Read Books...please?

As usual, this blog has a good amount of my opinion, for better or worse! *gasp*

I would like to open with a simple request: read! 

Is it because I have a book on the market? Maybe….  But, not really…seriously.

This post is not meant to be preachy, though it may come off as such. My message is meant simply to give encouragement! 

I have been watching some pretty bad TV and movie trailers and thinking…wow, it doesn’t matter if it is bad because even bad movies get seen.

I give you a scenario: Someone(s) on a Saturday night is watching a movie that they really intended to watch and then the ‘bad’ one follows it. They leave it on and watch it…even though it’s bad! So, theoretically, we can watch bad movies by accident! You cannot, however, read a book by accident. It has to be intentional, right?

Music, for the most part, is something that you have a very real emotional attachment or detachment to right away also. You only need thirty seconds or less to know whether or not you like a song, but a book might take a couple of chapters to get into a groove. Same thing with comics and graphic novels, but they at least have some visual aid help! (And you would be reading—yeah!)

All in all, I think we need to encourage our little ones, sons and daughters of all ages, siblings, parents, friends and everyone else to read a little bit more. Increasing one’s vocabulary increases your knowledge, which in turn, increases your IQ and may lead to greater academic or financial success down the road. It also might give you advantages in social circles as well…you never know.

Let’s face it, it wouldn’t hurt to turn off the boob tube and pick up a book every once in a while, even for entertainment (*gasp again*). I know as I read in my younger days, I was forced to look words up that I did not understand or I was able to understand their basic meaning due to how the word was used in the context of the sentence.  And yes, I was one of those kids.

In this day and age of social media and instant messaging/texting, one can’t help but notice that the populace (including yours truly) has been abbreviating words. This ends up becoming something that we may start to do in emails at work, or send to a boss or some other professional that will immediately reflect on you in a negative way, even if it was unintentional. I have been getting back into the practice now of typing things out as Mr. Webster intended! 

Then there are common usage mistakes that I see in Social Media every single day. The most common example is your and you’re. ‘Your’ is a possessive pronoun while ‘you’re’ is a contraction of ‘you are’. 

I’ll let Ross from Friends explain it to you...

This is my silly cat, placed here to see if you are still paying attention!

Anyway, all that I am trying to establish is that reading, in my opinion, is:

A) Good for your overall mindset

B) Has a pretty good chance of increasing your vocabulary, and

C) Might just make you smarter 

Now, go read something! And as always, I want to hear from you!

Oh, and if you need a suggestion, there is a fantasy novel from this guy that you can purchase online…

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted. 

How much TV do you watch?

This post was something fun I was thinking of doing for a while and though it doesn’t focus on writing/reading, it does relate to it. 

I was wondering this myself recently as I realized that with work, shopping and the everyday things that encompass my time and the amount of reading and writing that I get done every day, I have little to no time at all for TV!

I am going to go over what I happen to actually take the time to watch on a weekly basis and share my opinions on them. Other than the occasional Discovery channel on in the background or even a Phillies game, I can sometimes watch a bit of ‘Criminal Minds’. That being said, there are several programs that I DVR and watch in blocks when I have time, but all in all, I probably watch less than 6 hours a week! I do enjoy the USA lineup for the most part with ‘Burn Notice’, ‘Royal Pains’ and my new favorite: ‘Suits’!

Then there are some of the comedies I enjoy: ‘30 Rock’—and I have to say that Tina Fey is not only a brilliant writer, but she is what I like to call ‘sneaky’ sexy. I watch ‘The Office’, ‘Parks and Recreation’ (See link below - Ron Swanson is da’ man!) and ‘Community’ (which some episodes may become ‘must watch’ as in the Dungeons and Dragons episodes and the paint ball, too). Other than that, it’s Modern Family, with the brilliant Christopher Lloyd involved in the creation.

Ron Swanson from PARKS AND RECREATIONS

I also enjoyed ‘Men of a Certain Age’ very much, so of course they cancelled it as most people seem to enjoy reality TV (yuck) which puts writers out of jobs…so stop watching it! (J/K, watch whatever you want!) Speaking of cancelled, ‘Arrested Development’ was my all time favorite comedy on TV. Unfortunately, I missed the boat when it was on and am sorry I did, but at least we have the two and ½ seasons to watch on DVD! Oh, and I am one of the guys who WANTS TO SEE THE MOVIE, TOO! Now that’s out of my system, let’s move on.

