Our Hero was searching for a key... ------ Chapter 29. "Ha! You'll need to be faster than that, Erik!" Yeah, no kidding. Zenga was dodging most of the blows I sent at her, and I couldn't do nearly so well dodging hers. My armor did make up some of the difference, though. This was worthwhile practice, I had to admit. My workouts in the Rainbow Kingdom had been against Sky Fairies, and mostly near-pure blood, which meant that my True Mortal advantage was tremendously [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix in Shadow: Chapter 5
December 31, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Well, Our Heroes had decided it was time to get moving... ------ Chapter 5. "A far finer parting, this, than the last time you left us, Kyri," said Jeridan Relion, the Watchland of Evanwyl. The ruler of the little country bowed extravagantly low to Kyri, and took her hand in his. Poplock felt the tiniest twitch from Tobimar at that, and wondered how long it would be before his friend talked to Kyri about what he felt. I mean, he can't be unaware of it… can he? "That it is, Jeridan," [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix in Shadow: Chapter 4
December 29, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Kyri and her party had just had an unexpected guest arrive... Chapter 4. Tobimar hadn't recognized the tall Artan, but he knew the name that Kyri gasped as the warrior nearly fell face-first to the polished stone floor. He taught her entire family, including her parents, her brother, and her sister. Kyri reached the Artan warrior, whose deep-violet hair pooled slightly on the floor before him as he sat on all fours, arms and knees supporting him so he looked like a man broken. "Lythos… Sho-Ka-Taida, are [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 28
December 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Well, it looked as though Erik was going to get a companion... ------ Chapter 28. "So, Lord Erik, we head for the Nome King's domain once we have landed?" I turned and smiled at Zenga. She was easy to smile at, having the dark-coffee skin of most of Pingaree's people combined with the sharper-cut features of her mother to produce a girl of striking beauty. "Yes and no, Princess." "You are far too young to speak in riddles," she retorted, leaning on the rail next to me. "That is the [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix in Shadow: Chapter 3
December 24, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Kyri was remembering the recent past... ----- Chapter 3. The twin swords flickered at her like darting reflections from a pool of water, and Kyri realized just how very, very good Tobimar Silverun was with those weapons. In moments she deflected two strikes with her own sword, and still felt three, no, four impacts of those blades on her Raiment. And I've already increased my speed some. The raven-black hair was pulled back in a long ponytail that swirled behind Tobimar as he pirouetted away [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix in Shadow: Chapter 2
December 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment
And now that the preliminaries are out of the way, let's get to our main characters! ------ Chapter 2. "Down!" Kyri shouted. Tobimar reacted just in time; the huge serpent's venom sprayed above his head, striking the grass and bushes behind them, almost instantly turning them gray and brittle. "Terian and Chromaias!" If that struck him, he could be killed! Not that getting hit by the thing's immense teeth or caught by coils the thickness of a strong man's thigh would be any better, but [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Second Vision and Chapter 27
December 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment
A second glimpse at an important viewpoint, and Erik arrives at his destination: ------ Second Vision: Agony of boiling light, cruel radiance tearing her slowly apart, pieces of her own self taken away, forged with hammers of blazing selfish will and cruel luminant ambition. But the tiny comfort of the point of darkness remained, and she clung to that. Over days and weeks and untold passage of time, when her eyes and soul felt tormented beyond endurance, she could seek it out, so small, but [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix in Shadow: Chapter 1
December 17, 2014 By 7 Comments
And before we get back to our main heroes, we need to look in on a more conflicted adversary... ------ Chapter 1. Aran felt cold, cold inside, so cold that he was able to ignore his fear entirely. There is nothing to fear here, not now. For what I want and what It wants, they must be the same now. Even so, he had to steel himself to knock at the great stone and metal portal which was the Hall of Balance, the innermost area of the Justiciar's Retreat… and the chosen quarters [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix in Shadow: Prologue
December 15, 2014 By 2 Comments
Now we begin the sequel to Phoenix Rising, Phoenix in Shadow, second in the Balanced Sword trilogy! And we start with a look at the real bad guy in the whole trilogy... ------ Prologue. This is… most interesting. It surveyed the clearing, smoke still drifting from multiple scattered fires which had – mostly – died out by now, dozens of bodies of monstrous, twisted… things lying everywhere, and a huge scar of blackened earth that stretched from an underground opening to fan out all the way to [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 26
December 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Well, we should look in on what our villains are up to... ----- Chapter 26. Ugu found Queen Amanita in the Third Garden, one of the few spots of green in the Gray Capital. She was apparently experimenting with transformations, morphing a butterfly into a sort of winged centipede with a dozen sets of brilliant wings, then into a bird with butterfly wings, and other variations on flying pretty creatures. She has an excellent eye and appreciation for beauty, but her art is as cold as her smile, [ Continue reading... ]
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