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I couldn't stand it. Why was he so stupid to help those Elves—to be the last one out in the open? Did he know how to teleport? Did he have some trick up his sleeve like he always had? He couldn't die. I still needed him. No matter how much ... Read More

I ran out of the room, away from the chaos. I took the staircase heading deeper into the cavern and continued on the quickest route to the bottom. I glanced over my shoulder to see who was with me. Tigala, Zef, and Geralt. "They need your help," I... Read More

Marv was the last to enter, blocking the little light breaking in through the smashed doorway. I could smell it again, the smell of refuse. We were crowded together in what had to have been another one of the holding cells for the slaves down belo... Read More

We led the way into the staircase, down to the cavern below. No one made a sound. It was solemn stepping down those stairs, with ten or so other groups of mixed races. This could be it. This could be the last thing we did on this island. Zef's eye... Read More

"How are we all supposed to get through that?" asked Lobo. How he still had the nerve to talk around us was beyond me. But who knows, maybe there was still hope for even him. We all stood along the edge of the valley, hidden behind the pillar-moun... Read More

"We need to go after them," I could hear the growl of Tigala over the crowd. "Something could have happened. We can't just leave them alone out there." "They're not alone," said another familiar voice. It was deep and antagonizing. Lobo. "They hav... Read More

Another day. Another day in this stink of an island. But at least there was progress. Their mission was almost complete. They were almost done. And then they would be able to rest. Then there would be peace—a final end to the war that was al... Read More

All of the different races began conversing, planning the best ways forward, and discussing the earthquake we had all just endured. I turned back to the Gnome house, grabbed my bag, and headed back into the road as the crowd began to separate and ... Read More

I woke up in the same pile of dirt I had previously slept in, the day I first saw the dragon. It was the main room of the Gnome house near the center of Birdsbane, as Geralt called it. When we arrived, he made sure everyone knew how the town got i... Read More

"He should be stable now," said the apothecary. "Are you sure? We can't wake him up? There's nothing else we can do?" I asked. I didn't want to just leave him like that. Raffa was still unconscious with his upper arm now wrapped in the cleanest cl... Read More

There was silence as I looked out at the collection of wounded warriors. They stared back at me. I wasn't sure what else to say. Was this not going to work after all? "Who's with me?" I asked. More silence. Then I heard a voice. "The Dwarves are w... Read More

I covered my face with my arms as I expected the worst. The dragon was a split second away from spitting fire all over me when I unleashed the mass of whipping thorns inside its mouth, but the fire didn't come. I was afraid to look, fearing that ... Read More

People were beginning to see the destruction that a dragon could cause. It was devastating. With every flame, there were more ruined buildings. With each swipe of its claws was the loss of another life. And despite the threat that people faced, th... Read More

"Ahh! Hot! Hot!" yelled Galia after a moment. Around us, the plants I had grown were barely upright. They hung limp and wilted while others turned to molten drops of sap and fell around us. Galia danced in place holding his arm with some of that b... Read More

Zef looked at his empty plate, sad that he had already finished the dish. It was nice to take a day off the day before and fill his belly, but he still wished he had more. "Weren't the girls supposed to be back by now?" asked Lolan. "Eh, who know... Read More

I woke up early the next morning not feeling well. I had dreams throughout the night of my parents. It was a topic I didn't like to dive back into in detail. Maybe I ate something bad or maybe my emotions from the previous night were making my st... Read More

As soon as Abigail was free of the vines she darted off into the tunnel behind her, free of all of the looks from the other Dwarves. The Dwarves that had gathered around now looked at me with anger. "What were you doing?" asked Marv again. He didn... Read More

We made our way to the base of the hill where the Dwarves were gathered around. Their tents were cleared from the area since they moved their encampment underground. Instead, the clearing had several pillars built around it. The pillars were short... Read More

It must have been an hour before we saw the fog grow in the valley once again. We didn't see the Elves leave, but we assumed that it was them. Lolan and I waited in the tree, not daring to follow them and risk being seen without knowing where they... Read More

We arrived back in the colony and noticed a somber air to the place. The warm weather from earlier in the day had receded to overcast skies and a brisk breeze. I could hear the claps of thunder from a distant storm. When we walked through the rear... Read More

Tigala got up and brushed herself off while I ran over to Zef. He was still unconscious by the tree where I had left him. I hoped he would be okay. I didn't want to leave him unattended while we went to look at what Lolan had found though, so I li... Read More

We ran through the forest to the waterfall. It was a distance off and we could hear the struggle still ongoing. I hated that we had to leave them because of my carelessness with magic, but there wasn't much I could do about it now. I wasn't sure ... Read More

