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  Books by Kay L Moody

  TRUTH SEER TRILOGY

  Truth Seer Healer Truth Changer

  THE ELEMENTS OF KAMDARIA

  Ice Crown Wind Crown Dust Crown

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  Wind Crown

  The Elements of Kamdaria Episode 2

  The title of Master Shaper isn’t given, it’s earned. Let the trials begin.

  The competition has arrived. Talise is the clear winner before it even starts. But Aaden has a much deeper desire to win than she ever realized. When he sabotages her demonstration, they are both punished.

  Because of their talent, they are given a chance to earn the title of Master Shaper. But they must prove their honor and skill through a series of trials. In some areas, Talise excels. In others, she is woefully unprepared.

  The emperor puts great value on wielding a sword and Talise has exactly none of the skill she needs. Of course, Aaden is a natural and easily impresses the emperor. Despite her best efforts to improve the emperor seems increasingly disappointed in her abilities.

  The emperor has threatened her with life in the dungeons before. If she doesn’t pass the trials, she can only guess what lengths he’ll go to in order to keep her out of the way.

  At every turn, Aaden seems to be the only one who can help her. But she fears that trusting him could lead to far worse consequences… maybe even death.

  Publisher’s Note: This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, organizations, or locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business or government establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Wind Crown

  The Elements of Kamdaria Episode 2

  By Kay L Moody

  Published by Marten Press

  3731 W 10400 S, Ste 102 #205

  South Jordan, UT 84009

  www.MartenPress.com

  © 2019 Kay L Moody

  All Rights Reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:

  [email protected]

  Cover by Germancreative-fiverr

  Edited by Deborah Spencer

  ASIN: B07VTKQ245

  The Elements of Kamdaria 2

  Wind Crown

  Kay L Moody

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  ONE

  LIFE WAS NEVER AS SIMPLE AS A GAME.

  Emperor Flarius dropped his waterfall tablet onto the marble game board. Six of his tablets now sat on the one tile, all in enemy territory.

  Sitting across from him, Commander Blaise Sato raised an eyebrow. After years of playing Forces of Kamdaria, Blaise was wise enough to refrain from commenting. Emperor Flarius didn’t expect anything less from his advisor.

  He took note of how tight he clenched his jaw, relaxing slightly in effort to keep his own face free of emotion.

  Blaise would be suspicious of the move, but then, his job required him to be suspicious. Even still, Flarius hoped he would take the bait. When Blaise moved a tornado tablet to the edge of the game board, it became clear that he would not take the bait. Not yet at least.

  Flarius held his disappointment inside as he moved an insignificant blank tablet to an empty tile.

  Blaise eyed the board with the same calculation he gave to all his problems. Too much. Always too much analysis and never enough action. This was why Flarius had chosen him to be an imperial advisor. He was a balance to the emperor’s methods.

  “Your mind is weighing heavy on you today,” Flarius said with a nudge. Perhaps he could win the game by getting into his commander’s head.

  A twitch appeared at the edge of Blaise’s mouth, but Flarius suspected his words had not been the cause. The commander cleared his throat in that almost silent way he always did before bringing up a difficult subject. Blaise had been his principal imperial advisor for nearly twenty years now. His quirks were as familiar as the weight of the crown sitting on the emperor’s head.

  Blaise moved a blank tablet to the left side of the board. Now he had a line of them standing like a flank against the emperor’s tablets. “The competition is tomorrow,” he said without elaboration.

  Of course, Emperor Flarius didn’t need any elaboration. He knew exactly what Blaise was thinking. In truth, he had known even before he asked. “You are thinking of your grandson, Aaden.”

  Blaise idly scratched the tablecloth with increasing speed as the seconds wore on. His eyes kept jumping from the game to his fingernail as he seemed to form words in his mind. He stayed silent through the emperor’s next move and through his own next move as well.

  At last he spoke. “General Gale said there were two shapers who deserved to win on pre-competition day. Both had extraordinary skill. He said the judges couldn’t choose between the two of them.”

  “I read his report.” The words came out flat as Flarius moved yet another tablet into Blaise’s territory. The commander was old enough to be Flarius’ father. That was another reason Flarius had chosen him to be his advisor. The man had wisdom only an elder could provide.

  That wisdom had been a great strength to Flarius throughout his years as emperor. Blaise was calm, even-tempered, and wise. He truly helped Flarius be the best emperor he could be.

  Of course, Blaise’s steady service made it difficult to deny him when he made a request. And Flarius knew a request was coming. He weighed the options carefully, looked at it from every angle. Could such a request ever be granted?

  Blaise eyed the game. Even as he squirmed and delivered soft, unspoken appeals, he moved his pieces skillfully. Quite unexpectedly, he jumped a fire tablet over three of the emperor’s blank tablets, claiming them for his own.