I also very much enjoy ‘Parenthood’, a compelling drama about a family and their siblings/parents who are trying to raise their own families. Probably one of the better shows on TV when it comes to writing. And normally, I don’t watch a drama, but this one is good in my humble opinion!

I watched some of the Starz original series, Spartacus, as well as what could be my all-time favorite mini-series: Game of Thrones on HBO! I am sure that there are tons more shows that are out there and my friends tell me all the time: “you gotta’ watch this” or “you gotta’ watch that!” Quite frankly, I might need to drop a few! But seriously, I know there are more shows out there that I would love to watch—I just don’t have the time is all.

So it begs the question: How much TV and what shows do you watch? Share your thoughts here with me!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted. 

GENCON 2011 experience...

Well, as you all know by now, my favorite part of gencon is not a surprise. I must say that we had our fair share of mishaps, disappointments and all around frustrations. The trip out was an excruciating 11.5 hour journey from the Philadelphia area to Indianapolis. We arrived at the Days Hotel and were immediately disappointed by their lack of knowledge…not only about gencon, but about the surrounding area. We asked them if they had a map and the attendant said no, when there was one right on the end of the counter (which we found shortly after.) 

Then, after eating and sleeping on Wednesday night, we managed to catch a shuttle to the convention center. This was a miracle as well as we later found out that the shuttles were all done basically by one guy and he was servicing two hotels. You do the math.

We arrived at the convention center and were greeted by a line that must have been close to a mile long. WILL CALL! Argh! Next time, we take the cab the night before and get our badges. After that, it took us a little time to get acclimated and before I knew it, the day was gone and we had played our first two sessions of the Living Divine in the 4^th edition D&D game room. The games were fun.

 

Then we spent the next few hours waiting and calling for our shuttle, which did not arrive until 1:30ish in the morning. That sucked! Nick and I then arrived back to the hotel to find that our linens had not been changed. Strike Three, Days Inn! Next! And on top of that, one of our guys had to fly home Saturday morning as his wife went into the hospital. Turns out that she is OK (phew!) but it sucked, nonetheless. So, other than little sleep, which I had counted on, we got more than we bargained for in the way of fun-detractors.

Things did get better after that (despite the hotel’s numerous attempts to blemish my trip) and we managed to visit the amazingly vast dealer rooms, eat @ Loghmiller’s pub (our favorite eatery in Indy) and meet some amazing people! I met Jay Babcock, who was responsible for the 4^th edition Living Divine Event and the mods were fun. Our DM, Dave, was a pretty cool guy and so were all of the DM’s and marshals at the event. 

Then there were of course, the costumes and the statues…pics below. People at gencon are some of the coolest people I have ever met.

And despite all of the problems with the hotel, the travel and the expenses...I would do it 100 out of 100 times again.

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted. 

The Meeting of a Lifetime: R.A. Salvatore

I went to Gencon this year with two goals in mind: 

 1) to have some fun with my friends and 

2) to try to market my novel to anyone that would listen! 

There was an unexpected surprise, however, when I found out that my favorite author, Mr. R. A. Salvatore, would be there as well! I had signed a copy of my novel for him specifically as a gift. This was because I had gotten advice from him via email and he was kind enough to respond and always in a timely, polite and generous manner. This alone was special to me, but meeting him in person was going to be even better!

I was lucky enough to run into him and his wife on Friday at the ‘Neverwinter’ booth for Wizards of the Coast and handed him my novel personally. He was gracious enough to accept it and my buddy Nick snapped a pic! 

 

I was in heaven, needless to say. I was able to speak with him for five minutes and he asked if I was going to his Seminar @ the Marriot and I responded with a ‘well, I don’t have tickets for it,’ answer and he advised me to go anyway. It was Saturday and I had two games scheduled to play, but this was my hero, so I blew them off! 

I instead went to a book signing where he joked with me asking if I ‘wanted a book.’ I replied 'sure' and he said, ‘You gave me a book, it’s only fair I give you one,’ or something along those lines (I am paraphrasing). He gifted me a paperback copy of The Ghost King and signed it with the words: “Fellow Author, Eh?” Again, I was beaming! I said I’d see him @ 4pm for his Seminar and off I went.

It was a two hour session of back and forth with him telling stories about Drizz’t and the gang, his work on The Demon Wars series and The Highwayman series as well and the better part of the time was spent doing Q & A. I asked him which character he liked most to write about in the Forgotten Realms series and he answered with: “It’s gotta’ be Drizz’t.” I felt silly after asking the question not thinking that it would be so obvious an answer, seeing that I love Artemis Entreri! He went on to tell quite a few stories and answer tons of fan questions, never making anyone sound silly for having asked a lame question, etc. He told two stories about how two troops’ lives were saved when his book stopped a bullet from hitting the target when instead the bullet was stopped by one of his books! Really crazy stuff, right!? His books literally saved their lives! He claims to have pictures of the books as well sent directly from the troops in question! 

