Category: YA Fantasy

YA Sci-fi Fantasy – Folder

YA Sci-fi Fantasy – Folder


YA Fantasy, YA Sci-fi, Science Fiction

Published: November 2020

Publisher: Regilius Publishing

Eric Folder has moved to Oregon to attend Portland State University when an automobile accident leaves him stricken with migraine headaches. The resulting visual effects—something medical professionals term an aura—render him virtually blind and defenseless when a gang of street thugs attacks him. Desperate to see and needing to protect himself, Eric reflexively tears at the luminous lines of light and finds they have become tangible. When he pulls them aside, his present reality folds away with them, leaving him in better circumstances with his enemies vanished. Attempts to fold his way out of subsequent perils leave him in increasingly strange situations until, eventually, his world becomes a nightmare.

Praise for Folder:

A wild young-adult alternate-worlds adventure that will leave you guessing right up to the end! Fans of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials will love this!” – D. J. Butler, author of Witchy Eye

A big, engaging ride across our infinite possibilities – and our choice to be heroes.” – Anthony Dobranski, author of The Demon in Business Class

 

Excerpt
PROLOGUE
 

 

I’m lost.

I don’t know if I should laugh or cry when I say this, because I sound as if I’m repeating words from a hymn or I’m in need of a compass, or else I’ve given up completely. The thing is, I’m terrified because all these things are true and I don’t know how to fix them. I would say a prayer if I thought someone could hear, but even if they did, I don’t think this is a place where prayers get answered. If I had a compass, knowing whether I’m facing North or South wouldn’t take me away from this place, let alone back to where I started. In fact, no one can get me out of the mess I’m in, except maybe me, and I’m as scared to try to change what has brought me here as I am afraid do nothing.

I remember when my friends and I were kids and we hid in the bushes and pretended there were monsters coming after us. Well, now the monsters are real. I’ve been listening for what seems an eternity to their angry snorts and the clatter and scratches of their claws on the large stone surface where those creatures are gathered. Every now and then, one of them hisses and another does the same in response. The rate of their footsteps escalates and I imagine two of them colliding and squaring off in an expression of indignation. It’s too dark to see whether this has actually happened, or if it’s just my imagination, but the pounding of my heart in face of the impending danger keeps me riveted on what’s happening.

As I hide in a clump of bushes and the minutes pass, I’m more than a little relieved that they’re taking so long to find me. Unexpectedly, the full moon peeks through a break in the cloud cover and the scales on the bodies of several great beasts glisten. Each is twice the size of a bullmastiff and I count six of them several yards from here. Their eyes glow whitish gold and appear to have vertical slits, although it’s hard to be sure at this distance. As they circle a spot where I was standing a short while ago, sniffing the ground in several directions around it, one of them raises its head and opens its mouth, baring rows of long, needlelike teeth. I expect the creature will howl. Instead, a rasping reptilian sound emerges and I shudder, wondering what kind of beings they are.

Although I’ve recently arrived, from my earlier experiences and the landscape’s layout, I recognize this place as being near where the street car used to stop in a time that’s lost to me forever. The place where I’m hiding used to be the parkway where Park crosses Mill—or what used to be Park and Mill before everything transformed into this new reality. There aren’t any streets anymore and I’m surprised there are even deer trails to mark where Park and Mill once intersected. This used to be Portland State University, but now everything’s grown over and forested. The clock tower has vanished, as have the student union and the rest of the buildings that were part of the campus.

Without warning, a thought bubbles up from a world I’ll never see again and I almost cry out loud. Cursing this lack of control, I force my idiot self to keep quiet. Still, there is some truth to the thought that this situation is what Dad would have called a mixed blessing. It’s because it rained so hard that those things haven’t discovered me already. Here I am, kneeling on a thick bed of leaves. If they weren’t so soggy, they would crackle each time I move and announce my location. Instead, their wetness muffles whatever noise I might otherwise make. On the other hand, because the night is so cold and water is starting to soak through my pants, I’m beginning to shiver and I’m afraid I might sneeze any minute. If I do, those creatures will certainly hear and I know I will die because I’m sure they can out-run me.

