“You said I killed him!” howled Senra in a thin voice, bordering on insane, her eyes wide as she stared at the Zardprest. Farr blinked, for a moment dumbfounded, her head to one side, “you said I killed him!”
“You did, Linfarr,” mocked Arun, “yet you knew she had not.”
“Telling the truth isn’t your strong point,” retorted Farr sharply to the Zardprest, then turned to stride towards Senra. The zora stepped back in denial, wild eyes switching from Farr to Zardprest and back again, and the Rider came to an abrupt halt, “it should have worked – if he was just a powerful Zardprest, it would have. I didn’t know-“
“You knew!”
“Of course she knew,” agreed Arun, richly amused by events. Farr looked reflectively at him, lips thinned, and turned again to face Senra. There was no lessening of the shock and horror on the zora’s face, for all that she was now flanked by Gorive, Panae, Styra, Elis and Kola in a silent, supportive wall. Beyond them Vora was looking very worried, no longer concerned about Farr’s wounds but now vitally concerned about Senra’s state of mind, and Camren’s ear was receiving a very severe, worried tugging. The rest of the zora and even some of the puzzled Honari soldiers were no less concerned, Avtrien among them. Farr took all of this in and steadied herself, not approaching the frightened Senra but not retreating either. Her voice, when it came, was quiet, considered, reasonable, gentling.
“Try to understand. I thought he was a Zardprest – a powerful one, to be sure, but a Zardprest just the same.”
……………………………………………………………………………
The zora of Honar must face invaders coming from the neighouring lands of Gemada and Kalenj, facing them in one battle after another. Their infuriating thief Farr seems to have disappeared and no longer appears in the midst of battle to help. Zora numbers have become badly depleted, and many begin to question their role. Yet even in the midst of war, there are opportunities for quiet reflection. In those moments, the zora Group Leader Senra quietly pursues her own personal exploration of the enigma that is the Rider of Blizzards and Wind. She is a friend, to be sure, but to what end? The question remains unanswered as the tide gradually turns against Honari forces and the zora of Honar are faced with unacceptable choices. Their only safe course of action is to leave the land they love. They seek sanctuary with a gypsy tribe on the edge of the great Thamadi Desert and begin to recuperate.
When a new enemy marches into Honar, an enemy unknown to all, the zora feel compelled to rally once again in defence of their homeland and return to Honar. In the pitched battle that follows, they must fight side-by-side with the conquerors of Honar against strange, unnerving beings with whom they cannot communicate. Worse, an impossible appearance from her past threatens to destroy Senra entirely. Only flight southwards, assisted by a renegade troop of Honari cavalry, saves the zora from incarceration or worse.
In the south they reconnect with their friend, the thief named Linfarr, in the remains of a lost city that once was the capital of a land that has disappeared even from legend. So begins a new, unexpected journey for them all, bringing with it new allies, breeds of man whose existence has been only in the realm of legend – if at all.
……………………………………………..…………….…………………………….
This is the second part of the trilogy, and I can state that in all honesty when I started writing the overall story I had no idea it was going to go beyond the friendship between a zora Group Leader and a thief. It did. Not only that, the scene developed into a much wider tapestry than I had expected. Truth to tell, the short story which I had (vaguely) mapped out in my head had decided to take a turn and head off in a different direction. My attempts to turn it back seemed futile, so I went along with it. I can say in all honesty that I am heartily glad I did. This version is much better than the original vague plan.
The cover artwork for The Wasteland beyond Oasis was a collective effort. I found a photograph which had elements of what I wanted to have on the book’s cover and sent it, accompanied by one of my rambling outlines of my vision, to the relevant department of Digital Print Australia. I don’t know who precisely did it, but they captured the image that I wanted to covey perfectly.
…………………………………………………………………………..
Interested in exploring more? Copies of The Wasteland beyond Oasis can be obtained from the following online book stores:
Print on demand: ISBN 978-0-6489892-5-7
- Digital Print Australia (https://www.digitalprintaustralia.com)
e-book: ISBN 978-0-6489892-6-4
- Books2Read (https://books2read.com)
- Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com)
- Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org)
Kerry Truelove, writer 