Chapter 1: Tensions
The council sits gathered in the meeting room. All four of the prefects are present, their advisors standing proudly next to them. A pair of seats and a desk are placed in each of the four cardinal directions, all facing the golden seat of the emperor...
Prologue: Friendship and Love
I hold my sword in front of me with a single hand, point of the blade angled towards the ground. I shift my feet slightly, keeping my stance loose. My opponent, a rough-looking ruby dragon, holds his sword above his head, his free hand extending...
Finale: A Life Never Lived
I stand before a scene of pure carnage. The choking smell of blood and charred flesh fills the air, masked only slightly by the cascading rain that soaks the field. Bodies of dragonkin litter the ground, some still clinging to life, but most of them...
Chapter 12: Blood and Steel
A flash of white light bounces between the valley walls for only a fleeting second, disrupting my view for a brief moment. The arcing light heralds a rumbling peel of thunder that seems amplified by the surrounding mountains. A scattering of raindrops...
Chapter 11: What One Believes In
The sun hangs low in the sky, casting long, slender shadows across the quieting city. The hustle and bustle of the roads and market dwindles into a dull murmur, clawed footsteps and creaking wagons piercing the otherwise serene evening. A breeze rolls...
Chapter 10: Seizing Opportunities
The next morning comes, it seems, after an eternity of dreamless sleep. My eyes open slowly, lazily, sluggishly taking in my surroundings. Memories of the previous night filter in, my feelings mixed and uncertain towards each foggy recollection. The...
Knight (w/ Epilogue)
I'm sure every child entertains the fantasy. To be a knight, to defend the realm from whatever darkness or evils that threaten it, defending the weak and helpless with flashing blades of honor and duty. Faithfully following your lord, serving him as he...
Getting Familiar
The river sweeps across the canvas in a twisting, winding path of sparking cerulean. Tiny shadows dot the water, marking the little fish that swim under the surface all along its length. A few strokes of a brush adds the finishing touches to the forest...
A Special Lesson
An armful of priceless books, papers, and scrolls clatter to the floor. Leather-bound tomes thump and bump, sheaves of paper crinkle and tear, the entire collection spilling into a messy, scattered pile. Kurre, alarmed, turns towards the sound to find...
A Spark
The air is eerily still along the highway; only a scattered few breezes brush across the landscape. A latticework of clouds float lazily across the sky, the bright sun struggling to pierce through its heavenly rivals. The land is painted in a chaotic...
Master and Student
"Teleportation is... tricky." Saro begins. "It is best to only attempt it at short ranges. The farther you go the more of a chance you'll... lose a part or two in the traversal." Closing his eyes tightly, as if afraid of that very result, the...
First-Time Glory
The door lets out a squeak of protest as it slowly swings open, pulled by a hesitant hand. Felix steps inside the stall, clearly nervous, trembling over what he intends to do... while a sharp tingling of anticipation plays through his body at the same...