#dyelo

The four of us reunited and returned the shaken Sovereign to his palace. Essedri, being the most proficient in the Toiaun tongue, told him the details of our various encounters with the Serpent’s Fang and what he could expect to find. He was far more receptive to our tale than I would have expected, but after being betrayed by one of his closest and rescued by total strangers, he seemed to be…

My blow struck home, killing Connelly instantly. He flew soundlessly past and hit the rising platform with a thud. However, this left me with a dilemma. Connelly hadn’t been the only one not to consider the full consequences of his actions. The other side of the platform, where I would land, plummeted away from me, leaving only a hard drop to the roof or a deadly one over the edge.

My legs spun…

Lament http://wp.me/spU4W-lament

Previous: Pinefell

“No.” That was all I could think, all I could say, as his blood gushed out on the flagstones. I dragged him away from the deadly doorframe, still in disbelief. Not gentle, savage Dyélo, Dyélo who fought wolves barehanded and mourned over fallen badgers. Dyélo of the quick laugh and the quick strike.

Essedri joined me at his side a second later, and took a glance at the wound.…

Pinefell http://wp.me/spU4W-pinefell

Previous: The Arch and the River

We took the same shortcut as Connelly did, a steep series of switchbacks downhill through knotted pines. I was forced to wind through the defatted things, clambering as fast as I dared. Essedri was faster than I, but Dyélo shamed us both, skipping lithely through the trees. As much annoying as he could be, I was glad to have him.

“He’s out of the trees,” Selph…

Casper’s Arches

Previous: Island Hopping

“Let out the sidesails,” Rhaavin proclaimed. He spoke only as loudly as a lecturer in a courtroom, but his words carried the impact of other captains yelling profanity-laced orders at the top of their lungs. The ship responded as though it were a living thing, spreading its wing-like sails and surging forward.  We had relayed our news to Rhaavin, and he had agreed to set…

Previous: The Crypt

For the next two weeks, we sailed from place to place. Captain Rhaavin was an expert sailor, and his unusual ship skimmed over the waves like a gull. At times I swear we were floating. In his capable hands, we were slowly but surely gaining ground.

The Procelus Islands lay to the east of the mainland, and were mostly under Toiaun control. Although scattered over some distance,…

Previous: Collateral and Guarantees

After a few grueling hours trudging through the twisting caverns,  I began to hear a vague noise. As we headed deeper and further, I recognized it as the sounds of the ocean.

Our guide noticed my reaction and nodded acknowledgment. “We are close, now.”

“Excuse me, mister… eh…” I trailed off awkwardly. We’d been so busy being clandestine I’d forgotten to ask his…

Previous: Leap of Faith

“Selane, wake up,” came an unwelcome voice. “We need to hurry.”

I opened my eyes to find Essedri shaking my shoulders. I had to shut them immediately afterward as they were bombarded with bright sunlight. It must have been close to noon. I tried to roll over but found this more difficult than anticipated.

“Oh, sorry, let me untie you,” said Essedri. I tried to crack my…