“The cult’s territory?” Drestra’s voice rose. “This is territory my kindred claimed too long ago to remember. It’s not someplace that is visited regularly, but it belongs to witches, not foreign cultists.”
“Yeah,” Alex said. “It looks like they plan on ...
2022-07-23 00:23:53 +0000 UTC View PostIt didn’t take long before Baelin found the fight he was looking for.
They’d pressed deeper into the swamp where their surroundings turned rougher, and grisly remains of slaughtered birds, giant swamp otters, and enormous turtles that were eaten right out of their shells, lay everywhere...
2022-07-22 02:07:18 +0000 UTC View Post“And just where did you come upon this?” Baelin asked, tension tingeing his voice.
Not anger. Not accusation. Not offence.
Just a hint of tension, like a hand slowly beginning to curl its fingers into a fist: no threat yet, but a preparation.
“Here, in the swamp.” Elder ...
2022-07-20 22:21:41 +0000 UTC View PostThe Heroes and the Chancellor of Generasi glided through the swamp in his enchanted boat, following a vessel Angharad had unmoored from the mouth of a small cave formed by the roots of the same tree the sentries’ post was in.
The witches’ boat was small—more of a dugout really—just ...
2022-07-20 01:11:43 +0000 UTC View PostThe party floated from the sky, sinking beneath naked tree branches to stop above the frigid swamp water.
Baelin looked at Drestra. “There are no toxic gases here.”
“Not in this part of the swamp,” the Sage said.
“Excellent. I shall cancel your Orbs of Air. We should k...
2022-07-17 02:16:55 +0000 UTC View PostAfter what seemed like forever, Hart and Baelin finally got their composure back, though tears of laughter still swam in their eyes and the occasional chuckle escaped them.
“So,” Baelin said, a huge smile on his face. “You said you have a similar story to share? Mine was the appetiser...
2022-07-16 01:27:02 +0000 UTC View PostIt was snowing.
Alex Roth appeared in a meadow, standing on a low rise overlooking a crossroads twenty paces to the south. A damp chill filled the air, and with it came wet, white flakes drifting down from a sky of steel grey clouds. The wind was low, yet moist and brisk, and he wrapped his...
2022-07-15 00:44:25 +0000 UTC View Post“What?” Alex asked, excitement surging through him. “How? How’re we resolving this today?”
Drestra’s reptilian eyes were focused on the wizards and her fellow Heroes. “This is somewhat of an open secret, but I still don’t want anyone going to the priests with what I’...
2022-07-14 00:14:17 +0000 UTC View PostThe Hero took the dungeon core between her hands.
It wasn’t the first time she’d seen one of course, but it was the first time she’d had any interest in examining a living one. Representatives of the church and the Thameish army had shown her and the other Heroes drawings of dungeon c...
2022-07-13 00:19:52 +0000 UTC View Post“When ya called us up here I never thought I’d be watchin’ one o’ yous carryin’ around a livin’ dungeon core.” Cedric eyed the orb like it was a coiled snake. “Never seen anyone do that before…almost expect it t’bite ya or somethin.’”
“Yeah, if I think about it, it...
2022-07-09 22:56:30 +0000 UTC View Post“What do you mean, a big problem?” Khalik asked.
“You’ll understand when I finish. Mmmm…any of you landbound people ever heard the story of Bowar-Og?” Grimloch rumbled, picking his teeth with a bone.
“No, I cannot say I have,” Khalik said.
“Naw,” Thundar said...
2022-07-08 23:12:22 +0000 UTC View Post“Oh by Uldar, the Traveller and all my ancestors,” Theresa shook her head, holding it between both hands. “I can’t believe this. Only you and Carey?” she said, looking up at Alex. “I just can’t…I can’t believe this.”
“I think there would be few who could,” Prince Kha...
2022-07-07 22:36:16 +0000 UTC View Post“Hmmmm. That’s not a half-bad idea,” Baelin said. “It should also increase trust between us and them…though, I doubt they would be likely to believe us by our word alone.”
“I know I wouldn’t,” Carey said, looking more shaken as the realisation that mortals could control du...
2022-07-07 00:03:59 +0000 UTC View Post“I…no, no I don’t want to go,” Carey said, with a hint of iron in her voice. “Everyday the Heroes and our army fight monsters across the land. They stay in the fight. They persevere. What right do I have to scurry off like a scared little mouse? I could never face my family ever again....
