Jack Just as Nam had predicted, the storms continued to come in waves.  His two strange companions made the best of it quietly, with Nam occasionally spending time between waves seemingly in meditation, which Rogan explained was actually her communing with an “unen” named Ooe, which seemed to be the dove she had conjured from a feather and sent out. …

Nam Mord remained on edge. Nam could feel it through their faint connection, and that, in turn, kept her uneasy too. While Rogan was warming up out marching tack for a simple luncheon, they had a break in the weather, and she sent Ooe aloft to extend their intelligence. She might have added her hawk Ecoue to the search, but …

Jack Other than brewing more of their bitter tea and maintaining the fire, his new companions didn’t do much as the wind howled and rattled the ancient window shutters. The woman had a small pelt she seemed to be working with, but he had no idea what exactly she was doing with it, other than staring at it and occasional …

Fionna A world existed in which she was Lady Fionna nic Brath, cultured daughter of Imperial society and niece of His Imperial Wisdom, the Lord mac Brath. That world would hardly recognize the redhead in dusky fatigues carrying a Parhan 172-bore semi-automatic rifle over her shoulder. The jacket she wore would have identified her to them as an anonymous member …

Jack Once they had true daylight and the female ‘Hunter’ had finished her food, she sat in a meditative pose for close to a minute, with her hands held to her sides, palms-up. Jack noticed as they waited for her that a set of beads laying in one hand gave off a slight glow. He could see now, so he …

Jack He squinted to see anything at all, but the darkness defeated his attempts. The weak firelight revealed the stone pavement under his feet, but only inky blackness lay beyond. The moon had sunk beneath the horizon while they slept and a cloud cover had thrown a curtain over the stars. No artificial illumination shone anywhere, so no glow reflected …

Mord The spectral beast, a flux-matter shaping that projected the spirit of a long-deceased animal, stood guard for her mistress and the other pack members. The post she had chosen lay at the edge of the small camp, within the open breech in the fortress walls. In the darkness, she might have been mistaken for a bear due to her …

Roy Moore thought about the idea, and nodded. “It’s possible… but my bet is still on the subject. He set this up as an escape plan ahead of time. If a spook was after him, then it’s a good bet he’s a spook too, and she was a good guy come to get him out of our hair. Wouldn’t be …

Roy Roy surveyed the remains of the burnt out warehouse with growing despair. The office end of it, where he had been when the blaze began, no longer existed. The fire which consumed it had generated multiple explosions, and he knew they would find evidence of accelerants before long. No structure went up that fast on its own. He had …

Nam It was well into the night, and the men were already on their bedrolls. Nam knelt down to begin her own preparations for the night. Whenever she and Rogan were camped together, this responsibility was always hers, thanks to her companion spirits. First to set a watch… The guardsman looked over at her as she pulled one of her …