Zephyr The West Wind

Zephyr The West Wind is the first book in the Chaos Chronicles series by R. J. Tolson.
Plot Summary
The novel begins with the series prologue. Described during an unknown time period, it is explained that the rulers of the universe known as "gods" mated with humans throughout many worlds at one time. At some point, the children of the gods, gifted with paranormal abilities and the ability to travel to different worlds, split into two large organizations. The first, a group known as Chaos, believed that all full-blooded humans were inferior and their sole purpose was to serve the demigods. Slowly and surely a war between Chaos and it's counter organization, "Order", began. Involving many worlds throughout the universe at the sacrifice of many demigods and humans, the gods finally intervened and ended the war by taking the paranormal abilities the members of Chaos had inherited and transferring them into ancient crystals. Recognizing that peace would not last forever, the gods scattered the powerful crystals across the universe, entrusting four of their unborn children with the fate of the universe when the time came before returning to the heavens.
Immediately the prologue pertaining to the specific book (Book 1) is introduced after the series prologue. A Demon - powerful and evil animal inhabitants of the world - attacks the island village of Dentro. This demon, powerful enough to destroy a mountain with just a howl, is later revealed to be the "Chaos dragon". While not even the chief of the village - the most powerful fighter at that time in the area- cannot defeat the Dragon, an outsider destroys the Chaos dragon and seals it's powers into three ancient weapons: A spear, a shield, and a sword. It is soon discovered by the villagers that one of their own has bore the child of the outsider, breaking a sacred law in doing so.
The child, introduced as Zephyr, is 17 years old and never knew why the villagers had always hated and detested him. Having no friends and family (after the passing of his mother at the age of 6), Zephyr survived in the village by himself with some aid from the chief, living as the village outcast. While partaking in the village's sacred trial known as "The trial of adulthood", Zephyr receives an Ouranos (Sky) crystal out of the five available ones (Ouranos, Sea, Balance, Dream, and void crystals). It is explained that each crystal gives a unique ability (usually pertaining to the name of the crystal) to the user who previously has not had one, with each crystal shining as a way of choosing it's bearer. After being chosen by his crystal and combating a demon known as a Barghest, Zephyr meets the manifestation of his crystal and will known as "Sora" in the area known as his soul mirror (a plane in the depth of a person's soul). Sora, a teenager described as having light tan skin, wide blue eyes, and long brown hair, becomes a great assest to Zephyr in terms of mastering his powers throughout the story.
After successfully completing the "Trial of adulthood", Zephyr comes into contact with Leon; A mysterious and younger boy, he explains to Zephyr that they have been assigned a mission together by the Council of Elders (The village government that rules of the village together with the chief). Assigned to leave the village on a mission (missions were common activities assigned by the council) to retrieve the "Unmei Collection" (An ancient Spear, Sword, and Shield) in order to protect the Village from any outside harm, Leon and Zephyr leave right away for the world outside of the village and Dentro Island for the first time.
Attacked by bandits as soon as they land, Leon and Zephyr reveal their difference in skills by defeating their enemies before traveling towards the dessert town of "Exilio". Deciding to spend the night after being welcome by the Chief of Exilio, Adamus, and learning that a great prophet resided in the city known as "Rosem", Zephyr discovers that Leon had betrayed him by trying to give him to the Exilio Chief as a slave (later we find out that Leon had been ordered by the council to do so in order to get rid of Zephyr). Adamus decides to enslave both Leon and Zephyr after Zephyr realizes Adamus's plan after accidentally fooling his capturer into thinking he had already escaped from Exilio. In response, Leon is captured. Deciding that he was no better than the Dentro villagers if he were to leave Leon to essentially die, Zephyr easily rescues Leon. Before they can completely escape from the outskirts of the town, Adamus stands in their way as a battle ensues. Although the battle is brief, Leon is quickly defeated and Zephyr reveals a powerful attack known as "Sky Pushuu" that knocks Adamus unconscious.
Zephyr awakens to find himself laying on a bed, looking up to see Leon. Leon explains that he carried Zephyr all the way to Rosem over night after Zephyr had knocked Adamus unconscious, to his pleasant surprise. After looking around the city built on mountains, they make their way to the house of Delphi the Wise (The all knowing prophet of the world). Delphi, an elderly woman, asks for them to save her daughter from her enslavement by the chief of Exilio. After quickly executing their mission successfully, Delphi explains that the large area on which they are currently is known as "Tyring". She also informs them that the Unmei collection is made up of three weapons: The spear of destiny, The Valkyrie Shield, and The Tyring the sword. They learn that two of the largest and most powerful cities in Tyring, Sleeves and Cheshria, are at war. Cheshria, a city ruled by a cruel chief that enslaves any population of people he comes in contact of, has been trying to take control of Sleeves for an unknown period of time. Delphi states that the chief of Cheshria keeps the Tyring sword in his palace, while the Valkyrie Shield was somewhere in Sleeves and the Spear of Destiny disappeared long ago.
