Tag: political intrigue
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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 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 35: The Wings of Wrath
The bells tolled as the sun slowly sunk over the western ridges of Astochia: long, wailing tones that sent the servants scattering like mice before the shadow of a hawk. The sound rolled through the marble halls, piercing heavy doors and thick curtains, until the entire palace froze in anticipation. Lily felt it in her…
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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…
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Earthborn – Chapter 32: Keeper of Sound
Lanterns hung low in the Sixth’ Palace inner courtyard. The breeze swayed them gently, their soft, trickery light casting trembling shadows upon the white stone. Lioran sat beneath the arcade surrounded by four of his peers, whose pristine feathers rasped against silken lliaths like a mockery. “They say he’s been seen more than once,” murmured…
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Earthborn – Chapter 27: The Fall
Pre-chapter author’s note: This chapter is one of the pivotal turning points of the story. It contains violence against a child and scenes of systemic injustice. Please proceed with care. My intent is not to shock, but to be honest about this world. Here is where I fully lean into the use of fantasy genre…
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Earthborn – Chapter 24: Ink in Water
The southern-wing courtyard gleamed in the morning light.Water in shallow bowls caught splinters of sky, and thyme shoots in Mirna’s garden pushed timidly through moist soil. Eirran and Lily stood by the low wall, leaning on opposite sides of the same stone slab.In his hands lay a wooden map etched with fine lines tracing wind…