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One of the things I needed to do for The Bleeding Realm was redo the map of Skara, which I drew myself. In this second installment of the Skara Trilogy, geography plays a more important role in the plot. There is a wider array of point-of-view characters and they’re doing stuff across a broader landscape. Some of the geographic details needed to be clarified and some mistakes needed to be corrected—like Kellstone not being right on the Tarrow River… what was I thinking?
I also changed a name. The fief of Fuornoc is now the fief of Ferroc. A reader pointed out to me that Fuornoc sounded a lot like the first two syllables of a certain English verb I really did not want to call to mind. It isn't that kind of book.
As with the original map, I decided to draw this one myself, and again, I am very happy with it. Well, I think the lettering could be a lot cooler, but at least it’s reasonably neat and legible. I have put it up in the Map Room and left the original for comparison.
When I was first working on publishing Sword of the Feara, I had the map entirely in my head and was kicking around having a real artist doing it. I don’t consider myself an artist; I have always had a knack for drawing, but I lack the patience to be any good. Still, when I found some YouTube tutorials for drawing fantasy maps on a channel called Maps by Owen, I decided to give it a shot and maybe save some cash.
With some good drawing pens and a sketchpad, I practiced Owen’s techniques and quickly found myself drawing some pretty cool mountain ranges and coastlines! The hardest part for me was stifling my natural impatience and going slowly. I achieved this by drawing the map over about 15 short sessions, first in pencil and then in pen. Same approach for the new map.
All told, I probably went from thinking about maybe drawing my own map to having a finished product I was very happy with in about twelve days. Even better, I had the feeling of accomplishment that comes from working hard on something.
I bring that up because I am more and more seeing people using generative AI for book covers, maps, and illustrations. Never mind that these images (it isn’t art) can’t be copyrighted; never mind that it steals and repurposes the work of real artists without consent, credit, or compensation; and never mind that generative AI is an energy pig using massive amounts of electricity and water—what really rankles me is when they call themselves “artists.” What an affront to real artists. I did a pretty good fantasy novel map in less than two weeks, and I don’t even call myself an artist. But these Gen AI “artists” type in what they want, let a machine generate the output, and claim the title artist for themselves. It’s sad that we’ve invented a cheap shortcut to creation, but nothing done with generative AI will ever have the character or soul of real art, created by a real artist—like my cover artist, Alex Albornoz--who worked hard to develop the actual skill to create on their own work.
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Well, it has been a while since the last update, but that's because I've been dialed in finishing the sequel to Sword of the Feara, which is going to be available on October 16th, 2026! That's a while after my target date, but I feel it will be worth the wait to have a more polished product. In addition to the writing and revising and editing, I also had to redo the map of Skara (another post on that coming up).
And now for the cover reveal. Thankfully, Alex Albornaz, the very talented artist who did the cover for Sword of the Feara was available for the sequel, The Bleeding Realm. So -- drumroll -- I give you the cover reveal!
And now for the cover reveal. Thankfully, Alex Albornaz, the very talented artist who did the cover for Sword of the Feara was available for the sequel, The Bleeding Realm. So -- drumroll -- I give you the cover reveal!
As you can see, the basic theme is consistent with the first cover, but this one incorporates Queen Cora's Turannan royal family sigil, the twin crescents. As with the slight modification to the Gildeen sigil on Sword's cover, there is a thematic twist here that will be revealed in the book.
You also may notice that the book's position as the second book of the Skara trilogy is noted on the front, back and spine. The Sword of the Feara cover will be receiving a similar update, probably before Realm's release date.
Thanks for stopping by the site. There will be more soon to come, including a post on art and a new map for Skara, as well as some celebrity kudos for Sword of the Feara!
You also may notice that the book's position as the second book of the Skara trilogy is noted on the front, back and spine. The Sword of the Feara cover will be receiving a similar update, probably before Realm's release date.
Thanks for stopping by the site. There will be more soon to come, including a post on art and a new map for Skara, as well as some celebrity kudos for Sword of the Feara!
