Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Author's Note

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Quiet Faith of Veah and Malavisch

Chapter 2: A Long, Winding Road

Chapter 3: The History of the Stolen Gem

Chapter 4: A Trip to the Palace of Washington

Chapter 5: Oshira and Fayen

Chapter 6: Learning Secrets

Chapter 7: Returning to Maine

Chapter 8: The Event on the Bridge

Chapter 9: Oodoon

Chapter 10: The Palandine Palace

Chapter 11: The Paian Gathering

Chapter 12: Dreams

Chapter 13: Awakening

Chapter 14: The Dingley Island House, Harpswell, Maine

Chapter 15: Seeing the Light

Chapter 16: Finding a Friend

Chapter 17: At the Old Windmill

Chapter 18: Confusion

Chapter 19: Meeting the Witch…Again

Chapter 20: Getting the Story Straight

Chapter 21: The Gemstones and the Mirror

Chapter 22: Getting Ready

Chapter 23: The Ruckus

Chapter 24: A Strange Day

Chapter 25: Magic Gives You What You Need, Not Always What You Want

Chapter 26: The Plan

Chapter 27: Elias Was Correct

Chapter 28: The Ending

List of Characters

Other Important Information

Cynthia Hamilton's Songs

About the Author

The Daughters Of Veah

Debora Norton

Copyright © 2024 Debora Norton

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2024

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead; agencies or places; and historical events is coincidental. There are real places woven into the story, such as the state of Maine, the town of Harpswell, and the islands listed in the book. But characters, places, and events are taken from the author’s imagination.

ISBN 979-8-89061-665-4 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89061-666-1 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

To my Aunt Pat, who always encouraged me.

Author's Note

This is a parallel story to Dingley Island: The Story So Far. In this book, we are introduced to an ancient being named Oshira Zahn. That is not exactly her real name, which is Obashra Mala Chamavi. She is one of the daughters of Lord Veah and the half-dragon Malavisch. Obashra's destiny was to become a white witch, a long and arduous process that could not be carried out on the Earth. But that is another story.

A long time ago, gems belonging to the goddess of Palandine were stolen. Recovering those stolen jewels became Oshira's life passion. It is her fervent hope that all the gems would restore the goddess to her full power. Here on Earth (a.k.a. Terra), she meets many people who help and hinder her. Being the daughter of royalty makes no difference to many of the islanders that she meets in Maine; she is treated like any other tourist. In the long past, being the daughter of a semigod was an amazing thing! Nowadays, no one remembers her family, and she is finding it difficult to navigate her way through the nuances of life today.

You would think a white witch would find it easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy to find the lost blue diamonds. It is not. She doesn't have any identification, doesn't know how to drive, and is in need of travel stones to activate the vortex portal on a magical island in Harpswell, Maine. The land used to belong to her family, but they are all gone. No matter! She has her magic wand, and a satchel of powerful pearls, a gift from her Saerie lover, Oodoon of the Atlanti. But he cannot help her on land. She must grapple with the mistakes of her past, while finding her way through a maze of double-talk, deceit, and danger. To begin, we must understand her past.

Prologue

The story of Terra is so ancient that people of this world have forgotten most of it. But, through recent archaeological research and discovery, some of our herstory has come to a new understanding. There are some who have not forgotten that long, long ago a group of free Atlaxians, following the Will of Navaratan, made the harsh journey through a whirling vortex of magic to find a new world where they would be free to live, work, and learn as they saw fit. They had become disillusioned with a group of powerful, godlike beings that had destroyed their planet called Sol Invictus. They knew it would not be easy in the new land they called Terra. They built great temples with their knowledge of engineering and magic.

As they neared the completion of one temple, Domuz Tepe, some of the factions among the refugees made the decision to go off and seek their own way. After these Others went away, the last of the remaining builders moved vast loads of rubble and sand to partially bury their wonderful monument; time and the seas of sand would do the rest. It was the only way to save it. Some of their Seers had warned them that dark days lay ahead; generations from now, verily over ten thousand years, there would be another awakening, but not now. They must mingle with the beings of this world and keep eyes on their own brethren, the Others: oath breakers, who had false ideas that they were better than the indigenous people of Terra.