The breeze that’s been chilling me starts to increase and I wonder if another storm is building. The last of autumn’s leaves whip though the air and there is a sharp crack above me. The creatures turn in my direction and two cock their heads. A third one starts walking toward me and I hold my breath, wondering whether it will continue to advance, when a second crack drops a large bough into the bushes a few yards to my right. The creatures stop and stare at the spot where it landed. Then, apparently satisfied they understand what caused the disturbance, they resume their search in the original location. Realizing I’ve been holding my breath and that I need to breathe, I inhale deeply, then exhale. My breathing is starting to grow normal when something grabs my shoulder.

About The Author


Raymond Bolton lives near Portland, Oregon with his wife, Toni, and their cats, Max and Arthur. His epic fantasies are published by WordFire Press, publisher of the Dune and Star Wars novels, and have received endorsements by the late Mike Resnick and award-winning author Paul Kane.

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YA Fantasy – The Gotten

YA Fantasy – The Gotten

 

YA Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult

 

Published: November 12, 2020

Publisher: Tell-Tale Publishing Group

For Fans of Neil Gaiman, Divergent, and Stranger Things…

No one knew about the doorbell until the news story of the boys’ mysterious disappearance.

If certain people couldn’t own the doorbell or if it rejected them, they wanted to destroy it and the boys behind it, calling it a hoax.

Ivor and Inge Borg have been tracking Astrid Sims, who has escaped from the ancient Norse myth as Skuld, the weaver of the future, fate and destiny of humankind. She’s the norn of the future. Urd of the past and Verdandi of the present. Ivor and Borg need her return so they can continue to spin the threads of life and decide the fate of all human beings. Skuld was reborn and escaped into a new childhood existence. She emerged as a teenager in the 1950s and later as a wife and mother in an American heartland town.

The Borgs recruit disappointed miracle seekers. When they threaten the boys to force Astrid’s / Skuld’s return, much to the anguish of their parents, their sons have to disappear. Accused of being a witch and a demon, Astrid spirits the boys into the future. They don’t find what they expect and they don’t like what they find.

 

Excerpt

A profound silence stretched through the endless serenity of the massive forest. Blisters of unidentifiable sounds periodically erupted among the treetops as some form of communication. Invisible creatures brushed against the boys verifying their existence.

Where are we?” asked Steven. “What are we doing here?”

The boys had been disoriented since the moment of their arrival. They had no choice but to trust where Astrid was leading them. They could not make sense out of what they encountered unrelated to their former lives.

I brought you here to save you from the seekers who want to control you,” said Astrid. “Ivor and Inge were sent to bring me back to my origin. Since I refuse, they will punish me for desertion by taking your lives because you are my friends.”

Do you mean we’re stuck here? We can never go back?”

No, I have a plan, but it’s dangerous to all of you and to me.”

Tell us what we have to do,” said Ray. “We can handle it.”

What do this Ivor and Inge want from us?” asked Steven.

They want to control the present and the future. They want to determine your future rather than letting you decide. That can be done only through me. The doorbell works only through me.”

How do we decide?” asked Eddie.

You have to find your way. You have to each decide how to create your future.”

You mean we can make up what happens to us?” asked Ray. “I like that.”

That’s because you like to make up stories,” said Steven. “Stories aren’t real.”

Are what we doing real?” asked Clement.

That’s up to you,” said Astrid. “What you imagine can be real to you.”

What about everybody else?” asked Eddie.

What others see about you is back in the present,” said Astrid.

What are we supposed to do?” asked Steven. “Where do we go? There’s nothing here but trees and woods.”

This is my world,” said Astrid. “This is where I came from.”

