Excerpt of The Highest Power - Danger of Chaos/Hypocrisy of Order

Hello!

This is a sample of the first chapter of the final book in the Journey to Chaos series. Right now it is in the beta-reading phase. This here is kind of rough.

It has gone through Microsoft's spell check and the Grammarly program but, right as I was selecting the sample, I found another error. It was a simple one that both of them should have caught but neither did. Anyway, it is more correct than it was before.
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            "Good, because we're this close to becoming Lady Chaos' avatar. All we need to do is..." The air in front of her shimmered.

            It became a square and then it further developed into a door. It swung open to reveal a tall human man. His robe was dyed golden-brown, same as Annala's, and cinched at his waist with a rainbow cord. His hair was shaved into a tonsure. In his hand he carried staff crowned by a spear blade at one end and an infinity symbol at the other.

            "Omnias!" The four shouted. Annala brandished her staff. 

            "What are you doing here?" she demanded. He raised his own staff and declared,

            "Chauffeuring!"

            He sidestepped while drawing his staff low across the gate. A figure in a silver-grey tunic and same colored pants stepped forward. A hood concealed their head. Stepping between Kallen and the chaos cleric, the figure reached up and threw back their hood.

            Eric was floored. With her long and silky green hair, large eyes, flawless skin and heart-shaped face, her beauty rivaled Annala. However, it was a colder, sharper beauty. His girlfriend was full of warmth and friendliness. This girl, with her narrow grey eyes, monochrome robe, and tightly braided hair, called to mind polished obsidian at the tip of a spear.   He heard Kallen gulp.

            "Ariel? Is that...really you?" The other girl nodded.

            "It is good to see you again, big sister."

            As if from a spring, Kallen launched herself forward and latched around Ariel. The glomp made her take a step back. Kallen squeezed her, stroked her hair and babbled incoherently.

            "Wow! You're...You've... I've been working all...look at you! It's amazing, you're amazing and..." She pulled back and took another look. She just noticed the same thing that everyone else on the pillar already knew.

            Her sister was human again despite living in Latrot all these years. The outfit she wore was a field version of that worn by clerics of Order. Her posture was rigid. Her eyes were cold. Silver-grey streaked her green hair. "How are you like this?"

            "I appreciate the phrasing, dear sister." Ariel's eyes sharpened. "You didn't ask 'why'."

            "I know why! Order brainwashed you, but it's not a problem. We, that is, Dnnac Ledo, we're very good at deprogramming, especially lately so..." She trailed off when she saw the eldritch light radiating from Ariel's right hand.

            All forms of magical and spiritual ability gave off light because they were powered by mana. It was mana and its higher forms (kon-life energy, paku-spiritual energy, and chaos itself) that composed the world and everything in it. Depending on its nature, the mana's color would change but there was always a color. The only exception was Order.

             Standing in contrast to Lady Chaos and her creation, the power of Order had no color. Like a black hole, the best mortals could perceive was a bizarre non-color resembling silver-grey. For this reason it was eldritch and there was only reason it could be coming from Ariel's hand.

            "I, Ariel Selios,  swear by all things holy, both orderly and chaotic, that I am not brainwashed, blackmailed, or being overtly controlled in any other way other than which is typical of ordercrafters and that I began serving Lord Order of my own free will because it is the desire of my heart and mind to do so."

            "Order does not abide lies..." Kallen recited. She shook her head. " There must be something that    "

            "This has been a long time in coming," Ariel said, holding her hands together at her waist. "I sought Order's shelter long before the Siduban Chaos Explosion. Did you forget the Tale of the Two Sisters? "

            "Did you forget? Lunas caused that explosion! He killed our parents! He's the reason we mutated!" Just saying the word caused it to happen, and Kallen's true form leaked through her human guise. The following words were spoken through four mouths. "Thousands died because of him!"

            "Lunas saved the world that day," Ariel replied, calmly and firmly. "I came here to explain that to you so that you may see the Orderly Truth through the lies of Chaos."

            "What? But...you can't mean..."

