On the tranquil lands of the Eldredshire Faragon, also known as the Ivalor at the present time, its people have lived in peace for over 500 years since the devastating disaster wrought by their ancient and corrupted god, Ophiuchus. The calamities were only quelled through the selfless sacrifice of Castorice the First Priestess, the Ivalor's preceding leader, and Ophiuchus's own divine maiden, who sealed away the vengeful god to a fragmentum, lifting the curse and restoring balance to the realm.
The fragmentum had become the stuff of myth, referenced only in the ancient texts of their forebears. That was until, after half a millennium of tranquility, a wave of mysterious killings sent shockwaves through the metropolis. Durandal, a son of a Duke who believed the fragmentum to be responsible, was at a loss for where to begin his quest to find and destroy the remnants of the once-cursed deity.
Will he succeed in finding a way to see the fragmentum, or will the specter of Ophiuchus's wrath consume the kingdom with endless bloodshed?"
ABOUT MORE OF THE STORY:
While sharing the same temporal context as the Van Deloney Series, this story diverges with its unique cast, mythos, and enigmas. Nonetheless, the locales remain consistent, and characters from the Van Deloney Series may feature throughout the chronicle, their involvement woven seamlessly into this distinct fictional world.
[Interested? Read the story to find out what happened.]
Content/Trigger Warning: This story contains violence, heinous crime, gruesome scene
Advertisement: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A criminal mastermind makes a bold move against a wealthy client to put himself in a position to retire in comfort. He has no idea what he's up against when a young widow, desperate to make ends meet, sets her eyes on earning the bounty set on his head.
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Newly widowed housewife Melody Scott needs to earn some major cash, fast. When her bright and busy children learn that a priceless ruby bracelet has been stolen and a six-figure reward is being offered, they convince her to try to do what the police, museum security, and the best private investigators have failed to do. Working against them is a notorious thief who has met people from around the world, but who has never once encountered a woman like Melody Scott. When the sweet innocence of the Scott family clashes against criminal forces more dangerous than they ever imagined, Melody is all too aware that a mom's got to do what a mom's got to do to protect her family.
The Widow, Melody Scott is a 2021 Watty Award Winner!
Content Warning: This story does contain depictions of stalking behavior.