Then you really are a witch,” said Steven, “if you came from a forest and brought us here like this.”

I prefer to be called a wicca,” said Astrid.

That sounds like witch to me,” said Steven.

Are there others like you?” asked Ray.

There are others in my world, but no one like me.”

So, what are we supposed to do?” Steven asked again. “Where do we eat and sleep?”

What about going to the bathroom?” asked Eddie. “Do we just go behind a tree? And where do we get toilet paper?”

Astrid laughed. “The things that concern you I find amazing.”

Well, it’s true,” said Eddie. “This is like camping out in Scouts, only we don’t have any camping equipment.”

You don’t need camping equipment. The world in the future isn’t the same as where you came from in the present. Your needs are not the same.”

Well, I still need food,” said Steven. “I’m hungry right now.” He looked at his friends. “Isn’t anybody else hungry?”

Yeah, I’m hungry,” said Clement.

Yeah,” Ray nodded. “I could use a hamburger, fries, and a Coke.”

Nothing is real here because the future isn’t real. It’s only imaginary. So you can imagine whatever you would like.”

And we’ll get it?” asked Eddie.

And you’ll get it,” said Astrid.

Does it just appear out of thin air?” asked Eddie.

What you imagine appears only to you and stays in your imagination and you can do with it in your imagination, but it won’t actually exist.”

I’m liking this,” said Ray. “It reminds me of The Twilight Zone.”

The future is beyond The Twilight Zone,” said Astrid. “The present will become your future. It is your experience and will eventually become your reality.”

That’s weird,” said Clement, “but I kind of like it too. Someday, we can get what we wish for.”

Not necessarily,” said Astrid. “A wish is only a wish. It’s not reality. It might be a starting point but you have to do the work to make it happen. That’s why you go to school.”

I’m not learning anything in school I want to do,” said Steven.

Of course you are,” said Astrid. “You’re learning basics you’ll need for later.”

You sound like my mother. When I grow up, I want to do something that’s fun.”

What do you think that will be?” asked Astrid.

I don’t know yet.”

That’s what I mean. You have to discover it.”

What do we do here?” asked Eddie. “We don’t just want to stand around. It is a woods. I like woods but I don’t just want to stand around.”

What you’re going to see is beyond the trees,” said Astrid.

Something keeps touching me,” said Ray brushing at his shoulder. I don’t see any insects, but it doesn’t go away.”

It likes you,” said Astrid. “It just wants to be your friend.”

What likes me? There’s nothing there.”

There are other forms of existence in my world,” said Astrid. “Some are more advanced than humans.”

That sounds like my kind of story,” said Ray. “What are they, aliens?”.

No, they were once human creatures just like you. They decided to stay in this world rather than go back.”

You mean they’re spirits?” asked Ray

Actually, they are your spirits.”

Ours?”

Yes, from the future. They are going to accompany you.”

Where?” asked Clement.

You will see soon enough,” said Astrid.

Wait a minute,” said Eddie. “What do you mean they decided not to go back? If they’re us, we don’t want to stay here. We want to go back.”

I don’t mean you can never go back. While you’re here, your spirit has separated from you and is prepared in case you decide to stay.”

If we decide to stay, does that mean we’re dead? We die?”

Death is in everyone’s future,” said Astrid. “You don’t have a choice of when that will happen to you. You will be gotten.”

 

About The Author

Multi-book author and retired business and management consultant with large, medium and small companies in a wide range of industries throughout the country, Rob Tucker resides with his wife in Southern California.

He is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara and of the University of California, Los Angeles with Bachelor’s and Masters of Fine Arts Degrees. He is a recipient of the Samuel Goldwyn and Donald Davis Literary Awards and has also worked in advertising, corporate communications, and media production.

An affinity for family and generations pervades his novels.

His works are literary and genre fiction that address the nature and importance of personal integrity.