Taking the advice they received from Delphi, Leon and Zephyr decide to travel to Cheshria. After a short shadow training session (Meditating and training with Sora) Zephyr and Leon arrive in Cheshria after travelling with Delphi's son, Endriago. After introducing them to a bartender named Jae, Endriago directs them to the palace before taking his leave to return to Rosem. On there way to the palace, Zephyr and Leon meet Kolt, a poor and weak looking boy. Offering to show them around the palace as their guide, Leon and Zephyr accept. Spying the room held the Tyring sword, Zephyr and Leon knocked Kolt unconscious, leaving him in a safe area before entering the room to come face to face with the two guards standing in the room. Dolo and Fonos, two brothers and the guards assigned to protecting the Sword in the Chief of Cheshria's absence, decide to play around with Leon and Zephyr instead of calling for others to detain them. Overconfident in their skills, Zephyr and Leon quickly realize that they are outmatched. On the brink of death, both Leon and Zephyr run until they reach Jae's bar. Seeking escape from the palace guards, Jae formulates and carries out a plan that allows both Leon and Zephyr to escape from Cheshria and head towards Sleeves.
After waking up from a few days of rest, Leon and Zephyr follow their Sleeves guide, Jordan, through the Cryns river (An ancient river filled with lesser demons, while at the bottom legend states their is a sleeping dragon) that surrounds Sleeves. Jordan directs them into the city in an effort to find them masters to train them, only to be stopped by a court ruling taking place; Discovering that the execution has been decided for the master Jordan had intended Leon and Zephyr to learn from, they travel to the master's house after the event takes place. After a short talk, Karlir, the strongest and most powerful warrior in sleeves at one point, agrees to train Leon and Zephyr. As Jordan leaves, Karlir instructs Zephyr and Leon to duel each other in order to gauge their difference in strength. A surprising and tough fight, Leon comes out victorious. Karlir introduces his younger brother, Kuchi, and Leon leaves with him to train as Zephyr travels with Karlir to Devil's Path (A mountainous area filled with unpredictable weather and powerful demons) to begin his training.
Switching to Leon's point of view, we learn that Leon's past was not that of any average family's. Leon's older brother, Blane, was a prodigy who defected from Dentro village after following through with a massacre that ended in him killing his whole family aside from Leon. His parents, known as the Dentro duo, had been known as two of the strongest warriors in dentro aside from the chief himself. Like his brother, it is explained that Leon was also a prodigy, his skill far surpassing those of the same age group. Throughout the training, we see Leon grow more cruel and dark as he grows more powerful, his anger towards his brother fueling him. On the contrary, we see Zephyr mature both physically and mentally as his ideals on the world come to light. Aura, the manipulation of energy, is explained in depth. Alternating between Leon and Zephyr's point of views during their three month long training, their powers grow exponentially and they return to meet at Karlir's home. Advised to test out their new skills on each other to see the difference between their first duel, Zephyr and Leon spar for a short time before Autumn, Delphi's daughter, interrupts them in a misunderstanding (thinking they were angry at each other and not sparring).
Karlir, ready to leave so that his trial of execution could be carried out (blamed for stealing the Valkyrie shield), says his goodbyes to Jordan, Zephyr, Leon, Autumn, and his brother before heading to the execution grounds, asking Zephyr to just let it be. Zephyr, having grown close enough to view Karlir as a grandfather, leaves to ponder over what he should do regarding his master while the others head over to the grounds. After witnessing an epiphany, Zephyr shows some of his new skills as he rescues Karlir (who has been drugged). After escaping to the outskirts of Sleeves, the group decides that Zephyr made the right choice in not allowing Karlir to be executed. As Karlir leaves to go after his brother (who left Tyring), and Jordan leaves to find out who framed Karlir, Autumn, Leon, and Zephyr begin their journey to Cheshria once again.
Arriving at Cheshria, the trio happen upon a boy who before dying, explains that Cheshria is in a civil war; The people have revolted against the chief to end their oppression. Splitting with Autumn and making their way to the palace, then the room where the Sword had been previously located, Zephyr and Leon enter the room beyond a set of large golden gates. Coming face to face with Kolt, the guide boy they had knocked unconscious three months ago, they stood in awe as Kolt picked up the Tyring sword. While Kolt, engulfed in a black mist disappeared from view, a large explosion from the other side of the room brought three other people into the fray. Realizing that those three people were The chief of Cheshria, Luis, Blane (Leon's older brother), and Dolo, Zephyr is shocked as Leon launches an attack at Blane. Seemingly over powered, everyone is thrown into shock as Kolt, now more powerful than anyone could imagine, walked out from the mist, only to address his father, the Chief of Cheshria. While taking his leave, Kolt states that he is heading toward Dentro to retrieve his mother, a woman Luis banished long ago before taking out his revenge on his father for casting him aside (because he was a frail child). Zephyr overhears Luis giving orders to prepare troops to attack Dentro within the week after luckily being spared by Blane. With both Autumn and Leon, Zephyr heads towards home.
