Poplock had made a welcome discovery in the last chapter... ------- Chapter 14. Once more, Tobimar found himself hiding in shadows, watching an inn. A misty, warm drizzle of rain wet his hair and dripped from the eaves above. Poplock was on his shoulder as they stared at the Balanced Meal from the darkness of a narrow alley between a clothier and a farrier's stables across from the main inn of Evanwyl proper. "This is going to be difficult," he murmured. "Why in Blackwart's name aren't they [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix Ascendant: Chapter 13
January 11, 2016 By Leave a Comment
At long last, Kyri and Tobimar have come back to Evanwyl... ----- Chapter 13. "Gharis again," murmured Tobimar. "Appropriate. It was the easiest of the outlying towns for us to get to from Rivendream," Poplock said. He was feeling perhaps unreasonably cheerful and optimistic; getting out of the vile, sanity-eroding nastiness of Rivendream had that effect. Maybe Evanwyl wasn't the sparkling perfection of Kaizatenzei, but compared to Rivendream Pass, well, close enough. "How do you want to do [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix Ascendant: Chapter 12
January 8, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Well, between Kaizatenzei and Evanwyl lies an area not nearly so pleasant as either... ------ Chapter 12. Tobimar heard the triple twang-twang-twang as Poplock's clockwork crossbow fired. "Behind you!" Tobimar whirled, silver-green swords out, slashing across the shadow wraith which was already burning white in three places, shattering it to fading shards of night. "Close." "We're not done!" Two more shadow wraiths, graverisen affected by the dark powers in Rivendream Pass, had [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix Ascendant: Chapter 11
January 6, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Where there are heroes, there must be a villain... ------ Chapter 11. Once more the scroll remained silvery, blank, even as the voice spoke from it. "A few weeks only, now." "Really? You have made good time. The matrix remains intact?" "Astonishingly so. I need only focus on my intended path and impression, and it brings forth the words, the posture, the gestures… everything I need." The voice paused, and in the silence it read something else. "You sound troubled, my friend." "It [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix Ascendant: Chapter 10
January 4, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Now, Kyri had made a promise to Lady Shae... ----- Chapter 10. Zogen Josan stared at them from wide eyes. He hadn't moved for several seconds. It is, Kyri admitted to herself, an awful lot to take in at once, even if some of it tells you that you weren't crazy. Reflect Jenten also had the glaze-eyed look of someone hit in the head hard during sparring. He was the only other person they'd brought in to hear the story of what had happened in Sha Kaizatenzei Valatar; the ruler of [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix Ascendant: Chapter 9
January 1, 2016 By Leave a Comment
The party had set out, and that means a long journey in the wilds... ----- Chapter 9. Poplock caught a tenzili on the wing and crunched down. The glowy-stuff the little insects used gave them a particular tang that he liked. "That's… kind of eerie, Poplock," commented Tobimar. "What is? "When you eat those things you end up with a glowing mouth for an hour or so. So I just see this little floating smile and sudden flash of you gulping something else down." "I didn't realize that! Sounds [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix Ascendant: Chapter 8
December 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment
And now let's see what might be the most tragic figure of the saga... ------ Chapter 8. With a slight groan of effort, Aran heaved himself over the sharp edge of the black-glass scar across the land. Ahead, he could see that the Necklace continued down a gentle slope a short distance away. If he'd been willing to walk down the dark-polished miniature canyon for another quarter mile, it would have ended due to that downward slope. But the slope rose again in the distance, and Aran Condor could see the [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix Ascendant: Chapter 7
December 28, 2015 By Leave a Comment
It's time for Our Heroes to set back out on their quest... ----- Chapter 7. "You know, I really hate to say goodbye," Poplock said, as he shook Hiriista's extended claw between his forepaws. "As do I, more than I can express. We make excellent teammates, all of us, do we not?" "Beyond any doubt," Kalshae said with a laugh. "I learned this to my sorrow… and my joy. A strange yet satisfying end to many things, despite our losses." "And one that's resolved so many of our questions," Tobimar said. [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix Ascendant: Chapter 6
December 25, 2015 By Leave a Comment
We can't go on without occasionally looking in on the OTHER side of the board... ------ Chapter 6. "They … they seem to be exactly as they were," Bolthawk murmured, in a tone of mingled fear and awe. It followed the false Justiciar's gaze to where Mist Owl stood in conversation with the earlier Silver Eagle, Gareth Lamell, and Skyharrier. "Oh, indeed, they are exactly as they were." It chuckled. "I suppose your surprise comes from your first re-introduction to your fallen comrades?" Assured by its [ Continue reading... ]
Phoenix Ascendant: Chapter 5
December 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment
They had made a hideous discovery... ------ Chapter 5. "It makes all too much sense," Tobimar said quietly. He saw Kyri nod, still pale under her dark skin. Rion had nearly collapsed after that last revelation, and it was clear that he needed rest badly. Now he and Kyri stood at the edge of Valatar, and he rested a hand on her shoulder. She started at that, then nodded again. "Of course. And fits perfectly with that sensation I had around him – the one that first led me to be suspicious of the Unity [ Continue reading... ]
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