castleBanx

Chapter 46: UNMASKED

The arrogant air that surrounded Fendri faltered with a gasp.

“What do you have on your face?” he demanded, his mouth contorted into a look of shock. His complection reddened rapidly. His cheeks, most prominently, assumed the vibrant hue...

Chapter 45: THE LAST VESTIGES

The contrast of the fiery, wavy strand of hair against the stark white of the healers head dressing was Risens first clue as to the identity of who had just entered the room. With the Shadows Shroud returned to his face, they matched. The lower ha...

Chapter 44: THE SUMMONING STONE

The shadows of the hidden passageway within the hedges were a welcomed sight. In the seclusion, and murky darkness, Risens tended to as many of his wounds as he could, pounding his fist nearly bloody against the hard-packed earthen floor to distra...

Chapter 43: THE RAVENS TALONS

Pushing away the body that had shielded him from the blast, Risens whipped one of the kingdom-issued blades into the group. Unbalanced and frantic, it was an awkward sidearm throw that slashed through the meaty part of one man’s upper thigh. He ...

Chapter 42: THE DARK CLOUD

The talon in his hand trembled with excitement as Risens readied himself for the first strike. Their ambush had failed, though he was by no means in the clear yet. His actions would likely spoil the secrecy of the hidden passage through the maze, ...

Chapter 41: DEAD SILENT

The emptiness of the King’s Exposition was complete. Not a soul moved anywhere within the range of Risens’ vision. For a pleasant evening, the desolation would have been alarming if not for the earlier events. Even the castle walls, looming ov...

Chapter 40: THE RAVEN'S GIFT

Risens passed through the portal. This time, he bit his tongue as he suffered through the man’s unyielding instructions. He collected the blades, though as much as he wanted to continue his inspection of the peculiar weapons, he cut it short. Th...

Chapter 39: THE MAN

The feather dug deep into the door like a talon through soft tissue. With the other doors, as he solved the cipher, the heavy sound of the stone panel scraping the floor was deep and hollow. But this one was different. A blood-curdling shriek fill...

Chapter 38: RETURN TO THE ROOST

Risens’ dour mood settled over him like a cloud as he slipped silently through the shadows of Windwake. Even in the fullness of day’s light, his mind’s gloom was not shared only by the darkness of the alley ways, but the citizens as well. Su...

Chapter 37: BRUTAL JUSTICE

The cold embrace of the windStep tugged at Risens as he hastened down the underground corridor. Shrugging off the ever-present discomfort, he passed the doorways heading for the main portal ahead, only relaxing his hold on his blades once they wer...

Chapter 36: JUSTICE

Korning didn’t make him wait long before he jogged down the last step. Risens scoffed as the man paid no attention to his surroundings, disregarding any suspicion that the voice of his master had not been accompanied by her form. He’d blindly ...

Chapter 35: THE TRAITOR

As the incongruent, mimicked notes of Lady Myrenas’s voice sounded through the room, the sentinels came to an abrupt and definitive stop. Whether primed for an attack, gliding over the flaming floor, or shaking off the final vestiges of the burn...

Chapter 34: TO DREAMS GO THE RAVEN

A sudden and savage rush of air ruffled the hood of Risens’ cloak as he dove aside. The solid impact of something impossibly heavy shook the tile, peppering him with a shower of jagged stone. Swift movement registered in the corner of his vision...

Chapter 33: THE GILDED CAGE

Back in the comfort of his all black apparel he felt more at ease.

Aggravation festered in his mind and it was a predicament of his own design. The level of trust between himself and any of the women who sold their services was generally ver...

Chapter 32: A NEW PLAN

The evening bells rang again. The deep, booming, repetitive gongs echoed over Windwake, signaling the beginning of the third watch. The festivities, however, were still in full swing. Marlaine remained draped over his arm for the night. Her flirta...

Chapter 31: THE LADY MYRENAS

Risens and Marlaine followed the white-clad servant as he moved through the gardens toward the main structure ahead. Lady Myrenas’s estate was like all of the others that occupied the narrow stretch of sandy coastline—massive and underutilized...

Chapter 30: THE PARADE OF DEATH

They encountered no one as they traversed the corridors between the buildings. He’d haunted these darkened aisles and knew that even in the light of day, the brilliant colors of their festive outfits would stand little chance against the inky vo...

Chapter 29: BACK TO THE HEALER'S

The afternoon sun was hot, and Risens was bogged down by thick and heavily decorated fabric. The King’s tailors had exceeded expectations. They were truly masters at their crafts. The bright colors of what he could only refer to as a costume wer...