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Lyrian Tales Excerpts |
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Light's UnWeaving |
Four To The PowerLight |
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The Power intensified, rose, blinding, past reason, then slammed shut abruptly—like a door on his finger. The dark struck. The Powerlight scattered. Avelon fell to his knees, his head bent; sick pain coiled through him like a dark death. He didn't try to stand, only pushed himself up to his knees, adjusted the satchel that held the Chalice, and tugged Efin's cape closer around his shoulders. If he stayed on his knees, he couldn't run away screaming. The Circle resealed the Emerald Star. The air around him cleared sluggishly at first -- then surged wildly with Powerlight. Avelon felt his hair fling out from his head. Then it broke abruptly away in a soundless, shattering thunderclap. While the Powerlight broke him into a myriad of separate particles . . . . and sent him spinning across time, space, and land |
Jith hugged herself and eyed her tea cup, unable to consider drinking it. The image of the chill-faced man gazed out at her. "You are right," he told her with a tight smile, "There is only sorrow. Sorrow and darkness." He swirled his cloak gracefully as he nodded to the side. An image formed in the swirling: A dark-haired, lean, muscular young man struggled against five uniformed men. His braided hair was woven with feathers and bits of metals that glinted frantically in the light as he fought desperately—until he fell, sprawled and bleeding in the dirt. Two of the uniformed men yanked him by his hair to his knees before a cruel-faced woman. The woman lifted her chin, a cruel smile slicing her mouth. She nodded to the side; the image changed. A thin, wispy-haired youth, his face contorted with horror, held the hand of another youth whose expression was closed with despair. A heavy double-edged sword came down between them, slicing off the second youth's hand. Both youths screamed. With a cry to match, Jith stumbled up and flung the tea, cup and all, out the back door.
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Keys To Darkness |
Keys To Light |
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A piercing scream tore the air. Saeshi! Jith ran toward the sound, WinterLeaf only a step behind her. A splash, shouts from the sailors, then from Thaye, and Jith realized, with an inner chill, that the trouble she had seen in her scryings had arrived. She and WinterLeaf rounded the pile of crates just in time to see Thaye and Reed dive overboard. Jith let herself slam up against the railing to stop. Osin and Saeshi were already in the ocean; both appeared to be floundering. Though it looked as if Saeshi was trying to push Osin under, Jith supposed it was only fear on Saeshi’s part and the girl was actually trying to scale Osin like a tree to get out of the water. Their Dawn Queen, she knew, couldn’t swim. |
“If you are looking for a truly exceptional reading,” the Runemaster said, “you must have Ylang give you one.” Jith didn't answer. The man smiled at her thinly. “Come now, you can do better than this. Otherwise, how can you expect to win?” She snapped her head up sharply, and her hand went automatically to her sword hilt. The man noted and smiled thinly. “Ah, the Golden Battlemaid. I am quite astonished to meet you. Zxy told me so much about you.” Zxy? The DarVoken hissed softly and unhappily while the KethVoken said, “Never say Reven didn't introduce you two. How remiss of him.” Jith took a breath, held it, realized the man wasn't going to kill her outright at the moment, and said, “I remember you.” |
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