Chapter 1

The Quiet Faith of Veah and Malavisch

A great sigh, from the depths of his soul, escaped from Veah Chamavi. He asked himself again, Would they ever learn? Would the Terrans be able to transform into the light after their time on Terra is done? Veah knew there were those who thought the Terrans could not. The Others had no compassion for these people. They had plans to enslave humankind. Veah was against this. His promised one, Malavisch, touched his arm.

She told him, We have done what we can. It is up to the people now. We have left the Words and the Way here for all to learn. If they do not, then they will return until they do learn. We cannot deprive them of completing their own journey. They will or they won't.

As always, he loved the sound of her voice. It mingled with the sounds of the birds and animals they had brought with them during their escape from their home world, Sol Invictus. He had faith in her. But he did not have faith in his brethren. He should have known they would betray him. Are the Terrans doomed? he telepathically asked her.

They like to call themselves Human, she reminded him. For now, we are all safe. Many of us are true to the Way. The Following of Navaratan will continue. We will continue to build more temples…perhaps on every island of this world, she assured him. As she spoke, she waved her arm. A magical map of Terra appeared in front of him. He gazed at it wonderingly. The ocean was truly huge, as she had told him. Our Iggigis have determined there are five continents, hundreds of thousands of islands—some as immense as those on our old world. There is enough room for all.

He nodded and smiled at her. If he could speak, he would have told her how proud he was of her. Instead, his eyes told her everything. Veah gently placed her hand on his cheek. Mala returned the gesture, then, in a spirited way, tweaked his braid, and ran off, laughing. She hid behind a temple pillar. He grinned. She knew that he had sight, but she still loved to play the game of chase and capture with him. Again, he thanked the goddess for her, his life, his light.

After a time, they returned to their dwelling to be with their daughters. The littlest one, Obashra, was trying to make something for her older sister, Gwendolyn, who was being promised this very day to Pendaragon, King of Dragons of Herstamonix. It was a great honor for the family, but some members had questions. What would their offspring become? Would it be part of the Draconis, or Atlaxian? Where would they live? The soon-to-be promised one's mother was half-dragon, her father Atlaxian royalty (brother to the Sorcerer King of Chamavi). These were questions with no answers yet. No matter what was born, it would have magical abilities.

*****

A hush fell, quieting the gathering. Little Obashra watched in fascination during the ceremony as her sister, Gwen, held out her arm, without wavering, to be wrapped with a cord to her promised one. They held one another in a gaze so fierce that some became embarrassed and looked away. The dragons in attendance raised their mighty voices in tribute. The tall man standing with his arm bound with a slim yet strong cord shimmered and began to slowly change. The result was a glorious green dragon tied to a golden-haired woman, standing proudly with her mate. With great care, he cradled her with one arm, spread his enormous wings, and vaulted into the air. Gwendolyn was now of the House of Pend.

Everyone shouted and clapped as they disappeared. One by one, the other dragons followed suit until the plain was empty of their presence. The crowd dispersed and returned to their woven tents. Only Lord Veah and Lady Mala were left standing on the immense outcropping of quartz stone. They stood there, arm in arm, for a few minutes. The wind stirred their hair as well as their cloaks. Veah was loath to leave, but he knew he must; the feast could not begin without him. They heard footsteps behind them. It was their youngest, out of breath, running up to them. She tugged on her father's cloak with one hand.

Look what I made, Father! Obashra held up what she had made of clay, leaves, sticks, and grasses. The mighty lord took the thing tenderly from his precious child. He smiled and nodded.

What have you crafted, darling? her mother, Mala, asked.

I have made Gwen's baby. I wished to give it to her, but she is gone, Obashra said. She looked a bit sad.

You will see her baby one day, and then you may give it to her, her mother assured the little one. You will travel far and wide, and you will shape this world like no other of our clan.

This would turn out to be quite true.

Chapter 2

A Long, Winding Road

Thousands of years later, a grown-up Obashra Mala Chamavi found herself back at the hilltop where she had watched her sister's joining ceremony. It was so different now; many more trees had grown, and the peninsula had lost much of its surface. In fact, it was now an island. But the hilltop and the magic remained, and in some ways was even stronger. She would now take on the name of Oshira Zahn. She did not believe that any person now alive on Terra would remember her true name Obashra Chamavi, but she was not in an advantageous position and would need allies; hiding her identity was the best way forward.

