Slipping back out of the city had been relatively easy. Once persuaded to go along, Tasin could move from shadow to shadow. Shona made her way through the sewers. Namil and Kogar had enough experience at stealth to avoid the patrols and make it to the outskirts. They rendezvoused at a fork in the road,…

Twenty Years Ago … Kogar forced one eye open. It was hard to see through the blood, smoke and dust. He tried to rise, but his body was having none of it – one leg was shattered, probably several ribs too. His armor was half-disintegrated and what remained was cracked and scorched. What had been…

Pila peered over the edge of the roof, scanning for movement. Making the climb up here hadn’t been easy, not with that heavy sack on his back. Still, he couldn’t complain. That burden was the mark of a successful evening of thievery. The roof was empty. Nothing but shadows cast by the moonlight. Pila clambered…

Aira stumbled on a root, almost dropping the basket she was carrying. It was really too big and unwieldy for her to manage, but she had insisted she was big enough to handle on her own. Lagan had shaken her head and gone along, because they only had so much time before their parents would…

One week later… Kogar stepped out of the flyer and onto the sands of the Stone Barrens. Behind him, the driver said, “You sure this is the place?” Off in the distance, a lone structure stood. It was only an hour past sunrise, but already the sounds of metal on metal could be heard drifting…

Mina walked slowly through the scrubland, her eyes on the ground, muttering to herself all the while. If her mother had been here, she would have gotten a scolding for talking under her breath. Even when mother couldn’t hear the words, she recognized the tone. Of course, no one was around but Mina. Her father…