            "Yes, dear sister, I have come to deprogram you." Kallen backed away and slipped back into her false human form. "Please listen, otherwise I'll have to enslave or kill you."

            Kallen looked back forth between Ariel and a random patch of ground. "This...This can't....can't...this... sister...this...can't...can't...can't can't CANT'!"

            Eric stepped forward and grasped her hand. At once the peace and tranquility of her soulmate flowed into her mind and soul, then spread through her body. It didn't dissolve her stress; not entirely. She looked into Eric's eyes and he saw her pure confusion and raw panic.

            "I'm sure we can talk this out," Eric said, soothingly for Kallen's benefit. "There's no reason for fighting."

            "Indeed, Mr.Watley," a second new voice said. A second figure stepped out of the teleportation door.

            He was dressed the same as Ariel and then he threw back his hood to reveal two differences. The first was his purple hair and its stripe of black, and the second was the silver-grey circle on his forehead. "I told you before that I would rather we be friends than enemies."

            "LUNAS!" Eric shouted with the voice of a grendel and his hand became metallic claws.

            "Ariel and myself were sent here to neutralize the threat you pose to this world," the prince of Latrot said. "It doesn't matter how we do it as long as it is done."

            "The threat we pose?" Eric asked. "You have some nerve saying that after the stunts you pulled in Roalt and Dnnac Ledo!"

            "I will direct your attention to Sueno as a counter-argument," Lunas said. His tone was as cold and piercing as Eric's claws. "My country's attempts at politics-through-violence is nothing compared your girlfriend's reality crash. She endangered this whole world fruit with her recklessness and willingness to use violence to get her way." Annala stared at him with venom in her eyes.

            "Book of Zatos Volume 1 1:1 'Woe to you princes and enforcers! Hypocrites all!' You know full well the damage you do to the fabric of reality. Your Grand Obelisk rips and tears it every second of every day. Sueno was a mistake, yes, and I deeply regret it but it was also an accident born of desperation." She pointed her finger at him. "Your damage is methodical and deliberate!"

            Her finger moved to Ariel at his side.

            "Even your claims of truth and lawfulness are shams and abominations. Your god's servants kidnapped the girl at your side and warped her mind."
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The previous excerpt is from later in this book, and features a battle with a tree monster!

To learn more about the Journey to Chaos series, you can visit Tvtropes at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/JourneyToChaos.

The Journey to Chaos series is available for purchase at Amazon: http://amzn.to/10NsG2i
 
Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

Mini Excerpt - The Highest Power - Battle the Tront

Hello all,

This excerpt is from the chapter I am currently working on. It is chapter five of the third draft. Here we have a motely crew fighting a tree giant, which is called a "tront" in my 'verse. The wider context is full of spoilers.

Incidentally, I corrected one spelling error and one grammatical error while composing this excerpt. Please keep in mind that it hasn't seen a proof-reader yet.

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The ground shook. It shook again, and then a third time. It was foot falls. From within a ravine, a tront appeared. It walked on two sequioa legs whose branches intertwined to form a torso and chest before further branching out to form arms and fingers. Its head was a pair of glowing eyes within a leafy canopy on top of its chest. Even Nayr had to crane his neck back to see them.

            "These things are slow! We can outrun it."

            "Big Brother's Love: Mode Change: Better Safe Than Sorry."

            The bow in Annala's hands shimered. A secondary set of runes appeared next to the ruined primary set.  At its creator's command, it transformed into a different style. Then it displayed a holographic list of options. The ability to fire lethal arrows was gone; all of them debilitated enemies from a distance. Annala looked them over, choose one and said, "You are not older than me." Then she fired.

            As she expected, the arrow did not damage the tree giant. Instead, it released a cloud of darkness big enough to smother its leafy head. While it stumbled, the party ran in the other direction. A wall of thorns stopped them dead. Looking back, Annala saw a trio of slyphs hovering above the tront, blowing away the last of the darkness around it.

            "Hey Lawful Pirate! I'll hit him high if you hit him low."

            Hasina angled her staff and cast a simple earth spell. Amplified by her great spirit, a super barrage of pepples assaulted the slyph trio.  It stunned long enough for Tolv to banished them with fairy dust. This cleared a path for Nayr and Tiza to charge the tront. Annala fired another arrow over their heads.

