A Legend of the Outlands story. The Empire at the edge of the world contains sprawling cities with glittering courts, Knights and the intrigue of monarchies. But it also contains those desperate, dusty towns that cling to the remnants of civilization and eke out subsistence under order from the Empire to hold off the encroaching destruction of the outlands. Viola has been working a ranch on the edge of the outlands for years, paying back a debt that transcends money when she faces an impossible choice that will damn her soul. Kamau, a faithful and powerful General, is sent on a mission to save his Queen, to seek out and repair a rift in the world's soul with the help of a Witch. A desperate act of selflessness ties their journey into the outlands together, though they are both keeping secrets to ensure their success and survival. This story was written as part of the @circleofjerks Novellawrimo 1 Prompt. The goal was to write 15k words in a month based on a prompt ( or two). I know there's more to the story than what is currently posted, but this was a writing exercise to try and get me inspired. Currently intending to continue, but there is no guarantee. The Prompts this was based on are: 1) A Magical Realism Story that Takes Place in the Old West & 2) Witch for Hire: You've lost your job, Food is running out, and bills are coming due. You make the call you thought you'd never make. Seconds later she arrives with your assignment. See more of these Prompts from other participants at the @circleofjerks profile Novellawrimo1 reading list.

The Second compilation of the Sword Keeper Omnibus. Over a century has passed since the marriage of King Drakos and Queen Verana and though the time has been relatively short for the long-lived races, the human kingdom of Clairval has allowed the stories of the Sword Keepers, and the Iron Oath, to fade into mythos. The Peers of Clairval, the 13 founding families, have become deeply divided and both the Rakier's and Del Rei's have been out of royal favour for generations. The regency is struggling under the corruption of greed and cruelty and the humans have all but lost the faith of the Vayan and Rulin allies they desperately need. The Rakier longsword has been mounted to the wall, it's blue stone pommel having lost its light decades ago, and the swords of Verana have not been seen since they were returned to the wild a century before. And there is a growing threat to the west. The massive Xercosian Empire has been subjugating the world on its path east, and Clairval's human allies have begun to fall one by one. Plots within the street of Clairval whisper of deals with demons and monsters that can decimate cities in a night. Teresa Agrona has been on her own since her mother died of a mysterious illness, the child of a woman from a dark past. Living on the streets and looking out for those few other children who are precious to her, Teresa is double crossed and arrested, threatened with certain death in the corrupt Clairvalan justice system. Darya Rakier is the second born daughter of Morningside, carrying on the family tradition of sailing, trading, and adventuring; anything to keep her away from home and the older sister she loves but can't stand to be around. Neither woman is a hero. Neither of them are trying to do anything more than survive in a world that has lost the shine of hope. But it's that very world that needs them to save it from the coming darkness.

This is the second part of the book Elemental Witch ( its a long book, so I broke it down into three digestible sections) If you're still reading the first part, go no further in this description. Clairval is not alone. Veranandien's Life's Test has proven that. As Keeper of the Peace Swords, Verana's Path is to protect the island. But injured and recovering from her test's completion, Verana is struggling to come to terms with who she is, let alone the fight ahead of her. Now, she finds herself on her Life's Path. Peace is needed to protect the people Verana cares for, but with the world expanding far quicker than she could fathom, the line between enemy and ally is blurring despite the entrenched biases, hate and violence that separate everyone. (cover by @whiskeyjanedoe) Mature for scenes of violence