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My new series Shadow Elf Chronicles is available now. Read on to learn more about Calinda! BUY or READ FOR FREE with Kindle Unlimited here: http://getbook.at/OfShadows A promiscuous rogue and lover of all that will have her.... She uses her guile for her own benefit, sometimes even pulling in more to the cause to move against the rule of Mandurlaku. She has made a career of making all women and men either hate or love her. She cares little either way and even once stole the wife of the Purists, the cannibalistic shadow elves of the Northern Reaches just to “taste her”. Though she teases and jokes, she is faithful to the Order of the Black Tree and her brother, the only surviving member of her clan. Name: Calinda Gender: Female Race: Shadow Elf Age: 252 Clan: Sruet Affiliations: Order of the Black Tree Allies: Order of the Black Tree, Hands of Twilight, Rebel Factions of the Shadowlands Roles: Seducer of the Order (self-titled) Religion: Shadow Weapons: Magic (light elemental using a wand), sword. Enemies: Blood Priestess of the Red Star, Targus under the command of the Emperor, Ascenders of Mandurlaku, Purists (she is wanted by them)  My new series Shadow Elf Chronicles is available now. Read on to learn more about Rosk! BUY or READ FOR FREE with Kindle Unlimited here: http://getbook.at/OfShadows Rosk was believed to have been one of the last to train under the druidic Order of The Moon before its collapse. Growing up as an orphan, he lived on the streets of Mandurlaku when it was called Mandurel. Though he was too short to be deemed a threat on the battlefield, he found luck when coming across a caravan of gypsies moving through the city. However, he was only with them for a handful of years before seeking out more knowledge related to astrology and basic earth magic. Eventually, joining the Order of the Moon, he learned transfiguration and was able to hide at will. This skill came to use when the Purists annihilated the Order seeking to feed on the more naturally aligned druids. From there, he met a rogue named Calinda and her brother Vake. They began as simple thieves but upon coming across a Rusis by the name of Jei, they vowed to form their own order in the shadow of the changes sensed across the Shadowlands. With a penchant for drinking copious amounts of alcohol, he’s not the best at staying sober but he has managed to build up his Order of thieves and nobodies into a somewhat coherent force that keeps watch across the Shadowlands. Name: Rosk Gender: Male Race: Shadow Elf Age: 302 Clan: Va Affiliations: Order of the Black Tree Allies: Order of the Black Tree, Hands of Twilight, Rebel Factions of the Shadowlands Roles: Master of the Order of the Black Tree Religion: Shadow Weapons: Fire Magic, Transformations (including a white duck and a ferret capable of bursting into flames) Enemies: Blood Priestess of the Red Star, Targus under the command of the Emperor, Ascenders of Mandurlaku My new series Shadow Elf Chronicles is available now. Read on to learn more about Tizar! BUY or READ FOR FREE with Kindle Unlimited here: http://getbook.at/OfShadows Tizar is a master of the natural magics, astronomy, transfiguration, and potion making. He has resided in the Shadowland capital of Mandurlaku for several decades. Before that, he was a Priest of the Northern god Wura and a member of the elusive Guardians of Wura, a companionship of adventurers that sought out sacraments of the gods, reclaiming them by any means necessary. In his earlier years he studied within the Order of the Moon in the Northeast tips of the Shadowlands. Not much is known of him and being elusive in general, few know of his origins. Being that he is a master of deception, it is not known with certainty of even what race he is. Name: Tizar Gender: Male Race: Human/Shadow Elf/Unknown Age: Believed to be over 500 years Clan: None. Affiliations: Order of the Moon, Guardians of Wura, Priest of Wura Allies: Roles:High Druid of Mandurlaku Religion: Shadow Weapons: Wooden Staff, Hexing Stones, Potions (numerous) Enemies: Blood Priestesses of the Red Star and essentially any that disturb his fishing… My new series Shadow Elf Chronicles is available now. Read on to learn more about Auikel! BUY or READ FOR FREE with Kindle Unlimited here: http://getbook.at/OfShadows Aiukel was only twenty-two when she was first inducted into the High Guard of Mandurel, tasked with protecting the religious temples of the city. After a civil war sparked between local Targus thirty two years later, she caught the eye of the elite warriors of the