“Tribespeople of the Prophets, hear me! The Brotherhood of Watchers is called to bear witness to both tragedy and triumph on this day.” Ruben’s voice rang out across the entrance hall. He stood on the shattered stump of crystal pillar that served as the tribe’s stage. The multifaceted walls and ceiling of the grand cavern [...]
During my last journal post I forgot to mention that I had been invited back for a third round interview at a solar PV company. The bad news is that this particular group’s interviewing process has now taken 3 months since my first meeting. The good news is that the hiring manager wants to offer [...]
Tor had to move quickly. Everything must be in position before Silver-Eye and his men stormed the Sanctum. He slapped his hand to the central crystal, and felt the surface adhere to his hand, hungrily. His shadow sunk a tendril of energy into the crystal matrix, and the empty pillar throbbed slowly to life with [...]
The sanctum was dark as Tor stumbled inside. The crystals responded to his movement, pulsing weakly into a soft glow that struggled illuminate the multifaceted cavern. The crystals must have lain dormant for days to have gone so dim. The Oracle was not here. Frantic images beat against Tor’s eyelids, clamoring for attention. He cradled [...]
Things were much worse than Tor had feared. No one greeted their arrival. The Gathering hall stood empty, without a guide anywhere to be seen. Tor burst into the first sentry’s alcove at the front of the hall to find the watcher hastily shaking himself out of a sound sleep. “What is the meaning of [...]
Whispering voices insinuated probing fingers into his dreamless sleep. Reluctantly, Tor swam upward through the darkness at their urging. He opened his eyes as the sun dropped below the horizon. The crystalline voices reached a fever pitch in his head, and he knew that the Island of Black Glass had risen once again. He rubbed [...]
Tor stalked across the White Sea, moving just fast enough to stay beyond the reach of the shambling mages who followed him like slavering reptiles. Tor could barely recognize them as two of the three arrogant Doormakers he had met outside Edgeways. Their once coppery skin was reddened, cracked and bleeding. Their robes hung from [...]
Their tortuous crawl across the face of the salt flat was beyond exhausting. Simon had tried to retain what little awareness he could while his body dragged itself league after league. But the sameness was overwhelming. He had drifted in and out of consciousness. When he was awake enough to notice, the sun played tricks [...]
Wherever Tor’s bare feet touched the ground, powdered crystal dust stirred to life. Deadly white clouds rose a handspan into the air, but no further. The shadows that ran across his skin pooled in his shallow footprints, leaving a residue that only Tor could see. This dark ooze weighted down the crystal dust, dragging it [...]
Chapter 13: The Dark Oracle’s Ascension “The Tribe of Prophets is led by a mysterious figure they call the Oracle. Sadly, like so much about the Desert Tribes, how this Oracle is chosen or anointed remains shrouded in mystery. Modern Desert-Plains Relations Tor had set a blistering pace northwest across the desert. But they arrived [...]