He also spoke about how his characters were what kept fans interested and how important this was in order to establish himself as a successful author. This was the exact answer that I claimed when asked what made my book different from all the rest of the fantasy out there. I believed that my characters, with their many flaws and relatable personalities, will be what make my work stand out (if I can get enough people to read it!) It is both reassuring and uplifting to hear my favorite author echo those opinions.

At the end of the Q & A, he told the famous ‘Wubba-Wubba’ story which I had heard before from the previous year’s Gencon on a podcast. It is hysterical and worth the five minutes. Check that out here - WUBBA-WUBBA.

So, on the day went. I got something to eat at my new local pub, Loughmiller’s Pub & Eatery. There I planned to go to a ‘Meet & Mingle with author R.A. Salvatore at Scotty’s Brewhouse a few blocks from the convention from 8pm to 10 pm. So, naturally, I had to go to this, too.

I got there just as Mr. Salvatore and his wife were arriving and I noted that Ed Greenwood was there, too! The creator of the Forgotten Realms! Bonus! I went in the back and sat at a seat with a guy I had just met named Mike that worked for an online interview place called “With Special Guest” where he was waiting to get interviews with the authors there. Yes, I said authors, as in plural. Thirty minutes in, I was sitting there thinking 'I am not going to get to talk to anyone here’ and was about to leave when Mike said “Why don’t you stay until 9pm,” and I did. I am glad that I did.  “With Special Guest’ site can be found here: With Special Guest. After that chat, my night turned around.

I was able to speak with Mike briefly about Nick Titano’s Battle Maps website and plug them a bit - INFERNAL TITANS as well as talk to him about my own project. (You probably know about that as you are at my blog site….)

I was able to meet Erik Scott De Bie, who’s body of work was quite long and who’s latest work is called ‘Shadowbane’ for the Forgotten Realms (release date of September 2011), his site is here: ERIK SCOTT DE BIE. All of Erik’s work can be found there under: ‘Bibliography’.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Erin M. Evans, an author and editor and who is responsible for ‘The God Catcher’ and has another Forgotten Realms novel coming out called ‘Brimstone Angels’ about two tieflings. Her site is here: ERIN M. EVANS.

The two of them humored me as I excitedly gushed about my project, showing them my prototype copy of my novel and they told me a little bit about themselves and their current projects as well. I eagerly listened and gobbled up the information.

Later, I got a chance to get a signature from Elminster/Forgotten Realms creator, Ed Greenwood, but he was eating and I did not want to bother him for long, lest he smite me down with the might of Elminster!

I also met Scott’s (former?) editor, Susan Morris or ‘Serious Pixie’, but did not get to spend much time speaking with her.

I spent the rest of the night listening and interacting on and off with Mr. Salvatore about life, politics, fantasy and even baseball. We talked about the real possibility of how my Phillies would be meeting his Red Sox in a World Series slugfest and he said that was what Curt Schilling predicted as well.  I also had the pleasure of speaking to his wife, Diane, who was so kind and gave me some advice about marketing and conventions and other things. She was extremely gracious and too nice for words! 

I have to tell you, meeting Bob Salvatore in person was a dream come true. Hearing him speak and learning what he went through as a struggling author gave me hope and inspiration to keep writing. I will persevere and weather the storms to come, the doubt and criticism that will no doubt follow me (as it follows anyone trying to be creative), and I will focus on the positive. 

This memory will help guide me through the journey and help me reach my goals. And that is because my goals have changed after listening to his words. Like Mr. Salvatore, I know that when I am gone, I will at least have something to leave behind for my family. If I go no further, I will at least have written and published something to hand down for generations. I have, at the very least, left something behind that is very near and dear to my heart: The Covenant of the Faceless Knights.

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit my HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted.  

Art in Fantasy Novels…Worth it or Not?

Let me tell you something about me…I am a very imaginative person who responds to imagery in a very emotional way. I see anything at all that is aesthetically pleasing to me and I go crazy! I recall reading Terry Brooks Shannara series back in the (mid 80’s?) day and thinking…”Man, I gotta’ find out who those guys are!”