            It exploded into more darkness. The tront staggered as Tiza dashed to its right leg. Her elven sword ignited as she swung it.
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The last excerpt I posted was from chapter 20 and it was the second draft. You can find it here.

The next one is actually earlier in the story, the first chapter to be precise.

To learn more about the Journey to Chaos series, you can visit Tvtropes at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/JourneyToChaos.

The Journey to Chaos series is available for purchase at Amazon: http://amzn.to/10NsG2i

Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

Mini Excerpt - The Highest Power chapter 20 second draft

Lately, I've been sharing these mini-excerpts at my Facebook author page. Unlike Sassy Saturday, they are from works in progress instead of published work. In fact, I typically post stuff that I wrote the previous night or several days before (as the case may be).  They were smaller so I put them there instead of here. However, I think putting them here is a better idea. What pushed me over the top in this decision was the apparent character limit to the "Your Page's Story" sharing option.

Though this is second draft material, it is not fully finished or completely polished. Please forgive spelling mistakes or whatever because my editor hasn't seen this yet.

This excerpt is from the chapter that I finished revising about three hours ago. The context for it is too involved to explain in brief. It is also heavy into spoilers.
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"My day has been busy, thanks for asking!" Slamming the tray down on a wagon the baker shouted, " Matthew! The bagels!" A small tiger jumped out of hiding and stood at the front of the wagon, looking fierce.

            "Local custom?"

            The baker sat next to the cat and clacked the reigns. "Onward!"

            Eric jumped aboard. "Well?"

            "Get off my cart, boy, before I kick you off and feed you to my tiger!"

            Eric nonchalantly stroked the cat's head and it nuzzled his hand. The baker groaned and face palmed. "Some protection....The golden haired beast will laugh at me."
 

            "Golden haired beast?" Eric asked. "Is a monster bothering you?"

            The baker raised an eyebrow. "You ate with it!"

            "Kallen? She's not a monster. She's-"

            "A monster! She may have been human once but she's a monster now. Those stripes in her hair prove it. Hair is fundamental DNA and hers has changed. That's why she did such a terrible thing to her own sister!"
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The next excerpt of The Highest Power is chapter five of draft #3. You can find it here

 To learn more about the Journey to Chaos series, you can visit Tvtropes at https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/JourneyToChaos.

The Journey to Chaos series is available for purchase at Amazon: http://amzn.to/10NsG2i

 Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

Sassy Saturday: "Die by the hand of a 'gently bred lady'!"

Welcome to another week of Sassy Saturday at Trickster Eric Novels.  Every week will be an excerpt from one of my novels showcasing a kick-butt heroine. If you want read about the original blog hop the link is here.

The previous Sassy Saturday post can be read here: Mushu Mystery

This post will be the last excerpt from A Mage's Power. Next week will be the start of Journey to Chaos book 2: Looming Shadow.

Specifically, this excerpt comes in three parts. This is necessary for three of Kasile's highlights in the climax. They're spread out because of a second battle taking place at the same time. Also, I deleted ten words from this except because of a spoiler.
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For a moment, Kasile looked ready to smack Dengel. She inhaled, exhaled, and said, “You're right. This is a palace coup. Time is of the essence.”

She said no more on the subject. Instead, she looked for her goal. She found a leather vest reinforced with metal plates that spilled into a short skirt. She pulled it on and strapped a camail around her neck. For her legs, she found a pair of knee-length leather boots and, for her arms, a pair of leather gloves and a buckler. She twisted her long hair into a tight bun behind her head and covered it with a metal helmet. As a final touch, she attached a short sword to her waist. All of it had seen better days, but the effect was impressive: Kasile had transformed from a prison wretch into a warrior.

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Fine! You think that's impossible? Me defeating all these guards by myself is impossible!

Exactly! So we should just gi . . .