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Indie Book Spotlight is a social media account run by indie author Rebecca Crunden. She is the most tireless champion of Indie Authors out there and has done a great deal to help draw attention to the work of countless indie authors, including me. Part of that effort lately has been to run author interviews on her own website and I was the latest subject. Go check out my interview here:
https://rebeccacrunden.com/2025/03/03/author-interview-with-dan-kretzer/
And if you're interested in horror and fantasy short stories and novellas that often have a very unconventional bent, you couldn't do much better than to check out Rebecca's stories available on Amazon. Someone Else's Horror Story is one of my personal favorites.
https://rebeccacrunden.com/2025/03/03/author-interview-with-dan-kretzer/
And if you're interested in horror and fantasy short stories and novellas that often have a very unconventional bent, you couldn't do much better than to check out Rebecca's stories available on Amazon. Someone Else's Horror Story is one of my personal favorites.
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It’s been a while since my last update. Sometimes job and family can overwhelm other pursuits and it’s been that way for me for a while, but my next novel is back on track. I have a working title—The Bleeding Realm—and am making progress that has me somewhat hopeful for a Summer release this year. Over the next few months, I’ll be posting some teasers here on the site, introducing some of the new characters I am adding to Hale, Cora, and Arrika’s continuing story. I will also soon be posting about some feedback I have received from some pretty well-known names in fantasy. Check back in the next week or so…
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-I'm excited to announce that Sword of the Feara is now available on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited, which is a subscription e-book service that lets you read as much as you want for a set monthly rate. The authors get paid by the number of pages read, so it obviously rewards those books that people want to finish.
I had initially declined to put the book on Kindle Unlimited because your e-book has to be exclusive to Amazon to be eligible, but after several months, it started to become clear that sales from other venues were pretty anemic. So I've delisted the e-book version from other sites to go exclusively with Amazon. I am hoping that more people will give it a chance through the Kindle Unlimited program. We'll see how it goes.
Sword of the Feara is still available on Amazon as an e-book to non-KU subscribers, and of course as a paperback for those of you like me who prefer the feel of a hard copy book and a respite from staring at glowing rectangles. ;)
I had initially declined to put the book on Kindle Unlimited because your e-book has to be exclusive to Amazon to be eligible, but after several months, it started to become clear that sales from other venues were pretty anemic. So I've delisted the e-book version from other sites to go exclusively with Amazon. I am hoping that more people will give it a chance through the Kindle Unlimited program. We'll see how it goes.
Sword of the Feara is still available on Amazon as an e-book to non-KU subscribers, and of course as a paperback for those of you like me who prefer the feel of a hard copy book and a respite from staring at glowing rectangles. ;)
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2024 is here and there are some new reviews in for Sword of the Feara on Amazon. If you've left one, you have my deepest thanks, and I'd ask you to please consider adding your review to Goodreads as well. Lots of readers use that site to find books, and the more reviews I can get there, the better!
So, what's the plan for the new year? Well, the sequel to Sword of the Feara is starting to come together and resemble something like an actual novel. I've still got months of writing and revising ahead of me before it will be ready for the editor and subsequent publication. One of the challenges of being a new indie author with a kid in college is that I still kind of need to work that day job, which really cuts into my writing time.
I am setting September as my tentative goal for release. It may be a little late or it might be a little early. Who knows? Now that I have one novel under my belt, maybe this one will go a little smoother? That's probably wishful thinking. In any event, sometime this spring, I hope to put up Chapter 1 on this site to give readers a sample of what is to come.
The working title for this sequel is The Bleeding Kingdom, and it picks up a couple of months after the ending of the first novel. Our surviving heroes must now face the challenges that have sprung from their exploits in the first novel and face some new and unexpected trials. As with Sword of the Feara, my fondest wish is that you'll enjoy reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it!
Happy New Year!
So, what's the plan for the new year? Well, the sequel to Sword of the Feara is starting to come together and resemble something like an actual novel. I've still got months of writing and revising ahead of me before it will be ready for the editor and subsequent publication. One of the challenges of being a new indie author with a kid in college is that I still kind of need to work that day job, which really cuts into my writing time.
I am setting September as my tentative goal for release. It may be a little late or it might be a little early. Who knows? Now that I have one novel under my belt, maybe this one will go a little smoother? That's probably wishful thinking. In any event, sometime this spring, I hope to put up Chapter 1 on this site to give readers a sample of what is to come.
The working title for this sequel is The Bleeding Kingdom, and it picks up a couple of months after the ending of the first novel. Our surviving heroes must now face the challenges that have sprung from their exploits in the first novel and face some new and unexpected trials. As with Sword of the Feara, my fondest wish is that you'll enjoy reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it!
Happy New Year!
