Tag: epic-fantasy
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Earthborn – Chapter 43: Sense of Sky
The dawn tiptoed silent as a thief. Pale sunlight spread through the thin layer of clouds, and sprinkled a faint glittery dust over the water of the sleeping bay. Mirna, awake since the first signs of light had crept over the horizon, was making her way towards Lily’s room, walking in that swift and deliberate…
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Earthborn – Chapter 42: Ashes
“I could find nothing solid,” said Keth later that afternoon. “Guards claim they saw nothing that warranted suspicion… Servants didn’t want to speak at first, in the end they repeated Evan’s words. I have confirmed the man with the box was indeed one of Venna Fariah’s servants. However no one has seen him in days.”…
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Earthborn – Chapter 41: The Black Box
The sun had just begun to set, draping long shadows along the southern courtyard. Mirna had just finished watering her garden and the smell of damp earth mixed with faint sting of salt carried by the gentle southern wind. Evan sat hunched beneath the low wall, his back against cold stone, carving a seagull out…
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Earthborn – Chapter 40: Fever
Author’s note: Before we begin, I must warn you that this chapter depicts life-threatening childhood illness with visceral intensity. It’s also quite long, so settle in. ‘Fever’ is the story’s darkest hour. But true light can only be found in the deepest darkness. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The first sound broke the silence of Eirran’s study like the…
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Earthborn – Chapter 39: Veiled Sight
Lily lay on her back suspended, as warm water of the hot spring held her safe in its gentle embrace. Above her, the last leaves had fallen from the branches, which now spread like dark veins against the white sky. “Make room! Here comes a big one!” Evan’s voice came from above. She rose with…
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Earthborn – Chapter 38: Nest of Serpents
When Fariah opened the door to her chamber the next morning, she realized exactly how serious her son had been. Guards that hadn’t been there the night before now stood scattered along the corridors of the eastern wing, along the galleries leading to Fariah’s chambers, and on the terraces overlooking the southern courtyard. “What is…
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Earthborn – Chapter 37: Fallen Angel – Part Two
The mountain path fell away beneath her feet, stones scattering into the wind. Lily ran until the breath tore at her throat, until her eyes blurred and salt burned her cheeks. She did not know where she was going, only that she had to get away – away from the echo of Fariah’s voice, from…
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Earthborn – Chapter 36: Fallen Angel – Part One
The silence that walked the palace hallways over the days that followed thundered louder than any sound. Fariah had settled into her chamber in the eastern wing. Eirran had assigned her the rooms adjacent to his deliberately, to keep her under his eye. Still… She ventured out a little, spoke even less. The air in…
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Earthborn – Chapter 34: Memory in Water
The leaves on the cherry trees in the palace gardens drifted on the breath of cool autumn breeze, covering the ground like yellow and brown whispers. The fresh scent of citrus had thickened into harsher scents of wood burning in the hearths. The air smelled faintly of rain – though the sky was still clear…
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Earthborn – Chapter 33: Bearer of Faith
Author’s note: In today’s chapter, the consequences of Eirran’s defiance ripple outward, reaching the heart of the Fifth House – and the boulder of Faith rolls down towards Astochia. In “The Candle and the Lie” we’ve touched the dark root of Fariah’s zealotry. Just a tiny warning, in this chapter we delve into it a…