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Chapter 172 The dwarven temple was on the lower levels of Underhold, on a jut that overlooked the lake fifty feet below. Dergan did not accompany Quellan inside, excusing himself to attend to unspecified business of the Council. The half-orc thanked him for his aid and went inside. The...

There are many times when I wish my creative talents extended to art. :) * * * Chapter 171 Bredan felt wrung out, almost as if he’d fought a long battle. Maybe he had, in a sense, he thought as he and his companions left the council chambers. Konstantin remained inside, engaged in small...

Chapter 170 “I am Dergan Steelhammer, Representative of the Council,” the dwarven official said. “I hope that your journey was not too arduous, Ambassador Konstantin.” “The journey was not difficult, thanks to your hospitality, Representative Steelhammer” Konstantin said. He offered a slight...

Let's just say that there are a lot of hidden wheels at work within elvish society. But for now we'll drop in and see what Bredan and company have been up to... * * * Chapter 169 The dwarves were a quiet, competent-looking lot, all warriors clad in plate armor with various axes, hammers, and...

Chapter 168 Armed guards escorted them to the doors of the council chamber, but they did not follow them in. Glori was barely aware of the doors swinging shut behind her and Embrae, she was so focused on the strange beauty of the place. The room was round and spacious, with a vaulted ceiling...

Chapter 167 Glori stared down at Javerin and tried to figure out what the hell had happened. They had moved her to someplace different, a building not that different from the guest cottages except in size. There weren’t many elves about, but the place still had the feel of a hospital...

Chapter 166 Glori didn’t sleep well. Her dreams had been troubled, battles from the Silverpeak and before overlaid with new dangers that remained vague but terrifying. She woke early, and despite feeling drained she dressed and went for a walk in the gardens. The natural beauty of the place...

Chapter 165 Xeeta found that she could not sleep. She was certainly tired enough after the long day’s travel, and she knew that the road ahead would only become harder as they progressed deeper into the mountains. It wasn’t the hardness of the stone shelf that served as her bed, or the...

Thanks for the bump! All of my stuff is available in a variety of formats on my Smashwords page.

Chapter 164 It took Bredan and the others several days just to reach the border of the dwarves’ lands. The first part of the journey took but an instant. Konstantin’s teleport spell brought the diplomatic party—consisting only of the wizard, Bredan, Quellan, and Xeeta—to a citadel named Five...

Chapter 163 Javerin, senior wizard of the Apernium, was tired and frustrated as she returned to her quarters the day after her arrival in Tal Nadesh. She did not let her feelings show—would not even when she was tucked into her bed—but that need only added to her unpleasant mood. The day had...

Chapter 162 As the visitors made their way into the elven city of Tal Nadesh, they were greeted by one wonder after another. Glori didn’t remember much of the city from her last visit. She had only been there a few times, the most recent after the death of her parents, when she’d hardly been...

Chapter 161 Their initial arrival was quite disorienting. Glori doubted that she would ever get used to this form of travel. One moment they had all been standing in the ornate antechamber in the Apernium that contained the Arreshian wizards’ teleportation circle, and the next they were...

That's one of the titles of this book! We begin by revisiting an old friend... * * * Book 8: DON’T SPLIT THE PARTY! or THE SHATTERED KEY Chapter 160 It took Kurok the better part of a month to get back to where he had started. For a time, he wasn’t sure he would make it back at all. The...

Today's post marks the end of Book 7 of the story. Book 8 begins Monday. * * * Chapter 159 Their second meeting with the Circle was in rather plainer surroundings. The small meeting room was located on the first floor of the great tower, with only a single window that opened onto an empty...

Chapter 158 When the huge stone doors began to shake, the hidden mechanisms working for several moments before the giant slabs began to split apart, Glori could not help but be impressed. The doors opened slowly, ponderously, as if resisting yielding up what they protected. It had been two...

Chapter 157 The wizards shared another look before Konstantin responded. “A few months ago, a periodic visit to the outer chamber in the vault found that a message had appeared on the Revelation Stone. It was the first known communication from within the vault in over sixty years, and the...

Chapter 156 Tamrek’s words had cast a pall over the gathering, but after a moment’s pause Konstantin continued his tale. “There exists a book of magic,” Konstantin continued. “It has many names. We called it the Elderlore Libram. In some accounts it is referred to as the Tome of Secrets.”...

Chapter 155 Konstantin quickly stepped in and began making introductions. The old man was Administrator Tamrek; the woman to his right Arcanist Javerin. Both offered only neutral stares as their names were given. By contrast, the gnome, who Konstantin introduced as Gavelmaster Ostrick, bowed...

I considered ending it with Bredan yelling to Quellan to look out, but figured this had a more natural flow. I'm almost at the end of book 7. I haven't started book 8 yet, but I've been filling out my outline. Spoiler: it's time to split the party. This week's posts will have a lot of...