Reflections

Adrah had never felt truly at home in the village, where people called her “Wanderer,” though no one knew exactly where she’d wandered from. They whispered as she passed, casting quick glances at her face, hoping to glimpse whatever secrets she carried. She’d grown used to their stares, but it was the mirror that made … Continue reading Reflections

The Longest Day

The sun rose early over the Dragonspine Mountains, casting its golden light across the forested valleys below. Birds screamed, warnings piercing the trees. Dry wind twisted through the cedars. The sky stretched cloudless. At the edge of the old world, Artin stood barefoot in the dewy grass, staring at the horizon where darkness should have … Continue reading The Longest Day

Don’t Look Now

Smoke curled from the vendor stalls, thick with the of charred meat and burned spices. The market pulsed with activity—flickering hands, quick bargains, laughter too sharp and sudden. Beneath it all, beat a different rhythm. It was the beat of watching eyes. Of footsteps that didn’t belong. Kael crouched behind a stack of dried reeds, … Continue reading Don’t Look Now

Qilynn: Thistle

Qilynn and the group met Master Vance at breakfast. “You’ll guard the wagon as we travel to Thistle,” he said. “We need to deliver supplies and medicine to the village. Questions?” “Aye,” said Tumorgi. “Don’t the baron have a squad o’ guards t’ send? Seems like the three of us won’t be much protection against … Continue reading Qilynn: Thistle

Ashes and Echoes

The dagger was all too real. Talya’s fingers hovered a breath above the obsidian blade resting on the velvet-lined pedestal; its edge shimmered beneath the flickering lamplight like oil on water. Magic hummed through the room like the buzz of insects—low, invisible, suffocating. She never nicked nothing like this before. Now, she wasn’t sure she … Continue reading Ashes and Echoes

The Final Storm

The wind howled through the peaks of the southern Dragonspine Mountains, carrying the fury of the coming blizzard. Far below, in a valley nestled between two great ridges, the village of Thorne’s Hollow sat like a topaz on the snow-covered plain. The villagers, accustomed to the harsh weather of winter, were well-prepared for the storm. … Continue reading The Final Storm