Before he finished the thought, two guards collapsed, their chests punctured by mana claws. That's two! Kasile's next target was the guards holding her arms. She retracted her claws, re-aimed, and extended them a second time. That's four! Severed chains flailing, she dove at the guards who were restraining Siron. That's six! The two remaining guards drew their swords. Siron head butted one and Kasile pounced on the second. Seven! The princess cut her knight's chains and together they killed the last escort. Eight! They stood back-to-back as the soldiers regrouped.

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Kasile and Siron were surrounded. After the element of surprise wore off the soldiers became hard to kill. They enclosed the teenagers and parried all of their attacks. Siron tried to break their circle and get his back to a wall, but they easily thwarted his attempt. The only reason he and Kasile were not yet dead was their restraint. Like the others, they hesitated to seriously harm their country's princess (spoiler!). A big man with a hammer knocked Siron over and a skinny one with a lance struck Kasile in the rib cage with its shaft. Their loyalty didn't preclude simple incapacitation.

The knight leaped to his feet. Despite full armor, his stamina held steady, but the same could not be said of his princess. After the eighth soldier, Kasile's claws wavered and bounced off the ninth. She shut them off and stole a sword from a dead man, but the professional soldiers disarmed her easily and Siron had to save her. She dropped behind him and fired mana bolts, but even those were useless against her enemy's armor. By now, her breath came in gasps and sweat soaked her gauntlets.

“Your Highness, I will finish them. You may rest now.”

Kasile stood up straight and said, “Whatever happened to 'ladies first'?”

“Your Highness,” Siron said dryly, “I doubt whoever created that had battle in mind.”

"(Spoiler!)“ (Spoiler!) called over the clamor. "Though some women may bear arms, the same cannot be said of gently bred ladies such as yourself. Your body is exhausted, that much is obvious, but your spirit is weak as well, isn't it? Those spirit claws take more out of you than you thought, don't they? Surrender and I will switch your cell from the dungeon to your bedroom.”

He ducked a mana bolt.

“Come on! Die by the hand of a 'gently bred lady'!”

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The next entry in the Sassy Saturday entry is: Girlfriend of an Exiled Mage

A Mage's Power, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, are available for purchase at: http://smile.amazon.com/A-Mages-Power-Journey-Chaos-ebook/dp/B00AVMAISG

To learn more about the heroines of Journey to Chaos, visit Tvtropes at: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/AMagesPower.


Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration). His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

Sassy Saturday: First Name Friendship

This excerpt here picks up as Eric returns to Ataidar from his mission for Anuzat. He and Basilard take turns using concealment spells to hide from monsters in the Yacian Caverns. While resting, Eric has another meeting with Kasile.
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After half an hour, Basilard relieved him. He gave Eric a three-hour break and they switched back and forth until Anuzat called a stop. By then, Eric was mentally exhausted. He gratefully lay down and when he opened his eyes, he was in a dark void.

He rubbed his eyes, but the darkness remained. His first thought was that everyone's light stones had gone out so he pulled another from his pack and activated it. Princess Kasile lay next to him.

She was sleeping. Her hair was combed and her dress pristine. No jewel or hint of make-up was anywhere in sight. She lay peacefully asleep in the void.

Shrugging, he knelt by Kasile and gently shook her shoulder.

“Princess.” She moaned in her sleep and rolled over. “Princess, it's me, Eric Watley.”

Kasile slowly opened her eyes. When all she saw was darkness, she groaned. In a much brighter voice she said, “Is it morning already, Eric?”

“Uh . . . Your Highness, turn around.” Kasile did and blinked fine eyelashes. Then she hugged Eric with enough force to knock him on his back.

“Eric! It's so good to actually see you!” Eric mumbled “likewise,” too embarrassed to say anything else. Kasile's happiness dimmed and, still on top of Eric, she looked about. “Where are we?”

“I-I d-don't know.” Suddenly the girl realized she was lying on him. Her own cheeks turned bright red and she scampered off.

“I'm very, very sorry, Mr. Watley. I shouldn't have lounged like that. Forgive me.”

“Your Highness, I said it was okay to call me 'Eric'.”

She smiled. “Then you must call me “Kasile.' We know each other well enough by now.”

“But, Your Highness!”

