Nocturne
**Chapter Five - Nocturne** Cass had claimed the standard bed, leaving Thomas to sleep on the hidden foldout mattress. The ferret girl threw herself on the bed ungracefully and stared at the stealing. Heaving a monstrous sigh, she considered the...
Stranger than Fiction
**Chapter Four - Stranger than Fiction** ** ** Cass's fuzzy feeling intensified and she thought she had gone completely blind. She could not speak, she could not react; all she was able to do was stand frozen as the energy enveloped her. She vaguely...
Bomb Shelter
**Chapter Two - Bomb Shelter** ** ** The project was about as exciting as could be expected for a class outside of her major. While they were both working, Cass broke the silence. "So have you heard about the bunker or whatever the U is supposed to...
Prologue and Chapter One - Saturday
**Prologue** Cass's panting in the night was suppressed by the tangle of cedar and fir surrounding her on either side as she darted down the straight but narrow stretch of cobble ahead. The only accompanying sounds were the soft scuffing of her...
Sigil
**Chapter Three - Sigil** ** ** Cass did not hear from Thomas for the rest of the weekend or even into the start of the week. On Wednesday, the first day her history class met, Cass mentally rehearsed her portion of the presentation over her chicken...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Prologue
The vice admiral stared at her screen, the twenty-six standard hours of sleeplessness beginning to weigh on her despite the five cups of black coffee she had consumed and the adrenaline coursing through her. The live readout of the ever-changing status...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter One
**Part One: Sinoe** * * * Martin tossed the last folded shirt to the side as he emptied the backpack onto the leaf-strewn floor of the woodland. Four full changes of clothing, a can of mystery meat, some dried fruit, and a mostly dull pocketknife:...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Five
Martin finished his drink while listening to Namo's performance. He had to admit, he enjoyed the sound of her voice. Without being an expert in terminology, he nevertheless could appreciate her considerable vocal range and dynamic style that breathed...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Twenty-seven
Exhausted though the traveling rogue was from the whirlwind of a day, and indeed, the whirlwind of the past several days of their trip crossing from Sinoe into Echo, sleep eluded Martin. How could he expect to sleep, when the thought of rendezvousing...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Three
The leaf from the plant that Martin only knew as nataan'snanbo landed on the surface of the otherwise still water with a serene ripple. “Uhh, Martin? Why are you just staring off into space?" Namo peered over to try and meet his gaze, then tried...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Two
Martin's thoughts raced as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Images of a narrowly-avoided future of being jailed, or worse, hanged for the armed robberies he had committed across northern and central Sinoe flashed through his mind. Caught in this...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Ten
A beat of silence resounded between Namo and Martin. As much as he was loath to disclose information about the relationship between Fadina and him, knew he had to say something. “Martin? Please, answer me,” she pleaded, using his full first name...