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Any savvy indie writer knows that when you release a new book, you should send out some advance review copies to people well before the release date, so that when your book goes live on Amazon it will already have a star rating and a few reviews. Not being a savvy indie writer, I did not do this, so Sword of the Feara sat almost two months with no stars and no ratings. This is important because people don't like to buy books without some idea that someone else read it and liked it. Since virtually anyone can publish anything these days, it's kind of understandable that readers want to see some reviews before purchasing.
Well, the reviews are starting to come in and I am very pleased so far. Three people have rated Sword of the Feara, all giving the book five stars! Two of these people have been kind enough to write a few sentences of review (also important for sales). Here is the first:
Well, the reviews are starting to come in and I am very pleased so far. Three people have rated Sword of the Feara, all giving the book five stars! Two of these people have been kind enough to write a few sentences of review (also important for sales). Here is the first:
I've had family and friends tell me they liked a book, but to see that someone else enjoyed it on this level and liked it enough to take the time to write out these words is the kind of thing that keeps authors going. I nearly wrote two whole chapters of the sequel the day this review came in. The next one was equally gratifying.
While the Tolkien comparison is one that I obviously don't want to invite, I was so glad that this reader was taken back to the kind of old school fantasy novels I enjoyed too when I was younger. What really touched me about this review is that they shared it with their child. I first got into the fantasy genre when I sat with my dad listening to the Hobbit as a kid, and to think I recreated that same thing for someone else's child really makes the act of writing a joy.
I certainly don't expect the string of perfect five-star ratings to continue, and that's fine. No book is for everyone. But I do look forward to reading every review and seeing every star rating that comes in, because that means people are reading my work and it is moving them to take that little extra effort of providing feedback. Hopefully, the more I accumulate, the more people will give Sword of the Feara a chance.
I certainly don't expect the string of perfect five-star ratings to continue, and that's fine. No book is for everyone. But I do look forward to reading every review and seeing every star rating that comes in, because that means people are reading my work and it is moving them to take that little extra effort of providing feedback. Hopefully, the more I accumulate, the more people will give Sword of the Feara a chance.
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It’s done. I made it!
Sword of the Feara is now published and available as a paperback from Amazon and as an e-book from Amazon and several other sellers. Someone asked me this week if self-publishing was hard. The answer to that is yes and no.
For e-books, it’s really an unqualified yes. Amazon and Draft2Digital allow you to just upload a word doc and they do the rest. There was a little wrangling for me because I have a map, which needs some tweaking to make it look right, but on the whole, publishing an e-book is trivially simple (once you’ve accomplished the non-trivial task of writing it). For the cover, you just need a jpeg of the front cover, which my artist provided.
For print, it is... kind of easy. I formatted my book for print through a site called Draft2Digital, where you upload your word document and select your parameters (like 6x9, margins, etc). Their program spits out a fully formatted book in pdf that Amazon accepts. Getting the map to work in print format was a lot trickier. The cover is more difficult because you need the back and spine to wrap around properly. Thankfully Alex was infinitely patient with me and promptly provided the necessary adjustments. There were some other tweaks and changes that needed to be made for the print version… which is why I’m only now posting this announcement more than a week after publication.
Hard cover? We'll see how well the book sells before opening that can of worms. :)
Now begins the really hard part: marketing.
Sword of the Feara is now published and available as a paperback from Amazon and as an e-book from Amazon and several other sellers. Someone asked me this week if self-publishing was hard. The answer to that is yes and no.
For e-books, it’s really an unqualified yes. Amazon and Draft2Digital allow you to just upload a word doc and they do the rest. There was a little wrangling for me because I have a map, which needs some tweaking to make it look right, but on the whole, publishing an e-book is trivially simple (once you’ve accomplished the non-trivial task of writing it). For the cover, you just need a jpeg of the front cover, which my artist provided.
For print, it is... kind of easy. I formatted my book for print through a site called Draft2Digital, where you upload your word document and select your parameters (like 6x9, margins, etc). Their program spits out a fully formatted book in pdf that Amazon accepts. Getting the map to work in print format was a lot trickier. The cover is more difficult because you need the back and spine to wrap around properly. Thankfully Alex was infinitely patient with me and promptly provided the necessary adjustments. There were some other tweaks and changes that needed to be made for the print version… which is why I’m only now posting this announcement more than a week after publication.
Hard cover? We'll see how well the book sells before opening that can of worms. :)
Now begins the really hard part: marketing.
