Trials of the heart hear.., p.1
Trials of the Heart (Heart Series Book 1), page 1
© 2023 H.E. Gober. All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, companies, organizations, places, events, locales, and incidents are either used in a fictitious manner or are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual companies or organizations, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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H.E. Gober
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NOTE
Content Warnings are found in the back of the book.
You can click the link on the contents page to go straight to them.
Contents
Glosssary
Scan For More
Map
Dedication
1. Age 8
2. Age 13
3. Age 15
4. Age 17
5. Age 22
6. Chapter 1
7. Chapter 2
8. Chapter 3
9. Chapter 4
10. Chapter 5
11. Chapter 6
12. Chapter 7
13. Chapter 8
14. Chapter 9
15. Chapter 10
16. Chapter 11
17. Chapter 12
18. Chapter 13
19. Chapter 14
20. Chapter 15
21. Chapter 16
22. Chapter 17
23. Chapter 18
24. Chapter 19
25. Chapter 20
26. Chapter 21
27. Chapter 22
28. Chapter 23
29. Chapter 24
30. Chapter 25
31. Chapter 26
32. Chapter 27
33. Chapter 28
34. Chapter 29
35. Chapter 30
36. Chapter 31
37. Chapter 32
38. Chapter 33
39. Chapter 34
40. Chapter 35
41. Chapter 36
42. Chapter 37
43. Chapter 38
44. Chapter 39
45. Chapter 40
Coming Soon
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Content Warning
Glossary
Folk (n) [fohlk]: Meant as Folk of folklore. They are the people of this world and they all have pointed ears and fangs (not vampiric). Skin tones range from every color of the rainbow.
The Blessed (n) [The Bless·ed]: Three spiritual beings that created everything and everyone in this world. Each voice is similar, yet distinct. The First is light and breathy, the Second musical and joyous, and the Third deep and almost old.
Higher (n/adj) [high·er]: A Folk who passed all levels of the Trials. Deemed a protector of those who cannot protect themselves. Usually, a guard, warrior, or healer.
In-Between (n/adj) [in·bee·tween]: A Folk who only made it halfway through the Trials. Hard workers that make up most of the traders and merchants.
Lesser (n/adj) [Les·er]: A Folk who didn’t pass the beginning of the Trials. Their choice steamed from selfishness above anything else. Usually lower-level jobs.
Babe (n) [bey·b]: Infant
Tot (n) [tot]: Toddler
Youngling (n) [yung·ling]: Ranges from child to young adult, which is approximately to age 24.
Age of Maturing (n) [Age of Muh·chur·ing]: When a Folk reaches the age of 25, their aging slows down.
Adult (n) [a·dult]: Can live for thousands of years.
Ola (n/adj) [oh·lah]: Grandmother
Olo (n/adj) [oh·low]: Grandfather
Unt (n/adj) [unt]: Aunt
Nuk (n/adj) [nook]: Uncle
Suns/Sunslight (n) [suns/suns·light]: There are two of them in this world. It isn’t a typo.
Creatures
Buzzel (n) [buzz·ul]: Creature similar to the Pink Ramshorn Snail but the size of a Chiweenie.
Drugah (n) [drug·ah]: Large beast used as a mount that is similar to a cat. About the size of a Polar Bear. Large pointed ears and stubby tail. Varies in all colors of the rainbow. Thrives in any environment.
Fenere (n) [fin·ear]: Large beast used as a mount that is similar to a dire wolf. About the size of a hippo, has white fur, and thrives in cold environments.
Hoppa (n) [hop·uh]: Small fruit usually used as an immune booster. The bitter rind is yellow, and the meat is bright pink and tastes like strawberries.
Irzar (n) [ear·zar]: The massive creature is similar to a spider. They are so inky black it doesn’t reflect any light. It has two pointed ears, four large legs, one giant yellow eyeball, and two small pedipalps.
Monsoo (n) [mon·sue]: Long, graceful bodies and thin pointed heads similar to a dolphin, covered in large smooth iridescent scales, and their feathery fins shine in an array of brilliant colors. The long tentacles along their sides that they use as weapons to catch their prey and defend themselves.
Ozuk (n) [o·zook]: Massive beast similar to a Wyrm. It is covered in gray-blue scales harder than any stone and impenetrable by any weapon. Dense spikes go all the way down from the top of its head to its mouth which houses six rows of thick sharp teeth. It has no arms, legs, eyes, or nose. It only has two holes on the side of it’s head for ears.
Pelsur (n) [pel·ser]: Mount/beast of burden that has the head of a Brahman and the body of a horse with six legs.
Solaris (n) [sol·air·us]: Creature of legend similar to a Phoenix. Has hair-like feathers that shift from red to gold and has golden eyes.