I am now Oshira Zahn! she announced to no one. A tiny ripple flew over her face, as if her own body was now accepting this new identity. She fingered her string of pearls, a gift from her lover, the Saerie shaman, Oodoon, and gripped her wand. It would need sunlight to gain power. She caught a glimpse of herself in a clear puddle; her clothing was tattered and tinged with green. Her time with him in the ocean had taken its toll on her garments. Her thoughts wandered back to him. She bent her will to the puddle. She waved her left hand over the surface and began to look into the future. She wanted to catch a glimpse of Oodoon. She now wondered whether she should have remained with him. He wished to promise her. A flash showed her his face, but it turned into another who had requested the same thing from her past. That memory haunted her because that suitor had taken his own life after she had declared she would not promise him. Her sisters, centuries ago, had comforted her when it happened, saying this was best because perhaps the promise would not last.

He was flawed and not worthy of you, her sister, Maiike Zahn, had assured her.

After the funerary burning, she had become known as One Not Promised, as a warning to other dragon suitors. She stomped in the puddle to erase the face that haunted her. Then she shook off these memories by bending down to pick an odd flower that had gone to seed. She took the ghastly memory from herself, attached it to the flower, then blew softly and watched the seed float away from her. This made her think of the destiny of all things. She had chosen her own destiny, but at times that became intermingled with others.

I choose my own destiny! Oshira told the sky. Again, no one answered. There was much to do, yet she tarried. It was pleasant, lying in the grass, watching the sunshine filtering through the trees; she found herself noticing the shadow of a very tall tree reaching toward her. She moved her foot, and the shadow followed it.

Alarmed, she jumped up and moved back a pace. The shadow stopped, but she knew she was still in danger. A spriggan had taken an interest in her. Was it attracted to her power? Spriggans were tall and willowy as the trees yet changeable as the wind. She fingered her necklace and broke off one of the smaller pearls. She tossed it, making it roll into the shadow, where it promptly disappeared! Now she was a bit afraid, but she steeled her mind to erase the panic by chanting her mantra.

Candle, candle, in the dark, light my path with your spark!

She imagined a candle flame, brought it into being, and tossed that onto the shadow, making it retreat. She took another step back; the shadow moved toward her. This was becoming annoying. How was she to win this game? She could not outrun a shadow, and her wand was not at full power. Her pearls would keep her from deadly harm, especially being so close to their origin, the ocean. But she was loath to lose any more of them.

The clouds came to her aid. The sunshine, so strong a moment before, faded as clouds blotted it out. The spriggan also faded. Oshira leaped into action, running away from the shadows of the tree line toward a far meadow she could see.

When the sun appeared again, the immensely tall one took a great giant step toward her as she ran. She felt panic now. She sent a shot of white flame from her wand at the thing, but it was weak; it bounced about as if it had hit a barrier. She sent another, only to have the same thing happen. She changed direction and went back toward the ocean, stopping to break off a pearl and tossing it in front of her as she ran. The pearl became a spinning disc, which she stepped on, gingerly. She steadied herself as the disc sped off over the water, its spinning motion raising a stream of water behind her.

The spriggan hovered by the shore among the old oak trees. Oshira had missed its memory snare. She wondered how many of them were there. Looking between the shadows, she counted one other. Were they a mated pair perhaps? Well, they would have to find another victim. Then her eyes showed her a different shadow, far away yet unmistakable. She saw the great wingspan of a dragon! Was she still being watched? Not wishing to be seen by clan members now, she used another pearl to quickly make herself invisible. She would still cast a slight shadow, but while on the water, it would hardly be seen.

She found a watercraft tethered in the ocean. It had a small room in the middle of it where she found refuge. From the smell, she decided it was a fishing craft but unlike any other she had ever seen. It even had writing on the side, denoting its owner perhaps? Oshira hoped the woman named Sarah would not mind if she slept here out of the rain.