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What follows is a short story set in the same fantasy world as my upcoming novel, Sword of the Feara. This is a stand alone story taking place in a different part of the setting. I hope you enjoy it and I welcome comments.
A Daughter of House Soolvain
by Dan Kretzer
Invada walked with wide eyes and a thumping heart through the dark halls of her family's villa. The servants whispered as she passed dark doorways down shadowy halls. The whispers were pitched so that she would hear them, of course. In House Soolvain, even the servants were wolves at heart.
Two left feet and laughs like a braying ass, came a hiss.
All the magical talent of this mop, answered a mutter.
She’ll never find a husband with that plain face, put in a snicker.
Why would they set upon her so? She had never tattled on them or framed them for her own trespasses. Her brothers relished getting servants put beneath their mother’s lash. Her sisters had raised it to an art form; so subtly did they manipulate that only their victims knew they had a hand in their pain. Invada had never done any such thing to the servants. Perhaps that was why they whispered so boldly.
The voices all fell silent, like the birds in a forest when a monster comes. Invada stepped into the shadows beside a cabinet just as the dark form Dominatia Soolvain, crossed the hallway behind her in the distance. The richly dressed woman paused and inclined her head, spilling ebony hair down over a bared shoulder the color of rime. The silhouette of her impossibly beautiful face was caught in the light from a window, but she did not look Invada’s way.
Then she was gone, and soon the whispers came back.
The mistress has given up on her youngest, recounted the hiss.
Worthless to the family, agreed the mutter.
Oh, not entirely worthless, countered the snicker with ominous glee.
Invada stepped out hiding and continued toward the east wing. “There is one path still open to me,” she growled low at the shadows. They answered her with silence, and she picked up her pace to leave them behind.
Then, just at the point where she could barely hear them, a whisper piped up. The east wing? For a girl? And her mother says she has no sense of humor.
* * *
The dueling hall was damp and cool, with walls of gray stone and a slate floor. High windows lit the room inadequately at that early hour. Kolderan loomed at the far end of the chamber by the rack, considering the various weapons as a woman picks out a dress. He was lean for a man of Aupuk, with sinewy arms exposed by his sleeveless shirt. He wore his hair short so that none would fail to see the ragged scar across his throat.
Invada’s shuddered and felt dizzy as she tied her dark locks back out of her face. “I am ready to begin!” she barked, her voice ringing off the walls. Wide, dark eyes fixed the unimpressed sword master with a hard stare. Kolderan was just another servant after all, and she was still a daughter of House Soolvain. At least for now she was.
Without so much as a nod or a bow, the man retrieved a pair of wooden practice swords and two dented shields from the rack. He strode across the wide floor and offered her a weapon hilt-first. She took the mock sword and was surprised by its weight. It must have had a lead core inside. Then she took the shield and fumbled for a few moments strapping it to her arm.
“You’re serious then?” the man asked in a bland tone. Invada nodded impatiently. “House Soolvain has never had a female slayer. They are rare, but there are powerful men in Aupuk who covet such women as brides. Is that your game? Looking to land a high-born man despite that uninspiring face?”
“I said I am ready to begin,” repeated Invada, trying to mimic her mother’s withering gaze.
Kolderan only smiled and circled behind her sniffing the air. “No, I think this smells more like desperation. Homely and graceless by your family’s standards, so what good are you, except perhaps as payment to an ogre or wizard? Or maybe a hostage given against a promise that your parents do not intend to keep.”
“Do not make me tell you I am ready a third time,” the girl snarled through clenched teeth.
“Very well.” The sword master smiled and slashed his practice sword in a figure eight. “But when you fail, I do not wish to see your face in my hall again.” The girl stood silently, meeting his gaze.
“Show me a fighting stance,” Kolderan said softly, like a lion’s quiet growl. Invada had never used a shield before, but she had seen one used and had some idea how to hold it. The sword was much heavier than the toys that her brothers regularly thrashed her with, but she dared not let the sword master see her strain against its weight. She brought the blade up and, with some effort, held it steady.
The man nodded, looking down at her feet, which she knew were properly placed. “Did your brothers teach you? Or did you learn by watching?”
“They taught me,” she responded. They taught her enough so that she would provide at least a little challenge during their brutal play.
"Stand ready!” The lean, scarred sword master’s voice suddenly exploded, filling all the corners of the hall. What followed was a flurry of blows from his wooden blade. He beat aside her shield and smacked her shoulder. Then he lunged and poked her ribs. Invada flailed with her shield, trying to block each thrust with little success. Desperately she struggled to bring her own sword to bear. It was useless. Even if she could find an opening to strike, his shield blocked out that entire side of her target.
