“Don’t get me wrong,” Anrui said sternly, folding his hands over his chest. “Summoners are highly prized and have massive potential, but power is only as good as the one wielding it. A healer who yearns to kill is useless to anyone, just as a talented swordsman may go unused at the ploughshare if he is not found and schooled. Imagine where you might be, if you weren’t here.” Mireya shook her head. “I’d be stuck in a pub back in Ckuien Penance, worried over things I’d never be able to change. At least here I can be doing something useful for someone other than myself,” … [Read more...]

Anrui let the waves lull him as he waited for his students to finish their lessons with Grale, digging his fingers into the sand of the south beach and closing eyes heavy and gritted with exhaustion. The Moorish Regulator was working them long, clearly; Anrui had been waiting here long enough for the sun to begin to fail behind Jag Har’Oah’s rings far off to the south. Even the mighty rings of the God were cutting the sea on the horizon, speaking of a cool, long night. The long linen sarong he wore snapped in the wind, the sleeves of his open tunic tugging and playing with the heavy … [Read more...]

Namar may be the best-known jungle on the northern continent, but others were thicker. Darker. More cloying with the scents of pollen filing the air year round, the pheromones of carnivorous plants and poisonous flowers choking the air. Set in the side of a low hill leading up to the major mansion of the Baron of Lockwood, the Chapel of Rahrin was host to many samples from each of these dark havens. Leaves and tendrils lined the floor cast from their parent plants which sat nested in pots and boxes against the walls lining the entryway, a narrow, blackened tunnel lit only by the occasional … [Read more...]

Bewildered, Rhayd made his way back to the end of the column and claimed an errant cart. There seemed to be no shortage yet, though judging by the number of students beginning to filter into the armoury, having had a longer tour than the Blackcards had, there may be soon. It was an effort, dragging the huge core of rock onto the cart, but Rhayd assumed no one else had made it this far out in the stacks yet. His examination had been thorough enough for his purposes, but others he could see closer to the entryway were literally picking up and feeling every stone. Kintere seemed to have settled … [Read more...]

It didn’t take long for the students to dig into their task. As soon as the group entered the long, low building, they were confronted with row upon row of stones, lumps of metal, petrified wood, deadwood… All manner of material was there for the taking, in all its myriad forms and sizes. Almost immediately, Kintere dove headlong into a pile of hematite. Rhayd wasn’t at all surprised; neither was Mireya, by her quiet smile. Unlike their friend, they had less luck at the outset. Annoyed with the competition near the entrance – as if all the good pieces were waiting to be found first, … [Read more...]

"Those of you with black admission cards, to me," he called. "There should be thirty of you. You're mine for the next three months." Anrui had called for thirty, but a meagre eight sifted out through the Riptide’s passengers and made their way toward him. Most shuffled off toward Grale Hammerhand the squat Moorish instructor, or Caspiain Mercer, far off to one side, black-cowled and holding up his red token. Rhayd and his party were in the forefront of the eight new Blackcards. Flanked by Kintere and Mireya, the young martinet thrust out his black-rimmed admission chit almost … [Read more...]

Sinking spirals of sunlight wet the palm-laden flats to the east of the manor house as Jag Har’Oah's rings bit into the ocean beyond where the five high-liners carrying the last of this intake's ten score recruits were beaching themselves. Those who had already disembarked had assembled at the foot of the south entrance's stairs. Some had been slow in arriving, the south winds making an infernal trial of the passage to the isle from East Yuma. Lockwood might not be a backwater capital like Tan Maevin, and it was certainly no Absolution, but for such a small isle, the manor and Academy and … [Read more...]

Night approached faster than Rhayd expected. He, Kintere and Blackfang had spent much of the day helping the sailors unload the longboats as they came ashore - granted, Rhayd himself had mostly co-ordinated the unloading. It made good cover for his injury. Much as he hated being seen as the aloof, commanding presence he knew he was, he hated the idea of exposing his weakness more. That girl didn't help either, with her constant glaring. She thought he didn't notice, turned away whenever he looked at her, but he knew better. She was watching him, and not likely to tell him why, … [Read more...]

"I've been here quite some time." The voice called from behind Kintere, causing the entire party to turn on their heels at the sudden words. Not ten spans away, where moments ago no one had been, a mountain of a man stood, easily dwarfing Kintere by a quarter span. Clearly a warrior by his muscle and bearing, the raven haired man stood with legs akimbo, bandage-wrapped fists planted firmly on his hips. Even as big as he was, with shining green eyes and pale, tattooed skin, Kintere had the sense there was much of this man which did not show. The way the hills of ice floating down the Penance … [Read more...]

As a small apology for being so inconsistent lately, we're going to push through a number of posts in short order over the next few days to catch up to the intro for Chapter Three which mistakenly posted this morning. It's been moved back, but not for long. Thanks for sticking around, everyone! It means a lot. - Ian By the time the boat had made wharf at the city's main harbor, Kintere had all but forgotten the previous night. He had not planned to be so angry with Mireya, nor had he planned to leave himself exposed to the Curia's ministrations. He found, though, that he was glad of both. … [Read more...]