She fell asleep. In her dream, she ran, hiding when she could among rocks, always looking behind her, always in fear. When she awoke, relief flooded her. She muttered, It was just a dream. As if answering, her stomach rumbled. She saw a seagull flying overhead and ordered it to give its food to her. The bird resisted, but with more persuasion, it dropped the quahog at her feet. Using a tool she found, she opened the shell, then cooked the meat with her wand. Not the best meal she had ever had, but still, better than nothing.

She heard a thump, and then another. It was raining shells! The seagull had returned with its flock, and they were all giving her food. Obashra decided to share with them, opening the shells for her new followers. It was early in the morning, so she thought there would be no humans about, but she was wrong. A smaller craft was headed toward her, and she heard a shout.

Hoi! Get off my boat! an unknown man commanded.

At first, she wished to teach this human how to speak to someone of her rank. Yet she changed her mind; she quickly broke off another pearl and tossed it in a twisting motion to form another spinning disc, which she nimbly stepped on to escape. She formed a wall of water to hide her direction, leaving a drenched and confused lobsterman. Why was the floor of his boat littered with quahog shells?

Far away from the Sarah, Oshira slowly drifted to shore and onto a rocky beach. Stepping off her disc, she snapped her fingers to command it to return to its form of a pearl, but it was not shiny and new any longer. She reattached the dull bead to her necklace. Using another pearl, she transformed it into a map; a copy of the ancient one from the Palace on Chamavi. She began to think, if there were two spriggans here, would she find witches perhaps?

She captured a little sparrow, entwined its mind to serve her, and sent it off to look above. Through the bird's eyes, she could see a great house and other structures, a tree-lined path along the shore to more buildings, but they were not as grand. The little bird returned to her, scared and confused. She returned its mind to itself, and it fluttered off. She wondered what had scared it. Then she heard the hawk's cry. Ah, she told herself, a stronger mind to use.

She called the hawk; it resisted, but she was calm and patient. Through its eyes, she would see more clearly. She saw a vision of a village, watercrafts at sea with men using them for fishing; she saw colored, shining, black-wheeled carriages that moved, seemingly on their own! Beings entered them through a low door, then they would move without a horse attached! There was a huge yellow carriage with flashing lanterns, stopping every so often to allow small humans to enter it. It moved along the black tree-lined pathway with markings unknown to Oshira. It was not writing, but why mark on the paths at all? Would not everyone know their purpose? Then a surprise event happened: the yellow carriage set the children free. They ran away from it, yelling and screeching, toward the safety of a palace.

The entire thing was perplexing. She needed more knowledge. She set forth a whisper on the wind to find any witches living on the island. Her wish brought her the image of a pink house with triangular trees in the front. Not wanting to use any more of her pearls, she let the hawk return to its hunting and began to walk in that direction.

*****

After a time, she found the pink house. Behind it was a smaller building decorated with paintings of flowers and numbers which gently hummed with brown magic. A man came out of the building with a grasping of flowers bound with bright ribbons and some sort of red, floating ball. Obvious evidence of magic here, Oshira thought.

Curious, she peeked through a door with a window. Seeing one woman, she decided it would be safe enough. When she entered, she stumbled on the woven mat she had neglected to see at her feet. Not the best entrance, she told herself. She felt that assertiveness would be the best way to begin.

She announced, I am Oshira Zahn! I demand sanctuary!

What followed was a confusing conversation until the white witch's pearls could figure out the language crossover that both women were experiencing. To the Brown Witch, the other woman was shouting in an unknown language, but her tone was not hard to understand.

Obashra used her false name, Oshira, because no one in their right mind would give their real name to a stranger. She learned the woman's name was Muriel. The witch was willing to give her information of the area, including details of her family. In fact, she talked of them too much: a daughter and twin granddaughters. Muriel showed the witch beautifully detailed paintings of them.

These tiny paintings are astonishing! Oshira could not help but admire them.

Muriel laughed. These aren't paintings, they're photographs.

Soon, another overabundance of information flowed to Oshira from the woman. It was difficult to understand all that Muriel was saying. The white witch asked herself, would she never stop talking? To change the subject, Oshira fabricated new clothing after an image from a magazine. The thin book was full of information on fashion. While doing that, Muriel tried to give her centuries of knowledge in a short amount of time. The white witch learned quickly that the entire village served the magic fortress on Dingley Island. This made sense to her. The blue magic here on Terra was strong by