Worlds Between the Pages

At the rendezvous the other groups waited with the gems from Siren’s Grotto and Velketor. Everything the dragons required was now in Frostraiders’ hands. A Place Among the Frostraiders Kabuki stepped forward before the assembled guild. “I owe you all an apology. I behaved badly after Hate. I should have trusted the officers.” Pebbles regarded her, then nodded. “Apology accepted. You came back.” No further discussion. No lingering resentment. The guild simply welcomed her. They travelled to Skyshrine. Word of their work in Kael had gone ahead of them. The dragons welcomed the Frostraiders as heroes rather than intruders. The crude components taken from the giants were examined, then transformed. The Wolf Caller Armour When the finished Wolf Caller armour was presented, Caradawc set aside the Rune Etched set that had carried him through Hate. The new armour was something else entirely—exquisite, powerful, unmistakably the work of dragons. It fit...

Book Three: Avatar of War Chapter Two: The Giants Phephe found them while the group was still sorting gear. “I’ve just come from the officers’ meeting. Kael Drakkal.” Izzy’s head snapped up. “The giants?” “The giants.” They had been in Velious long enough to understand the three powers that dominated the frozen continent: the Coldain in Thurgadin, the dragons of Skyshrine, and the giants of Kael Drakkal under King Tormax. The Frostraiders were about to trespass in the third. “The officers think we’re ready to start collecting the armour components,” Phephe said. “The Dragons of Skyshrine can forge something far better, but they need the proper base armour and gems. Other groups are already in Siren’s Grotto and Velketor’s Laboratory.” “Not a full raid, then,” Caradawc said. “Smaller groups. Find what we need and get out. The Arena is off limits. If someone desecrates the statue of Rallos Zek, the Avatar of War appears. We are ...

The Plane of Hate was no place to linger. Even after the fighting stopped, Caradawc felt its malice pressing against him—the air thick with the residue of the creatures they had killed and the dark power that soaked every stone of Innoruuk’s realm. But the Frostraiders were alive. That was what mattered. They had not come to conquer. They had come for armour and equipment, and they had taken it. Pebbles moved among the piles, sharp and practical. “Gather what we can. We need better armour if we’re going to progress the way the officers planned.” No one argued. Progression was never one glorious battle. It was piece by piece, raid by raid. The Rune Etched armour began to appear. Caradawc lifted a breastplate and turned it in his hands. The craftsmanship was exquisite—runes etched with precision, plates shaped as if the metal itself had been persuaded into form. He had worn good armour before. This was different. When the full set was assembled and fitted him perfectly, he ...

   

The journey back through the Emerald Jungle was quieter than the journey into the City of Mist. Perhaps it was because they were tired. Perhaps it was because they had nothing left to prove. Or perhaps it was because, for the first time since they had entered Kunark, Caradawc could feel the spirits again. They did not speak. They did not guide him. They simply watched. Waiting. Phephe walked beside him. "You feel them?" Caradawc nodded. "They're back." Phephe smiled. "Then we're close." Behind them, Kabuki walked slowly. She was alive. That was enough for Izzy. The Cleric had refused to leave her side since the final battle in the City of Mist. Every few minutes she glanced across to make sure Kabuki was still moving. Eventually Kabuki noticed. "You know I'm not going to disappear." Izzy frowned. "I know." "You keep checking." "I am checking that you're not a...

The gates of the City of Mist stood before them. For several moments, nobody moved. The seven Frostraiders had spent hours travelling through the Emerald Jungle, following an ancient road that had slowly disappeared beneath the mist. Now there was nowhere left to follow. The spirits had gone silent. Whatever happened next would be theirs alone. Break looked back at the group. "Stay together." No one argued. He turned towards the gates. They opened. Slowly. Silently. The mist rolled outward. Then the Frostraiders entered. The City was unlike anything Caradawc had seen before. Ancient stone buildings rose from the jungle, their towers disappearing into the mist. Broken statues stood along the streets. Ruined walls leaned against one another. Some structures appeared almost intact. Others had been reduced to piles of stone. The city was dead. Yet it did not feel abandoned. Something moved somewhere beyond the mist. Caradawc...

The spirit hovered beneath the surface of the lake. Its form was almost impossible to understand. Part mist. Part light. Part memory. Caradawc could feel its presence within his mind rather than merely seeing it before him. Beside him, Phephe stood perfectly still. Neither spoke. Neither needed to. The Calling had brought them here. Now they were waiting to learn why. The spirit looked first at Caradawc. Then at Phephe. Its gaze seemed to pass through them, as though searching for something hidden beneath flesh and bone. At last it spoke. Not through sound. Through spirit. You have followed the path. Caradawc nodded. "We have." You have listened. Phephe stepped forward. "We have tried." The spirit seemed almost amused. Trying is not enough. The words settled heavily within Caradawc. He had heard similar lessons before. The spirits did not reward effort. They rewarded understanding. The Calling is no...