At dawn, Master Henrick bellowed orders to the drovers and guards as the camp stirred. As men, dwarves, and elves moved around the wagons, a short, squat figure approached the area where the group had laid their heads the previous night. “Top o’ th’ morn’, to ye,” a gravelly voice hailed with a slight bow … Continue reading Chapter 8: Blessings
Five weary travelers slipped onto the main trade road between caravans. They walked the well-trodden trade road toward the city of Blackmoor. By sunset, they had caught up with the procession they’d followed. They gnawed the few strips of the leftover darnni meat as they found a suitable spot near the wagons. Sam and Chase … Continue reading Chapter 7: Alliances
Long before false dawn, Sam had the group up and making the tiny clearing look as unused as possible. He knew it would be impossible considering that it had been occupied by five people, four of whom did not know how to walk softly. The girls came close, but Sam thought Chase was a lost … Continue reading Chapter 6: Pursuit
Taliesin could tell that Sam was not human, but wasn’t sure what he was. Sam had an energy, an aura, about him that Taliesin could almost see and could certainly feel. The day wore on as the tiny being taught them the basics of surviving in the wildlands of Adaran. Tal finally relaxed around him … Continue reading Chapter 5: Questions
Sam left the lean-to at dawn. “Stay here,” he said. “I’m gonna check me snares and see what I can find fer yer feet. By th’ look of ’em, they ain’t seen dirt for a while. I’ll try ta be back a’fore high sun.” Katra blushed. She knew he was right. The only times she … Continue reading Chapter 4: Reunion
“What the fu-” exclaimed Chase scrambling back. “Did you guys see that?” “See what?” asked Dreyah over her shoulder as she reached the base of the escarpment, unhooked from the line, and gave the rope a twitch to let Taliesin know that she had landed. “Kat … just …” he stammered. “Where’s Katra?” Dreyah asked, … Continue reading Chapter 3: Crystal Magic
Katra clawed her way to consciousness one painful realization at a time. Her last clear memory was entering a cave looking for her cousins, Elayna and Eliam, and climbing down a rope to a cavern filled with crystals. She vaguely recollected approaching and reaching out to the formations … then, she was here. Shivering, nude, … Continue reading Chapter 2: Confusion
Katra Alterian had been trying to call her cousin, Elayna, since yesterday, to no avail. It was not like Ela to ignore her calls. So, she drove to Ela's house to talk to her cousin. Katra ran into Talbot on her way to Ela's room. "Have you seen Ela or Eli?" she asked Talbot, the … Continue reading Chapter 1: Clues
Eliam Alterian peered into the cave’s mouth, his flashlight beam catching a glint in the darkness. “Check this out, Ela,” he called over his shoulder as his twin hauled herself up onto the rock shelf. Avid rock climbers and spelunkers, Eliam and Elayna loved testing their skill in the Rocky Mountains near the family compound … Continue reading Adventures of the Alterian Family: Prologue
50,000 Monkeys at 50,000 Typewriters Can't Be Wrong
Tavern Tales
Malaysian-based writer, author, and storyteller
J.J. Shaun 