"Mara and Morok:
500 Years Ago" by Leah Arden, summary Automatic translate

This book was written in 2021. It serves as a prequel to the main series, recounting events five centuries ago and revealing the origins of the Moroks’ gift to resurrect the dead. The story describes the lives of the first generation of Mars, detailing their way of life and rules, which have changed significantly over time.

The split of the principalities and the tragedy of Ashor

The events unfold five centuries before the start of the main story of the duology. Five independent principalities exist in the vast territory where the powerful kingdoms of Serat and Araken will later emerge. The southern lands — the Yarat, Solen, and Araken principalities — are uniting their forces. They are creating a strong political and trade alliance to counter the ambitions of their northern neighbors. To the north lie the Ashor and Serat principalities, whose rulers constantly vie for influence and resources.

The protagonist, Veledara, is born into a privileged family, the ruler of the Principality of Ashor. She has an older brother, Valad, heir to the throne. Her father plans to marry Valad to Princess Alia of Serat to strengthen the shaky political alliance between the northerners. A sudden armed attack by enemies on the prince’s castle cruelly disrupts these plans. Enemy warriors mercilessly kill her parents. Valad disappears without a trace in the chaos of battle. Little Veledara witnesses the bloody massacre. Amidst profound shock and utter horror, the girl forever loses the ability to speak.

Life in the Temple of the Goddess of Death

Several years later, the Maras — fearless servants of the goddess Morana — arrive in the devastated city. Their main task is to protect ordinary people and systematically destroy the burgeoning evil spirits. The priestesses find a mute orphan and take her to their secluded temple. Veledara undergoes rigorous, multi-year training, mastering specialized skills for combating demons, ghouls, and other monsters. The girl learns to draw energy from the shadows and harness the power bestowed by the goddess. Soon, her sister, Yasna, arrives at the temple and also decides to become a Mara.

Life within the monastery is subject to incredibly strict rules. Girls are strictly forbidden from marrying, having romantic relationships, or having children. Maras are not allowed to see the families they left behind. The warriors spend most of their time in ascetic isolation. They leave the secure walls of the temple only to undertake dangerous missions to slay monsters. In the temple, Veledara meets the legendary Mara Silvia. The warrior is one hundred and thirty-one years old. Silvia’s incredible longevity greatly surprises the young novices, instilling in them faith in the power of Morana.

Meet the Mysterious Bone Carver

After successfully completing her arduous training, Veledara begins her independent life as a full-fledged warrior. At one of the raucous folk festivals, she accidentally encounters a tall young man named Irai. The young man earns his living as a bone carver, creating incredibly intricate trinkets and amulets from animal bones. A powerful mutual attraction instantly flares between Veledara and Irai. The young people nearly share a passionate kiss, oblivious to the people around them. The sudden intervention of the crowd forces them to separate. Veledara hurriedly leaves the festival, experiencing mixed feelings of confusion, fear, and deep affection.

Several months later, a richly dressed ruler arrives at the Temple of Mar. He begs the servants of Morana to find Princess Alia, who has disappeared without a trace. Veledara, with great astonishment, recognizes the noble supplicant as her own brother, Valad. A simple truth emerges: the heir survived the long-ago attack on the castle, but suffered a head injury and amnesia. Recalling the past many years later, Valad decided to fulfill his filial duty. He is determined to marry Alia in order to finally unite the disparate northern principalities.

A dangerous journey through the wastelands

Veledara unhesitatingly agrees to help her brother. The faithful Jasnah joins the search party. The group embarks on a grueling journey, covering hundreds of kilometers through impenetrable thickets and deadly wastelands. The road constantly lurks with deadly threats. In one encounter with an incredibly fast and powerful imp, Veledara suffers grievous injuries. The huge monster’s sharp claws rip deep into her flesh. The girl bleeds to death and narrowly escapes certain death.

