Exile: Sídhí Summer Camp #3 (38 page)

Khr'Vurr
– The Khr'Vurr is a fanatical group
of dragons, also known as Freedom Fighters.

LifeMate
– When a person is drawn toward
another person by the synth crystal in their blood. Two people who
are perfect soul mates. Two people who fall in love and bond.
LifeMates are miserable when apart from each other.

LifeBond
- The lifeBond is a permanent mental
bond between two lifeMates. The bond allows them to feel each
other’s emotions. The bond cannot be broken once formed.

LifeBud
- The LifeBud is a physical organ in a
Sídhí brain that allows a lifeBond to be created between two
lifeMates. The bud can be destroyed before a bond is created, but
not afterward.

Markles
- A red plant with tall bamboo like
stalks. The tip of each stalk ends in a ball of pink finger-like
protrusions. They catch and eat insects with the finger-like
protrusions. If approached or hit/broken, they spew a red, sticky
substance.

Mia Cara
- Literal translation: my
beloved.

Morag
- A nocturnal insect with a blackish
oval body with grooved wings and several dozen legs. It makes an
irritating buzzing/belching sound, but is not very loud.

Mundane
(human) – A mundane is a normal human
with no synth crystal in their blood, normally born on Earth. Some
valleys have a few mundane settlements. The Dhark Valleys keep
mundane humans as servants/slaves and a source of blood for their
large vampire population.

Olitiau
– An olitiau is a Sídhí animal that
looks like a giant bat. Adults are approximately the size of a
large dog. They prefer fresh meat.

Phoenix
– 1. A race of winged people
originally from Sídhí; they have not been seen or heard from in
four thousand years. They are the strongest of fairy within the
warrior caste. The wings of a phoenix cover a spectrum of colors,
but are primarily mixtures of red, black and/or white. The eyes of
a phoenix turn silver when emotional, a reaction that can turn
deadly to others.

2. A bird that drips fire off brilliant red wings.
Unlike the Earth myth, they are not reborn.

Pixie
- Race of people originally from Sídhí
who are smaller in stature, slender with sharper features. They are
a sub-race of fairy.

Pocket
vines
– A vine originally from
Earth called Dutchman’s Pipe. It was enhanced by fairies to grow
sturdy pockets.

Port
– See teleport.

Pre-pub
- A Sídhí young person before or
during puberty.

Puberty
- The developmental period every
teenage Sídhí goes through. In a twenty-one day period, a Sídhí
youth will start out stick-thin and develop into their adult body
and abilities. The youth is always hungry during this time.

The Second Dimensional Balloon Theory
- During
the Great War, Chi’Kehra (see Chi’Kehra) gathered tremendous
amounts of raw synth crystal and began pushing the raw energy into
the gateways connecting Earth and Sídhí. Before he could finish -
whatever he planned - he died. The energy had no guidance. The
gateways overloaded and all the energy exploded outward toward
Earth. The explosion created massive valleys, teleporting all
living creatures from Sídhí to Earth, and permanently sealing the
gateways between Sídhí and Earth.

Shapeshifter
(aka shifter) - Race of people
originally from Sídhí. They have the ability to change their shape
to that of a specific animal. Each sub-race has various strengths
provided by the synth crystal in their blood. A person’s first
shift can take place before or after puberty. A shifter in human
form smells human. Known shifters include wolf, khatt, and
dragon.

Sídhí
(aka Immortal or home world) - 1. A
Sídhí is a person that originally lived (or descended from people
who lived) on the home world of Sídhí. 2. A formally mundane human
who has been injected with pure synth crystal or received a
venomous bite from a vampire. 3. Sídhí is the original home world
of non-mundane humans.

Sídhí is pronounced: Sid He

Snake
Vine
– Snake vine is a naturally
growing vine that has the feel and weight of a snake. It is found
in most Sídhí forests, curling around the upper branches of large
trees.

Sprite
– A tiny Sídhí animal with a (somewhat)
humanoid shape. Sprites average two inches tall with four arms and
four propeller shaped wings that are iridescent, sparkling in the
sunshine and glowing at night. They have a silvery chirping sound.
Diet includes grass, nuts, and honey. Sprites are very colorful,
ranging from hot pink to steel blue to dark green. A few varieties
include mountain sprites, meadow sprites, river sprites, hay
sprites, and swamp sprites.

Synth
Crystal
- 1. The purest form of
energy, it was created by the highly advanced Ancient Ones on the
home world of Sídhí tens of thousands of years ago. Synth crystal
makes normal (mundane) people immortal and increases all of their
natural abilities. It also gives them other extra-ordinary
abilities. 2. It is the strongest known substance on Earth or Sídhí
3. Each source (or spring) of crystal has a slightly different set
of characteristics in it.

Synth
Crystal
Spring
- A spring
of Synth Crystal can be grown. Crystal in liquid form is poured
into an underground chasm or cavern. The crystal grows until it
fills the underground abyss. Each spring is subtly different as the
crystal leeches microscopic material from the surrounding nature.
Pools of Synth Crystal can be seen above ground, but growth
(expansion) can only take place underground.

Teleportation
(aka port) – Teleportation is
the ability of a vampire or dragon shifter to move from one
location to another in the blink of an eye.

TèVarrn
Prison
– A massive prison in
the Dhark Empire that is underground. It is a warren of dead end
tunnels and traps.

Trolls
– A troll is a smart Sídhí animal.
There are different subspecies including swamp, cave, and forest
trolls. Subspecies are distinguished by color. Swamp troll are
shades of green. Forest trolls are splotched green and brown. Cave
trolls are red to deep burgundy. They live in large packs dominated
by the largest male. If a troll is seen, you better run. Its pack
mates will be near.

