Devon had nearly given up hope of finding Fronek before morning when he smelled wood smoke. It drifted to him through the still night air from somewhere to the northwest, but was faint. So its source was either a fair distance away, or small. Like the campfire of a lone traveler. He searched in vain [...]
Tor and his recently proven defenders trekked tirelessly across the open desert. The sun had set and the moon had not yet risen. The early evening stars lit their way across the dunescape, as it rolled from horizon to the horizon like a vision of windswept seas frozen in time. They had salvaged several days’ [...]
Fronek looked up as the last of the sun’s rays disappeared behind the Barrier’s western rim. He shook his head, a bit disappointed that Devon had not arrived. And yet… He chided himself. It was the boy’s first test, after all. He looked around for a few moments until he spotted a suitable ridge to [...]
Simon, Bernard, and Gunther had returned to the waystation, weary, dirty, and confused, but cautiously optimistic. Simon and Bernard slumped in the two wooden chairs around the small ledge that extended from the side of the stone water basin. Gunther sat on the pallet of his bunk. “What did he mean ‘may find more, and [...]
Chapter 7: Destination Unknown “The Great Desert has been here for hundreds of generations. She is timeless beyond any tribe’s earliest histories. She was host to the Ancient Ones, who walked the very sands where we gather. And she will remain here long after the Doormakers and their fragile empire have crumbled to dust. The [...]
A slow week on the personal front and the professional front, again. Though I posted two scenes form Chapter 6 last week, they haven’t had any readers yet. Sure sign that the story is developing too slowly to hold people’s attention. But then again, I already suspected that of my first draft. I’m not too [...]
The last of Bernard’s strength failed all at once. His eyes lost focus, and Simon saw whites briefly before the exhausted air mage’s eyelids slammed closed. He went limp, his empty hands collapsing to his sides as his head slowly toppled backward. Simon was ready and responded before Bernard hit the sand. “Gunther, seal the [...]
Chapter 6: Meetings in Strange Places “The Dust Plague of 288 was an epidemic of unprecedented magnitude. The deadly spores escaped from the Great Desert first on Merchant Guild wagon trains. They then spread through the Fertile Plains, rapidly carried over Council canals by the same Healers dispatched to help the sick and the dying. [...]
This week I made no progress on my job search, sadly. Many of the leads I’m following are on an unofficial hiring hiatus , with summer vacations and the continuing uncertainty in the renewable energy market. A bit depressing all around, really. On the writing front I started drafting the first scene of Chapter 13. [...]
Hello again from the virtual desk of the virtual author. Last week was not particularly productive. I managed to finish a first draft of Chapter 12 Scene 8, but there is at least one more scene to complete in the chapter according to my outline. I may decide later to break this chapter up: nine [...]
