Chapter 1 “Jake!” Nadeen dropped to her knees next to him and clasped his head in her hands, staring into his face. His eyes were closed, a grimace of pain frozen on his face as blood dripped down his chin. “Mintran!” Mintran ran over and squatted down next to her, one hand prying open Jake’s […]
Chapter 1 The cloud of birds erupted into the sky again at the sound of the explosion, and even the horses in the corral, who should have been used to it by now, whinnied their displeasure. Jake waved his hand to disperse the smoke. “Well, it’s got plenty of umph, but it’s still too damn […]
Chapter 1 Jake pulled out the hard case and slipped on his sunglasses, relieved to see the harsh sunlight of the dunes reduced to a cooler shade. He carefully put the hard case back into the leather pouch on his belt. He didn’t wear his shades much these days because they attracted so much attention—they […]
Jake was a side character in the Book of Richard, and I had always intended to use him somehow. I had a lot of ideas about tying in various Australian (and maybe other) agencies and groups interested in the Dreamlands for one reason or another. As it turned out he totally ignored my wishes and […]
He finished the piece and waited for the last traces of the echo to fade away before lowering the flute and opening his eyes. It was one of his favorites, something he’d written himself a few years earlier and continued to refine. He referred to it as his Ode to Ifdawn Marest. He looked out […]
“Tomorrow we’re going to ride down to Cappadarnia, now that the temple to Agdistis is done. Karadi and Atisha are coming with us. Would you like to come, too?” “Cappadarnia, Mama!? Yeah, let’s go!” nodded Arun enthusiastically. The nine-year old boy loved the sea and leapt at the chance to escape his tutors and ride […]
Sixteen-year-old Kostubh jerked the rod again, making the float bounce and (he hoped) wiggling the worm enticingly. Gitanshu, three years his elder, stoically watched his own float as if willing it to move. Nothing moved but the waves, the buzzing insects, and the distant bustle of the harbor. The two boys had snuck out in […]
Dhruv stared at the distant coastline blankly, seeing but not really noticing the tiny villages and fields as they swept past. He was still trying to figure out just how his life had changed. He understood all the reasons why his twin sister Atisha married Prixadius, the brand new Lord of Adelma. Adelma had been […]
It hurt no matter which way she turned. She sighed; Karadi snored beside her. She thought she’d be used to it by now. After all, this would be her eleventh child. According to the other Lajita, her last child. One every year or two, and as much as she loved them all, she still hated […]
It had been two years since they’d entered into a pact with Ukos, now Lord of Astarma and effective commander of the combined fleets of Shiroora Shan and Astarma. Piracy was almost unheard of in the western arm of the Night Ocean, and trade was flourishing through all three key routes: Shiroora Shan, which controlled […]