“You told me about the time you went to a museum, were wrapped up in toilet paper, and put on display as a mummy! Would you tell that to any less than a friend?”

“But that was just to make you laugh!”

“Of course,” Kasile continued, undaunted. “Friends cheer each other up when they need it.”

“But . . . Your . . . Your Highness . . .” Eric protested helplessly.

Kasile smiled mischievously. “I order you to call me ‘Kasile.’”

With a smile of his own, Eric consented. “As you wish, Princess Kasile.” She gave him a royal whack on the arm. Rubbing said arm, he continued, “Well, I can't be dreaming. That hurt too much.”

“And you call yourself a mercenary. Shame on you!”

 “Hey, I'm a battle mage, not a fighter.”

 There was nothing but darkness beyond the range of Eric's light stone: pure blackness as far as the eye could see. What they stood on looked no different from the space above their heads.

Dengel, can you hear me?

“There is no need to think here.” For the first time, Eric saw him.

The dead mage was two heads taller than Eric and his golden-brown hair fell loose to his waist. His eyes were sharp, his nose slightly hooked, and, like all elves, his ears were pointed. However, they seemed longer than Quando's. He wore a cloak over a robe decorated with runes. He expected someone ancient, but Dengel didn't look a day over thirty.

“This is a Union Point of Telepathic Empathy or UPTE.” Eric blinked. Dengel sighed. “A 'mental meeting room': a metaphysical location created by the union of your and the princess's minds.”

“Eric, what are you looking at?”

If she can't hear Dengel, then of course she can't see him. “I'm talking with that friend I was telling you about. The one helping me plan your rescue.”

“I see. I look forward to meeting them in person.”

Eric turned away. “Uhh . . . He's more of an idea guy . . . So . . . he won't be doing any of the actual rescuing, and he's pretty far away from Ataidar . . .” In a matter of speaking . . .

“Eric . . .” Kasile sauntered to the battle mage and leaned in close. “I have a feeling you don't want me to meet this friend of yours.”

“T-that's n-not it, Your . . .” Kasile wagged her finger. “ . . . Kasileness.” Eric wanted to smack himself for saying something so lame, but Kasile giggled. “It's just . . . I promised I wouldn't tell.”

“Eric, since your budding relationship has created this space, we should put it to good use. Practice the theories I showed you earlier.”

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The next Sassy Saturday is: Friendly strong-arming into a job

The previous Sassy Saturday is Sand Stinger Duel.

A Mage's Power, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, are available for purchase at http://smile.amazon.com/A-Mages-Power-Journey-Chaos-ebook/dp/B00AVMAISG

To learn more about the heroines of A Mage's Power, visit Tvtropes at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/AMagesPower.

Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback 

Fight in a Mana Storm (Sassy Saturday)

Welcome to another week of Sassy Saturday.

This one stars the novice mercenaries fighting monsters born of a mana storm. I liked developing this concept because I wanted to create a In-Universe explanation for the constantly re-spawning monsters of video games like Final Fantasy.
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Anuzat's ears twitched and she called a halt. Less than a mile ahead the air was thickening. Fog gathered from the sand to the clouds; a stadium for Chaos! It swirled, churned, and crackled with energy. A spark of light illuminated the cloud as it channeled from one end to the other. All at once, it ejected into the distance and its crash was a fireworks spectacle. In its wake was a new rock formation. More bolts charged and discharged in all directions. They crashed to earth or exploded midair in fantastic displays of light and sound. A mana storm!

Oblivious to the cold night air, Eric watched in awe. So that's what they look like . . . The xethras filled him with disgust and fear, but this, though more terrible, filled him with wonder. Whatever the bolts touched, they mutated into something new: a clump of sand became solid rock or flowers, a patch of sky became colored wind, and rain fell from nowhere; a cherry bomb version of the Big Bang unfolding before his eyes. They shot open as a bolt flew directly at him.

The caravan dove to either side and it exploded between them. In its wake arose a rock of bizarre design. It sat in a hole of sand proportional to its mass and dragged Team Four down with it. Pieces broke off, fell with a thud, and stood up. One rotated in Eric's direction and launched towards him. He dived again and it burrowed into the sand wall. Nolien deflected a second with his barrier. Tiza whacked a third back into the pillar with her sword. That must be some sword . . . Anuzat crushed a fourth under foot. Before they could celebrate, bigger pieces came to life.

“This is what I'm talking about!” Tiza cheered as she engaged a rock golem a head taller than she was. “Alone in the wilderness, ambushed by a freak storm, attacked by brand new monsters!” Her cloak swayed as she dodged its blows and jumped. “A mercenary's life for me!” She sliced it down the middle, her blade glowing with runes designed for stone cutting. She landed lightly and turned her back on the monster as its two halves fell to either side.

“I'm gonna die!” Eric shouted as a golem chased him in circles. It punched from behind and clipped his pack. Eric spun to face it with narrowed eyes. “Aio's in there!” He ran back at the thing and whacked it with the mace end of his staff. The impact rattled his arms, but the golem stumbled and fell on its side. Anuzat smashed it with her big feet.

“Nice hit.”

“Thanks . . . Nolien!”

“Finished.” The healer jerked his thumb at a golem standing still. “Petrification spells work better on things already made of stone.”

“Fascinating,” Anuzat deadpanned. She kicked the sand cliff and a ramp formed. “Now we need to get out of here before something else spawns.”

“Wait for trophies!” Tiza pried off a chunk of her kill. “Stories are better with visual aids.”

Said kill reformed as two kills. The one Anuzat crushed spawned ten smaller versions of itself. Nolien's petrified victim lumbered towards them with a sleek new coat. The three novices grabbed Basilard and dashed up the ramp. Anuzat collapsed it before the golems could follow.

Still the mana storm raged. New forms of life were crawling out of the sand or taking flight and they preyed on those already living. The sapients; jackrabbits, lizards, and others happily ate them.

“Run!”

They sprinted as another bolt flew over their heads and exploded. Drizzles of Fog fell to earth and spawned healthy green moss. Another landed next to them and transformed the sand into a flowerbed. A third formed a sinkhole in their path, forcing a detour. A fourth spawned a new monster; a towering lizard with stone skin and frilled neck. It roared, they screamed, and the chase began. A fifth struck the huge beast and it became a fish-shaped tree. For the next ten minutes, Team Four dodged the storm's bolts and the monsters it spawned. Then, with all its energy discharged, the cloud dissipated. It left behind a changed landscape.

New rocks, new plant growth, new animals breeds, sand of different colors, and even the air itself was charged from the mana pillar. All that remained now was a thin Fog lazily circulating the area where it was born. The most radical mutations lay in the center; the boundary was almost normal.

“How often does this happen?” Eric asked Anuzat.

“Impossible to say. Sometimes once a year. Other times, one every—” She cut off at the sound of heavy footsteps. Through the Fog, she could see silhouettes of bizarre creatures slinking, flying, stomping, and eating. “Let's leave before those things notice us.”
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A Mage's Power, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, is available for purchase at

http://amzn.to/10NsG2i

The next Sassy Saturday post is: Sand Stinger Duel

The previous Sassy Saturday post is Chatting with a Deviant Captive

To learn more about the heroines of A Mage's Power, visit Tvtropes at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/AMagesPower.


Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

Sassy Saturday: Chatting with a Defiant Captive

Welcome to another week of the Sassy Saturday Blog Hop.  Except, it's technically no longer a blog hop. Jasmine Walts, the founder, decided to discontinue it due to lack of participation and her own lack of time to promote it. However, I like the idea of it so I'm going to continue with my own excerpts.

The purpose of the blog hop used to be showcasing excerpts from our novels about kick-butt heroines. Every Saturday is a new post. If you want read more about it, the link is here.

Context: as described in this excerpt here, Princess Kasile was kidnapped despite Eric and Tiza's attempts to protect her. Here's a look at how she's been doing since then.
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Nolien said he would do a little more work on Basilard's injuries before turning in himself. Eric told him not to overwork himself and Nolien reassured him. Too tired to argue, Eric went to sleep.

 His whole body felt stiff, as if he had been in the same position for hours on end. His wrists, elbows, ankles, and knees all felt as if he rubbed them against a rock all night. His mouth was dry and breathing was difficult. His body moved without his command.

I'm in Kasile's mind again! . . . I wish I knew how this worked . . . Your Highness! Can you hear me? He, or rather she, stirred and mumbled . . . Mumble twice if you can hear me. Kasile's mumble was loud and frightened. I guess I'd be startled too if I suddenly heard voices. Princess, I'm Eric Watley. We met outside the— Kasile mumbled twice, quieter this time.

How?

So it works both ways.

Well, of course. If you're in my mind, you should be able to hear my thoughts.

Princess, do you have any idea where you are?

No. It was the most amazing thing. Eric could feel Kasile's fear as if it were his own. They put me in a sack and blindfolded me. They only take it off for . . . Fear.

He couldn't tell what she was going to say, which ruled out mind reading. If I concentrate hard enough, maybe I can trace the link like a phone . . . The only problem was he had no idea how to do that.

Have you been harmed?

No.

Have you heard them say anything?

NO! The only reason they come at all is to force food down my throat!

Sorry, Your Highness. I didn't mean to upset you.

No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled.

They talked about other things: the state of the kingdom, if anyone was hurt at the Joust, Eric's missions, and popular CV shows. On every subject, Kasile was calm and polite. It was as if she were entertaining a guest at the castle instead of being held captive in an unknown location.

“Wakey, wakey, Your Highness! Time for breakfast.” Kasile breathed fresh air as the sack was removed. Your Highness, what would happen if you tried to shake the blindfold off?

Evil Eye.

The gag was pulled out of her mouth and something else was shoved in. Kasile coughed and sputtered, but the food-of-unknown-origin was continually pushed in. It tasted awful. It might have been garbage. Eric didn't know what would get her first: disease, malnutrition, or suffocation.

Evil Eye spiritual technique. By focusing on their conversation, she could block out the awful food. Their leader used it on me at the Joust. Extreme hatred, sorrow, or fear is forced into the target's soul using the practitioner’s eyes as a medium. In short, it is a “death glare” taken literally.

I assume it only works when the practitioner’s soul is stronger than the target's.

Exactly. I would have defeated them all if their leader hadn't come.

The loosely termed “food” stopped, but before Kasile could take a clear breath, her hair was yanked back and a thermos wedged between her teeth. The water was even worse. Only sewer water could taste this bad . . . So . . . how were you separated from your guards?

Kasile didn't reply. She was busy spitting the water in her handler's face. To Eric's great surprise, she wasn't struck or even cussed out. The rogue simply put the thermos back in.

I was going to congratulate Culmus, but the Dark Fog hit and the Black Cloaks appeared.

You are quite bold for someone tied up in a sack.

Haven't you heard? I'm more than Ataidar's princess; I'm the descendent of its patron deity.

Really? I thought that was just a national myth.

Fire's Avatar founded Ataidar during the Avatar Alliance two thousand years ago. She's the reason I haven't been raped or fondled; my ancestor is a virgin goddess. Sexually assaulting me is like shouting, “Smite me, oh mighty smiter!”

The generously named “meal” ended and the gag was forced back in. Kasile didn't struggle as it was knotted behind her head and the sack retied.

It didn't stop them from kidnapping you.

That was my fault. Fiol has more important things to do than attend jousts in case a princess can't protect herself. She's too busy to handle my every little problem! I should've been strong enough to defeat them! . . . I really should have . . .

The rogue's footsteps echoed as they left Kasile's cell. The door swung shut and its lock clicked. I don't know whether to be happy they don't come often or sad that I'm always hungry.

 Eric could tell she was forcing a smile so he humored her. I'd rather go hungry than be in the same room as that guy. Phew! She giggled and Eric patted himself on the back.

If you're staying long, I can call for mental tea and biscuits.

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The next Sassy Saturday post is Fight in a Mana Storm

The previous Sassy Saturday post is "Mercenaries are crazy confident"


To learn more about Kasile and A Mage's Power, visit Tvtropes at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/AMagesPower.

A Mage's Power, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, is available for purchase at
http://amzn.to/10NsG2i

Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

Sassy Saturday: Mercenaries are crazy confident

Welcome to another week of the Sassy Saturday Blog Hop.  Except, it's technically no longer a blog hop. Jasmine Walts, the founder, decided to discontinue it last month (December 2015) due to lack of participation and her own lack of time to promote it. However, I like the idea of it so I'm going to continue with my own excerpts.

The purpose of the blog hop used to be showcasing excerpts from our novels about kick-butt heroines. Every Saturday is a new post. If you want read more about it, the link is here.

 

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They sat in the damp and dark cave. The darkness was so thick, visibility was the reach of their fire. It was as if the rest of the world did not exist. There was only Eric, Tiza, Anuzat, sleeping Nolien, injured Basilard, dead Aio, and their fire.

The feeling made Eric paranoid. Every drip, creak, or crack could be the xethras. His heart would race and he would spin his staff in the direction of the sound, only to confront nothing. It was more a security blanket now than a weapon. He knew it was useless against the xethras, but it was all he had; he held it so tight his knuckles turned white. With Basilard unconscious and Nolien exhausted, he and Tiza wouldn't stand a chance. He could only hope the xethras didn't find them.

It was the first time Eric wished to go back to his home world; his own Threa. The dangers he'd been in before were nothing like this. He was too busy panicking or planning against Laharg, the Cecri, and Dark Staff to think about anything else. Now, as he sat in the darkness, he wished he were snug in his bed in his safe apartment and monster-free world. It didn't matter that in Threa he was jobless, friendless, and soon to be homeless. At least he was safe. Is this Tasio's idea of helping me? Putting me out of my misery?

“Sncagsraf,” Nolien snored.

“Ahaaaaaa!” Eric cried.

“Hahaha!” Tiza laughed.

Eric stared in disbelief. “What's wrong with you!? Aren't you scared?”

Tiza looked at him with the same disbelief. “Why should I be?”

“Hello! We're stranded in a dark, damp, smelly cave, our sergeant is badly injured, we could be surrounded by C class, and you want to know why you should be scared!? You should be scared because we're gonna die! Die! Just like Aio! Stone cold dead! Like the stuff we're sitting on!”

“You should stop screaming . . .” Tiza said deadpanned. “. . . or you'll alert the xethras.” Eric's hands flew to his mouth as his eyes widened. Tiza chuckled. “Relax, Dimwit. We'll be fine.”

“And you know this because?”

Tiza shrugged. “I just do. Would you rather I was a nervous wreck like you?” Eric dropped his head in shame. “Dimwit, look at me.” Eric tilted his head. “I'm not calming you like Tenderfoot. Forget it. But I will tell you the story of a mage who didn't think his team could handle a Cecri—”

“Nolien did most of that . . .”

“Don't interrupt me! But they killed it without getting a scratch in return. Or how about the story of the same mage who didn't think he and the fighter of his team could handle a band of kidnappers—”

“It was two against one and we still almost lost . . .”

“Are you gonna let me finish or not?!” Eric apologized and she continued. “And they succeeded in capturing one of them, thanks to the fighter's miraculous aura power.” Nolien snorted in his sleep and Tiza was tempted to swat him. She didn't because that would wake him up. “Once we get back to the Guild, I'll tell you the story about how this mage and his team escorted a merchant safely through a deadly cave without their mentor's help.”

“But we haven't done that yet.”

 “That's why I think we'll make it. Cause it's gonna make a great story to tell back home.”

“I don't know whether to admire your confidence . . .” Anuzat said. “Or think you're crazy.”

Tiza gave her a lopsided smile. “Daylra says all mercenaries are a little crazy; like chaos, we overturn our own fortunes every day.”

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The previous Sassy Saturday post is Running on Adrenaline and Spirit

The next Sassy Saturday post is Chatting with a defiant captive


To learn more about Tiza and A Mage's Power, visit Tvtropes at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/AMagesPower.

A Mage's Power, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, are available for purchase at
http://amzn.to/10NsG2i


Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).