Natalie J Holden
The Outworlder
Copyright © 2021 by Natalie J Holden
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise withoutwritten permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distributeit by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it arethe work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localitiesis entirely coincidental.
First edition
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Contents
Pronounciation guide
Glossary
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
Afterword
Also by Natalie J Holden
Pronounciation guide
Every word I make up is pronounced exactly how it is spelled. A always sounds like in alphabet. E like in elephant. I like in inconvenient. Y like in yellow. U like in flute. Sh like in shame. Ch like in choice. H as in house. X as ks. R can be hard in Dahlsi-é words, akin to the one in German language or soft, smilar to English one in Tarvissi-é words. Double letters denote long sounds, but otherwise don’t change the pronunciation. Diacritic marks are used to denote accent.
Every letter should be pronounced separately, regardless of the adjacent ones, i.e. Ma-urir, Alde-a-ith, X-z-sim.
Glossary
Great Sphere – the universe
Vhalfr – the lone star of this universe. All suns and moons are merely holes in the skydomes through which its light reaches worlds.
Cycle – a time in which Great Sphere makes a full spin around the Vhalfr; approximately 2 earthy years.
Merge – a point existing in two worlds simultaneously, allowing a free passage between them
Old Karirian Cluster – a cluster of worlds inhabited for millennia
Dahls – a world in the Old Karirian Cluster, home to the Dahlsian civilization
Dahlsi – native of Dahls
Dahlsi-é – language of Dahls
Tarviss – a world in the Old Karirian Cluster, home to the Tarvissian civilization
Tarvissi – native of Tarviss
Tarvissi-é – language of Tarviss
Tayan – a world in the Old Karirian Cluster, home to the Tayani people
Xzsin Nyeotl – a world in the Old Karirian Cluster, home to the Xzsim people
Meon Cluster – a cluster of previously uninhabited worlds discovered and colonized by the Dahlsi twenty cycles ago
Sfal – the only world in the Meon Cluster to connect with a world outside of it (Dahls).
Junction world – in Meon Cluster most of the worlds only merge once with one of the four junction worlds: Sfal, Kooine, Tydus and Daesi
Ae – magical energy
Ampik – unit of ae
Magical potential – the amount of ampiks a person can process in a second
Keverim scale – used to measure a person’s magical potential. One point means a person can process twelve ampics of ae per second; this is the median for all humans.
Mespana – the closest thing to an army in Dahls. The organization was initially created to ensure a safe exploration of new worlds in the Meon Cluster, but was later entrusted with upkeeping peace within the colonies. Mespana is divided into twelve Cohorts, each has approximately 144 members divided into twelve dozens.
Kar-vessár – head commander of Mespana
Vessár(plural vessár-ai) – commander of Mespana
Nami-vessár – adjutant
Vaka – a drug with invigorating properties
Kalikka – a drug with tranquilizing properties
Tchalka (tsalka) – a piece of reed filled with herbs used for smoking; can have various properties.
Ytanga – a heavy drug
Katarda – a drug used by sorcerers to quickly recharge
Tlaloi - sentient beings
Humans – arrived in this universe approximately 100 thousand years ago from Earth and since then have evolved into separate subspecies. Still, they’re pretty close to us.
Chavikii – an intelligent species. Small, stocky humanoids with yellow, rubbery skin, eight beady eyes, and short trunks. Obligate herbivores with the ability to digest any plant matter and neutralize every plant toxin.
Kas’sham – an intelligent species. Slightly smaller than humans, with slim, fur-covered bodies and expressionless faces. Known for their amazing agility. Obligate carnivores and excellent hunters.
Ssothian – an intelligent species. Massive creatures covered in orange fur, with vertical mouths and four beady eyes. Men sport large, hollow horns that grow throughout their entire lives.
Vhariar – an intelligent species. Tall and lanky humanoids, with grey skin and two bowl-shaped growths on the sides of their heads. Considered (especially by themselves) to be the most intelligent among sentient species. Physically weak. Belong to the same evolutionary tree as besheq.
Besheq – an intelligent species. Humanoids with atrophied arms and ten tentacles growing from their shoulders like a fan. Known for their meek and non-aggressive nature, but watch out for those tentacles, they may be filled with toxins. Belong to the same evolutionary tree as vhariars.
Dryaks – vile beasts that are surprisingly common in Meon Cluster and are a pain in the ass for everyone in Mespana
Prologue
Dyah La’s eyeballs itched.
She popped another antihistamine pill and washed it down with a gulp of tonic. The pollen-heavy air took an opportunity to sneak under her mask and bite at her face with full force. She cursed and pulled up her veil, then recast the spells necessary for it to work.
Farming colonies were the worst. Dyah La’s Dahlsian ancestors spent so much time in the airtight city that her body was simply not