Emperor after witnessing her battle prowess and began training in the Shadow Guard at the young elven age of fifty-five. She quickly rose up through the Shadow Guard of Mandurel, and was a warrior who then went on to become one of the most highly regarded assassins to ever serve. She earned particular regard hunting the Wizard of Twin Moons. Though she wasn't present when he was killed, she was honored for her actions elsewhere. After taking a concentrated arcane blast to her throat that left her temporarily blind in one eye and struggling to breathe, she single-handedly held the line against over two hundred goblins until the local militia could respond, saving the lives of countless area villagers and being awarded a sacred chakram from a coven of the goddess Ehtheriu. Many years later during the fall of Mandurel, she secured those of the Shadow Guard to protect the royal clans of the emperor and the sacred sites of the Shadow Gods. Forming the Hands of Twilight, she is committed to stopping the spread of The Blood and returning Mandurel to its former glory. Shadow Elf Chronicles Character Profile #1: Name: Aiukel Gender: Female Race: Shadow Elf Age: 252 years Clan: Unknown, Leader of the Hands of Twilight Affiliation: Hands of Twilight, Shadow Guard Allies: The Purists, Order of the Black Tree, Falacar Bloodrunners Roles: Matriarch of the Hands of Twilight, Leader of The Ten Religion: Shadow Weapons: Chakram of Etheriu, Silver Blades of the Silent, throwing daggers. Abilities: Shadow Shift: Allows her to move silently within shadows. Chief Enemies: Ascenders of the Great Seer Blood Priestesses of the Red Star  *FINALLY! |
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I strongly advise any fans of epic fantasy to check out both Ragged Heroes AND Beyond the Deepwoods! Aside from the awesome value of so many tales for virtually pocket change, I have TWO new novellas set in my NEW post-apocalyptic epic fantasy world!
Death Bane, found in Ragged Heroes, follows the character Nurias on his quest to obtain a weapon capable of killing the otherwise immortal necromancers.
Darkness Upon Redstone Lake is a tale within Beyond the Deepwoods. This story is set BEFORE the end of the world. Two young wizards see the coming apocalypse and struggle to survive and escape the evils of a dark spellcaster that seeks to claim their souls as his own!
Death Bane, found in Ragged Heroes, follows the character Nurias on his quest to obtain a weapon capable of killing the otherwise immortal necromancers.
Darkness Upon Redstone Lake is a tale within Beyond the Deepwoods. This story is set BEFORE the end of the world. Two young wizards see the coming apocalypse and struggle to survive and escape the evils of a dark spellcaster that seeks to claim their souls as his own!
The Missing Audiobooks
Hello everyone! I hope 2018 is treating everyone well! This is a post I’ve been wanting to do for a while and hopefully not only will you understand why there are no other audiobooks but maybe, you might want to try to fix that. Read on to see how!
Second only to “When’s the next book?”, the most common question I get via email and social media is questioning additional audio books in my Half-Elf Chronicles series. At least once a week someone messages me asking when will “book(s) X” be on Audible and I really don’t have a great answer.
For those of you that do know, I partnered with Mikael Naramore for Half-Bloods Rising. It was an awesome experience and the finished product was amazing. He was more than willing to narrate the next few books which was awesome there was only one issue. Cost. You pay for quality. I paid in the upper price tiers and while it is absolutely worth it, it hasn’t been something that I’ve been able to justify again. For the cost of one book, I can produce three to four novels WITH custom artwork… and who doesn’t like more books? 😊
Now, the first thought you might have is that perhaps going with a more affordable narrator would be a good idea. That might work but then I feel like I’m selling you all short! While I’m sure there is plenty of talent out there, it is extremely tedious to find the right “voice”. For Half-Bloods Rising I went through 40+ auditions, including at least three very well-known narrators. Ultimately, the best voices were the most expensive. It makes sense.
So, what’s the point of all this? My options. One thing I’m thinking about is potentially crowdfunding to support my audiobook projects. It’s an interesting idea (and something I’m only a little bit familiar with) but in my opinion, it’s on the table but I’m not too sure.