Umbra
- Race of people originally from Sídhí,
believed extinct. They had a very slight odor, a very mild aroma of
sea salt; most immortals could not smell them. Very short black fur
covered their entire body. Like an otter, the fur was water
repellent. The fur also acted as insulation that entirely muffled
their heartbeat. They had poisonous teeth and claws. They had the
ability to disappear like a chameleon.

Valley
- A second dimensional valley covers
the same geographical terrain as Earth does. Most Sídhí live within
the protection of a valley. A valley can only be entered by a
gateway or by porting. Valleys were created thousands of years ago.
The most respected theory of how valleys came into existence is The
Second Dimensional Balloon Theory.

Vikings
– The Vikings are a race of Sídhí who
live in one of the very far Northern Valleys.

Vampire
- Race of people originally from
Sídhí. Due to synth crystal, they have increased sense of smell,
sight, strength, mental capabilities, teleporting ability,
retractable incisors, and retractable claws. A vampire has the
ability to suck blood or bite with venom. Their venom can Change a
mundane human into an immortal vampire.

Clan
vampire
- Vampires who eat
normal/solid human food and (may or may not) drink the blood of a
mate or that of an animal. In direct sunshine, their eyes turn
solid black with no whites. They have a strict code of honor. They
detest dhark vampires and elves.

Dhark
vampire
(aka Exile) - Vampires
who drink the blood of humans and do not eat solid food. In direct
sunshine, their eyes turn solid red with no whites.

Vürst
Clan
– Clan of dragons (believed
to be extinct) that can raise spikes along their back, neck and
tail.

Witch
- A witch is evil. Born as a druid that
turns to the dark arts, they kill people, sucking the life essence
out of their victims. The ill-gotten power turns their skin to a
putrid green.

Copyright 2011 by Jodie B. Cooper

- A WALK IN THE WOODS -

If my lifeMate – supposedly the perfect guy
of my dreams – wasn't trying to kill me, I'd be much happier.

Sigh, sorry, let me backup. I've gotten way
ahead of myself.

It all started earlier today, while I was
still on Earth, walking through a park and minding my own
business.

For the first time in several months mom and
dad agreed it was safe enough for me to visit Earth. The real
Earth, not one of the second dimensional valleys all Sídhí live
in.

About four thousand years ago, we (all the
Sídhí races) got sucked through a gateway and dumped on Earth. You
see, a really powerful elvish ruler had been trying to end the
Great War between the Sídhí races when he shoved pure energy, aptly
named synth crystal, into dozens of gateways connecting our home
world to Earth. Unfortunately for him, the gateways exploded,
killing him and creating hundreds of dimensional valleys that lay
scattered across the face of Earth. The discharge of that much
power sucked people and animals from Sídhí into the newly created
valleys. We haven't had contact with the home world of Sídhí since
then.

One of the largest valleys created was
Trellick Valley. My family has ruled over the valley since Sídhí
first appeared on Earth. The current monarch, Sarah Trellick aka
Chi’Kehra, was my sister. As far as older sisters go, she was the
best. She never tried bossing me around, not like my older brothers
always did.

There was an unspoken Sídhí law dating from
the old world. Sídhí were considered adult once we passed through
puberty and I went through Sídhí puberty - twenty-one days of
slam-bam growth spurts of going from bone-thin twiggy to having
boobs and hips – two years ago. Now, if someone would tell my
brothers – and my parents – that tidbit of info, I'd be totally
happy.

Yeah, I know, being smothered was part of
growing up. My parents insisted I was independent, letting me go –
most of the time – anywhere I wanted to go with one major
concession: my shadow.

Ugh! My parents gave me a babysitter.

Get real! Hello? Today was my seventeenth
birthday. Do you know how embarrassing it was to hear 'there goes
Miranda... and her babysitter.'

Oh, I knew he was really my body guard, a
muscle-bound hot guard, but I was sick of having a shadow.

At least today, he let me pretend I was on my
own. The trees in the park helped, keeping him hidden from view. I
couldn't see or smell him, but I knew he hadn't let me out of his
sight. It was so embarrassing when he followed me everywhere, even
into public restrooms. And, yes, that really happened! And at a
high school football game of all places! I groaned just thinking
about it. My friends teased me for weeks.

The soft hooting of an owl brought me
abruptly back to the present. I jumped like I’d been shot. Glaring
into the branches of the surrounding trees, I searched for the
culprit, but I didn't see him. A strong gust of wind blew through
the park, making the tall oaks sway high above my head; the limbs
danced between me and the dark sky, creating odd moving shapes
along the path in front of me.

I'd been walking the paths for several hours,
only seeing a handful of people this late at night. I loved the
feeling of solitude the large park gave me. Back home, at Trellick
Castle, I was always on display, but not here.

I didn't have trouble seeing. My night vision
made the entire area look like a store room lit-up with a dangling
forty-watt bulb instead of hundred watt one. Full and brilliant,
the moon helped; moonbeams splotched along the path as they passed
between tree limbs.

To my right, water softly murmured as it
flowed down the Arkansas River. I didn't know why, but the river
smelled different than the one at home. It wasn't a bad smell, just
different.

I craned my neck, trying to see the river,
but only bits and pieces of the water and sand bar peeked through
the trees. I picked this park, because several weeks ago, I did a
term paper on mundane humans and I found a picture of bronze bears
playing on rocks above a waterfall. I've collected waterfall
pictures for years. When I first started my collection, I bought
pictures, but last Christmas Sarah gave me a new digital Canon. I
love it! It made collecting a lot more fun. Now, I took my own
pictures and I really wanted a picture of the bears.