So, when I went about writing my novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, I wanted to put some sketches in there too! I met a student @ the University of the Arts here in Philadelphia and after a brief chat, realized that I’d found an eager and willing participant to my project in the name of Justine Babcock. She happily showed me her portfolio and it blew me away! Her website and art can be seen HERE

We went to work coming up with a few cover concepts and when I gave her the initial ideas, she came back with phenomenal work. I then sent her an illustration that detailed the picture that I wanted (the only artwork below that is not hers!)

My Sketch

and she went to work painting it! Yes, I said painting…as in—hand-painted. I could see the brushstrokes when it was drying as she sent me a camera-phone picture. Needles to say, I was pretty excited. The dream was becoming reality!

I explained to her in writing what I wanted in the way of characters and descriptions as well as scenes in the book to show the readers in my novel and she delivered! Big-time! I could not be happier with the interior art and cover art that she provided me and think that the artwork adds something special to the novel and it is something that I am extremely proud when showing off to family and friends. It is cooler than words can describe to see someone’s interpretation of your character on a page in front of you. I feel that Justine really hit the mark with the impactful and dramatic art that I was looking to deliver to my audience and as you can see, she provided me with a great product to give to you—the reader! I hope you like the artwork as much as I do! (Samples below including the painting of the cover!)

Barguth on Worg, Elec Stormwhsiper, Garius Forge

        

Left: Initial Painting, still drying. Right: Finished Cover of Garius' Face

Question: Would you personally pay a bit more for a book specifically if it had drawings/sketches in it? Or would you rather pay less and have no artwork at all?

                

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted. 

Theatrical vs. Realistic Fighting...

Do you like your fictional fight scenes to represent a realistic feel or a dramatic feel? I was chatting with a friend, who happens to be a 3^rd degree Kenpo instructor, and we got to talking about practical fighting style compared to the theatrical type. Kenpo, according to him, is designed as a dominating fighting style where you literally start the action and do not stop until your opponent is disabled…or worse…no ebb and flow, just flow! I can concur with this as I have seen it in action and better yet: felt it in action!

This goes against the typical theatrical or dramatic fighting style seen in movies or read in books. I mean that there are some quick fights, most of the time against henchmen or lesser characters, but for the most part, the final battle or any relevant battle has to have give and take…in fiction. 

In movies and books (including comics, etc.) the combat scenes need to be drawn out, with ebb and flow to them, so that you can feel a sense of danger for the hero, etc. and it might put you on the edge of your seat. Especially as a reader!

I am not saying at all that a writer should put together a 'silly' fight scene. Rather, the knowledge of how to fight and/or what to expect while in a fight plays kind of a major role in the whole thing.

This is almost a continuation of the ‘Hero?’ blog from a few days ago, but with a slightly different twist. Instead of answering what type of hero do you like, you will be thinking about how fight scenes develop and how the combatants might interact with one another.

It got me to thinking about what if the hero was just 'that good'. No matter who the enemy or opponent was, the hero (or villain?) could defeat them simply and efficiently.

This is just my opinion and I am not trying to force it on anyone, but wouldn’t that be boring to see or read? How real do you want your combat? Dramatic or realistic?

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!


Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
 
All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted. 

Heroes?

If you were going to write a novel, story, short or novella, what would your ‘hero’ be like? Think about that for a moment.

I have read many fantasy novels, comic books, graphic novels and the like and I would have to say that most of them are made of powerful stuff—butt-kickers extraordinaire! That seems to be the way to attract the most followers, having a character that is skilled, capable and honorable. I echo these sentiments. 

I was talking with a few friends yesterday and the subject of heroes came up. We began discussing the subject and ultimately, it came down to discussing certain indestructible characters in comics and movies. My friends all admitted that these types of characters were kind of ‘boring’. Being able to defeat every villain without so much as breaking a sweat was not entertaining to them. Again, I concurred.

This got me to thinking in retrospect at what types of characters I had created for CotFK. In all honesty, not a one of them is omnipotent. As a matter of fact, the ‘main’ character is the polar opposite: a naïve, insecure elf who overcompensates for his shortcomings and lack of melee prowess with magical items and alchemical elixirs. Don’t get me wrong, he has the stuff of heroes, I would not write about farmers who have no skills at all picking up weapons and somehow knowing how to defeat monsters and skilled combatants! That would be silly, right?

On the contrary, most of my main characters are quite capable in combat (otherwise, it would be a short novel) and can handle themselves against all odds…but not without effort! I think that is the key here. I made a concerted effort to make the characters somewhat ‘real’ by allowing them to get hit and injured and at certain points, become severely wounded. They were not indestructible from word one. 