The best thing that could happen would be an email from Tantor Media or Podium Publishing. These are two very large audiobook publishing platforms that have been known to approach authors and offer some form of contract for audiobook rights. Personally, I feel like this is the best route for my entire collection to become available in audio format. But their selection process is random at best and I can not “apply” or “submit” my stuff for consideration.
What do you think? Do you want to know what you can do? Take a moment and TELL these two publishers you want to see my stuff in audio format. Trust me, they care what a potential customer wants and in our modern age, social media is the best way to get their attention. The Twitter and Facebook links to the two appropriate publishers are below. If you want to do this, awesome! If not, that’s perfectly fine. It’s kind of a weird request but I figured what the hell… you know?
I am actively working to sort out exactly how I might go about crowdfunding because frankly, I want to hear Half-Elf Chronicles as audiobooks! Listening to Half-Bloods Rising was like revisiting an old friend and let me experience the book in a way that is impossible to do by reading it as the author!
Second only to “When’s the next book?”, the most common question I get via email and social media is questioning additional audio books in my Half-Elf Chronicles series. At least once a week someone messages me asking when will “book(s) X” be on Audible and I really don’t have a great answer.
For those of you that do know, I partnered with Mikael Naramore for Half-Bloods Rising. It was an awesome experience and the finished product was amazing. He was more than willing to narrate the next few books which was awesome there was only one issue. Cost. You pay for quality. I paid in the upper price tiers and while it is absolutely worth it, it hasn’t been something that I’ve been able to justify again. For the cost of one book, I can produce three to four novels WITH custom artwork… and who doesn’t like more books? 😊
Now, the first thought you might have is that perhaps going with a more affordable narrator would be a good idea. That might work but then I feel like I’m selling you all short! While I’m sure there is plenty of talent out there, it is extremely tedious to find the right “voice”. For Half-Bloods Rising I went through 40+ auditions, including at least three very well-known narrators. Ultimately, the best voices were the most expensive. It makes sense.
So, what’s the point of all this? My options. One thing I’m thinking about is potentially crowdfunding to support my audiobook projects. It’s an interesting idea (and something I’m only a little bit familiar with) but in my opinion, it’s on the table but I’m not too sure.
The best thing that could happen would be an email from Tantor Media or Podium Publishing. These are two very large audiobook publishing platforms that have been known to approach authors and offer some form of contract for audiobook rights. Personally, I feel like this is the best route for my entire collection to become available in audio format. But their selection process is random at best and I can not “apply” or “submit” my stuff for consideration.
What do you think? Do you want to know what you can do? Take a moment and TELL these two publishers you want to see my stuff in audio format. Trust me, they care what a potential customer wants and in our modern age, social media is the best way to get their attention. The Twitter and Facebook links to the two appropriate publishers are below. If you want to do this, awesome! If not, that’s perfectly fine. It’s kind of a weird request but I figured what the hell… you know?
I am actively working to sort out exactly how I might go about crowdfunding because frankly, I want to hear Half-Elf Chronicles as audiobooks! Listening to Half-Bloods Rising was like revisiting an old friend and let me experience the book in a way that is impossible to do by reading it as the author!
Here’s the link to my Amazon Author page if you decide to visit the link’s below and let them know that YOU WANT HALF-ELF CHRONICLES AUDIOBOOKS! :D
https://www.amazon.com/J.T.-Williams/e/B00MGWXJCQ/
Podium Publishing’s Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/Podium-Publishing-111514486085160/
https://twitter.com/podiumaudio?lang=en
Tantor Audio’s Social Media
https://twitter.com/TantorAudio?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
https://www.facebook.com/TantorAudio/
So follow the links. Say what you want and maybe drop a link to my stuff. Like I said, if enough people do it who knows what might happen. :)
So also another little update....a new book is coming very soon with the secret title of Wizard Acid... it's a weird but fun adventure with two wizards and a trickster god! Who is ready for some monster killing?
