Stories in the series "The Black Idol"
# 1: End of the Line Part 1
In the darkness of a cave lit only by the rays of the setting sun the high priest Zaladris sliced the flesh of his arm on the teeth of the god Gow. His blood spilled into the god's throat. He sang of the glory of Gow, and called for his divine protection, for although Gow was the Beinison god of lovers, honorable warriors, and war, he was best known as the protector. Zaladris stepped back from the black stone idol ... [ Read More ]
# 2: End of the Line Part 2
Sala awoke to the nighttime sounds of the forest. The crickets were chirping, and occasionally the hoot of an owl echoed through the darkness. Silvery moonlight shone down, illuminating the clearing in which she lay. Out of reach she could see the sleeping form of the ancient priest who had kidnapped her. He was dressed in a hooded red robe, and clutched his walking stick even in his sleep. She turned her attention to the rope that bound her hands together. ... [ Read More ]
# 3: Have You Ever Been to Northern Hope? Part 1
There was no reception when Parris Dargon arrived in the city of Dargon. There was no reason for a reception -- Parris was only Duke Clifton's second cousin -- but that did not keep him from feeling resentment. It was, after all, only a matter of happenstance that Clifton, and not Parris, was the duke. Parris had devoted his life to correcting that mistake of history. All of his previous attempts to remedy the situation had failed. His idea for a ... [ Read More ]
# 4: The Lost Opportunity Part 1
Dourgam Finn gripped the handle of his axe tightly, feeling the sweat and grit on his palms grind against the wood of the haft. The forest around him was silent except for the buzz of gnats and the distant creaking of wagon wheels echoing from further up the road. "This is it," the older man beside Dourg muttered. "This'll be the catch, lad, you wait an' see." Dourg merely grunted in response and strained to see through the woods. Early that morning, ... [ Read More ]
# 5: Liberated Hope Part 1
Pain lanced through Darvale's sweating body as a half ton of solid rock balanced precariously on his shoulders. The smith took another rapid breath and yelled, "Heave!" The edge of the disc-shaped millstone bound for Carron's new gristmill nearly caught the edge of the dock; another hand width and they could rest the stone on the dock and slide the rest of the millstone off the barge. It was foul luck that the river was low because of the lack of ... [ Read More ]
# 6: Liberated Hope Part 2
Anarr looked down at the shards of milky white crystal in his hand. Only moments before, they had been a single translucent spherical green stone that was sensitive to the presence of magic. The gem acted like a lodestone, and in the vicinity of the stone idol in the cave behind him, it had resonated so strongly that it had actually given off a feeble light of its own. Anarr, in more than a century of arcane study and practice, ... [ Read More ]
# 7: The Lost Opportunity Part 2
Dourg stalked the mage in the forests near Northern Hope, a small village between the duchies of Narragan, Dargon, and Asbridge. The path was fairly narrow and he had given the mage on the donkey a head start. The summer day looked to be hot, although under the woodland canopy, the promise was as yet unfulfilled. It was humid though. The chittering of the birds and tree rats was loud enough to cover his footsteps, so Dourg allowed his thoughts ... [ Read More ]
# 8: Journey’s End Part 1
Summer had arrived in full force with swarming mosquitoes, ripening fruit on the trees, and days hotter than Simona liked. She had gotten up early in the morning, helped her mother with the meal preparations and then excused herself for the rest of the day to spend it to her liking. Kalanu and Nai, her traveling companions for the past two years, had offered to accompany her, but she had turned them down. Simona took her bag of scrolls and ... [ Read More ]
# 9: Idol Hands Part 1
Edmond was not considered a learned man by any means. He could not read, could only write an approximation of his name, and had no skills that he could use to make a living. While it was true that he had apprenticed as a blacksmith, there was no work for another smith in the small town of Northern Hope. Furthermore, every single business venture he had attempted had failed miserably. Many of the townsfolk were in the same predicament: the ... [ Read More ]
# 10: The Darningfly Caper Part 1
Rancin Fer slammed open the door of the office and strode confidently up to the desk. Rancin was tall, with wide shoulders and thinning hair. He was dressed in his best leather vest and breeches, complete with studded belt and baldric. He said, "I c-c-came as s-s-soon ..." Rancin faltered to a halt, but not because of the scowl on Tyrus Vage's face, which he hadn't yet noticed. He fished a small object out of a pocket in his baldric, and ... [ Read More ]