Zenos sat on a pile of fallen automatons. His hands were folded over the pommel of his downturned sword, its blade stuck through the dirt. He had closed his eyes and relaxed his shoulders, and rested his forehead against the back of his hand. The forest was quiet, but for the chirp of song birds, and the haunting whistle of …

It was the middle of the day and Zenos was in a bath. A trip to the hot spring had become routine after his morning exercise. His arms were spread over the edge of the bath behind him and his head was knocked back against its stone. He watched the gray sky in a daze, his predatory eyes wandered from …

Zenos opened his eyes. He was laying on his stomach on the forest floor, his face full of leaves. He scanned the HUD: HP 680 (679). His well-fed buff was still in effect, but his Eyes of the Emperor ability had ended. I wasn’t out for long, he thought as he pressed up onto his knees. His left arm and …

I shouted. There were no words to my anger. That man had just sent his army to its death. He had slaughtered elves and dwarfs alike. And those feelings—what joined the words in my mind—were not of hatred, or arrogance, or pride. I felt that the demon emperor was happy to see me. I knew he was relieved! In my …

The southern pass led to the mouth of a wide valley, flanked on either side by snow-capped ridges. Its dirt, nourished by glacial waters, was the most fertile in the realm of Golud Baradash. The dwarfs had long used the valley for wheat and barley. This time of year, the surface village of Lal Mopbog would be having its years-end …

It had been one week since Zenos left Adheim Village. Cold afternoons joined cold mornings with the turn of the season. The sky was always a pea-soup gray of thick clouds and what sunlight shined hardly brightened the day. At night, howling wind storms lashed the tents and threatened to rip their stakes from the ground.  Presently, Mad sat with …

It was Zenos’ second day on the mountain. After a breakfast of left-over stew and exercise at the track, Mad approached him for his next lesson. “It’s time to learn about lateral spellcasting,” Mad said as he slid down the hill. There were sticks in both his hands. “Is that different from regular spellcasting?” Zenos asked. He had just completed …

Zenos opened his eyes. A pale, crescent moon glowed in the night sky. He’d been tucked into his bedroll and laid out under the stars. A damp towel was folded on his head and a fire was crackling close by. He smelled meat. What was that dream? he wondered. It felt like a fantasy, but at the same time…. Zenos …

‘Twas late spring when the snow blocking the southern pass melted. First, the elves came, and in great numbers. They were the first to warn us, but we didn’t listen. Then, the hill forts reported movement in the great basin; humans were gathering. Suddenly, the barons of the hills gathered and made their demands. For fear of raids, and for …

“Today we start your training. You’re probably eager to crack monster heads, but you need to understand the basics. We’ll begin with a lecture.” Mad stood ahead of Zenos, his hands folded atop a tall, gnarled stick. It looked like a staff, but Zenos had watched him drag it up the hill along with the rest of the firewood. That …