At the most hopeless moment, a mysterious warrior in a black mask — Morok — comes to the bleeding Mara’s aid. Servants of the goddess of Shadow possess incredible physical strength and always hide their true identities from mere mortals. Morok swiftly repels the demon’s attacks and saves Veledara. Soon, the dark mask falls from the warrior’s face, revealing the familiar visage of Irai. The humble bone carver is actually one of the ferocious Morok. This sudden revelation brings the heroes even closer together. Irai carefully heals Veledara’s wounds, and their mutual feelings flare with unprecedented intensity.

Secrets of the underground river

The party’s journey continues through damp, gloomy caves located near the fetid Smorodina River. The oppressive atmosphere of the dungeons weighs heavily on the travelers. Irai never leaves Veledara’s side. He grips her hand tightly in the darkness, completely ignoring Valad’s puzzled and angry glances. The Bone Carver and the mute Mara communicate silently, understanding each other perfectly through the slightest gestures and sighs.

During their long journeys together, the sisters uncover a shocking truth about the nature of the Moroks’ powers. It turns out that the magical abilities of the servants of the Shadow are far more extensive and dangerous than previously believed. Veledara and Yasnah make the prudent decision to keep these terrifying secrets a closely guarded secret. The priestesses understand one simple thing: widespread publicity will inevitably lead to the mass extermination of the Moroks by the terrified rulers of neighboring principalities.

The rescue of the princess and the fatal outcome

The squad finally tracks down the perpetrators and finds the kidnapped Princess Aliya. A brutal and bloody battle with well-armed mercenaries ensues. The heroes fight with all their might, using all their magical abilities and honed combat skills. In the heat of the furious battle, Veledara receives a vile, fatal blow to the back. She falls heavily to the frozen ground. Her breath quickly stops. Life leaves the wounded body of the brave young Mara forever.

Irai categorically refuses to accept the death of the woman he loves. In utter despair, he uses for the first time a deeply hidden, ancient gift from his blood — the ability to bring the dead back to life. Morok magically binds Veledara’s soul to his own shadow. This desperate act forever changes the established rules of the universe. Irai sets a unique precedent for resurrection. In the distant future, this secret knowledge will be used by other generations of servants of the Shadow.

Dynastic unions and peaceful life

After Alia’s successful rescue, Valad returns home in triumph and marries the princess. He publicly tells his subjects a fictitious story of a sudden return of his lost memory to fully legitimize his shaky claim to the throne. This advantageous dynastic marriage firmly unites the principalities. Valad lays a solid foundation for the prosperity of the future united state of Serat. He and Alia become the first rulers of the powerful Lasnetsov dynasty.

The resurrected Veledara and Irai leave the company forever and retire from military affairs. They settle in a quiet, secluded place. The loving couple spends five happy and carefree years together. Veledara violates the temple’s strictest ancient prohibition and becomes the first Mara to become pregnant. The gestation of the fetus rapidly depletes her magical and vital energies. During a difficult labor, Veledara dies completely, leaving the grieving Irai with a healthy newborn baby. The surviving boy becomes the forefather of a long line of Morok bone-cutters.

Discoveries of distant descendants in diaries

The narrative seamlessly shifts five centuries forward, to the era of the duology’s main characters. Agatha, Anna, Severin, and Alexander gather in a quiet room to carefully read the diary of the tragically murdered Christian. The yellowed pages reveal forgotten secrets of their tangled family trees. Alexander and Severin are shocked to learn the truth. They are direct descendants of the first ruler, Valad, and Princess Alia. Christian, meanwhile, was the very last bearer of the ancient blood of Irai and the courageous Veledara.

The true reason for her careful reading of the ancient archives lies elsewhere. Anna sheepishly confesses her motives to her relatives present. The young queen searched the diaries for detailed information on the mechanisms and consequences of the Moroks’ resurrection for a personal reason. Anna is expecting a child. She sincerely hopes that the child will be born a completely normal human being, as their tormented family has already suffered enough from the constant interference of the servants of Death and the Shadow.