Age of Aftermath - Emergence of the King

Age of Aftermath is a fantastic world where humans and other lifeforms coexist with larger prehistoric and mystical creatures. In this modern biotechnologically driven world, emotions are the basis of real power. Disciplines have evolved around love, hate, life and death that give their practitioners great power in the physical world and make them potent adversaries in combat. Apprentices study, train and develop their capabilities in one of these four disciplines; striving to reach the achievement of becoming a mystic. Among their many talents, mystics have emotional power to heal, shape-shift into other forms, destroy whole battalions with words, raise undead armies. The story unfolds in a post-war era where a legendary mystic defeated an ancient kingdom. This primevil, parasitic creature was commonly known as The Shadow Knight. His conquest over the ancient kingdom caused the loss of the world's greatest mystics, artisans and leaders. One of the last of his kind, the Shadow Knight's struggle to keep his race alive has led him to abandon all sense of restraint with his narrow victory coming at the price of losing most of his army. From the destruction came a mass exodus to two neutral kingdoms and they became the new world's center of trade growing under the shroud of the Shadow Knight's influence; unaware of the great power growing in the North. The Shadow Knight watched the two new kingdoms squabble, giving his battered army time to rebuild and gain new strength while he reveled in anticipation of what was to come. From each kingdom a prince is born who could fulfill the prophecies. Each must question his values and his duty in the face of what honor appears to demand. Each will learn what it means to lose someone on whom they depend for their deepest guidance. In the end one will rise to a level beyond leadership to a spiritual mastery that makes him a beacon to all who encounter him and inspires even his enemies to reconsider their prejudices. He must choose who will live and who will die and he prays that his love for his subjects and anger at his enemies has not influenced his choices too much. In order to defeat the Shadow Knight, the young kings will require mentors to train them in the ways of the mystic. Scorpius, another creature that is the last of his kind, and one of the remaining truly powerful mystics, will be faced with the reality that all his ancestors were killed in a holocaust. This holocaust was driven by the Shadow Knight and by the forefathers of the king he has chosen to mentor. How can he reconcile his love for his student with the horror wrought by his student's ancestors? While still outcast and persecuted he must set aside his personal feelings and train a human despite their prejudices against him. Age of Aftermath explores the idea of choices and their inevitable consequences. The characters in this book discover that doing nothing, although passive, is also a choice which comes with consequences. Peace has a way of undoing itself. In their misguided belief in "neutrality", the apathy and complacency of the two kingdoms make them susceptible to the Shadow Knight's influence. Greed becomes one kingdom's achille's heel, causing a rift that threatens to prevent their needed alliance. Will one leader be able to unite these kingdoms? There is one shunned by all, who accepted the charge to love and care for another. There is one who was given a great responsibility at a tender age. There is one who must deny their own blood, and one who must make the ultimate sacrifice. There is one who has mastered the ways of the mystic to levels thought to be unattainable. These individuals stand at the crossroads of light and darkness. Based on their choices, their mastery of emotions, and their commitment to honor the principals of love and courage; an entire world will rise or fall.