After showing off more of their skills, the three quietly reach Dentro in order to not arouse suspicion, instead allowing themselves to be thrown in jail by Hovan (the cruel vice-chief) after explaining the village's impending attack from Cheshria. Easily escaping four days after being imprisoned, the trio arrives in the village square where they had sensed ominous auras. Standing a few feet from the large crowd surrounding Blane, Luis, and an unknown Cheshria figure, the trio decides to wait and see the villages response to the threat. For his first casualty, Luis stabs the Dentro chief, creating a serious wound. Angered and in shock, Zephyr appears before the chiefs, grabbing the Dentro chief and fleeing across the island. After an exchange of dialogue and the chief's passing, Zephyr heads back towards the battlefield, renewed.
Realizing the battle had already begun, Zephyr, Leon, and Autumn split up to take on their respective opponents. Slightly overpowered at first by the chief, Zephyr brings everything he has to the battle with Luis, eventually overcoming him as he states his ideology while at around the same time Leon defeats Blane (where he finds out why Blane committed his cruel acts and left the village). Ending the battle by defeating the enemies's leader, Luis gives Zephyr the Spear of Destiny before dying. Pleasantly surprised to find his master in Dentro, Zephyr leans on Karlir's shoulder as they return from the village outskirts. Greeted by welcoming villagers for the first time in his life, Zephyr smiles and kisses Autumn as the day concludes. The book ends with Zephyr leaving to follow Kolt and Leon through a portal and into the unknown, leaving everything he has come to know and love behind in order to stop Leon and Kolt from following through with the ancient organization, Chaos's plans.
==Characters in "Zephyr The West Wind"==
*Zephyr - The main character of the story, is a 17-year-old boy from Dentro Village. He has been detested,hated, and alone almost his whole life. He has no friends, and no living relatives. He only wants to get stronger and force his village to change and recognize him. At the end of the book, he chooses to leave behind what he wants to protect the rest of the universe. He can control any aspect of the air element.
*Leon - A central character, he is a 15 year old prodigy. His past is filled with darkness and mystery. He will do anything, even killing without batting an eye if it will help him achieve his goal: the death of his brother. He has the ability to control dark and light energy while using both a yellow and black sword in combat.
*Sora - Zephyr's physical manifestation of his will and his crystal. Smart and "cool" like, Zephyr and Sora make a great team throughout the story.
*Autumn -Zephyr's love interest and Delphi's daughter. She is smart, powerful, elegant, and caring. She has the ability to create fields of energy, and is wanted by many high powered people for her gifts as Delphi's daughter.
*Delphi - An elderly prophet known for her vast knowledge and foresight who resides in Rosem. She gives Zephyr and Leon advice throughout the story.
*Adamus - Chief of Exilio and a cruel bandit, he rules over a town of unlawful people. He has the power to "wither" anything he touches, even draining a person's life force.
*Endriago - Delphi's son and Autumn's older brother. He is strong but kind, while being very protective of his younger sister.
*Karlir - An elderly warrior known as the "hero of Sleeves", he is Zephyr's master and grandfather like figure. He once saved Sleeves by defeating 10,000 men with only 300 under his command. He also fought and befriended the fire dragon of sleeves, receiving the "Valkryie shield" as a gift for doing so from the Dragon. He is a very powerful Pyrokinetic.
*The Outsider - Thought to be Zephyr's father and a god, he saved Dentro from destruction 17 years ago by sealing away the Chaos Demon. He also at some point easily defeated Karlir, befriending him after doing so.
*Luis - The cruel and sadistic chief of Cheshria. His only purpose in life is to grow stronger and either kill or enslave the weak. He rules over Cheshria as well as the many lands that have fallen into his grasp. He is a powerful Pyrokinetic, having never been defeated in battle.
*Blane - A real prodigy in Dentro village who, at the age of five, defeated a gang of armed village thieves. At the age of 7, he passed the "trial of adulthood" (meant for age 13). After turning 10, he completed a series of high ranked missions (of which adults carried out) and earned the title of village genius. At 17, he murdered his family and the entire village construction force (of which his family comprised and watched over) aside from his younger brother Leon. He is master of manipulating dark and light energy.
*Kolt - The "weak" son of the Chief of Cheshria, he despises his father and first wishes to see his banished mother again and destroy Cheshria as well as his father. After the war in Dentro, he persuades Leon to join him on a mission to control the rest of the universe, creating a portal and leaving through it to an unknown destination. Originally powerless and frail, he attains the "Tyring Sword" and gains immeasurable and unknown power.
Publishing History
Author R. J. Tolson originally began writing Zephyr the West Wind by posting the chapters on Wattpad. Over a year, he gained over 23,000+ readers and followers before receiving offers from small publishing companies in New England. Unsatisfied with the offers, R.J. looked into Amazon's involvement in publishing, eventually deciding to start out with Amazon's services.
References & External links
*Chaos Chronicles official website
*Amazon Zephyr Book View
*Wattpad

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu