Chapter 2 - Forest The trees hid their fog beneath mighty branches. Vinter mist slithered between the trunks to blanket rotten leaves. Mountains caged the forest. Briarhaven, the grand orchard of Rhyla’s northwestern region. This land of magic held secrets. Secrets which often protected themselves. Cero awoke, soaked to the bone with cold mist. Coarse fur huddled against him. The muscled spook felt enormous gratitude suffuse him, almost as much as Lovail’s warmth. Mildew-tainted mist left his...

Part 1 - Arrival The Emerald Sea was smooth as glass and the Vinterfin mists clung to the water in fear they might glimpse the starlight above, or gods forbid the sunlight. Defiant cliffs climbed in the distance, dragged down by an oppressive cloak of fog. The vapor fled the full moon over the horizon, a glimmer of blue sky waited impatiently to strike down the cotton-covered world. A smuggler’s skiff silently pawed at the water while the mists hid her cargo from unwelcome eyes. Two men,...

There is a concept we hear all-too-often in writing and creating: Perception is Reality. Like all things, this is more subtle than at first glance. For the last decade or so, I've been saying to myself: Humans are gonna human. Humans will always find a way to survive. If they can get beyond that and thrive, humans are more likely to be good people. Each individual is their own, but if the situation makes it easy to be a good person, the vast majority of us will be kind and polite. That mans...