Weaver (n) [wee·ver]: Creature similar to a Proboscis Monkey. Has four arms and can blend in with its environment like a chameleon. It is called a weaver because it weaves its home out of sticks and leaves in the trees.
Zelpa (n) [zell·puh]: Mount/beast of burden similar to Marahute from Rescuers Down Under.
Places
Isle of the Blessed (n) [Isle of the Bless·ed]: A holy place that is the home of the deities of this world and where the Trials take place. The only Folk that live there are the Priestesses. It is located at the center of the Circle of Realms.
Baecos (n) [Bay·cohs]: Mountainous Realm known for the dancing lights around the summits that are on the North Island in the Circle of Realms.
Tumul (n) [Tuh·mull]: The Realm of floating cliffs covered in forests of gigantic trees. It resides in the Northwest corner of the circle of Realms.
Lutum (n) [Loo·tum]: A warm Realm covered in hills and fields of flowers that stand as tall as 6ft. Is the Realm of Hills that resides on the island west of the Isle of the Blessed.
Avala (n) [Uh·vay·luh]: The mysterious Realm of Ice and Shadows. It is the Southern Island in the Circle of Realms.
Fulgu (n) [Full·goo]: The Realm covered in bioluminescent forest similar to the Amazon. The island that is East in the Circle of Realms.
Ragnis (n) [Rag·niss]: A Realm covered in trees of orange and red with fog so dense the Folk build their homes in the tree tops. The foggy island that is Northeast of the Isle of the Blessed.
Names
Kalianna Suzette/ Kali (n) [Kal·ee·ah·nuh Soo·zet/ Kal·ee]
Faelan (n) [Fay·lynn]
Edith (n) [Ee·dith]
Jak (n) [Jack]
Annik (n) [Ann·ick ]
Astrid (n) [As·trid]
Baytin (n) [Bay·tin]
Dermon (n) [Der·min]
Egon (n) [Ee·gon]
Fraguss (n) [Fra·gus]Gillian (n) [Gill·ee·an]
Gwenna/ Winnie (n) [Gwen·uh/When·ee]
Harric (n) [Hair·ick]
Illira (n) [Ill·ir·uh]
Jowy (n) [Jow·ee]
Keiko (n) [Kee·ko]
Lilah (n) [Lie·luh]
Lovel (n) [Luv·el]
Mara (n) [Mar·uh]
Millie (n) [Mill·ee]
Osmin (n) [Oz·min]
Otto (n) [Ot·toe]
Reeka (n) [Ree·kuh]
Reigh (n) [Ray]
Rommik (n) [Rom·ick]
Rosli (n) [Rose·lee]
Thrain (n) [Thrayn]
Truz (n) [Trooz]
Tidal (n) [Tie·dull]
Zelbin (n) [Zell·been]
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To those who feel like they can’t,
You can choose what your healing looks like.
Momma kicks open the door, and I stumble, clamping a hand over my nose to get away from the smell of body odor. I don’t want to go in. But if I don’t, then Jak will be left alone.
“Hello?” Momma calls, but no one answers.
“Momma, are you sure he is here?” I twist my fingers, eyeing the dark quarters warily.
“He has to be, Little Love. His Nuk Thrain is on a training mission.” Momma shuffles through the room, using the light from the tunnel as her only guide. “Here. Take this and see if you can find him.” She uncovers and hands me the small glow crystal that was on their ta
I take it and hold on as tight as I can. It smells so bad and is darker than it normally is. It’s creepy.
“Jak?” I whisper.
“He can’t hear you if you whisper,” Momma chuckles.
“Jak?” I say a little louder.
I go down the hall toward his bedroom. I have been here hundreds of times, but it looks so different now. The walls appear taller, the shadows are scarier, and the furniture even seems wrong. Maybe we came to the wrong quarters?
Soft sobs reach me before I find the right door.
“Momma! I think he is in here,” I shout nervously.
I stare at the closed door for just a moment, wondering what I will find behind it. But fear won’t keep me from my best friend. I push past the shiver that goes down my back and open the door, nearly gagging at the smell.
“Jak?” I say, pinching my nose closed.
“Go away!” the lump of blankets sobs from Jak’s bed.
I quickly set the crystal down and run to the bed.
“We have been looking for you everywhere!” I try to pull the blankets back, but he holds them tight. “Jak, it’s me. Please don’t keep me out.”
“But…” He slowly lowers the covers, and I gasp at the sight of his swollen eyes and greasy black hair.
“My Jak!” I pull the covers further back and climb in with him. He buries himself into my arms and squeezes me tight.
“They are gone, Kali. Both of them!” Jak sobs.
“I know,” I say through the burning in my throat.
“First, Ma! And now Da too! What am I going to do? How will I learn to use a bow? Ma can’t sing anymore.”
