An epic novel of indomitable courage, mystic devotion, hidden histories. Secrets and ancient mysteries of an elite group of warrior scholars who serve and defend the world's oldest fraternity. Custodians of a mysterious history both temporal and spiritual. Whilst ever warding against an Adversary prepared to sacrifice nations to destroy a single storehouse of knowledge.
Some 14,000 years ago a race of warrior artisans built a massive city of stone that came to be known as the City of Origins. And then during the City Nation's third millennium the city is besieged by an overwhelming force of invaders. Battling desperately against odds, betrayed from within, the city finally falls. Few survive. One survivor however who is both a warrior and an acclaimed scholar determines to recover and preserve thousands of years of written records and books of knowledge hidden deep beneath the ruins of his former home. Thereby setting in motion a series of events culminating in the birth of a hidden Brotherhood and a mysterious fraternity of Guardians mystically bound to serve and protect the Brotherhood whilst yet remaining true to something else entirely, something no one is sure exists at all.
11,000 years on (20th Century) a maverick archaeologist discovers an ancient secret buried deep beneath the sands. A secret the Brotherhood does not want the archaeologist to reveal.
In return for his silence the Brotherhood reluctantly grant him access to the records of an hitherto unknown 14,000 year old civilization. Records detailing the birth of Egypt along the Road of Tears, stunning achievements of mysterious civilizations that rose and fell three thousand years before the birth of Egypt. Records of terror, of blood on the sand, of indomitable courage in the face of overwhelming odds, of secrets old and new. Records detailing humankind's spiritual quest from before the dawn of time. Revelation follows stunning revelation. The archaeologist becomes irrevocably bound to the hidden fraternity and discovers a shocking bittersweet truth concerning the nature and ultimate fate of the fraternity's mysterious Guardians and the implacable enemy they oppose in defence of an ancient mystical spirituality not even the Brotherhood, for all their 14,000 year history, know of.
Excerpt
Suddenly Karnak's rumbling voice broke the silent moment. "Is it like your Academy studies and weapon training," he asked shrewdly, "Is this something you feel you have to do as though something inside is pushing, leading you towards it no matter your own will or want otherwise?"
Surprised by his astute observation, I nodded silently in agreement. He sat back with a sigh and stared up at the rafters. A thin mirthless smile creased his face as he turned towards me and said, "You will need the balls of a bull to see it through Hermes me lad. Oaths blood but you will"
"Are you with me?" I asked soft voiced ------.
Ireland 1944.. A young man’s body is pulled from the River Lee. He’s wearing a distinctive silver ring that belonged to Paudy Daly, the eldest son of the notorious Mixer Daly. Why?
Book I of Southern Swallow Series – 12th Century scholar Li K'ai-men takes command of his first official assignments during a time of political unrest and barbarian invasions.
