magic

When Kallus woke up, he saw a pair of shiny blue eyes staring at him. For a moment he thought they were Lanara's eyes, but these were more gentle, carrying a hint of sorrow. "Calda?" Kallus touched his aching head, wincing at the sting. In Calda's hand was a glass vial. Her graceful arm reached...

21 December It was a bright morning when Damien came downstairs. Glancing around, he saw the oak bannisters lined with garland. Lanara had placed strings of garland on every doorway, every entrance. "What is going on?" Damien asked. "Are we having guests?" Lanara was standing on a stool...

5 August is the 1110th anniversary of the Battle of Wodensfield: My TimeTravel videos in Saxon UK (YouTube) reached Episode 60 (Recap,Season2); I will post the actual battle (Episode 75, Series 3) on 5 August to commemmorate; These are speed-reading videos containing brief text with photos or...

Blood and pus oozed from Tomas’ fingertips as he read The Elemental Contracts by Franz Luminous; a book he has read frequently since his childhood. “There’s a balance between sacrifice and reward when contracting the elements. But how is my sacrifice measured? And is it mutually beneficial for...

Ashlyn paced about the meadow, growing determined. “There has to be something I can do to help,” she said. “I am not the telepath Lothira is, but I can read you.” Damien scoffed at the idea. “After how much it hurt for Lothira to read me, I’ll pass. Can we get out of this place? I’m hungry.”...

10 May Ashlyn walked in front of Damien within the woods. The forest was thick around them. The air was more humid toward the center of Gumber. Here, every living thing was old and wild. The trees poked the sky, the birds' songs laid a blanket over the area. Despite the cooing of birds and the...

Nihilan refused to meet his father's eyes. He knew he had done wrong, and the worst part was having to face Kallus. The two of them were standing in the library of the house. Despite how open the room was, it attracted the least amount of traffic. Kallus stood in front of his son, waiting for...

22 September "Kallus." Lanara's voice echoed along the walls of the forge. Her husband was occupied with a smithing project, and he was having Damien assist him. Lanara drew Kallus' attention by coming over. "I would like to take the children out to the river." Now that Lanara was in his...

Kallus hauled a heavy anvil to his basement. He was careful not to let it crush his toes as he placed it down on the stone floor. The anvil sat a few feet away from a burning forge fire with a low flame. A set of work tools hung beside it along the wall, ready to be used. Setting up an at-home...

13 September In the morning, Damien woke to the smell of freshly cooked food. The enticing scent of fatty meats and hot biscuits made his stomach groan. He was not expecting such rich food here in elven land, but he could get used to it. After dressing, he came out of his room to find Ashlyn...

12 September "Your mentor didn't seem happy to let you go," Damien said as he trotted along beside Ashlyn. He never had the privilege of riding his own horse before, and he was still getting used to staying in the saddle. The day was ideal for travel. The air was cool without being chilly...

"Absolutely not," Annael said upon hearing Ashlyn's preposterous idea. "We are not going to take him back with us to the Academy." She and Ashlyn now stood on an ornate stone balcony with the city streets of Tauros several layers below them. The day was still young, a beautiful, crisp morning...

Part I The Ruins of Githal – Year 1464 27 August Dust and brick. All around, destruction stretched as far as the eye could see. Three weeks ago, Githal was a glorious citadel that took up a third of the western region, now it was laid to ruin. Buildings lay torn upon the ground, the dark...

The Heart of Gumber - Year 1451 2 April A baby's cry rang about the glistening trees. The sky was lit with dawn that broke through the canopy of leaves. In the heart of Gumber was a meadow that danced with blossoming flowers. The music of frogs, bugs, and birds came together as a chorus...