  Flarius blinked at the board. It wasn’t often that he was taken by surprise.

  Seeming to take advantage of his distraction, Commander Blaise cleared his throat. “I thought perhaps…” He cleared his throat a second time. “I thought maybe two Master Shapers could be chosen this year.” He stared intently at the game board and then hastily added, “Considering the circumstances.”

  Flarius leaned back and stroked the short beard covering his chin. Blaise sat taller in his chair and braved a glance into the emperor’s eyes.

  “Perhaps,” Flarius said. He paused so his next words would have the proper weight. “But both Master Shapers would need to have unquestionable honor.”

  As the emperor moved another blank tablet to the middle, Blaise spoke again with a defensive edge to his voice. “Aaden hasn’t seen his father in eleven years. My wife and I raised him more than his parents ever did. When Aaden leaves the academy on pass, he visits us, not his father.”

  Flarius raised an eyebrow. “And yet, you raised your son—Aaden’s father—as well, did you not? I think we can both agree his honor was highly questionable.”

  Blaise’s eyes dropped until he stared into his lap. A lin
e of sweat seemed to spontaneously appear along his hair line. “Of course, Your Highness,” he said in a low voice. “Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

  It pained Flarius to bring up the past like that, and not just because it pained his advisor. Any reminders of the heinous mistake Blaise’s son made were generally not permitted at Ridgerock Palace. Flarius preferred to forget but never forgive.

  Blaise gulped as he made his next move. A drop of sweat slid down his cheek, dropping off his goatee like a raindrop. Flarius could sense that his advisor was frightened. Afraid that he had asked too much. Afraid for his job.

  Flarius let out a sigh. He didn’t wish to be vindictive. Not anymore. All he wanted now was peace. He moved his fire tablet directly in front of Blaise’s fire tablet, prompting the final fight.

  Blaise seemed to shrug off his fear for a brief moment, considering the board. Now he could see why Flarius had sacrificed so many of his tablets to Blaise’s territory. More than half of the area held stacks of the emperor’s tablets. Blaise couldn’t move a single piece without it being taken by one of Flarius’ tablets.

  Flarius had won.

  Commander Blaise dipped his head in a bow, graciously accepting his defeat in the game. He held his breath, apparently anxious to hear the emperor’s next words.

  “I still might choose two Master Shapers,” Flarius said.

  Blaise had enough self-control to mask most of his surprise, but Flarius caught a hint of it. “As you said, the circumstances are such that choosing two Master Shapers makes sense.”

  Blaise’s head bobbed up and down in an eager nod.

  Flarius looked back at the board, still surprised that his technique had been so effective against his ever-analytical advisor.

  Narrowing his eyes, the emperor said, “I will have to devise a scheme to test the honor of your grandson. If he is trustworthy, his skills could be very valuable to us.”

  TWO

  TALISE STOOD AT THE BACK OF THE line as she and her classmates trailed through the palace halls. Aaden had long since rushed past to her to get to Mrs. Dew. Apparently, he thought he still had a chance at changing Mrs. Dew’s mind about disqualifying him from the competition.

  It didn’t seem likely to Talise. When she thought back on the interaction in the boat, something strange stood out to her. Something about the way Mrs. Dew delivered the news to Aaden. It was almost as if she had been searching for a reason to disqualify him even before she knew he was shaping on the boat.

  This sent a wave of guilt through Talise. Had Mrs. Dew done it for her? To ensure Talise’s success by removing her only competition? She couldn’t believe the honorable Mrs. Dew would do something so dastardly. But no matter how Talise tried to extinguish the impossible reasoning, she kept coming back to the same idea.

  Mrs. Dew must have disqualified Aaden just so Talise could win.

  The dark wooden columns leading to the throne room seemed overbearing as Talise slipped past them. Not even the intricate paintings on rice paper could distract her. Soon, they were in the throne room. The students were directed to sit cross-legged against one wall. Aaden was still arguing with Mrs. Dew when the demonstrations began. She maintained that he wouldn’t be able to participate.

  Guilt crawled through Talise’s shoulders, settling into a knot at the base of her neck. It wasn’t her fault Aaden broke the rules. She did accuse him of it, but she accused fairly. He deserved to be punished. It was his own fault for breaking the rules.

  No matter how she tried to justify it, she was still partially responsible for the punishment he now bore.

  Tearing her thoughts from Aaden, Talise turned to face the emperor. Another student, Ari, dropped a bundle of scarves and ribbons on the ground in front of the throne. With a timid smile, Ari used his wind shaping to lift the scarves in swirling dances around him. It wasn’t the most original demonstration for a wind shaper, but the effect was nice.

  After Ari, a few more students did their demonstrations. Wendy’s was perfect. She released an arrow through a window, then shaped air behind it to increase its distance. The emperor’s eyebrows nearly touched his hairline when he saw how far her arrow flew.