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Young Adult Fantasy – Silent Lee and the Oxford Adventure

Young Adult Fantasy – Silent Lee and the Oxford Adventure

 

 

Young Adult Fantasy

 

Date Published: August 2020

Publisher: Webster Press

As either a stand-alone magical mystery adventure or a follow-up to The Adventure of the Side Door Key, this story will keep teens and all fantasy fans on the edge of their seat as Silent and Raahi dodge lightning bolts and unravel layers of deceit in their quest to save the world and be home in time for tea with Silent’s Great Aunt Generous! The Lee Family Key–safely hidden on a string around Sie’s neck–turns out to be universal: It can open other doors to parallel worlds too. They’ll need that ability and much more as they face off against old enemies and new in this fast-paced ad venture that takes them all the way to a magical version of Oxford and back to Boston again.

 

Other Books in the Silent Lee YA Fantasy Series:

 

Silent Lee and the Adventure of the Side Door Key

Published: April 2019

As if life isn’t already complicated when you have to sneak out a magical side door and enter a different century just to get to school each morning.

And now Silent has to figure out what happened to her beloved Aunt Generous, the woman who raised her—which would be complicated enough even if CIA agents in black SUVs weren’t chasing her—but they definitely are!

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About the Author

Alex Hiam grew up exploring his great grandparents’ mysterious mansion in Boston’s Back Bay, where Silent’s magical academy is located (if you know how to find it…). He returned to the Boston area to study anthropology at Harvard, and has written numerous books including Silent Lee and the Adventure of the Side Door Key. He now resides in an antique farmhouse in the little village of Putney, Vermont with his family of tween and teen readers and his wife Deirdre.

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YA Fantasy – Ninja Girl Adventures

YA Fantasy – Ninja Girl Adventures

 

YA Fantasy

 

Date Published: November 2020

Publisher: Networlding Publishing, Inc.

Sister Power at It’s Best

Moira Mackenzie is just 14 years old. Her sister Mindy is 15, and their younger sister Marci is 9. The girls have lived their lives until now believing their father, Scottish billionaire Stephen Mackenzie, is simply a businessman whose KogaTech Consolidated (KTC) is the world’s most successful technology company. Their father was married to a Japanese woman, Kameko, whom the girls are told died in a car accident.

The girls’ idyllic existence in New York, where KTC headquarters is located, is shattered when their father disappears. He is legally declared dead by their Uncle Jiro Akiyama, Kameko’s brother. Uncle Jiro wants to possess the company for himself. What he doesn’t know is that Stephen Mackenzie changed his will so that Moira inherits the entire corporation.

An overwhelmed Moira must contend with the unraveling of her family. She has the help of Morton Gerardi, Stephen Mackenzie’s best friend, but he’s not the girls’ father and there’s only so much he can do. While Mindy rebels and Marci, a child genius, disappears deeper into her computer, Moira is further frightened by an intruder who invades the girl’s Manhattan apartment. Not long after this, Moira is visited by Uncle Jiro himself, who offers to provide for the girls financially as long as Moira signs the company over to him.

Moira considers giving in but doesn’t. Suddenly, out of nowhere, black-clad figures, who can only be the mythical ancient ninja of feudal Japan, attack the Mackenzie sisters. The girls are saved by an elderly Asian woman who heads a ninja clan of her own. That woman removes her face mask to reveal that she is Aiko Akiyama, the girls’ grandmother. Moira immediately has many questions. Why has Aiko only now revealed herself?

Aiko explains that Kameko, as Aiko before her, was a member of a Koga ninja clan of Kunoichi — a female ninja. Aiko was forced to fake her own death because of Jiro’s ambitions. She vows to teach Moira to become a ninja warrior and fulfill her family destiny. As Moira beings to learn the ways of the ninja, Aiko’s Yoda-like lessons give her greater self-confidence as well as physical martial arts skills. She passes these lessons to her sisters… but there’s more. Legends claim the ninja were shape-changing tengu, forest spirits with magical powers. Aiko reveals that these stories are true. If Moira wishes, she can learn these mystical abilities. Jiro himself can become a wolf and other ferocious beasts. Moira can learn these same skills, just as Aiko has.

