East Storm Company 5

Of course, Kelren thought bitterly, as he held open the tent flap and contemplated the tumultuous heavens.  Rain splattered endlessly just out in front of him.  The Isle of Dusk may have fallen, and I have sent my underlings to investigate…and now a hurricane.  If Relis and Eltha had sent news by teleported message or by bird, their communication would be lost in the storm.  When his spell charm had initially dimmed, Kelren had first considered damage of the device itself.  When the blacksmith and he had verified there was none, he had considered going in person—either to Sheld or Saanazar, or to the Isle of Dusk itself. Continue reading East Storm Company 5

Therelin 32

For two weeks, Therelin and Kren worked for wages in Noress-That-Was.  Kren spent long days relearning the baker’s trade, while Therelin harvested those herbs he knew and began learning about those he didn’t.  He brought nutmeg and mace to the shop where Kren worked and sold it for as much as Kren was making each day.  Once, he was lucky enough to find a few saffron plants amid the shrubbery of a rare clearing in the tightly knit broadleaf forest. Continue reading Therelin 32

Farek 90

To Farek’s appreciation, the Advisory reacted quickly upon learning of the delegates.  Farek and his party contacted the City Watch a few days after their arrival, if only to advise of their presence and desire to meet with the Commanders.  A few days after that, a steward visited them at Ralin’s Stay to assess their needs and interests in Ith.  The steward’s report earned them an invitation to meet with the Advisory at the Capital Barracks on the edge of Pranan’s Hill. Continue reading Farek 90

Aralim 143

Raely was a woman not to be trifled with.  The scars on her forehead and cheeks—from a handful of knife fights and brawls, no doubt—warned Aralim of her Maykren street wisdom.  Unlike her companion, none of her weapons were easily visible, though Aralim was sure she had a knife or two in her boots.  Nalembar stood behind her left shoulder, hands on his hips as his female colleague pulled out a chair from the Iron River Tavern table where Aralim sat.  Nalembar, unlike Raely’s lanky stature, was thick as a barrel and coarsely bearded.  His broken nose and plethora of blade-hilts marked him as a similarly weathered crook. Continue reading Aralim 143

East Storm Company 4

The great storm of 1481 came raging out of the Grey Sea with the violent speed of an ocean god.  For weeks, the typhoon had warned of its arrival with thunderstorms and flooding rains, but when he spotted the worst of the hurricane to the west, Captain Guthon of the Boundless Star hurriedly ordered the galley to put in towards shore.  The storm gained on the vessel and the passenger ship that was its charge, eager to rake at the terrified crew with its windy claws, or drown them with its oppressive downpour. Continue reading East Storm Company 4

Therelin 31

And so, Therelin’s strange journey across Gethra brought him back to Noress-That-Was.  Though he was continuing to grow in skepticism, since leaving his home a year earlier, a part of Therelin wondered if the spirits of the world had known he would come here.  It was hard to believe in the coincidence that Master Nolicrin had teleported him here half a year before he chose to come of his own motives. Continue reading Therelin 31

Aralim 142

They sought out a proper inn upon their arrival in Maykren, of course.  The last time that Miresh and Aralim had ventured this way, they had stayed in shelters for the city’s homeless or camped at the roadside. While Aralim had little preference between the two, it made more sense to get proper accommodations for Nill, Miresh, and Master Velad’na. They found them at the Shipwright Stead. Continue reading Aralim 142

Farek 89

“I still can’t believe it…” Diaren murmured as their rowboat neared the docks.  Though the North Fork was still wide, Ith’s river access was as bustling as any ocean port Farek had seen.  Lord Gallendris sat in the rowboat with his guard friends, staring up at the towering stone walls of Ith.  He had read about them, but he was nearly as stunned as Diaren—the late Mage Kings had raised slabs out of the earth taller than any castle Farek had seen before.  Whatever the city looked like inside, it was concealed from their river vantage. Continue reading Farek 89

Therelin 30

The galley caught strong winds soon after leaving Sheld.  The strong winds brought rain though—days upon days of it.  Therelin and Kren had expected to be tasked with working on rigging or scrubbing the deck.  Instead they earned their passage by working with buckets to remove excess water from the nooks of the ship that did not drain.  As they sailed around the low, sandy shores of the Mallago Waste, the storm grew worse. Continue reading Therelin 30