“We will teach you how to wield weapons,” Momma says, coming into the room. “I can’t help with the singing, but I would never try to replace your Ma. She was a special female.”
“Why did that creature have to hurt her? She was just collecting herbs! Ma was…I want my Ma!” he screams into my chest.
The healers tried to save her, but the creature did too much damage. They were not even sure what creature did it. And then his Da…his Da was so sad that he followed her into the after Realm. And his Nuk Thrain is always working. My poor Jak is always alone.
Not knowing what else to do, I twirl the hair by his neck. His shoulders relax a little, so I don’t stop. I just hold him and twirl his hair while he sobs. I have never seen this before. I don’t know what to do or how to help.
I look to Momma, but she hides her sadness by going through drawers and packing some of Jak’s things.
“You are going to come stay with us, Jak. At least until Thrain returns from his training mission, and then we will figure this all out together.” Momma says softly, but I can tell she won’t take any arguing. Jak nods against my chest and squeezes me a little tighter.
“Okay,” he murmurs.
“You won’t be alone anymore. We will do this together,” I promise.
“I don’t want to, Jak!” I groan as he pushes me into the library.
“We have to! If we don’t finish this assignment, we are going to have to start the lesson again from the beginning,” he chuckles.
“But…”
“No ‘buts.’ Come on.” He pulls me toward the back tables of the stuffy room. The smell of paper and ink makes me scrunch up my nose. It’s sunny and cool outside. It is one of the last beautiful days before the snow season hits. And then we will be stuck in this mountain until the snow clears.
“Ew! Who allowed such an ugly creature in here?” Mara, one of the many reasons I hate being trapped in this mountain, screws up her face while looking me up and down. Jak softly rubs the back of my hand with his thumb.
“I don’t know, Mara. I didn’t even know you could read,” Jak says without missing a beat. She huffs and begins gathering her stuff.
“Come on, Edith. We don’t have to sit here and look at THAT. We can find somewhere more pleasing to study.”
I look at the other female to see what kind of insult she may come up with, but to my surprise, she looks between Mara and me a couple of times, not rising from her seat.
“It is already pleasant here. Maybe you should find somewhere you better fit in so you don’t feel so uncomfortable,” she says sweetly to Mara.
“Ugh! Fine, but you can no longer sit with me and Egon. ANYWHERE!” She turns and looks at me with disgust written all over her face. “See you later, Stool!” she huffs, storming out of the room while hitting my shoulder with hers.
Ugh. Stool has been overused since someone pushed me down and stood on me so they could reach the top shelf for something. They are all so tall, and I barely come to their shoulders. I didn’t even help that much!
“One day, I am going to punch that female,” Jak says, baring his fangs at the empty doorway. I lightly rub the arm of his hand that is still holding mine.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about her,” I soothe. It doesn’t matter what he does or says. They will still end up taking it out on me, anyway.
“She is a pain. I have been trying to get her and Egon to leave me alone for months.” Edith says with a bright smile, motioning to the seats across the table from her.
She waits patiently for us to make up our minds if we are going to take her up on her offer.
“I’m—“
“I know who you are, both of you. You’re Kali, daughter of the two Royal Guards, who work closely with Queen Anna. And Thrain is your Nuk,” she says, motioning to Jak. “My Momma and Da are the Education Advisors. I know of almost every Folk under this Mountain.”
“Creepy,” Jak says through the corner of his mouth. I cough back my giggle, but she laughs with me, having heard him. “We know of you, too.”
“I saw you at a few of Queen Anna’s functions. But I didn’t know how to say ‘hi,’” I say, sitting in the offered seat.
“I’m surprised we haven’t been introduced before. It is probably because my parents always keep my schedule full of activities, except at midday meal. It is my scheduled ‘me time.’ I come to the library because it’s always quiet, and I can read in peace. I haven’t seen either of you in here before. And I’m here every day. Do you two ever come to the library?”
Jak and I stare at her, a little shocked by her ramble. She blinks a couple of times, and her shoulders slump slightly. I shake off my shock and smile warmly at her, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable.
“Nope. I don’t like cramped spaces. So, if I can avoid coming here, I do.”
“Is it cramped?” She looks around as if just noticing how small the space is for the first time.
“Anything smaller than my family’s quarters feels cramped to me. I got locked in a closet for almost a full day last year, and ever since then, I haven’t been able to handle anything too confining.”
“Kali,” Jak admonishes and elbows me in the side.
“What? It’s true. Everyone already knows it happened. They laughed about it for weeks.”
“I did hear. I am so sorry that happened to you. I tried to find out where they were keeping you, but you had already been found by the time I got it out of someone.” I can’t hide my surprise as she plays with her feather pen like she didn’t just disclose something significant.
“You were trying to help me?” She nods with a small smile. “But you didn’t know me?”
