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Danger
After a short night's sleep for everyone except Junayd, who unfortunately for the others had the final watch, they set off hoping to reach their destination that day. "I slept better than I thought I would up in those branches." The young soldier said as he stretched his arms to relieve the tension in his muscles.
"That makes one of us. Your fear of heights translated into the loudest snoring I have ever heard," Nurlan spat bitterly. He was particularly cranky.
"Really?" Junayd was surprised. "I did not hear it."
The others rolled their eyes upward. "We seem to be making good time," Devrim changed the subject. "We did not even need your wind magic to speed us along."
"It is just as well, using magic is exhausting." Brinn told him. She strode along effortlessly such that Devrim wondered if she were not using just a little magic for herself.
The grey-eyed man kicked at the ground. "Still, I liked the feeling of flying—" Just like that, Devrim l
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Empress of the World Dew Mountain
The Mystic Spires looked like distant pillars from the base of Dew Mountain. The white mountain appeared completely clothed in fog and looked like a swirling cloud. As they approached, doubt crept into Aurora's mind. The Fate's fortress was so high above their heads. It seemed impossible to reach. But she could not give up now."I suppose we should enter the fog so that we can find the actual mountain," the Empress said."I will go in first. Junayd you be sweeper," Nurlan ordered. "That is, if it pleases Your Majesty," he added, slightly embarrassed."I always appreciate your expertise," Aurora nodded approvingly.Brinn and Devrim looked at each other in wordless understanding. They would watch the Empress. None of them had come this far to lose her now. Nurlan stepped forward bravely and shoved his arm into the fog. It was thick like a wall, and his hand vanished from view. Nurlan grunted in surprise, but when nothing happened, he walked into the white b
Empress of the World The Mystic Spires
The entire platform lurched as the castle-shaped portion of the dais pulled free from its perch and rose quickly in the air. No one had been prepared for what would happen, and they all dropped to the deck to avoid falling off. As they became accustomed to the motion, they slowly stood. Even though they were moving quickly, the ride took several minutes."What if the Fates are not friendly?" Junayd asked refusing to look down. Devrim had been thinking the same since his experience with the griffin. What if the Fates only allowed them to stay near the base of Dew Mountain because visitors were not welcome?"Hands at the ready," the grey-eyed man responded as he held the pommel of his sword. The others followed suit, and even Aurora reached in her cloak for her bow. Above them a hole opened to admit them into a base of one of the spires. As they passed through a stray section of the cold mist to enter the portal, their vision was momentarily absent.Their muscles
Empress of the World The Gnome and the Guardian
After acquiring horses in Valiant, Zan and Gandr rode at a breakneck speed across the countryside. Zan had not ridden on a horse for many years, and the constant rise and fall beneath him chaffed his legs and fatigued his muscles. But he was not going to give up. Gandr for his part made no complaint, and the large gelding he rode powered onward.Unlike the Empress's party, Gandr knew exactly where to go. They made good time and avoided the traps and delays that the Empress's party encountered. They cut their journey by more than half and found themselves quickly nearing the ice barrier. Gandr, having inherited the gnome's aversion to water, opted for them to ride around the lake.The gnome found it interesting that nothing seemed to surprise Zan. The strange sights, animals and even the ice barrier gave the Guardian no pause. He eyed the entire situation with equanimity. The only thing that made Zan anxious was when they talked of the Empress's safety. When they had st
Empress of the World Onward
"Are you ok?" Zan allowed his hands to be put behind his back once more as Gandr donned the angry gnome's, Grisley's, appearance. "I am fine. I just need some answers. The gnomes lied to me. I want the truth." After another long walk, Gandr placed two more stones on the walls of a passageway heading back toward the main catacombs and the throne room. They also glowed green before melting into the walls. "I wish you would tell me what those are for," Zan said as he watched. "We are almost out. Hurry!" Their pace, which was already strenuous, became almost a run. The strange light of the tunnels was slowly being replaced with daylight from an outside opening. Just about the time Zan thought they were in the clear, a gnome came out of nowhere and ran straight into the Guardian. The heavy gnome knocked Zan to the ground. "Watch where you are going!" The gnome yelled as he looked down. "Hey, wait…You're a human!" He looked up at Gandr, "and you have my fac
Empress of the World An Unlikely Trio
The nymph, man and halfling went barreling down the stream. Even as Zan fought the urge to vomit, he could see that they were covering a great distance. Gandr had his eyes closed, caring not one bit where they were. He either trusted the nymph or was fighting his own terror of water. The net result was the same: they were at the nymph's mercy.Finally they came to a stop and the nymph splashed them onto the shore. Waving, she disappeared back into the water without a trace. Zan sat up and tried to steady himself as the world still felt wobbly after their ride. "Where are we?" the Guardian asked as he tried, and failed, to stand.Gandr, who had just finished emptying his stomach onto the grass, wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "How should I know?"Zan paused from drying off his clothes. "The nymph did not give you any instructions?"Gandr shook his head only to realize doing so was a mistake. He pinched the bridge of his nose to clear his mind. "If she did,
Empress of the World Meeting the Fates
"It has been three days. Why are the Fates stalling?" Brinn said as she pushed breakfast around her plate. The food was delicious, but she had no appetite. "We should do something!"Their stay at the Mystic Spires had been interesting at first. They explored and saw what only few could even imagine. The Fates had mostly kept themselves hidden with the exception of Hanna, who appeared without warning and left just as abruptly. Occasionally a soft breeze would touch Aurora in the hallway or brush her on the stairs, and the Empress knew that a Fate had clandestinely passed.The most notable feature of the Fates' dwelling was the waterfall which flowed from the most central spire. It tumbled fiercely and from it the mist of Dew Mountain was formed. The water eventually hit the ground below and split into the rivers of the land of magic. This was why the land was so lush, but it never seemed to rain. The source of the rivers was magical."I do not know what else we c
Empress of the World Ascending the Stair
Not help? Aurora stood in shock as there was a general murmur about the room. Some of the Fates seemed to agree while others were confused. There was an angry outcry from the door as Hanna marched forward. "How can you not help when it is your job?! A job you have been derelict in for far too long." Hanna's words spewed from her mouth. Her happy countenance had vanished. "Remember where you are," Ime reprimanded her. Hanna waved her off. "You sit on that platform because we allow you to, but we are all equals here." "Let her speak," Mercilla called from her stone seat. Others echoed her sentiment. "Our mission from the Maker is to take care of his favorite creation: humans. We should do as he bids us!" Hanna's voice reverberated, bouncing wildly and making the humans need to cover their ears. "The Maker has given us no specific instructions on this matter, so we have not broken his trust," Eunomia countered. "You follow the let
Empress of the World Aurora's Journey
Aurora placed her foot on the first stair of the spiral staircase. Her vision fogged, and she experienced the sensation of being back inside Dew Mountain. She tried to call out, but the words caught in her throat. Something was wrong.The fog receded, and Aurora was in her childhood room. It was one of the few times her mother had come to visit her, and it had ended in disaster. Aurora had only been four at the time, and this was one of her earliest memories. Zephyra had attempted to play with the child, but quickly became dissatisfied with the young babe's childish behavior."Be realistic," Zephyra had said, not realizing that the child had no idea what that meant."Come on, mommy! Fly with me," the little girl raised a toy doll and spun it through the air. In her flight, Aurora had not seen the canter of juice that had been brought in for refreshments. The pitcher spilled and sloshed all over Empress Zephyra's dress."What is wrong with you, little beas
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