Chapter 04 – Building fame I sometimes frequented the taverns with John or Robert or both. In the beginning, I wasn’t perfectly disguised, mostly for lack of experience, so even with my scarred face, someone would get the hunch that I was a woman. And in one of these times, a group of sailors from a merchant ship decided that since they hadn’t been getting laid for months, they would look over my scarred face and have fun...

Chapter 03 – First combat One evening, ten days later, we were two days from our destination when the look-out saw sails appear on the horizon. He was good, yes, but what helped him was that the falling sun made the sails reflect for a few moments. It was a fleet of at least five ships. No matter who they were, it was better to flee as quickly as possible. The captain gave orders to change course, going in a direction tha...

Chapter 1 – Introduction and betrayal “Keep your guard up higher, Cyndria!” “But father, I’m tired! And why should I learn brawling or using swords and knives? I’m a woman and I don’t need it!” In the beginning, I found it fun to exercise with my father in fighting and swordsmanship, so as to have some dedicated time with him, but now it was getting boring. It’s A.D. 1780 and I’m the barely fourteen years old daughter of...

With clenched fists, I pound on your door Shrill cries unlike you’ve ever heard before Mustering all the strength I have left in my core Frantic and desperate screams, you ignore In the dead of night, the world is without colours A twig cracks, a bush shudders Gasping for air as my heart flutters As shadowed beasts encircle me like vultures With a menacing grin and eyes of jade Slowly approaching, each wielding a sharp bl...

He noticed it as soon as he walked through the door, and was about to mention it, but then thought better of it as the youth settled behind his desk and set about turning on his computer. His black eye looked angry and painful, spread across the cheekbone and blending away on his right temple, as though prior to coming into work he had gotten himself into a nasty fight, him on the losing side. He seemed to get on with his...

“We are the Disciples of Eden,” Mia said as she handed him a box lunch. “We are here to help.” Perhaps Erik could be forgiven for letting his defenses down. They were nice. So very nice and friendly. And he had suffered for so long. Perhaps that was part of the plan. Eventually, he agreed to go with them. He looked back at the ruin that had been his home… their home. There was nothing for him left now. He climbed into the...

Ed Johnson’s son, Ben, had been shot in the driveway taking a bullet to the chest and a second to the back of his head as he lay dying. His blood had soaked into the ochre gravel of the road staining it nearly black. Large blue-black flies were swarming over his corpse. His German shepherd dog lay dead next to him. The farmhouse stood at the crest of the hill along the county highway overlooking the lush green fields and...

The small drops of blood had now dried up from my wounds as I lay down on the cold floor of our basement. It had been over an hour now and I was tired from all the crying.  The pain was unbearable and yet this wasn't even the worst.  There had been worse times. When he would tie me up in our basement and beat me up while he mouthed all sorts of profanities until I was unconscious.  I was nothing but a mistake to him, a bu...

she died this morning, her bony little hands clutching her pigeon chest, a look almost of relief on her tiny face. sitting upright on the hard chair he feels a cold black thrill, like the Nazi he is. what will he do now? he's not used to being alone. he goes upstairs where the Body lies, his mouth twisting into a maelstrom of rage as he mutters a curse on those merciful spirits who have taken her from him.he'd kill her ag...

A pink blush tinged her cheeks, That moment he smiled at her. And how she flushed so red, When he offered a flower. She glowed more than the sapphire, On her finger, he bestowed. With promises of forever, Of together, growing old. She was a beauty in white, As she walked down the aisle. Her head on clouds and rainbows, Hoping time would stop awhile. Yet shadows lurked and consumed, Lies all bared in the darkest hue. She l...

Prologue Dimitri held his breath as he watched the dark phantom wrapped in a ragged cloak of an archmage fly overhead. He was sure Thael's invisibility cloak shrouded them from the spirit, but he dared not make a sound, even breathing, while the creature flew so close to them. Though the woods were thick where they ventured, the twisting grey-brown trees of the Shade Wood never seemed to produce a leaf, only sporadic bran...

Missing Pieces:"Mr. Faulkner," the man said. "My name is Michael Bennett, and I was your wife's lover."Tom stood there, stock still, wondering if he had heard correctly. Michael Bennett looked at Tom oddly, questioning whether he had heard at all. He cleared his throat again to speak, but Tom interrupted him. "Mr. Bennett, you have ten seconds to get off my property before I inflict some serious damage."Michael nodded in...

The Copper Knight III Jorden wasted no time explaining everything, soon as Derren and the other present captains were in his office. Including himself, there were only four other captains present, all of them had some sort of blood stains seeping into their white cloaks. "The Baron made an all-out semi-coordinated attack against us," Jordan explained. "In the last hour alone we have lost over twelve-hundred men, about two...

The Iron Rook VII "The Baron is dead," Derren reported to Duncan in the councilors quarters, when he finally got in to see him. Present with him was Gerald, Mira was busy that morning. "Thanks to an anonymous man, we think someone who was close with him but betrayed him, we received his severed head. Afterward, we reclaimed the lost districts in the city and his rampant followers were far more easily dealt with. We still...

The Grey Bishop III Edward moved away the floor boards accessing his secret hiding spot, where he stored his most valuable stuff. He grabbed the small brown linen pouch and opened it to find four coppers. He punched the hard floor in rage; there had to be more. He couldn't get far with just this much when leaving the city right away.Desperately he dug through the dirt searching for any coins he may have dropped in there b...