  The emperor insisted Wendy go to the library with General Gale immediately so they could discuss shape training while the other students finished their demonstrations. Talise was glad for her friend, but she suddenly felt more alone than ever in the line of students.

  Another student, Terra, plodded over to her spot in front of the emperor when it was her turn. One of the imperial guards handed her a small box of dirt. She arranged several clay bowls around the box before she began separating the different minerals from the soil. Muscovite in one bowl, olivine in another, feldspar in a third. While this skill was certainly practical, the demonstration wasn’t as flashy as the others had been.

  Terra finished with a glum expression, apparently realizing too late that she had missed out on the flash. When her bowls were cleared away, she came to join Talise at the end of the line.

  “That was great,” Talise whispered to her fellow student.

  Terra’s lips folded into a frown. “Don’t patronize me. I know it looked stupid.”

  With a grin, Talise said, “At least it’s over.”

  “True, and I was never going to win anyway. I can’t wait to see your demonstration. It’s sure to win.”

  Talise rubbed a hand up and down her arm as the first bite of anxiety stung her.

  “Oh, don’t make that face. Even the emperor can’t shape ice. I know he can manipulate all the elements, and he’s amazing at shaping fire, but ice is beyond even his abilities. He’s sure to be impressed.”

  Talise bit her lip as she watched another student shaping a huge puddle of water into a fountain and then into a dragon. Shaping ice would be impressive. That was the entire reason she chose ice in the first place. But it came with risks. If she didn’t get the temperature in her body just right, she could get hypothermia or frostbite. And if she warmed her body too much, even for a split second, her ice crown would fall apart.

  Two fire shapers went next, one after the other. The first shaped a circular fire that cooked two fish to perfection. The second student did fire sculptures shaped like the palace, but hers lacked the detail and control Aaden’s sculptures always showed.

  Talise glanced back at him feeling another surge of sympathy. He glared at the fire sculptures as if they were personally responsible for destroying his entire family and everything he had ever loved.

  Finally, it was her turn. Talise stood tall, remembering that her presentation of self was just as important as her presentation of shaping. She wore a light smile that spoke of confidence but not arrogance.

  In front of the throne, she bowed deeply to the emperor until her nose brushed the ground. When she stood, he wore an expression that was difficult to decipher. His lips twitched at the corner of his mouth, almost as if they wanted to smile. But maybe only because he was laughing at her on the inside. His brows were knit close together, giving his eyes a hardened stare.

  He looked… disappointed? But how could he be disappointed when she hadn’t even started yet?

  A thrum of fear rippled through her muscles, but she did her best to ignore it. A guard brought her a bowl of water. Before he even placed the bowl on the ground, she had the water in the air.

  Her heart was beating faster than usual, which was usually an indication that her body temperature was off. In this case, it was all thanks to nerves. She breathed in deeply as she spun the water into a thin circle.

  If she couldn’t rely on her heart to tell if her internal temperature was right, then this would be even more difficult than normal. A quick smile and an even faster spin of the water made it seem like she had everything under control. Or, she hoped it looked that way, at least.

  When she stiffened her fingers and brought ice through them, she breathed a fire through the veins in her arm, careful to keep it far from her wrist.

  Stretching her
fingers through the air to form the crown, she made sure the tines growing up from the circle of water weren’t just any tines. With narrowed eyes, she shaped the crown to look exactly like the crown now sitting atop Emperor Flarius’ head. Tines of equal height all the way around. Symmetrical.

  Three quarters of the way through its creation, the emperor recognized the crown. The crease between his eyebrows disappeared as his eyes widened. Talise wore another smile, but this one was genuine.

  She felt a slice of cold through her forearm but tempered it with fire almost as quickly. When the ice crown was finished, she levitated it higher. It wouldn’t land on her head as she had practiced back at the academy. She had to place it on the emperor’s head so he could feel that it was truly ice.

  As the crown flew toward the emperor, a smile curved onto his mouth.

  She had impressed him. The crown was inches from his head now. Close enough that he could feel how cold it was. She’d leave it on his head for three seconds before bringing it back to the bowl.

  Just as she lowered her creation onto his jet-black hair, the crown melted. With her fingers working to levitate ice, the change to water caused her to lose control. Just for a split second, but it was enough. Too much.

  Water splashed all over the emperor, soaking his hair and shoulders. The crease reappeared between his eyebrows, even deeper than before.

  Everyone in the room gasped. Though they were whispers, she still heard the comments from onlookers.

  “How embarrassing.”

  “She’ll never be chosen now.”

  “What a shame. She was so much better than the others.”

  Talise tightened her hand into a fist. What happened? She had control. Everything was going perfectly. She ran her thumb across the tips of her fingers. Just as she suspected, they were as cold as they should have been. Colder even. She hadn’t done anything that would make the crown melt.