Keep your swords sharp and your magic at hand,
Jeremy
https://www.amazon.com/J.T.-Williams/e/B00MGWXJCQ/
Podium Publishing’s Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/Podium-Publishing-111514486085160/
https://twitter.com/podiumaudio?lang=en
Tantor Audio’s Social Media
https://twitter.com/TantorAudio?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
https://www.facebook.com/TantorAudio/
So follow the links. Say what you want and maybe drop a link to my stuff. Like I said, if enough people do it who knows what might happen. :)
So also another little update....a new book is coming very soon with the secret title of Wizard Acid... it's a weird but fun adventure with two wizards and a trickster god! Who is ready for some monster killing?
Keep your swords sharp and your magic at hand,
Jeremy
So with the release of my newest book, we come to a point where the series is nearly complete. Though, as most of you know, this is an expanding world and with the completion of this series so much more will be ready to reveal! Kealin's adventure is not done and those that believe they know the ending of "things" because of one of my older books... well, you might not have paid attention. :)
I also want to point out my secret project. This is something not set in the same world as the rest of my stories and is part of what I would deem a "secret anthology" that I and several other authors have come together to write. The tales are all set in separate worlds but will deal with the same similar themes. These will be dark and brutal stories that are not for those looking for feel-good fantasy and in many cases are not appropriate for younger readers. I know most of you are familiar with my work and know that typically this could be said of my own stuff but I daresay it... this might be darker. So are you curious what it is about?
In 2007, I wrote my very first book. I called it The Reckoning and it was an epic fantasy tale of a very different kind. I was trying to capture the "remoteness" I felt playing a game of my childhood called The Legend of Zelda. In this book, I have very few other characters aside from the first person POV main character for a good part of it. This is epic fantasy in a post-apocalyptic world... It's an interesting twist on what you might think of when you say post-apocalyptic. The word itself conjures up images of zombies and ragtag group of survivors moving from one place to another trying to survive but the stories are not like that. It's much more personal and deals with a ranger becoming severely afflicted with a necromancers curse. But this is not exactly THE tale that will be part of the secret project. I have written a prequel story that will be part of the anthology in 2018. So yes, for now I'm offering breadcrumbs with more info to come in the future!
If you haven't picked up Wrath of the Half-Elves, I urge you to do so. It's not a book you want to miss! (The link is in the image below!)
I also want to point out my secret project. This is something not set in the same world as the rest of my stories and is part of what I would deem a "secret anthology" that I and several other authors have come together to write. The tales are all set in separate worlds but will deal with the same similar themes. These will be dark and brutal stories that are not for those looking for feel-good fantasy and in many cases are not appropriate for younger readers. I know most of you are familiar with my work and know that typically this could be said of my own stuff but I daresay it... this might be darker. So are you curious what it is about?
In 2007, I wrote my very first book. I called it The Reckoning and it was an epic fantasy tale of a very different kind. I was trying to capture the "remoteness" I felt playing a game of my childhood called The Legend of Zelda. In this book, I have very few other characters aside from the first person POV main character for a good part of it. This is epic fantasy in a post-apocalyptic world... It's an interesting twist on what you might think of when you say post-apocalyptic. The word itself conjures up images of zombies and ragtag group of survivors moving from one place to another trying to survive but the stories are not like that. It's much more personal and deals with a ranger becoming severely afflicted with a necromancers curse. But this is not exactly THE tale that will be part of the secret project. I have written a prequel story that will be part of the anthology in 2018. So yes, for now I'm offering breadcrumbs with more info to come in the future!
If you haven't picked up Wrath of the Half-Elves, I urge you to do so. It's not a book you want to miss! (The link is in the image below!)
Another author interview! This time I would like to introduce post-apocalyptic author and zombie killing extraordinaire, Joshua C. Chadd!
Can you tell me about yourself and what you write?
Well hello there! My name is Joshua and I’m a professional guide and author. I love the outdoors and am lucky enough that my job takes me to Alaska every fall to enjoy God’s creation in the wilderness. This unique experience to “get away” from everything and be disconnected from the world is not only refreshing but shows up in my writing as well! I am also a Christian, hunter, patriot, heavy rocker, and gamer!