Where they go from here, however, is another story…literally.

I would ask the readers and subscribers here to answer this one question: who is your favorite hero/heroine and what is your favorite quality about them?

Until next post...

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers! 

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

 

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted

A Synopsis of Characters

I have been told on some forums and by some other folks that my teaser and blurbs do not give enough information about the characters, which is the story's focus. In response to that I have come up with a few minor descriptions that may demystify that position.

 

Elec is a high elf with very little self confidence when it comes to fighting, but has certain skills that continue to force him in that direction such as setting and disarming mechanical traps as a classic thief or rogue and he is a master alchemist. The alchemy provides him with artificial means of boosting his natural speed, strength, agility and healing among other things. Reluctantly, he accepts his ‘destiny’ and accompanies the heroes on their quest.

 

Saeunn is a human barbarian woman who is displaced from her home after it was overrun by orcs and goblins. She is struggling initially with a choice of keeping an eye on her mother and giving in to her natural instincts and love for battle!

 


Rose is a human female pick pocket and true rogue who had a rough childhood and is a member of the Thieves’ Guild. She realizes that she has missed the danger and excitement of her youth and now takes up a chance to rediscover that excitement on her own without informing her guild of this plan.

Garius is a former priest/warpriest to The Shimmering One (the sun god) and current Inquisitor with the Order of the Faceless Knights, a sect of religious zealots who have access to every divine power offered by each of the gods. These bountiful powers and spells are given in exchange for keeping all of their temples free of heresy and deceit. He is a natural leader and a quick study.

My overall storyline is an thickly layered web that has many overarching story-lines and would be extremely difficult to explain in short order. Suffice it to say that this particular novel focuses on an artifact that disappears from a temple right out from under the priests’ noses and is the key component that could represent a lich coming back into his former power.

Synpopsis: "When a dangerous artifact goes missing from a temple, the elderly high priest in charge requests the aid of a one-time apprentice. Garius Forge, who is now an Inquisitor among the Order of the Faceless Knights, assembles a small team of heroes and sets out on his quest. He is aided by the wise-cracking Rose, a rogue among rogues, by the stoic and battle-hungry Saeunn, and by a naïve elf named Elec, who reluctantly agrees to accompany them at the behest of the persuasive Inquisitor. The eclectic group sets out to recover the artifact before it falls into the hands of the lich who once held it. Not only do the heroes have to overcome numerous foes, but they must also conquer their own shortcomings in order to ensure the safety of the Realm of Ashenclaw!"

The main villain behind the entire series is Zabalas Dimonia, an especially dark warlord with a mysterious past and a penchant for enticing others to do his bidding in the Realm of Ashenclaw!

The characters in the world refer to the continent as Wothlondia and refer to the world or the plane of existence that we call earth as Krotto. We, as the readers, call the world the Realm of Ashenclaw.

The rest of the characters can be found on my home page and in greater detail HERE.

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
 

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted. All Sketches of characters done by Justine Babcock.

Covenant of the Faceless Knights available...

My debut novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, is available now in hardcover, softcover and eBook HERE!

This also got me thinking. What exactly is it that draws you as the reader into epic fantasy? Is it the setting and the landscape? Is it the allure of the unexplainable such as magic? Is it the fantastic creatures and monsters that lurk in the recesses of the mind such as the vampires, ogres and dragons? Is it the idealistic code of conduct and honor of knights and warriors? Or is it the deceit or tactical strategy involved in overthrowing a kingdom, a castle or merely a king?

When I sat down to write CotFK, the prospect of having a completely blank space to work with was what excited me most. The idea of being able to weave tales within the world that I created was at first a daunting task, but also a very exciting one. The fact that I could literally do anything I wanted because there I was building the landscape from scratch made writing the story so much fun.

I recall writing specific happenings within the Realm of Ashenclaw with Nick Titano. We were literally adding things to an old map I had created many years ago that was the template for Wothlondia (the continent on Krotto, my world, where the action takes place) and moving the landscape to fit the story was quite empowering.

No matter what your draw for reading, I can say that we all need an escape from this world every once in a while to give ourselves a break and the high stakes of epic fantasy novels and the possibility of changing the landscape with the turning of a few pages is truly awe inspiring to me.

So I ask you: what draws you to the genre of fantasy?

Welcome to my world!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
 

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted

Free Excerpt!

