The walk back to the mountain path was longer and more arduous, the weariness in Heath’s limbs and falling rain pushing him to move cautiously, though the fury of the storm had blown past. He reached the split where he had diverged from the others, looking up the wide trail to see them slowly approaching. FromContinue reading “Chapter 23: A Return to Aleria”
Author Archives: Caleb Johnstone
Chapter 22: The Apex
Heath stood idly patting his mare in the cool morning air as he waited outside the guildhall. The gates were open, and through the courtyard and in the street the others set about preparing themselves for their journey. Even as the morning sun broke the horizon and began to warm the city, a shadow hungContinue reading “Chapter 22: The Apex”
Chapter 21: The Hunting Party
By the time they rode through the gates of Aleria, the final colors of the sunset were fading. Heath had felt the darkness begin to press over him once more, though he held it at bay as much as he dared. A single night’s sleep had done little more than dull the edge of hisContinue reading “Chapter 21: The Hunting Party”
Chapter 20: Lifelines
As Heath rode west, all he could hear was the ragged sound of his own breath and the pounding of his heart echoing in his ears. “Time to go hunting.”The words that had echoed in his ears so many times when he had stepped out from the tower, his task clear and intent given. Time to goContinue reading “Chapter 20: Lifelines”
Chapter 19: Undying Vengeance
Murmur.Almost as though she was whispering it in his ear, Heath held his ground against the surge of memories.Murmur. His mind raced, trying to convince himself it wasn’t her, it couldn’t be her. But it made too much sense. Living in a disguise. Vanishing into the night without a trace. Murdering Miguel. Making sure Rodrigo wasContinue reading “Chapter 19: Undying Vengeance”
Chapter 18: What Happened at Casimir Manor
Heath rode for two days. The strange sense that came to him in the wilderness lingered at the back of his mind, mingling with the darkness that plagued his dreams, but was still somehow separate. Something had happened, or was on the cusp of happening, in Aleria. Nothing more than that was clear from theContinue reading “Chapter 18: What Happened at Casimir Manor”
Chapter 17: Echoes of War
The nightmares began two days after returning from Valenwood. The first night back in Aleria, Heath’s dreams were veiled with shadows. He was in darkness, deep and layered like shadows in water. Figures cloaked in darkness moved through the void, waiting and watching. Even as he couldn’t see them, he still saw them. Knew they wereContinue reading “Chapter 17: Echoes of War”
Chapter 16: The Bloodbeast
For a heartbeat, the battlefield stood still. Heath felt his breath freeze as a swirl of emotions tumbled in his chest. Nambu stood tall in his blackened armor, helmet discarded to the side, his hand still raised in the air. Looking down from the height of the sloping road, the ranger could see everything inContinue reading “Chapter 16: The Bloodbeast”
Chapter 15: The Defense of Valenwood
Heath woke with a headache and his mood was already dark. The morning light carved through the musty chamber, and he pulled himself upright with a groan. His knees still ached from dropping from the rooftop two nights past, and his ribs still hadn’t healed completely from the fight with the giants. He gathered hisContinue reading “Chapter 15: The Defense of Valenwood”
Chapter 14: The Warden
From the upper room of the Black Crow Tavern, Heath stared at the ceiling from his bed. Sleep would not be coming easily that night, and as his eyes studied the twisted patterns in the wood above him, his thoughts drifted to a memory he had hoped to have left in the past. Somewhere alongContinue reading “Chapter 14: The Warden”
The Writer in White 