"Halt!" Invada instantly dropped her guard and stood stiff and straight. She had watched her brothers in training and knew that to continue after a command of halt brought swift punishment.
Kolderan walked in a slow circle around her. “You anticipate blows fairly well. I suppose you have your siblings to thank for that.” His voice had gone soft again, and she strained to hear over her beating heart. He stopped in front of her and regarded her scornfully. “Your capacity for attack is pathetic. I was in more danger from my own fork at breakfast”
“The sword is too heavy,” said the girl.
Kolderan lashed out from his relaxed stance and jabbed her hard in the solar plexus with his sword tip, dropping her to her knees. “No excuses! If you can lift a weapon, then it is not too heavy to harm someone with!”
Struggling for breath, Invada squeezed the tears out of her eyes. “I don’t see how to get my sword past your shield,” she rasped. “You’re too big for me to knock it aside!”
“No excuses,” he rumbled dangerously as she got back to her feet. “If you see no way through my defense with your sword, then find another avenue of attack.”
“Teach me!” she bellowed, covering her frustration with the airs of her superior station.
"You’ve used one of these before?" he asked, poking her shield with his sword.
“Yes,” she lied. Her brothers had never been so sporting.
“Then what is it?”
"My shield, of course."
"No! What is it?"
"A thing I use to..."
"No! Damnit, girl! What kind of thing is it?"
Invada thought for a moment. "A type of... armor, I suppose?"
"It's a weapon!" roared Kolderan. "Your shield, your feet, your elbows and knuckles... that chair, the wall, those pretty eyes, that empty head, the spit in your mouth! All weapons! Do you think female slayers survive by brute force? If a skinny thing like you wishes to survive in a fight you must constantly be bringing all possible weapons to bear on your opponent! Attack, attack, attack! At all times! If your sword is out of position or you have no opening, then use something else."
"Show me," she commanded.
"Stand ready!" Invada tensed and assumed a fighting stance. Her sword arm ached from the exertion, but she would not let the weapon quiver in her gasp. Kolderan turned his right shoulder toward her and unleashed a low backhanded slash. Invada dropped her sword to parry. In that instant the man pivoted and brought his left shoulder forward. His arm flashed out and cracked her in the face with the forward edge of his shield. She fell backwards hard, her sword clattering on the slate tiles.
"V'Azmalada nass!" she shrieked in the dark tongue, clasping her ruined nose and squeezing her eyes shut tight. "My mother will have your skin for a parasol!" It was no idle threat; Dominatia Soolvain owned several such parasols.
Kolderan only laughed. "For an ugly duckling’s face? I think not. Maybe a good kink in the nose is what your face needed. Now, stand ready!"
Invada did not get up. Instead, she collapsed back on the floor in despair. Her eyes filled with tears, and she let out a soft, high-pitched moan. The sound was hopelessness. The ceiling above blurred and her future as a pawn to be sacrificed came into focus. Then the tears spilled forth. Invada closed her eyes and began to shake.
“Are we finished here?” Kolderan asked with a contemptuous shake of his head.
Closer…
The girl only lay there and sobbed. “Oh, for the Dark One’s sake!”
Closer…
“Get off of my practice floor!” The sword master placed his sword in his off hand and stooped to grab the child and drag her out of there himself.
There.
Invada sprung into a crouch and ducked his gasp. With malicious joy welling in her chest, the girl drove the edge of her shield into the man’s exposed shin with all her might. The splintering clang of steel against bone echoed through the hall and the sword master cursed in pain and alarm. He hobbled backwards, barely escaping a vicious stroke from the girl’s quickly recovered practice sword. When he rubbed his shin, his hand came away dripping red.
Then Kolderan smiled. “Yes, those tears in your eyes, too, girl. Those are one hell of a weapon.”
Invada gave a wicked smirk and spat away the blood flowing from her nose. It took most students years to earn a compliment from Kolderan, and she had one on her first day. The man would make her pay for it of course, but with each payment she bought herself a new future.
“House Soolvain has never had a female slayer,” Kolderan said again, but this time his words held no scorn. “Now, stand ready!”
A Daughter of House Soolvain
by Dan Kretzer
Invada walked with wide eyes and a thumping heart through the dark halls of her family's villa. The servants whispered as she passed dark doorways down shadowy halls. The whispers were pitched so that she would hear them, of course. In House Soolvain, even the servants were wolves at heart.