I write science fiction and fantasy. I love to write fantasy the most and I’ve spent the last 10+ years creating my own fantasy world that I mainly write in. Right now however, I have only two books out and they are both zombie books. But as soon as I finish this series I’m going to introduce you to my fantasy world of Torrea! Trust me, you’ll love it!
What inspired you start writing? Who do you consider your inspirations?
I’ve always been a huge fan of fantasy and all things imaginary! I grew up in the wilderness of Alaska with my brother and to entertain ourselves we always used our imaginations. This led to a love of creating stories, characters, and worlds. I’ve been heavily influenced by some great video games (WoW, Fallout, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, etc), movies, and of course lots of books. Some of those authors I love and I would like to emulate are Christopher Paolini, R.A. Salvatore, Ted Dekker, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
What is your favorite part about creating fantasy worlds?
That is a very good question and one I’ve not really thought about much before. I love creating the actual world, creatures, magic, and such. But I think I honestly have to say I love to create the characters, their backstory, strengths, weaknesses, and what makes them tick. This makes since as most of my stories are very character driven. I also LOVE creating the magic system! I just love magic and magical battles!
Do you have any really cool or unique creatures in your fiction?
Ooooh, of course! I have the typical (but with my own tweaks) elves, dwarves, orcs, dragons and such. But I also have some pretty sweet ones I’ve created! For example, the Thulak. They are a lizard humanoid race that live in the desert and make their weapons out of the bones of their ancestors! They are probably my favorite. I also have Battrin, which are giant bat humanoids that live in the Dark Forest. Those are a couple of my favorite!
My readers really enjoy darker themed fantasy? Do you have any works that they might especially like?
I think they will. My sci-fi stories are zombie books and as such are of course pretty dark and gory at times. But then my fantasy is also very mature with plenty of killing. In the prequel novella for my first fantasy series, The Hunters Trilogy, the main character faces one hardship after another. Now I don’t know if I would label my fantasy Dark Fantasy, but it definitely is not a feel good lovey-dovey type of fantasy either!
Any free offerings for readers to try out your work either permafree or Instafreebie/bookfunnel?
Sadly, at this moment I don’t have any. BUT within the next few months I’ll be having a story that will be free to everyone who signs up for my mailing list. So if you are interested I will have the link below and you can check it out and know right away when I have it available!
Where can readers catch up with you?
One of the best ways to stay in the loop on what is going on with me is my Facebook page and my email list. Below I will add those along with my Instagram, Twitter, and website.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJoshuaCChadd
Newsletter List: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t6w9k8
Website: www.joshuacchadd.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoshuaCChadd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuac.chadd/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/joshuacchadd
But that’s about all for me. If you’d like to know more feel free to head over to my website and check out my books!
Thanks for having my JT!
Joshua out!!!
Well hello there! My name is Joshua and I’m a professional guide and author. I love the outdoors and am lucky enough that my job takes me to Alaska every fall to enjoy God’s creation in the wilderness. This unique experience to “get away” from everything and be disconnected from the world is not only refreshing but shows up in my writing as well! I am also a Christian, hunter, patriot, heavy rocker, and gamer!
I write science fiction and fantasy. I love to write fantasy the most and I’ve spent the last 10+ years creating my own fantasy world that I mainly write in. Right now however, I have only two books out and they are both zombie books. But as soon as I finish this series I’m going to introduce you to my fantasy world of Torrea! Trust me, you’ll love it!
What inspired you start writing? Who do you consider your inspirations?
I’ve always been a huge fan of fantasy and all things imaginary! I grew up in the wilderness of Alaska with my brother and to entertain ourselves we always used our imaginations. This led to a love of creating stories, characters, and worlds. I’ve been heavily influenced by some great video games (WoW, Fallout, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, etc), movies, and of course lots of books. Some of those authors I love and I would like to emulate are Christopher Paolini, R.A. Salvatore, Ted Dekker, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
What is your favorite part about creating fantasy worlds?
That is a very good question and one I’ve not really thought about much before. I love creating the actual world, creatures, magic, and such. But I think I honestly have to say I love to create the characters, their backstory, strengths, weaknesses, and what makes them tick. This makes since as most of my stories are very character driven. I also LOVE creating the magic system! I just love magic and magical battles!
