Novels by Emmetliam

A target painted on your back is the price you pay for bringing back a dead king's flame."Drink this before you collapse again," Kaelen said, handing Soren a steaming cup of bitter herb tea inside the warm stone room of Varek's fortress."I do not need medicine," Soren replied, his voice raspy as he sat on the edge of the low wooden bed. "I need my body to move properly.""You absorbed raw ancient energy," Kaelen snapped, her hands resting on her hips. "Your mana pathways are burnt black. You are lucky to be sitting upright instead of rotting in that canyon."On the wooden table beside the bed, the small black dragon hatchling clicked its jaw, snapping its tiny sharp teeth at a piece of dried meat. A small puff of black smoke popped out from its nostrils, singeing the edge of the table."He does not take orders easily," Soren said, watching the little beast tear into the meat. "His bloodline is wild and arrogant.""He acts just like you," Kaelen muttered, taking a chair across from h

To save a dying soul, you must first burn your own."Soren!" Kaelen screamed, her fingers digging desperately into the slick ice as the bridge cracked beneath them."Stay back!" Soren shouted, his voice barely cutting through the deafening roar of falling ice and wild magic.The wooden wagon disintegrated into splinters beneath his feet. Slabs of blue ice measuring thirty feet wide groaned, tipped sideways, and plunged down into the foggy bottomless chasm. Below them, remaining Iron Clan guards tumbled into the white abyss with terrifying cries, their heavy armor dragging them into the mist."Kid, grab my hand!" Varek roared from a remaining stone ledge, reaching out his thick, scarred arm as the gap widened. "Jump now!""I cannot leave the egg!" Soren called back, his eyes locked on the falling black sphere floating in mid-air right over the center of the chasm.The shattered containment unit was gone, and the raw ancient magic leaking out of the black dragon egg was surging out of c

A single mistake on an ice bridge turns a battle into a grave."Hold your positions until the lead wagon hits the center arch," Soren whispered, his eyes locked on the narrow pass below."My outlaws are getting restless," Varek muttered, crouching beside him behind a snowy boulder. "They want to spill iron blood right now.""Tell them to wait," Soren commanded, his voice cold and steady. "If we hit them too early, their spell-knights will form a defensive ring around the transport case. We need the front and rear wagons trapped on the ice before we move."Down in the steep gorge, the Iron Clan convoy moved slowly through the howling wind. Six heavy supply wagons, pulled by armored war beasts, picked their way across a long, natural bridge made of thick blue ice. Below the bridge lay a dark, bottomless chasm shrouded in freezing mist. Sitting on the middle wagon was a massive iron cage reinforced with glowing blue magic runes."Kaelen," Soren said, turning to the princess lying flat in

Knowledge is the only shield that never breaks under torture."Lock the pit doors," Varek barked from his high throne, his loud voice shaking the dust from the cavern ceiling. "Bring that boy to my private quarters right now. If anyone speaks a word about what happened here today, I will cut their tongue out."Ten minutes later, Soren sat on a heavy wooden chair inside Varek's dim command tent. Iron chains bound his wrists, but he did not struggle. Across the heavy oak table stood Varek, testing the edge of a curved iron dagger against his leather belt. Kaelen stood near the tent entrance, her arms crossed over her chest, watching every movement with tight vigilance."Every tamer who ever tried to eat a beast core directly blew up into meat scrap," Varek said, leaning over the table until his rough beard almost touched Soren's face. "I saw a high clan lord try it ten years ago. His blood boiled and his chest burst open like an overcooked sausage. So speak up, slave. How is your heart

Mercy is a luxury that outlaws cannot afford."Wake up, fragile boy," a harsh, booming voice echoed above him.Soren opened his eyes slowly. He was no longer lying in the bloody snow at the edge of the burnt forest. He was lying on a hard stone floor inside a massive cavern lit by flickering green torches. The smell of roasted meat, stale ale, and wet leather filled the damp air."Where am I?" Soren rasped, forcing his aching body to sit up."You are inside the Iron Teeth Stronghold," Kaelen said, stepping out from the shadows near the stone wall. She was still wearing her dark leather armor, though her ice daggers were missing from her belt. "We were pulled out of the blizzard right before that armored war beast could crush us.""Who saved us?" Soren asked, testing his fingers to ensure his right hand was still covered."I did," a tall, heavily built man roared as he stepped into the torchlight. He had a thick beard, a bare chest covered in dark beast scars, and a heavy iron collar l

Surrounded by two hundred blades, trust is the only armor that matters."Can you handle a line of heavy infantry?" Kaelen asked, her blue eyes scanning the ridge as dark armored figures began sliding down the snowy slopes."I can handle my side," Soren replied, pulling his stolen broadsword high. "You just make sure no one cuts off my back.""Do not die on me, commoner," she muttered, her twin ice daggers flashing in the dim light. "I still need you to explain how you know my father's crest.""Then stay close," Soren commanded.A loud whistle pierced the air, followed by the savage barking of heavy war hounds. Four massive, iron-plated beasts tore through the snow drifts, their jaws dripping with foam, leading a squad of six heavy knights into the village square."Hounds first!" Kaelen called out, darting forward with terrifying speed. She spun past the first beast, her left dagger carving a deep line across its neck."Wait, Kaelen! Do not overextend!" Soren yelled.Instead of retreat