As Moira trains and learns more about herself, she helps her sisters to grow more confident and more disciplined as well. Soon, Mindy is using her gymnastics skills to have ninja-style adventures of her own, as genius Marci helps both of her sisters using her knowledge of computers.

As they grow in their abilities, the girls uncover a plot by Uncle Jiro to misuse “sleep learning” technology developed by KTC. This is why Jiro wants the company. He believes the technology can be used to control minds, ultimately giving him control over the city — and perhaps, one day, even more than that. As the girls use their new abilities to chase down clues that point them to Jiro’s sinister ambitions, Jiro grows tired of holding back. He instructs his ninja to kidnap Mindy and Marci. He then tells Moira she has no choice but to sign KTC over to him if she ever wants to see her sisters again.

To get her sisters back, Moira will have to face her greatest fears. With only partial training, she must conquer her own doubts and apply the lessons of empowerment and confidence that Aiko has given her. The story climaxes in a battle between the two rival ninja clans wherein Moira must first save her sisters and then defeat Jiro himself. The fate of New York City hangs in the balance, as does the fate of Moira’s family and of her father’s company.

 

 

About the Authors

MG Wilson is the pen name for Melissa G Wilson who has spent the last 25 years writing non-fiction and fiction that has included five best sellers including a #10 book on Amazon for an entire year and a Wallstreet Journal best-seller. Her passion is centered in helping young and new adults get better starts in life by mentoring them in the world of publishing.

Phil Elmore grew up reading his father’s collection of “Mack Bolan” novels. As a teenager, he had no idea that he would one day ghost-write more than a dozen entries in Harlequin Enterprises’ long-running “Executioner” series. Today, Phil publishes fiction and nonfiction on a variety of topics, through multiple outlets, including his own publishing company, Samurai Press.

A technical writer by trade, Phil Elmore is also the Senior Editor of League Entertainment, an Intellectual Property development company based in Florida.

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YA High Fantasy – The Lost King

YA High Fantasy – The Lost King

YA High Fantasy

Date Published:
November 10, 2020

Publisher: FyreSyde Publishing

 

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King Athan vanishes at sea. His children, prince Thalos and princess Thara, drift apart with age, their kingdom falling into ruin. Thalos stubbornly clings to the past; Thara, resentful of her father, looks to the future. In the wake of this decline, a beautiful enchantress usurps the throne from the estranged siblings. She exiles Thalos to the edge of the world and slowly
enslaves Thara’s mind.

In his exile, Thalos finds another castaway—an old comrade of his father. Together they begin a voyage in search of the lost king. Thara, meanwhile, resists the new queen’s coercive spells and finds a resistance of creatures still loyal to her father.

With a vast world of enchanted islands and beings between them, Thalos and Thara struggle to restore their family and rekindle the hope of the true king’s return.

 About the Author

Frazier Alexander lives in Denton, Texas with his wife Nicole.

He began writing around the age of nine, inspired by movies such as The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and “sword-and-sandal” epics like Jason and the Argonauts. As a reader, his interests gravitate towards older works and the classics, such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil’s Aeneid, Beowulf, and Le Morte D’Arthur. Along with creating his own mythological backdrop for his stories, Frazier is an amateur calligrapher, map-maker, and artist.

 

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YA Sci-fi, YA Fantasy – The Lost Prince

YA Sci-fi, YA Fantasy – The Lost Prince

 

The Gifted Ones, Book 3

YA Sci-fi, YA Fantasy

 Release Date: October 1, 2020

 Publisher: Gean Penny Books

 

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A call to unite. A search for truth. Two superhuman teens running from the law…

Paradise, Texas. Fourteen-year-old Carmen isn’t sure what happened to her mother; one day she’s helping cook dinner, but the next day, her mother’s missing and Carmen’s fleeing for her life. Burdened with anger that interferes with her unusual power, she takes to the streets with the only clue her mother left behind. But when she encounters a stranger picking through her belongings, she finds herself in a life or death situation. 