Do you have any really cool or unique creatures in your fiction?
Ooooh, of course! I have the typical (but with my own tweaks) elves, dwarves, orcs, dragons and such. But I also have some pretty sweet ones I’ve created! For example, the Thulak. They are a lizard humanoid race that live in the desert and make their weapons out of the bones of their ancestors! They are probably my favorite. I also have Battrin, which are giant bat humanoids that live in the Dark Forest. Those are a couple of my favorite!
My readers really enjoy darker themed fantasy? Do you have any works that they might especially like?
I think they will. My sci-fi stories are zombie books and as such are of course pretty dark and gory at times. But then my fantasy is also very mature with plenty of killing. In the prequel novella for my first fantasy series, The Hunters Trilogy, the main character faces one hardship after another. Now I don’t know if I would label my fantasy Dark Fantasy, but it definitely is not a feel good lovey-dovey type of fantasy either!
Any free offerings for readers to try out your work either permafree or Instafreebie/bookfunnel?
Sadly, at this moment I don’t have any. BUT within the next few months I’ll be having a story that will be free to everyone who signs up for my mailing list. So if you are interested I will have the link below and you can check it out and know right away when I have it available!
Where can readers catch up with you?
One of the best ways to stay in the loop on what is going on with me is my Facebook page and my email list. Below I will add those along with my Instagram, Twitter, and website.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJoshuaCChadd
Newsletter List: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t6w9k8
Website: www.joshuacchadd.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoshuaCChadd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuac.chadd/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/joshuacchadd
But that’s about all for me. If you’d like to know more feel free to head over to my website and check out my books!
Thanks for having my JT!
Joshua out!!!
I hope you enjoyed meeting and learning a bit more about another talented author! (Also, Joshua claims he is a "guide" for hunting "animals" but I'm fairly sure the zombie apocalypse has already started and he's actually out killing zombies. ) :)
Be sure to check out his work and follow the links above to learn more!
Be sure to check out his work and follow the links above to learn more!
Snippet #1 from Chapter 1 Dimming Jewel
Kealin waited in the main hall. The survivors that had suddenly arrived spoke of something that brought the greatest drear he had felt in some time. Eh-Rin, the very city he deemed safe, the place where his and Alri’s baby brother was guarded, faced annihilation.
He had helped to get the host inside. They said very little and the original man he had met, the one from Eh-Rin, had actually taken a blade to his side in their escape but he was not the only one injured. Once Hunda had a salve in place on the man’s ribcage, the man was led to the great hall and poured a large glass of wine. The man slurped the beverage as many of the others took seats around him.
They were all eager to hear more of what had happened.
Kealin’s anger grew the more he thought of his infant brother. He would not let him die. He would not have the same fate as Calak and Taslun.
“They were all dead,” the old man said.
Surk and Lizk leaned in as he spoke. Brethor looked up from across the room as he tied a bandage on one of the other men. He then walked over to the table near the fireplace and poured a cup of tea.
“How close did you get to the River Valley?” Surk asked.
“I stood on the beach just before the ruins of the lighthouse. The stench of death was beyond explainable. I saw no green tree, no unburnt bit of grass or flowers. The ground and the mountains were blackened. The city of Vueric was nothing but smoldering ruins, but I, Dabar of Eh-Rin, had to see it for myself. I could not believe when word came to our gates that our armies had fallen and that our good sultan and his flying machine were lost.
“I had helped him when he began his journey to the secret place in the mountains. He had told me to protect the city if they failed. I laughed at him, saying what could stand against the might of Eh-Rin? He nodded to me but nothing else.”
Brethor brought Dabar a cup of tea to go with his wine, and the man, aged with gray hair and a less-than-fluid motion to his actions, took a sip.
“This is good tea.”
“If you would like to rest, that is fine,” Alri said, now joining them. “The others are lying down. I understand you came under attack before you even made it to the mountains.”
“We did. Our group was double what we have now. We took a secret passage out of the city and came up on the other side of a Grand Protectorate camp. They pursued us, and several of our men stood their ground while we fled.