"She'll be back," said Lolan. "I think we've built up enough trust with each other at this point to work past things like this." "Still, I don't want this," I said to Lolan. He was wading in the water in front of me with all of his clothes still o... Read More

"So, it's not going so well, huh?" I asked Raffa as he walked next to me in the woods. He was imposing, even when on my side. Tigala made me feel the same way. "No. Not great," said Raffa. "Lobo won't work with me anymore, and he has been telling ... Read More

"But first, what did you find?" said Rodrigo. "Ah, come on. You can't just leave us hanging like that. What did you find?" I said. "No, we made a deal, and I need to know that you're fulfilling your end of it," said Rodrigo. "What if we say the sa... Read More

The tiger charged at me. Her stride was lopsided with the shortened leg, but she was still faster than I could run. I searched around frantically for something of use. I shot small vines out of the ground, timing them with her steps. Right before ... Read More

The wyvern slumped on top of me. It had to be as heavy as a horse. It was a wonder that these things could fly. I struggled to sluff the body off, twisting and shimmying this way and that to make the smallest bit of progress. But I was making prog... Read More

"We better get moving then," I said. "Come on. Let's get up there before we lose him again." I turned toward the next cliff and realized Lolan wasn't following. "What?" I asked. "I don't know if we should go up there," he said. "That guy, he's sup... Read More

I woke the next morning earlier than the sun to a loud screeching sound outside. I jumped up from where I slept in the dirt and looked around. The others were rousing as well. Tigala was the last to sit up. She laid there with a scowl on her face ... Read More

"A dragon?" said Rodrigo. He scoffed at the mention. "Dragons aren't real." "They might not be, but that's what some Humans just said. They call themselves the Grandsome Glories." I said. Rodrigo shook his head. "He named the group now?" "You know... Read More

"We are the Grandsome Glories," said Geralt. I smiled at the child-like naming of his group. He didn't pay any attention though and stood with his head pulled back and his hand out to make them look more glorious, I guess. Seth kind of ruined it w... Read More

I woke to the bright light of the day shining in through the windows. I looked around. Where am I? I thought. The room was messy and cluttered with a desk at the far end covered in open used jars. One had a green paste in it, while another had som... Read More

People stared at them, studied them as they walked into the colony. Kaia was looking worse for wear. She was sweating and holding her own weight less and less as they walked. Lolan was tired, but he couldn't give up now, not with the end so close,... Read More

I looked in the direction Raffa was staring and the forest was alive with creatures. An army of woodland and jungle animals charged through trees and underbrush. Among them were a rhinoceros, an elephant, a giant eagle, a gorilla, a towering warth... Read More

The next morning came in much the same way as the previous one. There was darkness all around us, only to be broken by the daylight that a Dwarf let in as he said, "We're going to the colony. If you plan to travel with us, we'll be leaving shortly... Read More

Zef kneeled down next to me. "That was a good idea, but it couldn't have waited until you were able to at least walk again? You need to rest." "I don't know," I said, my voice soft. "She could be trying to poison us," yelled a Dwarf with a rough v... Read More

A coughing fit brought me back to consciousness. My throat was hoarse. And even though, I was aware of my breathing and coughing again, the light that I had seen was gone. I was surrounded by darkness. Maybe I am dead, I thought. I blinked my eyes... Read More

"She's perfect, Fenna," Zef said, staring at the sleeping baby in his arms. "She'll never do anything wrong." "Hah, I think you're in for a surprise then," said Fenna, laying in bed. She was probably tired, but Zef couldn't tell. She looked more b... Read More

"The cavern's coming down!" Someone shouted behind me as a wagon-sized rock fell from the central column and crashed into the floor. The vine wrapped around it had pulled a section of the column out of line from the rest and the column was proving... Read More

"They'd kill us too if given the chance," said the Treek, snaking his vine around the central column of the cavern. He wasn't wrong. They would try to kill us if the tables were turned. The looks on their faces when they saw me said it all. Treeks... Read More

We watched from our perch above the Dwarven workers waiting impatiently for Abigail to make a few footholds into the stone. She was almost finished making a path to another opening below us where the worm's tunnel must have continued before they d... Read More

"Run," said Zef in a quiet voice. I looked over at him and found him looking back with wide eyes. Was he scared? That was a first. Usually, he'd be joking in a situation like this. Him being scared was more terrifying than the fact that a group of... Read More

I pushed Tigala back into the crevice as soon as the Gnome stepped out of the portal, hoping he hadn't seen us. We peaked our heads over a rock and watched as he looked around. Whoever he was, he seemed wealthy. He wore bright clothes fashioned ... Read More

"There's a Treek down there," I whispered to Lolan who was laying on his stomach next to me, peeking over the edge. Lolan followed my eyes to the Treek wielding vine-like roots. The Treek commanded the plants to burrow into cracks in the stone and... Read More

