower stature/rank than the Asatu.

  Seven, The: The seven dominant kingdoms of the Nisirtu prior to the apocalypse.

  Squadron: Peth cavalry unit, typically containing 100-150 mounted troops. Dismounted, the squadron becomes a Company.

  Steepleguard: A massive, self-sustaining fortress hidden deep in the Rocky Mountains. Previously, a hotel for the rich, such as rail barons, at the turn of the 20th century. The headquarters of the Fifth Kingdom.

  Supreme Lord of the Peth-Allati: Senior Peth of the Nisirtu and Commander of all Peth Lords. With the fall of the Nisirtu, a vacant position, though ostensibly Lord Disparthian would have this role as the commander of the only Peth legion in existence.

  Tiwanaku Tablets: Tablets containing universal mysteries written in the Empyrean script that were used by the Sillum in his first attempt to end sentience in this reality. He failed and escaped back into the Nothingness but was forced to leave the valuable tablets behind.

  Troop: A subunit of a Peth squadron. Typically composed of 30-40 cavalrymen. Dismounted, a troop becomes a platoon.

  Turzaka: Nisirtu assassin. Typically, a sniper. Ritually mutilated and tattooed.

  Wardum: See “Dominion, Act Of.”

  Ziggurat: Regional conferences of Nisirtu nobles prior to the apocalypse. Locations varied each lunar month.

  Cast of Characters

  Barnum, Wilfred: Attorney and Judge. Steepleguard’s resident legal expert on Nisirtu law, i.e., “the Code.” Born in Scotland. Rarely used Nisirtu name is “Barduz.”

  Bavenmore: Captain of the Red Guard.

  Callis (“Cal”): Peth trooper in the Red Guard.

  Disparthian (“Diz”): Former Lord of the Peth-Allati, Sixth Kingdom, now Lord of the Peth-Allati, Restored Fifth Kingdom. Holds a doctorate in Telecommunications Engineering. Very handsome and referred to by women as “Lancelot.” Having resided in France most of his life, he has a pronounced French accent, even when speaking the Nisirtu language of Agati. He clandestinely supported Lilian’s rebellion against the Seven and engaged Lords Nizrok and Moros in combat the day before the apocalypse. He was victorious, but lost most of his forces as a result of a supposed ally’s duplicity. Ardoon name was Gabriel Dez (France).

  Edimmu: A nickname for Fiela. In mythology, the spirit of a person not buried properly who comes back to seek revenge on the living. Fiela earned this nickname by three times coming back from the dead.

  Fiela (Fee-el’-uh): Peth and Nocte Sicarius (Night Assassin) of the Tenth Kingdom, then later the Fifth. Sister (by adoption) to Lilitu (Lilian) and great-grandniece of the Great Sage, Scriptus Ridley. Serretu (Second Wife) to Ben Mitchell. Her Ardoon name was Felicity. Also known as “the Edimmu.” Born in Russia.

  Great Sage: See Ridley.

  Hobuk: Familiar name of the Duke of the Ordunas, a large Nisirtu faction. Thinning, elderly, and a little creepy. Leader of the Ordunas, who believe that Fiela should be queen. Father of Lady Thalassa. Former controller of several high technology companies in the United States, Spain, Portugal, and Brazil. Ardoon name was Hobbs Martinez. Born in Spain.

  Lady Del: Lady of the Eighth Kingdom. Mother of Persipia. Deceased.

  Lilian: Nisirtu, and Senior Queen of the Fifth Kingdom. Daughter of King Sargon the First, orphaned when her father was usurped twenty years prior to the
apocalypse. She lived her life in a gilded cage and recaptured her throne on the eve of the apocalypse. Sister (by adoption) to Fiela, and niece (by adoption) of the Great Sage, Ridley. Asatu (Senior Wife) to Ben Mitchell. She is a pragmatic leader, a skilled diplomat, and exceptionally beautiful. She is devoted to those close to her, but can be cruel to others, and earlier in life developed a reputation as a hedonist who was addicted to drugs and sex of all varieties. Some of these habits she has dropped, but not all. Ardoon name is Lilian (Stratton). Born in England.