Seventeen-year-old Simon survived a tragedy he doesn’t remember; he doesn’t know how or why he’s on the streets. So when his physical needs overtake him, he’ll do anything to satisfy them, including scavenging a homeless den. And when he discovers a drawing on the cardboard ceiling, it sparks a memory that compels him to help the owner.

But with danger lurking in every alleyway and one clue to lead the way, they may not succeed… 

Can Carmen and Simon discover how their mutual clue connects them before her mother’s life is taken?

 

The Gifted Ones The Lost Prince is the exciting final book in The Gifted Ones superhero fantasy trilogy. If you like young heroes, realistic settings, and stories of adventure, then you’ll love PG Shriver’s third book The Lost Prince.

 

Buy The Gifted Ones The Lost Prince to unlock the superpowered ending today!

 

Other Books in the The Gifted Ones Trilogy:

 

 

Paradise Rising

The Gifted Ones, Book 1

Publisher: Gean Penny Books

Published: June 1, 2020

 

San Antonio, Texas. Thirteen-year-old Cheater isn’t sure how she ended up wanted for murder. Burdened with a power she doesn’t understand, that’s triggered by a creeping darkness she can’t remember, she’s both saved and taken lives. But when she makes a vigilante move to stop a mugging, she encounters a boy who might be the key to cracking the mystery of her strange gift.

Fifteen-year-old Jaz has survived too many tragedies to stay on the right side of the law. So when his small gang’s robbery gets interrupted by a teenaged fugitive, he’s perplexed by her act of heroism. And when he discovers they’re both connected to the same mysterious fairytale, he feels drawn to her quest for answers.

But with danger lurking around every corner and the police hot on their trail, they may not even make it past the city limits…

Can Cheater and Jaz discover why Fate linked them together before they land behind bars?

 

The Gifted Ones Paradise Rising is the captivating first book in The Gifted Ones pre-superhero fantasy series. If you like smart heroines, gritty settings, and stories of hope, then you’ll love PG Shriver’s emotional tale.

 

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Time of Dreams

The Gifted Ones, Book 2

Publisher: Gean Penny Books

Published: August 1, 2020

 

An unusual ally. A destined dream. Two superhuman teens hiding from the law…

Godley, Texas. Fourteen-year-old Nathan isn’t sure how the girl in his dream knew to warn him. Burdened with righteous anger, and past events that put him in the wrong place at the wrong time, he’s ready to avenge the tragedies he’s left behind. But when a lost girl in the woods demands his help, he finds himself in another sticky situation— a dead body, a familiar face, and a secret that might be key to deciphering the dream.

Seventeen-year-old Rebecca survived a tragedy that’s kept her locked away in fear. So when she flees for her life and crosses paths with a guy in the woods, she uses her power to push through his anger for help. And when she discovers their connection to the same mysterious girl, she is drawn into his heroic quest for revenge.

But with a sheriff hot on their trail and two strangers breaking into their safe haven, they may not even make it out of the city…

Can Nathan and Rebecca discover why Fate drew them together before the sheriff locks them up?

 

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About the Author 

P.G. Shriver holds a Masters in Education, a Bachelors in English and is currently retired from teaching. Shriver writes from her country home in Texas. She lives with her family among three Great Pyrenees, an eighty-five pound Chihuahua, four horses, six cats and many of my favorite books from various genres, seventeen of which are her own published works, seven picture books for children, five first reader chapter books, and five middle grade-young adult novels. Somewhere in the menagerie is my retired husband who enjoys his role as sounding board.