2022-07-05 23:12:51 +0000 UTC View Post‘Oh come now, Carey, don’t be so silly!’ Carey admonished herself. ‘This was examined by Professor Jules quite thoroughly, no doubt with upmost care and caution as per usual. What are the chances that you—a student—would notice something that she did not.’
She chuckled her own...
2022-07-03 01:16:28 +0000 UTC View Post“You did what?” Professor Jules cried, not believing what she was hearing. On her desk was a light grey orb with a small ward surrounding it in a half-sphere, shimmering like water.
“I uh…I controlled a dungeon core,” Alex repeated, looking up at Baelin for ...
2022-07-02 01:08:48 +0000 UTC View Post“Impossible!” Alex shot to his feet. “For you? That…that’s impossible!”
“Nothing is impossible…” Baelin said, turning the orb over again. His goat-like eyes scanned every detail. “But…for the life of me, Alex, I cannot even begin to challenge this…infernal t...
2022-07-01 00:17:53 +0000 UTC View PostPower gathered around the chancellor like light blazing from the sun.
The air shook.
Alex’s mana senses screamed.
His mouth felt dry.
He’d seen the ancient wizard exert his power before…but he was never quite prepared for the magnitude of raw power he commanded. The ...
2022-06-30 01:17:31 +0000 UTC View PostAlex appeared first, dropping into a fighting-stance while surveying the area. Baelin’s spell had catapulted him across the land, and—wherever he was—it was markedly chillier than Greymoor. The sun was lower on the horizon than it had been earlier, casting the light of dawn in a deeper shad...
2022-06-28 21:30:29 +0000 UTC View PostFor the first time, Alex Roth walked toward the portal to Thameland with only Claygon at his side. He drew quizzical looks from the portal staff; since the expeditionary force was accustomed to seeing him with his teammates, this change of routine was something the attentive staff paid close atte...
2022-06-26 01:26:26 +0000 UTC View Post“How many of you have been to the rainbow tower?” Miss Sutton asked.
Selina, Chelios and two other students raised their hands.
“Good, so some of you have seen how glass prisms break light into colours.” The teacher drew a triangular prism on the board. “Those of you who hav...
2022-06-24 23:22:23 +0000 UTC View PostSelina’s class was all abuzz with excitement. They were hovering in front of her classroom door like eager bees over a flower field—chattering to one another, giggling, and periodically adjusting hefty bookbags on their shoulders.
Seven of the eight students kept watching the door as if...
2022-06-23 22:09:44 +0000 UTC View PostHey everybody!
So, I’ve gotten the green light to give you all an announcement that I’ve been super excited about. Mark of the Fool will be published on Amazon. (Some of you figured it out already and yes, that’s true).
But that’s not all! In addition to its release on Kindl...
The words sounded ancient.
Primal almost.
The melody was simple, yet rang with power.
Alex listened.
Professor Holden Salinger’s voice filled the centre of camp, carrying with it ancient syllables and a tone that held respect, reverence and esteem. In a moment of deja vu...
2022-06-23 01:09:25 +0000 UTC View Post“So…it may have been targeting you and spying on both you and the rest of our team for a good while,” Baelin said, annoyance marked his tone. “And it also had the wherewithal to set a trap for you by observing your asrai friend’s movements, and using the aeld tree to bait y...
2022-06-22 00:56:06 +0000 UTC View Post“Y-yeah.” Cold sweat dotted Alex’s brow. “N-nice night for a walk, eh?”
Theresa in no way looked like she thought it was a nice night for a walk. The exact opposite was true.
The death stalker face she was wearing looked more grim reaper, than peacefully strolling hiker. As ...
2022-06-19 00:53:28 +0000 UTC View Post“A horde of monsters right under our noses?” Ripp gaped. “Just hiding in that old windmill?”
“Ya, I think they were using tunnels to hide from our patrols. And they were just outside our territory too.”
“Yeah, they were clever alright, hiding right outside our borders li...
2022-06-17 22:51:40 +0000 UTC View PostWhoooooom!
All three fire-gems built power.
Whoooosh!
Claygon’s beams lanced through burning blades, cleaving pieces of wood, incinerating them in seconds. Air elementals darted around the blast, blowing sparks away from the forest and back toward the mill. T...
2022-06-17 00:40:13 +0000 UTC View Post“Those Ravener-creatures were dedicated,” the little fae said when they returned to the clearing. “I’ve never seen anything put up such a fight after their side’s been licked. It’s said that the Crimson Head Brigadiers don’t give up easily either, but these beasts just kept throwing...
2022-06-16 01:07:48 +0000 UTC View Post