“I remember that morning well. I had been meditating after being woken from the shaking of the earth and flashes to the east in the middle of the night. I knew the battle was happening and that there was nothing I could do. With dawn came silence, by evening we spotted a lone ship returning to port. There were only a few men of Vueric and an elf—that was it. The Drean’s sails appeared behind them. We got the men and the elf into the city, and our port defenses spun to life. We took at least twenty of the Drean vessels and tore them to pieces, but they began onslaughts of explosive attacks. We raised the city shields to protect our people. It was a few days later but when the first waves of legionnaires made their way down Amhe’s road and began to form, I knew the truth. All of our loved ones were dead.
“The strangest happening was the arrival of the Sanguine monks. We had not heard a single whisper from them after Amhe departed but then they appeared in the palace and spoke of you.” He pointed to Kealin. “They said to seek the half-elf. They told us that you were our only hope. I did not think any more of it. We gathered our supplies, the best of our men, and the ones who wished to follow us from the battle only a few hours before. Once we took the secret passage and evaded our captors, we went into the mountains. We told those that knew our way out of the city to seal the passageway. If we were caught, we did not want to risk any easy way into Eh-Rin.
“We knew none lived north of the valley. We had to believe that any survivors went south. This place was the first forest we found that seemed of liking to an elf.”
Kealin grinned. “I do not know why the Sanguine sought me. I am just one man.”
“There is power in your bloodline, a younger one, a baby—they have him. The Sanguine. They say he is the most potent of Dwemhar blood they have ever seen.”
Alri looked to Kealin and then back to Dabar. “He is safe, for now?”
“As long as the shield above the city is up.”
“A literal shield of metals or magic?” Lizk asked.
“It is an energy-based device. We have spinning crystals beneath the city powered by the magic of the moon, recharging every night when the lunar light shines down upon the city itself. But we have great fear. The Drean have a sorcerer called Aganim, a practitioner of blood magic. We are afraid he seeks the power of the Itsu gods to pull the light from the moon. Without moonlight, Eh-Rin will fall.”
“This name,” Frinda said, “Aganim, I have heard it but I thought he was dead. The man would have to be a few hundred years old.”
“He is very much alive and resides in one of the massive Drean cities in the far west. The city is called Ridda. It is the place of snakes, a shrine to their snake deity, where ritual sacrifices take place before the great cobras. It is a place devoid of the powers of life. Only death is there.”
Alri sat back in her chair. “We will need an army and the full power of magic behind us if we are to save Eh-Rin. My Mortua Beacon needs adjustments and additional infusions of dark magic, but we will move on to Fadabrin and then determine our next path.”
“I have delivered my message to the half-elf, and I assume from your similarities, you are his sister.”
Alri smiled. “Yes, Dabar.”
“Family is the most fortunate gift. You should do all you can to guard one another.”
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He had helped to get the host inside. They said very little and the original man he had met, the one from Eh-Rin, had actually taken a blade to his side in their escape but he was not the only one injured. Once Hunda had a salve in place on the man’s ribcage, the man was led to the great hall and poured a large glass of wine. The man slurped the beverage as many of the others took seats around him.
They were all eager to hear more of what had happened.
Kealin’s anger grew the more he thought of his infant brother. He would not let him die. He would not have the same fate as Calak and Taslun.
“They were all dead,” the old man said.
Surk and Lizk leaned in as he spoke. Brethor looked up from across the room as he tied a bandage on one of the other men. He then walked over to the table near the fireplace and poured a cup of tea.
“How close did you get to the River Valley?” Surk asked.
“I stood on the beach just before the ruins of the lighthouse. The stench of death was beyond explainable. I saw no green tree, no unburnt bit of grass or flowers. The ground and the mountains were blackened. The city of Vueric was nothing but smoldering ruins, but I, Dabar of Eh-Rin, had to see it for myself. I could not believe when word came to our gates that our armies had fallen and that our good sultan and his flying machine were lost.
“I had helped him when he began his journey to the secret place in the mountains. He had told me to protect the city if they failed. I laughed at him, saying what could stand against the might of Eh-Rin? He nodded to me but nothing else.”
