Nature's Servant
Nature’s Servant
Duncan Pile
Published in 2013 by Duncan Pile
Copyright © Duncan Pile 2013
First Edition
The author asserts the moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior consent of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
wledgements and Forward
There are several people who deserve thanks for their help in getting this book ready for publication, so in no particular order, I’d like to express my appreciation to: Kim Cleland, for her unfailing support in opening the door to author visits at Ockbrook School in Derby; Dejan Davidovic for his extraordinary cover art; my fantastic test readers, whose eye for detail and suggested amendments have made Nature’s Servant a better book - Jon Prince, Richard Pile, David Shorto, Rob Illingworth, Jenny Hayward, Arianne and Siobhan Weekes, Milica Stakovic, Dejan Davidovic, Anna Norris and Caren Hattingh; Neels Hattingh for generously creating my website for free; and last but not least, the many readers who contact me through facebook or my website, hassling me for a release date. I can’t tell you how gratifying that is, and have been working hard to get this to you as soon as possible.
Th
ere are so many stages to writing a book. The first is the initial writing of the manuscript, and during that period I keep everything to myself – plot, character development, pacing…everything! Taking this approach maintains the integrity of the creative process, or at least it does so for me. When the writing is complete, I print off the manuscript and scribble all over it, making major revisions and hunting down errors. After at least one re-write, I then give the manuscript to trusted test readers, and wait on tenterhooks for their verdict!
That’s the tough bit! Having kept the book to myself for nearly two years, exposing it to the search-light gaze of my
volunteer-pedants is both nerve-wracking and humbling. It’s like revealing a carefully guarded secret that may earn you either acclaim or scorn.
Thankfully, my test readers came back with universal praise for Nature’s Servant, which was a tremendous relief, because it is a complex and ambitious book. It is much longer than Nature Mage, and weaves up to eleven threads
of storyline together, tightening them into a single cord by the end of the novel.
So here it is; the second part to the Nature Mage trilogy. If you enjoyed Nature Mage, I am confident you will be more than satisfied by Nature’s Servant. I would love to hear your thoughts about either book, and if you wish to share them, please contact me through my website:
www.duncanpile.com
.
Alex:
"I got Nature Mage a while ago and I've just reread it for the 5th time loving the book !!!! When will there be another one?"
Josh:
"Just finished reading Nature Mage ... OMG I loved it! It's a really good book and I couldn't put it down, the only time I did was when I fell asleep reading it ... I hope the second one is out soon and I will deffinately be buying it :) hope I can get that one signed too so I can have a signed collection :)"
Selbelle:
"When in my local Waterstones with my mum and younger sister recently we had the pleasure of meeting Duncan Pile. He spoke to us about his book and we were all intrigued by the idea of a Nature Mage and a school of magic. I read the book first and thoroughly enjoyed it, reading it in just one sitting! My 13 year old sister was next to read the book and also loved it. My Mum also read it and she enjoyed it too...I for one can't wait for the sequel!"
Emily:
"it is a great book full of adventure. Am in the middle of reading it. When is the next one coming out?"
Hayley:
"Hi Duncan! Nice meeting you the otherday in waterstones. Just started Nature Mage and I'm loving every page!"
Dee:
"Hi Duncan. Met you in Stockport yesterday, started reading last night &have just finished the book. Couldn't put it down - thoroughly enjoyed it & very much looking forward to the next one! Keep us posted as to when it'll be out. Cheers, Dee :)"
Emma:
"I loved your book. I couldn't put it down. Lots of my friends liked it too."
Kevin:
"Just finished the book after meeting you at Loughborough loved every minute of it gutted when I had finished reading when is the second book released ?????"
Gaspi is an ordinary fourteen-year-old boy growing up in the mountain village of Aemon’
s Reach. His life revolves around his two best friends, Taurnil and Emea, and his reclusive guardian, Jonn. He is picked on by the village bully, Jakko, who is jealous of Gaspi’s friendship with Emea.
Gaspi has started to have confusing feelings for Emea, and at the village dance they kiss, sparking a confrontation with Jakko. Later that night Jakko’s drunken father attacks Jonn on the way home from the dance, and in angry defence of his guardian, magical power erupts in Gaspi. He discovers that he has the ability to command natural forces and creatures, but his power spins out of control and he nearly kills Jakko and his father before collapsing, so drained by the magic that he is left at the brink of death.
The village healer restores Gaspi to health but tells him that his magic is rare and dangerous, and that he will have to travel to the city of Helioport to study at the College of Collective Magicks. The healer’s wife has a prophetic dream, revealing that Taurnil is destined to be Gaspi’s protector and that Emea has a latent healing gift, and so when Gaspi leaves for Helioport, he is accompanied by Jonn and both of his best friends.
On the journey they meet Lydia, a gypsy girl also travelling to Helioport to study magic. At her camp they are attacked by a terrifying creature that Gaspi uses his powers to defeat, but again he is left unconscious, and Jonn rushes him to Helioport, riding through the night and arriving just in time to save his life.
Jonn meets the charismatic chancellor of the college, Hephistole, and tells him about the attack on the road. Hephistole identifies the attacker as demonic, and begins to suspect that an old adversary, Shirukai Sestin, who had long been thought dead, is behind it. As other similar attacks happen in the surrounding countryside, always targeting magic users, he begins to prepare for what looks like it might be an attack on the college itself, though the reasons behind it remain a mystery.
Gaspi, Emea and Lydia begin their studies, and though Gaspi overcomes his difficulties and learns to control his powers, Emea struggles with her confidence and fears expulsion from the college. Meanwhile, Taurnil enrols as a city guards and starts training in earnest, determined to be ready to protect Gaspi when the prophesied time comes. When Taurnil is mortally wounded in combat, Emea discovers unknown depths to her magical talent and performs a miraculous healing.
Gaspi’s experience as a student is plagued by the attentions of the most popular boy in the college – a privileged magician called Everand who is jealous of Gaspi’s superior arcane strength. The conflict between the two boys escalates, and when Gaspi finally stands up for himself and fights back, Emea is upset and they nearly break up. Their relationship survives the crisis, however, and when tensions break out between Everand and Gaspi once more, Emea discovers that the conflict has been stoked and manipulated by Everand’s scrawny side-kick, Ferast. When she publically confronts Ferast about it, Everand rejects his former friend and apologises to Gaspi for how he has treated him.
Gaspi enchants a staff for Taurnil’s Nameday gift, imbuing it with several magical properties, including the power to harm demons. In the weeks that follow, the demonic attacks increase and Hephistole decides to bring the local populace into the city. At long last, the dreaded attack happens; a force of demons and magically warped wolf-like creatures called wargs enter the city at night. Gaspi is forced to fight four demons at once, killing two of them before being overwhelmed by the others. Taurnil rushes to his aid, destroying the remaining demons with his enchanted staff and saving Gaspi’s life.
A secondary force of wargs erupts from an unknown portal in Shirukai Sestin’s abandoned pyramid deep within the college, and they face a battle on two fronts. Hephistole and Gaspi become trapped in the chancellor’s office, blocked from using magic. After making a daring escape, Gaspi brings help and they corner the last of the attackers. It uses an enchanted device to escape but fails in its mission, which was to capture Hephistole and take him with it when it transported out of the college. The battle has been won but Hephistole thinks it is only the beginning of what is to come. Gaspi and his friends travel back to Aemon’s Reach for the summer, wondering what dangers await them on their return.