Falling Shadows (The Ellocea chronicles) [#Wattys2016]

Prologue

Smoke plumes rose from the chimneys of the haphazardly placed clay huts that lay in the Vaina Valley, making up the village of Kalani. One of the many small settlements that, along with the Palace of the Kahn and his family, form the Vallele lands. Wide and plush like its name suggests the valley stretches for what seems like miles, the pure River Senga cutting its way through the belly of the valley snaking its way into the horizon.

As the valley softens the rolling hills blend into the sky smudged with the silhouette of the distant Mountain lands, there snow topped summits reflecting in the pure surface of Lake Talora . Beyond the revered, towering peaks that house the Mountain people are the Desert lands, ruled by the Sand Chief; a great feast had been held in the Vallele Palace a few moons past, with six of the Great Leaders from the Eight Lands in attendance. The Chief had left many of the Vallele heads spinning with his glistening jewels, golden skin and the smooth polish of his manner that left maidens swooning and men with hearts tinged with the green of envy.

The Sealands lie three moons ride from the Desert lands but few of the Vallele travel as far, and those who did, moved for life and rarely returned. The Valley was by far the most fertile and lush of all the Lands with miles of emerald grasses boasting fruits, flowers and crops that could easily feed all the legions of men in the whole Eight Lands under the Everlasting Sky.

Trade between the Lands had been introduced when the Great Leaders had met for their Twelve Moons meeting, it had been decided that the Sealle would give sea beasts in return for grain from the Vallele, with rocks and weaponry from the Mountain people traded for lifting beasts from the Mudflats and gems from the Desert Lands; the Jungle men asked for cotton and gave fur and skins to the Icemen in return. The River people from the North and the Skyle from the East, due to their steady decrease in populations, had once traded in crystals and crafts but had less of an input in days of late. Life was fair in the lands and no blood had been shed by another landman's blade for nearly a dozen sun births. Needless to say each land had had their own discrepancies but the darkness of the Red Days was over and the air in all of Galahad was crisp with the feeling of harmony.