"You just did fire magic?" Tigala said, staring me down. I looked at Lolan out of the corner of my eye. "Uh, yeah. Yeah. It was just a little though." "Why on earth are you trying fire magic? You already blew up an entire forest. And then you try ... Read More

"So, what changed your mind, Marv? I thought you were going to hang back and keep Abigail safe," I said. He looked back at me with no sign of amusement. "Something was coming after us in the tower." "What was it? Something big enough to get in?" ... Read More

From the stalk of neck where the Saurian representative had just chopped, were now two more necks and heads. The creature didn't slow down at all. In fact, it seemed to fight with more tenacity. "I'm going to help," said Zef. "Really?" I said. "T... Read More

"Rodrigo! There's a giant lizard running towards the colony!" said the balding Gnome who stood by the window. He looked back at us with raised eyebrows and panic on his face. Rodrigo stood, his forehead creased with concern as he looked out the w... Read More

"She's dead! Are you really questioning me on this? They killed her," yelled someone near the back gate of the colony. A small Gnome went running toward it. He turned the corner to find a large boar-like Beastfolk holding a limp black and white p... Read More

The hippo Beastfolk worked on Lolan for about an hour before she was ready to stop. Rodrigo didn't say much else to me. And I didn't say anything to him. We sat in silence throughout the whole operation. I contemplated what Rodrigo meant, while he... Read More

With mountains high and valleys low We dig deeper in the earth To protect our mountain home And all that it is worth Not the dragons of the sky Nor the serpents of the sea Nor the beasts of the land Can ever take what's mine from me The red-hair... Read More

The giant bipedal tree strode through the forest, each footfall a miniature earthquake. Is that really something I created? Could I do it again without the remnants of some old magical explosion? I was amazed and had so many questions. I didn’t kn... Read More

I woke up to my body being jostled around. It all hurt. Every muscle felt overworked. Each movement flared the pain radiating through my body. I groaned as I opened my heavy eyelids. “Oh, good. You’re awake.” I opened my eyes to see Zef running ne... Read More

In tiger form, Tigala dove into the room, aiming more to disarm Lobo than attack him outright. She crashed into him, forcing his shapeshifted sword out of his hand. The blade glided on the floor as Tigala turned back to Lobo, growling at him all t... Read More

I rushed toward the center of the room and kneeled next to the body. It definitely wasn’t a Treek. The patchy skin was cold and lifeless, and its limbs were limp, giving me no help in moving it. I rolled it over and settled the body on its back. T... Read More

That was dumb. Why did I say that? Now she’s going to know we’re free, I thought, mad at myself for warning Tigala. The creature lurking in the branches looked at us. It bared its crooked teeth before turning its attention back to the tree-dwellin... Read More

I heard the crunch of leaves behind me as we searched around the base of the tree. I turned to look, but no one was there. That Beastfolk search party was supposed to be around here somewhere. Had they caught up? I studied the forest and looked fo... Read More

Do you remember before all of the fighting started, Zef?” asked Lolan. We walked in a line through the woods, with Zef in the middle and Lolan to his side, opposite of me. Despite the topic, it was a nice day to be in the forest, even if we might ... Read More

I woke up as a crack of thunder ripped through the sky and the rain came down in sheets. I had a small canopy of branches and broad leaves forming an umbrella over me. I kind of remembered doing it, half asleep, earlier that morning. I looked down... Read More

I felt Lolan start to breathe heavy and was reminded of his strange racial predicament. The person in yellow was using storm magic, which is only known by the Elves. And they were good at it. I was terrified, and I had no issues with the Elves in ... Read More

I walked into the darkness followed by the rest of the group. Light from Zef's staff reflected in irregular patterns on the damp cavern walls. We walked in silence. I'm sure everyone else was thinking about our predicament, and how we got here. Tr... Read More

The four of us walked through the forest as an awkward sight: a Treek, a Gnome, a half-breed, and a Beastfolk disguised as a Saurian. Once we got far enough out of sight from the colony the Beastfolk dropped her Saurian disguise, transforming back... Read More

The bobcat Beastfolk stomped out from under the canvas, like a lion defending its kill. A fresh bandage was wrapped around her left arm, and fresh ointment covered a wound across her face. She stared at Lolan and me—her chest rising and fall... Read More

I stared hard, studying his face, to determine if I was crazy or not. Here he was, a half-Human half-Elf hybrid living among the Elves all this time. No wonder he wore the hood. The Elves would exile him if they found out. If I knew anything about... Read More

Rodrigo finished his speech by explaining a large communal map in the tavern behind him. "Please mark the location you'll be searching each day to avoid overlap, and report any findings you may have. You'll be rewarded for any information you prov... Read More