Rose Thorne by William Kenney

As my novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, makes its way through the causeways toward the nearest stores and on its way into your hands, onto your kindles and other reading devices, I feel that I want to share a bit more of the story with you. I have excerpts on my website which you may read at any point in time right here on my blog!

but I have one more I would like to share with my blog community.

Here is a small bit on Rose Thorne, a pick-pocket, rogue archetype and dagger-wielding wonder! Enjoy!

Rose swallowed hard, understanding that they would not leave. She also understood that she could simply walk through the shadows and they would never be able to follow her. She could escape right now and they would be none the wiser.

Perhaps it was the anticipation of a fight that she’d missed, or a personal test she must overcome. Maybe it was because they were not in league with the Thieves’ Guild, who at least had a code of ethics. Or maybe it was because she believed that they would also be doing this to countless others if left unchecked.

Something compelled her to stay.

Once more she let herself fall into that predatory state that allowed her to survive the horrors of her youth…the survival mode that kept her alive on the streets in her adolescence.

Yes, she thought as she approached her enemy. It was all coming back to her.

 “You were warned—remember that,” Rose stated angrily as she emerged from a shadow that engulfed her only a second ago. Otis’s surprise was evident and his blue eyes filled with dread as he felt the blades. He weakly moaned in pain as he felt the sharp edge of a pair of daggers slash across his throat. The lifeblood drained from his body quickly and he slumped to the ground in a lifeless heap.

The three men all spun as they heard the body of their now-fallen companion hit the cobblestones. One of them gasped in horror at seeing the lifeless body.

“Bah! I’ll kill you for what you did! That was my brother!” the scruffy one claimed as he shook with rage, wiping sweat from his unshaven, dirty face.

“That’s it,” Rose egged them on from the far end of the alley. “Come and get it.”

The shaggy haired one with the beard withdrew his dagger and club, one in either hand, and charged at her. The other two followed, although the chubby one was several paces behind. Rose took note of this fact.

She traversed the shadow realm again and stepped out just to the right of the plump one’s heavy frame. With unusual speed and agility for one his size, the mercenary saw her and scored a quick jab with the brass knuckles on his right fist, grazing her, but also hitting her hard enough to draw blood.

I underestimated this one, Rose chastised herself silently, recovering from the blow and concentrating once more through the pain.

He thrust his dagger and stabbed at where she had been only a heartbeat ago to find that she had vanished again. Appearing behind him, she put him between herself and the other two assailants. She reached her left hand around and grabbed the man’s chin, pulling it to her left while plunging the dagger in her right hand through the base of his throat, killing him instantly. She winced at the ferocity of her own attack. She was well-versed in the art of killing, but took no pleasure in it.

“Leave now or suffer the same fate,” Rose cautioned the remaining two, as she stepped once more into the shadow plane, disappearing from sight.

Rose reappeared and struck the back of the shaggy one’s thigh with a thrust of her dagger, causing him to stumble forward in pain, clutching his hamstring. The bald one, who was now behind Rose, kicked out solidly, connecting with the small of her back. Her head jerked back violently from the force of the blow and the kick knocked the wind out of her. She clutched her stomach and throat and needed time to recover.

Once more, she traversed the plane of shadow, disappearing and reappearing behind that one, who stood within the shadows.

He spun as soon as she stepped from the darkness, as if anticipating her move, and grabbed her firmly by the neck. He smacked her once with his free right hand and then wrapped both hands around her throat, depriving her of oxygen and quickly choking her.  After several seconds, he managed to get Rose to the ground and sat atop her, maintaining his death grip on her neck. He’d dropped his dagger somewhere in the dark alleyway and could not find it. He did, however, have a pair of brass knuckles.

He swung a wild punch at Rose’s face, but she managed to block his arm and the brass knuckles with the hilt of Zaedra. She was barely conscious now and was working on instinct as the breath escaped her lungs and would not return.

She removed her hands from his and stopped trying to prevent the choke, realizing his grip was too tight. Instead, she desperately changed tactics, handling the daggers in a reverse-grip. She launched her attack with a pair of symmetrical inward strikes, using the pommels of the weapons to strike the bald man’s ears. He released his chokehold on her throat, reflexively covering his ears with his palms as his eardrums registered a thundering cacophony of unbridled pain. With that, Rose finally gasped for air.

Still on her back and with the bald one atop her clutching his injured ears, Rose began a second inward motion with her daggers, still held in the reverse-grip, continuing until her wrists crossed over one another. As she did so, the edges of the daggers slashed the front of his neck, directly under the jaw, severing major arteries. He fell backward, clutching his wounds in a futile attempt to halt his quickly approaching demise.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

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