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YA High Fantasy – The Lost King

YA High Fantasy – The Lost King

YA High Fantasy

Date Published:
November 10, 2020

Publisher: FyreSyde Publishing

 

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png 

 

King Athan vanishes at sea. His children, prince Thalos and princess Thara, drift apart with age, their kingdom falling into ruin. Thalos stubbornly clings to the past; Thara, resentful of her father, looks to the future. In the wake of this decline, a beautiful enchantress usurps the throne from the estranged siblings. She exiles Thalos to the edge of the world and slowly
enslaves Thara’s mind.

In his exile, Thalos finds another castaway—an old comrade of his father. Together they begin a voyage in search of the lost king. Thara, meanwhile, resists the new queen’s coercive spells and finds a resistance of creatures still loyal to her father.

With a vast world of enchanted islands and beings between them, Thalos and Thara struggle to restore their family and rekindle the hope of the true king’s return.

 

Excerpt

Then an even stranger sight drew Thalos’ eyes away from the wintry beauty of this new land. It was a thing made of hewn stones. When these stones were cut and by whom was beyond the Prince’s guess, for they were old and mossy. Brown grasses and weeds splintered the once-seamless joints of the blocks.

For miles around, there was neither sight nor sound of any living thing, which lent a mysterious air to the stone structure and the strange land. A hundred questions sprang up in Thalos’ mind, but only one thing was certain—powerful magic hung around this place, a magic older than the stones themselves. At the same time, it felt novel and gave Thalos the excitement of discovering something that no man had ever seen.

He nervously stretched a hand toward the stones. As his fingertips made contact, they twitched and withdrew—the stones were frigid!

The structure was large and cylindrical and taller than a man. Ancient hands had smoothed it, so that now it looked like the bottom portion of a column, except that around this drum of stone wound a little stairway which expired near the rim. Thalos ascended the steps running his hands along the column of stone as he neared the top. It wasn’t perfectly smooth, for veins of uneven ridges rippled on its surface.

With soft, padding footfalls, he climbed the steps until they ended abruptly in a small landing just high enough from the ground that Thalos could lean over and look at the top of this edifice. Thalos was shocked when he reached the top; it was more than a mere column of stone—it was a well.

What was more, it was a well of what seemed to be the purest, crystalline water that he had ever set eyes upon—purer than mountain snowmelt running through a bed of stones at the beginning of spring. It glimmered with a light of its own, for the morning sun had not yet risen so high as to shine its light over the brim of the ancient fountain.

It beckoned to Thalos, not in the lustful way that strong liquor calls to a drunk, but the way a warm bed promises health and rest to one who has traveled all day through bitter weather.

So, with little hesitation, Thalos dipped his hand into the water.

An electric jolt shot up his hand and arm. It was cold, but not too painful. He cupped enough for a little sip, brought it to his lips, and immediately was refreshed.

Here was true water—not the poison of Sundra. All other waters he had ever tasted were like bitter, brackish sludge compared to this!

When he had swallowed this drink (and it took only one sip to make him feel full and refreshed), he looked out to his right over the vista that it seemed no Antaranisian eye had ever seen. He felt a strange sensation course through his veins, penetrating—it seemed—to his very soul. Before this, his body had ached with the dull pains of hunger, soreness, and worse yet—despair; despair so deep and heavy that it felt as if it had been with him from birth. A new sensation replaced this despair at once. Was it hope? Or something like it? Hope so deep and true it made even the rising sun seem new! Now darkness must flee before the triumphant sun, an immortal light conquering the shadows of night. It was rapturous.

 About the Author

Frazier Alexander lives in Denton, Texas with his wife Nicole.

He began writing around the age of nine, inspired by movies such as The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and “sword-and-sandal” epics like Jason and the Argonauts. As a reader, his interests gravitate towards older works and the classics, such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil’s Aeneid, Beowulf, and Le Morte D’Arthur. Along with creating his own mythological backdrop for his stories, Frazier is an amateur calligrapher, map-maker, and artist.

 

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