Two left feet and laughs like a braying ass, came a hiss.
All the magical talent of this mop, answered a mutter.
She’ll never find a husband with that plain face, put in a snicker.
Why would they set upon her so? She had never tattled on them or framed them for her own trespasses. Her brothers relished getting servants put beneath their mother’s lash. Her sisters had raised it to an art form; so subtly did they manipulate that only their victims knew they had a hand in their pain. Invada had never done any such thing to the servants. Perhaps that was why they whispered so boldly.
The voices all fell silent, like the birds in a forest when a monster comes. Invada stepped into the shadows beside a cabinet just as the dark form Dominatia Soolvain, crossed the hallway behind her in the distance. The richly dressed woman paused and inclined her head, spilling ebony hair down over a bared shoulder the color of rime. The silhouette of her impossibly beautiful face was caught in the light from a window, but she did not look Invada’s way.
Then she was gone, and soon the whispers came back.
The mistress has given up on her youngest, recounted the hiss.
Worthless to the family, agreed the mutter.
Oh, not entirely worthless, countered the snicker with ominous glee.
Invada stepped out hiding and continued toward the east wing. “There is one path still open to me,” she growled low at the shadows. They answered her with silence, and she picked up her pace to leave them behind.
Then, just at the point where she could barely hear them, a whisper piped up. The east wing? For a girl? And her mother says she has no sense of humor.
* * *
The dueling hall was damp and cool, with walls of gray stone and a slate floor. High windows lit the room inadequately at that early hour. Kolderan loomed at the far end of the chamber by the rack, considering the various weapons as a woman picks out a dress. He was lean for a man of Aupuk, with sinewy arms exposed by his sleeveless shirt. He wore his hair short so that none would fail to see the ragged scar across his throat.
Invada’s shuddered and felt dizzy as she tied her dark locks back out of her face. “I am ready to begin!” she barked, her voice ringing off the walls. Wide, dark eyes fixed the unimpressed sword master with a hard stare. Kolderan was just another servant after all, and she was still a daughter of House Soolvain. At least for now she was.
Without so much as a nod or a bow, the man retrieved a pair of wooden practice swords and two dented shields from the rack. He strode across the wide floor and offered her a weapon hilt-first. She took the mock sword and was surprised by its weight. It must have had a lead core inside. Then she took the shield and fumbled for a few moments strapping it to her arm.
“You’re serious then?” the man asked in a bland tone. Invada nodded impatiently. “House Soolvain has never had a female slayer. They are rare, but there are powerful men in Aupuk who covet such women as brides. Is that your game? Looking to land a high-born man despite that uninspiring face?”
“I said I am ready to begin,” repeated Invada, trying to mimic her mother’s withering gaze.
Kolderan only smiled and circled behind her sniffing the air. “No, I think this smells more like desperation. Homely and graceless by your family’s standards, so what good are you, except perhaps as payment to an ogre or wizard? Or maybe a hostage given against a promise that your parents do not intend to keep.”
“Do not make me tell you I am ready a third time,” the girl snarled through clenched teeth.
“Very well.” The sword master smiled and slashed his practice sword in a figure eight. “But when you fail, I do not wish to see your face in my hall again.” The girl stood silently, meeting his gaze.
“Show me a fighting stance,” Kolderan said softly, like a lion’s quiet growl. Invada had never used a shield before, but she had seen one used and had some idea how to hold it. The sword was much heavier than the toys that her brothers regularly thrashed her with, but she dared not let the sword master see her strain against its weight. She brought the blade up and, with some effort, held it steady.
The man nodded, looking down at her feet, which she knew were properly placed. “Did your brothers teach you? Or did you learn by watching?”
“They taught me,” she responded. They taught her enough so that she would provide at least a little challenge during their brutal play.
"Stand ready!” The lean, scarred sword master’s voice suddenly exploded, filling all the corners of the hall. What followed was a flurry of blows from his wooden blade. He beat aside her shield and smacked her shoulder. Then he lunged and poked her ribs. Invada flailed with her shield, trying to block each thrust with little success. Desperately she struggled to bring her own sword to bear. It was useless. Even if she could find an opening to strike, his shield blocked out that entire side of her target.
"Halt!" Invada instantly dropped her guard and stood stiff and straight. She had watched her brothers in training and knew that to continue after a command of halt brought swift punishment.
