Month: January 2019

“And I thought we were going to have a comfortable night’s sleep,” Neil said as they watched Meira and Stephen disappear into the trees. “I’m tired, I don’t want to move anymore, and now we need to find a garden Read more…

“I thought this place would be safe,” Helen said, hoping not to sound disappointed. “It’s safer than most,” Meira reassured her. “But every city falls in the end. Except Larisa. We’ve received reports that a group of Mered’s men aren’t Read more…

“Neil, have you ever seen anything more beautiful than this?” Helen whispered. “Not many things, no,” he answered. “Unless, like me, you consider a field ready to be harvested as beautiful.” The doors opened into an entryway made of polished Read more…

Only a few minutes later, the walls on either side began to shorten, and after a few more steps, a field steadily grew ahead of them. Putting their hands against the sides of the cliffs, they pushed themselves forward, emerging Read more…

Confused and nervous, they watched as Ian grew smaller and smaller, ascending the hill he had descended not long before. “Do you think there may be more men on the other side of that hill?” Helen whispered. Neil both shrugged Read more…

He stopped his horse at the point where the two boxes joined and dismounted. “Helen,” he said with mock benevolence, “what happened? Do you need help?” Helen said nothing and only watched as Ian walked measuredly along the wall, back Read more…

Helen sighed and took a small pouch out of her bag and opened it, spilling the contents—a handful of gold and silver coins—into the palm of her hand. She handed these to Neil, who in turn took the emerald out Read more…

Neil pulled the stone out of his pocket and turned it over in his palm a few times. “Is this what you mean?” he asked, holding it out to Helen. As she took it and held it up between her Read more…

Then, without warning, the silence was broken by a sound that reminded Neil of shattering glass, and the next second, a cylinder of green light sprinkled with glassy shards sprang out of the floor and engulfed Helen. It was almost Read more…