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The Many Eyes of the Ilpith     Mud and rocks swelled up from the ground, seemingly in slow motion, giving Cahrin time to choose between life and revenge. She skipped across the rising mound without regret or trepidation. Packed dirt climbed to the ceiling behind her, closing off escape, sealing her with her enemies. One […]

Northerner Alliances   Pa’hu paced from one end of the canvas tent to the other, thinking on all that had been accomplished since he had taken over the role of Schie Bura of the Capkecka clan. Four of the five Northerner clans had been united under his leadership, some by diplomacy, others by subjugation. Petty […]

Song of the Gems   The sparrow came in tilted, favoring a wing, before transforming into a one-handed dogar. Daen didn’t wait for him to catch his breath. “Well?” he prompted as loudly as he dared. “Not much to tell,” Selgrin replied, stretching the arm he injured in the fight with Haril. After several precautionary […]

The Hunted     For as long as Raven could remember, a constant cold emanated from his core that even a southern summer could not warm. But tonight’s unforgiving chill was a reminder that things could be worse. Already, his cheeks and nose felt as if they were made of frozen water and would shatter […]

The Price of a Queen     Selgrin had decided long ago that wings were a true marvel of nature, powerful enough to propel a creature at tremendous speeds, yet delicate and precise. Even the tiniest twitch could cause a change in directions. It was unfortunate winged creatures were the most difficult to study for […]

Troll     It seemed like a good idea at the time, launching his throwing daggers at the troll. Then again, when the Threshers had first appeared, his grand escape plan had involved swinging on a chandelier—he’d always wanted to do that. But on further reflection, the chandelier above them looked like it was having […]

Mountain of a Thousand Caves     “Now what?” Elandra thrust the question at Haril like a sword stroke. Haril winced. “You see where it looks like two beady eyes next to one another? Right above that, there’s an opening.” Daen followed Haril’s gaze up the boulder-filled slope, illuminated only by the brightness of the […]

The King’s Decision     “Zeph, my friend, is this not a wondrous castle?” said Demetrius. “Perhaps somewhat dated in furnishings, and the food is altogether bland, but the company—the company is incomparable.” Zeph had been roaming the halls all morning hoping to run into Kreeb. Instead, he’d come face to face with the one […]

Spider Sect     Renaldo and Elandra were already seated with the king when Daen joined their table. Though it was morning, His Majesty started on the ale early, remarking he needed a drink to knock out his pounding headache. Fortunately, he was still very much sober when the topic of Azren was brought up. […]

Raiding Party     It was the type of night that made even the hungriest of animals take shelter. An oppressive chill smothered all warmth, the sky called for a blizzard, and snowflakes were already swirling in the wind. A young Cahrin savored one last stroll before bedtime while the rest of the Capcecka Clan […]