Kolderan walked in a slow circle around her. “You anticipate blows fairly well. I suppose you have your siblings to thank for that.” His voice had gone soft again, and she strained to hear over her beating heart. He stopped in front of her and regarded her scornfully. “Your capacity for attack is pathetic. I was in more danger from my own fork at breakfast”
“The sword is too heavy,” said the girl.
Kolderan lashed out from his relaxed stance and jabbed her hard in the solar plexus with his sword tip, dropping her to her knees. “No excuses! If you can lift a weapon, then it is not too heavy to harm someone with!”
Struggling for breath, Invada squeezed the tears out of her eyes. “I don’t see how to get my sword past your shield,” she rasped. “You’re too big for me to knock it aside!”
“No excuses,” he rumbled dangerously as she got back to her feet. “If you see no way through my defense with your sword, then find another avenue of attack.”
“Teach me!” she bellowed, covering her frustration with the airs of her superior station.
"You’ve used one of these before?" he asked, poking her shield with his sword.
“Yes,” she lied. Her brothers had never been so sporting.
“Then what is it?”
"My shield, of course."
"No! What is it?"
"A thing I use to..."
"No! Damnit, girl! What kind of thing is it?"
Invada thought for a moment. "A type of... armor, I suppose?"
"It's a weapon!" roared Kolderan. "Your shield, your feet, your elbows and knuckles... that chair, the wall, those pretty eyes, that empty head, the spit in your mouth! All weapons! Do you think female slayers survive by brute force? If a skinny thing like you wishes to survive in a fight you must constantly be bringing all possible weapons to bear on your opponent! Attack, attack, attack! At all times! If your sword is out of position or you have no opening, then use something else."
"Show me," she commanded.
"Stand ready!" Invada tensed and assumed a fighting stance. Her sword arm ached from the exertion, but she would not let the weapon quiver in her gasp. Kolderan turned his right shoulder toward her and unleashed a low backhanded slash. Invada dropped her sword to parry. In that instant the man pivoted and brought his left shoulder forward. His arm flashed out and cracked her in the face with the forward edge of his shield. She fell backwards hard, her sword clattering on the slate tiles.
"V'Azmalada nass!" she shrieked in the dark tongue, clasping her ruined nose and squeezing her eyes shut tight. "My mother will have your skin for a parasol!" It was no idle threat; Dominatia Soolvain owned several such parasols.
Kolderan only laughed. "For an ugly duckling’s face? I think not. Maybe a good kink in the nose is what your face needed. Now, stand ready!"
Invada did not get up. Instead, she collapsed back on the floor in despair. Her eyes filled with tears, and she let out a soft, high-pitched moan. The sound was hopelessness. The ceiling above blurred and her future as a pawn to be sacrificed came into focus. Then the tears spilled forth. Invada closed her eyes and began to shake.
“Are we finished here?” Kolderan asked with a contemptuous shake of his head.
Closer…
The girl only lay there and sobbed. “Oh, for the Dark One’s sake!”
Closer…
“Get off of my practice floor!” The sword master placed his sword in his off hand and stooped to grab the child and drag her out of there himself.
There.
Invada sprung into a crouch and ducked his gasp. With malicious joy welling in her chest, the girl drove the edge of her shield into the man’s exposed shin with all her might. The splintering clang of steel against bone echoed through the hall and the sword master cursed in pain and alarm. He hobbled backwards, barely escaping a vicious stroke from the girl’s quickly recovered practice sword. When he rubbed his shin, his hand came away dripping red.
Then Kolderan smiled. “Yes, those tears in your eyes, too, girl. Those are one hell of a weapon.”
Invada gave a wicked smirk and spat away the blood flowing from her nose. It took most students years to earn a compliment from Kolderan, and she had one on her first day. The man would make her pay for it of course, but with each payment she bought herself a new future.
“House Soolvain has never had a female slayer,” Kolderan said again, but this time his words held no scorn. “Now, stand ready!”
- Published on
I am pleased to announce that Sword of the Feara is now available for pre-order as an Ebook on multiple vendor sites! I am still formatting for print, but expect to have it ready for print pre-order in the next couple of days. The following universal link will allow you to choose your preferred vendor. I do know that a lot of people like to buy on Amazon, but the book will not be available there until its release date on September 21st, 2023.
If you're interested in pre-ordering, just click this link!
If you're interested in pre-ordering, just click this link!