Today's the last chapter to be posted, and we see our adversary in a bad mood... ----- Chapter 21. He stood over the open grave with his fists clenched, such venom boiling in his veins that there were claws starting to cut their way into his palms. Gritting teeth that had gone pointed, he took hold of his anger and forced it, immaterial step by immaterial step, back into the cage he had forged over the millennia to hold it. There were times to let it free … but not now, not here, where his transformation into something [ Continue reading... ]
GODSWAR: Chapter 20
June 19, 2020 By 1 Comment
Urelle had met someone surprising... but her aunt probably wants to use a mother's caution... ----- Chapter 20. "The Wanderer." Victoria's voice was level, with just a hint of the doubt she felt. At that, she couldn't deny that she felt a certain frisson of awe at the figure before her. A bit shorter than she had expected, perhaps, but in other particulars, he matched the myths well enough. And from the way the man stood, the faint traces of power she could sense, her long experience told her that he was a very [ Continue reading... ]
GODSWAR: The Mask of Ares, Chapter 19
June 17, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Time to see Urelle doing something magical... ----- Chapter 19. Urelle looked at the wide, soft bed with its black-and-green patterned coverlet longingly, but sighed. Can't go to sleep right now. She had, with relief, let go of the enchantment on the distant Coin once Auntie had brought it up. She had been pushing herself very hard, and it had been time to release it, but – being entirely honest – she didn't think it had been too hard. The effort involved had felt … well, like a good workout with Lythos. [ Continue reading... ]
GODSWAR: The Mask of Ares, Chapter 18
June 15, 2020 By 2 Comments
Our friends were making their way through the Forest Sea... ----- Chapter 18. "Ingram," Victoria said, "How are certain are you that we are still on the proper course?" "About a hundred per cent," Ingram said. "Why?" Quester caught a hint of amusement from his friend. "Because I haven't noticed you stopping to take bearings much, if at all, in our travels. And there are so many ways to get lost in the Forest Sea. I've been through this general area before, and to make sure we were on the straight course meant one [ Continue reading... ]
GODSWAR: The Mask of Ares, Chapter 17
June 12, 2020 By Leave a Comment
It's time to look in on our adversary and see him having a family moment... ----- Chapter 17. "Of course I want you to succeed, my son," said his mother. "But there is only so much I can do for you without making my King and husband doubt that it is your success, and not mine, that he sees." He nodded, unwillingly, in acquiescence. Having Mother's whole-hearted support in his endeavors would make everything vastly easier, of course, but she was right; then there would be – would always be – the question as to whether [ Continue reading... ]
GODSWAR: The Mask of Ares, Chapter 16
June 10, 2020 By 4 Comments
Urelle and the others had come to a dark realization... ----- Chapter 16. Chaoswar. The word echoed menacingly through Ingram's mind. On its own it was a silly word. War was usually chaos. Putting the two together was near enough a redundancy. But as every living being on Zarathan knew, had been taught, had read in books or heard in legends or seen in ancient carvings, there was nothing whatsoever silly about it. "Chaoswar" was only the translation, anyway, of a phrase in Ancient Sauran that meant something more like "the [ Continue reading... ]
GODSWAR: The Mask of Ares, Chapter 15
June 8, 2020 By 2 Comments
... and we begin with the cover image scene itself... ----- Chapter 15. She rose from below the cliff in a glow like sunbeams on water, bronze curls tumbling across her shoulders, skin of olive-touched gold, a body as strong and tall as Urelle remembered her sister Kyri's, and cradled in her arms was Ingram, staring at the newcomer with such awe and joy and love that Urelle felt something constrict in her chest. Then the girl laughed, and the sound itself was joy, a clarion cry of courage and triumph that dispelled [ Continue reading... ]
GODSWAR: The Mask of Ares, Chapter 14
June 5, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Urelle had pulled off a trick to distract their pursuers. (note: in the prior posted chapter it mistakenly said that she had sent them WEST and in fact it was EAST. I am hoping this can be corrected by publication time). ------ Chapter 14. Victoria saw the tension in Urelle's entire body vanish abruptly – a tension that Victoria had not consciously realized she had seen until it had disappeared. Ah. Of course. "The spell has reached your limits, then?" "Auntie? How did you know?" Urelle stared at her; the other two looked back [ Continue reading... ]
GODSWAR: The Mask of Ares, Chapter 13
June 3, 2020 By Leave a Comment
We should look in on what the OTHER side is up to... ----- Chapter 13. "Lord Ares!" He turned towards the call, seeing one of the Ekprospos coming towards him. With an annoying effort, he recalled her name. Artemisia Igemon, that was it. "Lady Artemisia," he said, inclining his head. "How can I be of service?" She smiled slightly up at him; General Aloysius, his incarnate form, was a man of heroic stature indeed, so even the fact that the night-haired woman topped six and a half feet left her nearly four inches [ Continue reading... ]
GODSWAR: The Mask of Ares, Chapter 12
June 1, 2020 By 1 Comment
Urelle had an idea for dealing with their pursuers... ----- Chapter 12. "This looks like a good spot to camp," Ingram said, studying the small, perfectly circular clearing. "Then Urelle can show us what she's come up with." "Wait a moment, young man," Victoria said, keeping him from entering. Her sharp blue eyes darted about the grassy, flower-strewn meadow with a flat rock outcropping near the center. Ingram could see tension in her pose, her hand held so that she could summon that immense battleaxe in a moment. She muttered [ Continue reading... ]
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