  Lilies: A faction of Nisirtu who support Lilian’s claim to the throne of the Fifth Kingdom. Though this faction is leaderless, Duke Romini, Lord Disparthian and the King are seen as Lilian’s staunchest supporters. Their signature color is gold or yellow.

  Mitchell, Ben: Ardoon. King (Anax) of the Fifth Kingdom. Expert on languages and esoteric writing systems, and a former cryptologic linguist in the U.S. Marines who served in Afghanistan. Wounded in IED blast and returned to the U.S., where he received advanced degrees in languages. Spent a short time as a professor at a Midwestern college before making a career freelancing in the study of ancient tablets and artifacts for museums and private collectors. Selected by Ridley, the Great Sage, to be the wife of Lilian (Lilitu) and Fiela, and king of the Fifth Kingdom of the Nisirtu. One of only two (revealed) speakers of Empyrean, the universal language of the heavens.

  Moros: Lord. Former Supreme Lord of the Peth-Allati. Responsible for coordinating the collapse of civilization – responsible in particular for plague and disease. Architect of Cage’s disease, which wiped out a majority of humanity. Lilian’s former competitor for world rule. Fiela’s former commander and arch-enemy. Killed the evening of the apocalypse.

  Ordunas: Also referred to as Ordunites. A faction of Nisirtu nobles and citizens who believe Fiela should be senior queen and that Lilian should be overthrown as a result of her the mark against her, her sordid past, and the madness of her father. Though Fiela does not wish to be senior queen (or even junior queen) she has been unable to quash the agenda of the Ordunas. Their signature color is red or scarlet.

  Persipia: Lady. Daughter of Lady Del (deceased). Consort to the king and, indirectly, the queens of the Fifth Kingdom. Handmaiden to Lilian. Branded a traitor for bowing to Lord Moros, Lilian’s failed usurper, she was allowed a partial pardon by the king at the request of his wife, Lilian, who has a love/hate infatuation with the woman. Trained as sereti. Ambitious. Born in Brazil.

  Porazo: Archduke. Former member of the Fourth Kingdom. Survivor of the apocalypse.

  Richards, Celeste: Granddaughter of Samuel and Eliza Richards. Parents deceased. Ardoon. A gifted violinist selected by Fiela for recruitment into the Nisirtu.

  Richards, Eliza: Wife of Samuel Richards, grandmother of Celeste. Ardoon.

  Richards, Samuel: Ardoon survivor of the apocalypse. Friend of Ben Mitchell, husband to Eliza, and grandfather of Celeste.

  Ridley: Former scribe to King Sargon I, Lilitu’s father, who was sent into exile when Sargon was usurped. Also known as the “Great Sage.” Raised Lilitu and Fiela once their parents were killed. Whereabouts unknown. Blood uncle (great, great uncle) of Fiela, and adopted uncle of Lilian/Lilitu. One of two (revealed) human speakers of Empyrean.

  Sargon: (Refers to King Sargon the First). King of the Fifth Kingdom. Father of Lilian (Lilitu) and former king of Ridley. Usurped after covertly attempting to destroy the other kingdoms. Said to be executed or in exile. Known as “the Mad King.” Ben Mitchell was dubbed King Sargon II when he assumed the throne. Sargon I is presumed dead.

  Sargons: Small but growing faction loyal only to the king, or whichever king carries the Sargon name. Their signature color is purple.

  Scree: Lady. Aging and opportunistic noble with few scruples.

  Sillum: Priest of a mysterious god who rules over the Nothingness and who seeks to wipe sentience from all realities.

  Romini: Duke and the senior Lily, proponent of Lilian’s reign as queen. Often at odds with the Ordunas and Duke Hobuk, in particular.

  Thalassa (“Thal”): Daughter of the Duke of the Ordunas (“Hobuk”). A brilliant and credentialed physicist who assists Ben Mitchell in deciphering ancient tablets written in the Empyrean language. A staunch Orduna. Ardoon name was Thelma. Born in Greece.

  Vedeus: Former Peth Captain of the Tenth Kingdom, now Peth Captain of the Restored Fifth Kingdom. Rescued Persipia from the ruins of Denver.

  //