A rain came, sudden and hard. Fortune lent them favor as Ilenia and Helaia made it to the forest before the deluge was made all the fiercer by billowing winds. The leaves of the trees here were broader than the usual fare, which gave them some measure of shelter. They huddled together against a thick ...

Part One A knock at the door permeated her dreams. At first, she ignored it, assuming one of the children were playing games or perhaps someone was mistaken. “Ilenia?” questioned a familiar voice. Helaia. Groaning and stretching, Ilenia covered her mouth to stymie a yawn. “What is it?” “Can we talk?” “Is it so important ...

The caves ran deep beneath Telia Un. Endless veins that forked in every which way, and somewhere within lay its beating heart. Cold air blew like the land exhaled a breath it had held for thousands of years. In the darkness, torch fires threw shadows against the damp walls. Men dressed in a full complement ...

Dear Santa, Thank you for giving people something to believe in. The excitement, the joy, the magic that people experience year after year is magnificent and memorable. So, Santa, I decided to ask several family members to share a Christmas memory or two and was delighted by their responses. I hope you enjoy them as ...

I woke up to a faint tapping sound. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes thinking it was just an early morning meteor shower outside my bedroom window, but the sky was still dark purple like the stone that filled the inside of the silver crescent moon necklace around my neck. “I need your help,” ...

Royal greetings were always the same at the palace. The essential staff (Guards, and the royal servants that would attend to the guests in question during their stay.) Then of course, Then there’s the royal family. Well, all of the ones that weren’t banished for treasons against their mother. These could range anywhere from slander ...

Part One|Part Two|Part Three _____ He stumbled out of the portal and into the depths of a cave, shivering violently, his teeth gnashing together. Frost tipped his hair, melted on his clothes as the warm air greeted him. A clatter of metal on stone reverberated. Startled, he backpedaled, then noticed a distinct gleam on the ...

Part One | Part Two She sat on the steps that preceded the throne. Night encroached, a darkness imposing despite the fervent glow of lit torches. Her garb spoke of a warrior, with leather greaves and a chestplate made of the same. Steel-tipped boots tapped the marble floor, a measure of impatience in the beat. ...

Please read: Part one The arrows were still embedded into his chest when Wierna went to look on Henden’s body. His mouth agape, widened as if ready to scream. His eyes were shut, and two coins of silver and of gold lay upon their lids. She struggled to keep herself in check. Her breathing faltered ...