Guardian of Honor
Chapter One
Lladrana, early spring
When the Star Etalla glows bright and moves through the constellation Caen; when mists
envelop the stone circle high atop Archer's Mound; when the face of the Moon is
hidden - then the walls between worlds are thin, and you may Summon saviors - or
demons - from the Exotique Land. Send the Call. Choose well.
- Spring Prophecy
The rush of rain hit the stone pavement with hissing, tinny pings. Swordmarshall Thealia hurried
through the Castle's cloister walk, ignoring the silver fall outside the open, pointed arches. The
incessant damp weather made her aging joints ache even under three layers of robes. She'd
once loved to watch the rain. Once. Now she avoided looking at it, listening to it, and wished
she could avoid smelling the miasma that rose from it.
She'd been called the tough realist, harping on the harsh facts of Lladrana's desperate situation,
demanding action - but she couldn't face the rain anymore.
Dread gripped her. She'd just stopped at the map room. She knew it was obsessive, checking
the status of the land every morning and evening, but she ... read full excerpt from Keepers of the Flame ebook
