Tales of the Ailendar, Volume 5: Rite of the Veil – Part 2

The black-barked trees were still, the waterways placid and tranquil, but Tadi did not allow his gaze to rest in one place. His ears pushed past the sounds of birdcall and buzzing insect, primed for any splash, any shuffle of paw on branch or any intake of breath. He scanned treetops and swamp alike, his gaze lingering only briefly on …

Tales of the Ailendar, Volume 5: Rite of the Veil – Part 1

Dawn poured pale blue light over the swamps as scraps of mist hovered above the stagnant waters and tangled with the ferns covering the tussocks. Tadi’s breath clouded before his face, as the fine scales on his bare chest flattened to ward off the chill. Using his spear to balance himself on the edge of a floating mud clump, he …