Brethor brought Dabar a cup of tea to go with his wine, and the man, aged with gray hair and a less-than-fluid motion to his actions, took a sip.
“This is good tea.”
“If you would like to rest, that is fine,” Alri said, now joining them. “The others are lying down. I understand you came under attack before you even made it to the mountains.”
“We did. Our group was double what we have now. We took a secret passage out of the city and came up on the other side of a Grand Protectorate camp. They pursued us, and several of our men stood their ground while we fled.
“I remember that morning well. I had been meditating after being woken from the shaking of the earth and flashes to the east in the middle of the night. I knew the battle was happening and that there was nothing I could do. With dawn came silence, by evening we spotted a lone ship returning to port. There were only a few men of Vueric and an elf—that was it. The Drean’s sails appeared behind them. We got the men and the elf into the city, and our port defenses spun to life. We took at least twenty of the Drean vessels and tore them to pieces, but they began onslaughts of explosive attacks. We raised the city shields to protect our people. It was a few days later but when the first waves of legionnaires made their way down Amhe’s road and began to form, I knew the truth. All of our loved ones were dead.
“The strangest happening was the arrival of the Sanguine monks. We had not heard a single whisper from them after Amhe departed but then they appeared in the palace and spoke of you.” He pointed to Kealin. “They said to seek the half-elf. They told us that you were our only hope. I did not think any more of it. We gathered our supplies, the best of our men, and the ones who wished to follow us from the battle only a few hours before. Once we took the secret passage and evaded our captors, we went into the mountains. We told those that knew our way out of the city to seal the passageway. If we were caught, we did not want to risk any easy way into Eh-Rin.
“We knew none lived north of the valley. We had to believe that any survivors went south. This place was the first forest we found that seemed of liking to an elf.”
Kealin grinned. “I do not know why the Sanguine sought me. I am just one man.”
“There is power in your bloodline, a younger one, a baby—they have him. The Sanguine. They say he is the most potent of Dwemhar blood they have ever seen.”
Alri looked to Kealin and then back to Dabar. “He is safe, for now?”
“As long as the shield above the city is up.”
“A literal shield of metals or magic?” Lizk asked.
“It is an energy-based device. We have spinning crystals beneath the city powered by the magic of the moon, recharging every night when the lunar light shines down upon the city itself. But we have great fear. The Drean have a sorcerer called Aganim, a practitioner of blood magic. We are afraid he seeks the power of the Itsu gods to pull the light from the moon. Without moonlight, Eh-Rin will fall.”
“This name,” Frinda said, “Aganim, I have heard it but I thought he was dead. The man would have to be a few hundred years old.”
“He is very much alive and resides in one of the massive Drean cities in the far west. The city is called Ridda. It is the place of snakes, a shrine to their snake deity, where ritual sacrifices take place before the great cobras. It is a place devoid of the powers of life. Only death is there.”
Alri sat back in her chair. “We will need an army and the full power of magic behind us if we are to save Eh-Rin. My Mortua Beacon needs adjustments and additional infusions of dark magic, but we will move on to Fadabrin and then determine our next path.”
“I have delivered my message to the half-elf, and I assume from your similarities, you are his sister.”
Alri smiled. “Yes, Dabar.”
“Family is the most fortunate gift. You should do all you can to guard one another.”
Preorder Wrath of the Half-Elves here!
A new release is here and it has been far too long! My newest story is a mix of my love of vampires and a callback to Elderscroll games like Oblivion and Skyrim!
Who loves a good quest? Especially, when that quest is given by some random stranger in a tavern? The Stranger's Quest (ha! See what I did there?) is available now on Amazon. Give it a read and let me know what you think. If you are a fan of rpg style games and of course Rangers, elves, and dwarves, you'll like this. I can almost promise you!
Who loves a good quest? Especially, when that quest is given by some random stranger in a tavern? The Stranger's Quest (ha! See what I did there?) is available now on Amazon. Give it a read and let me know what you think. If you are a fan of rpg style games and of course Rangers, elves, and dwarves, you'll like this. I can almost promise you!
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