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Dark Destiny
Dark Destiny

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Dark Destiny is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Dark Destiny
Context Illustration Reading 1/38 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!
_Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.
Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.
Sainted monster, evil savior.
Old as time, and young as folly.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Dark Destiny

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Dark Destiny is here in full — 191 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!
Line 2
_Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.
Line 3
Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.
/ˈruːlər ʌv reɪn ənd waɪnd ənd ˈlaɪtnɪŋ ˈempres ʌv ɔːl ðə ˈsɜːrdʒɪŋ ˈfɔːrsɪz ðæt spred ðer ˈtuːməlt əˈkrɔːs ðə skaɪ/
Line 4
Sainted monster, evil savior.
/ˈseɪntɪd ˈmɑːnstər ˈiːvəl ˈseɪvjər/
Line 5
Old as time, and young as folly.
/oʊld æz taɪm ənd jʌŋ æz ˈfɑːli/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

dais noun US /deɪz/

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

From this reading “_Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.”

empress noun US /ˈempres/

a woman emperor or the wife of an emperor

From this reading “Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.”

journeyed verb US /ˈdʒɜːrnid/

past form of “journey” — undertake a journey or trip

From this reading “The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!”

Ruler noun US /ˈruːlər/

a person who rules or commands

From this reading “Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.”

Sainted adjective US /ˈseɪntɪd/

marked by utter benignity; resembling or befitting an angel or saint

From this reading “Sainted monster, evil savior.”

savior noun US /ˈseɪvjər/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading “Sainted monster, evil savior.”

surging adjective US /ˈsɜːrdʒɪŋ/

characterized by great swelling waves or surges

From this reading “Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.”

void adjective US /vɔɪd/

lacking any legal or binding force

From this reading “The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

across the sky preposition + article + noun counted as “across … sky”

In this reading “Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.”

search for verb + particle

In this reading “The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!”

All words in this reading · 65

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

BlueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

crystalnounUS /ˈkrɪstəl/

a solid formed by the solidification of a chemical and having a highly regular atomic structure

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

daisnounUS /deɪz/

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

empressnounUS /ˈempres/

a woman emperor or the wife of an emperor

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

evilnounUS /ˈiːvəl/

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading Sainted monster, evil savior.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

follynounUS /ˈfɑːli/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading Old as time, and young as folly.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

forcesnounUS /ˈfɔːrsɪz/

plural of “force” — a powerful effect or influence

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

globenounUS /ɡloʊb/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

glowingadjectiveUS /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/

highly enthusiastic

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

goddessnounUS /ˈɡɑːdəs/

a female deity

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

gold-draped

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

journeyedverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrnid/

past form of “journey” — undertake a journey or trip

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

lightningnounUS /ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/

abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

monsternounUS /ˈmɑːnstər/

an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts

From this reading Sainted monster, evil savior.

NakedadjectiveUS /ˈneɪkəd/

completely unclothed

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Old as time, and young as folly.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

queennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

restedadjectiveUS /ˈrestəd/

not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

RulernounUS /ˈruːlər/

a person who rules or commands

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

SaintedadjectiveUS /ˈseɪntɪd/

marked by utter benignity; resembling or befitting an angel or saint

From this reading Sainted monster, evil savior.

saviornounUS /ˈseɪvjər/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading Sainted monster, evil savior.

searchverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

spreadverbUS /spred/

distribute or disperse widely

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

stormsnounUS /stɔːrmz/

plural of “storm” — a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

surgingadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrdʒɪŋ/

characterized by great swelling waves or surges

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Old as time, and young as folly.

tumultnounUS /ˈtuːməlt/

a state of commotion and noise and confusion

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

veiledadjectiveUS /veɪld/

having or as if having a veil or concealing cover

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

voidadjectiveUS /vɔɪd/

lacking any legal or binding force

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

WarriornounUS /ˈwɔːriər/

someone engaged in or experienced in warfare

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Ruler of rain and wind and lightning, empress of all the surging forces that spread their tumult across the sky.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The Blue Warrior had journeyed far across the void in his search for power; but he found death along with it--in the eyes of a goddess!

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

woman-goddess

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

Xaymar

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Naked, still as death, the veiled woman-goddess men called Xaymar rested on a gold-draped dais within the great, glowing, crystal globe._ _Xaymar, queen of storms.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Old as time, and young as folly.

Chapter 1 of Dark Destiny by Dwight V. Swain holds 191 sentences, grouped into 39 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of Dark Destiny contain?

Chapter 1 holds 191 sentences of Dark Destiny, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Dark Destiny by Dwight V. Swain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 191 sentences, grouped into 39 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of Dark Destiny?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Dark Destiny

Common questions about reading Dark Destiny by Dwight V. Swain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Dark Destiny?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Dark Destiny is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Dark Destiny take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Dark Destiny section by section

How to work through Dark Destiny section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Dark Destiny

Words and structures a reader meets early in Dark Destiny, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Dark Destiny, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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