Curse Breaker | Consolation

Curse Breaker | Consolation “You want to hear a story?” Sarn asked his son. Ran nodded, surprised at the offer. Usually Miren read him stories since Miren could read and Sarn couldn’t. So pleased was Ran by this offer that he didn’t see the trap it represented. He accepted his stuffed bear and snuggled as close he could to his father, despite the layers of cloth muffling him, believing that he’d gotten his way. Sarn fought a smile and lost, at least he’d done one thing right tonight. “Let me tell you about Shayari’s Queen.” Read the rest in Curse … Continue reading Curse Breaker | Consolation

Curse Breaker | Consolation

Curse Breaker | Consolation “You want to hear a story?” Sarn asked his son. Ran nodded, surprised at the offer. Usually Miren read him stories since Miren could read and Sarn couldn’t. So pleased was Ran by this offer that he didn’t see the trap it represented. He accepted his stuffed bear and snuggled as close he could to his father, despite the layers of cloth muffling him, believing that he’d gotten his way. Sarn fought a smile and lost, at least he’d done one thing right tonight. “Let me tell you about Shayari’s Queen.” Read the rest in Curse … Continue reading Curse Breaker | Consolation

Curse Breaker | Homecoming

Curse Breaker | Homecoming “If you go back will you be in trouble?” “I—I don’t know.” Sarn had never gone awol before. He’d been an indentured servant to the Rangers for four years now and no Ranger had ever pulled a stunt like this. Not that he’d listened for any such stories. If a Ranger had pulled such a fool stunt, they never would have told him out of fear that he’d do it too. That didn’t bode well for him. Sarn ran a hand over his face. He hated trouble yet he couldn’t help falling victim to it at … Continue reading Curse Breaker | Homecoming

Curse Breaker | Pursued

Curse Breaker | Pursued Vaulting from boulder to boulder, he crossed the white-capped river mere feet from the falls themselves. On the far shore, he broke into a run and hit the maze the rich had dubbed the Lower Quarters. Though squalor, even one with such a genteel moniker, was still rankest poverty. Reeking of urine, rotting food, and unwashed bodies, the stink grew stronger as Sarn fled the river and headed towards the galleries where the indentured dwelt. His footfalls echoed despite his attempts to run silently down twisting tunnels. He hurried, breaking off just before he reached one of … Continue reading Curse Breaker | Pursued

Curse Breaker | Intercepted

Curse Breaker | Intercepted “Easy,” said the newcomer, “It’s just Green Eyes.” Sarn risked a glance at the man standing at his elbow. Grime combined with the green glow of Sarn’s eyes made it impossible to tell what color the man’s garments were or if the fellow was sporting gang colors. The gap-toothed fellow waited for a response of some kind. Great, so word had spread that Sarn wasn’t mute. Damn it.  “How do you know me?” “Zaduke.” He owed Zaduke a favor. Anger flared up but Sarn squelched it and the memory of just why he owed a jumped … Continue reading Curse Breaker | Intercepted

Curse Breaker | Falling

Curse Breaker | Falling Sarn gave the forest one backwards glance just to confirm that neither Nolo nor any other Rangers had appeared. Trees stood by watching him, no doubt waiting for him to make a move. Was this all a cruel game to them? His hands curled into fists; he was no one’s pawn. Other than the wind rustling leaves high above, he heard shouts that grew more distant the longer he stood there. Let those shouts not be about him. Let Nolo find someone else to badger. Didn’t he need to report all this madness to his superior? … Continue reading Curse Breaker | Falling

Curse Breaker | Rift

Curse Breaker | Rift Sarn ran back towards the bodies. Dread dogged him. A branch shot out at chest level and Sarn struck it hard enough to bruise. He had managed to slow enough to keep from breaking anything but the impact still drove the breath from him. He ducked under the impediment and then had to throw himself backwards to avoid a head injury as more branches leapt into his path. He watched in horror as the ground opened up and that child’s body, along with all the others, toppled into it. He couldn’t tear his gaze away. The … Continue reading Curse Breaker | Rift

Curse Breaker | Kidnapped

Curse Breaker | Kidnapped More shouts interrupted by tearing, scraping and the grating of sandpaper as something not human dragged Sarn into the forest. He ran his fingers along the grooves of the thing manacling his arm as he tried to figure out what had seized him. His fingers encountered tree bark and that made no sense. Why would a tree abduct him? It had never done that before. Why would it need to start now? What the hell was going on?   “Let go of me!” Sarn hammered the heel of his hand against whatever part of the tree that … Continue reading Curse Breaker | Kidnapped

Curse Breaker | Commanded

Curse Breaker | Commanded “We don’t know if that Kid is a mage,” Jerlo corrected as he appeared between his two officers. At five foot nothing, the force of Jerlo’s personality took up more space than he did. Right now his formidable glare focused on a man sixteen inches taller than himself. Gregori could bench press one Jerlo in each hand. So whenever the commander scolded Gregori, everyone dropped everything and watched. “Oh yeah? Then why do his eyes glow all the damned time? That’s a sign of active magic and you know it. Hell it’s even mentioned in the Litany.” … Continue reading Curse Breaker | Commanded