It was now Miseria 5, 470, and the Stone War was far from over. The Bonn and Noelle empires quickly learned that Emperor Mentir had prepared for this without their knowledge. For the entire fifteen years the empires were united, he had been secretly expanding his territory and the numbers were in his favor. Fortunately, Mentir made numbers his top priority over training, which offered some advantages. All that Bonn and Noelle needed to do was find their way around People’s ambush tactics, as well as their thick and layered armor.A battle to the death between the Noelle Empire and the People’s Empire had left the Valley of Hills covered with the lifeless bodies of warriors; among them, the most strong and resilient. Most of the plant life had been burnt to a crisp, leaving the Valley of Hills looking colorless and macabre. The hot autumn suns had cooked all that remained of the soldiers, but now heavy rain clouds blanketed the sky, and the charred and bloodied bodies finally began to c

The Northern sun was on the verge of setting when Gerardo and Rein entered Cair. Their first order of business was to search for a place to spend the night. Gerardo dwelled on second thoughts as he scanned the crumbling buildings of a town lost to battle. He recalled overhearing plans of an attack here, the neighboring town of Vann, and the Xer base located on the outskirts, and it appeared as though such plans had taken place.The townsfolk were scattered about the rubble, panicked and maniacal. As many of them looted demolished buildings, some cleaned up spills and debris while others sobbed hysterically over the damage. Gerardo and Rein cautiously meandered along the grimy streets with an aching desire to leave as soon as possible.“It might be better if we search for lodging elsewhere,” Gerardo suggested.“Agreed.”Rein found it an eerie coincidence how much this town reminded her of the horrid dream she had suffered the night before. She sat hunched over on Gerardo’s shoulder as h

The officer who had threatened Gerardo carried Rein Bow back to the apothecary that proved dreams really do come true … even the bad ones. The interior was completely decorated with conserved pixie corpses, and though there was much more to the shop, this was the only aspect which snagged Rein’s focus like the grip the officer had on her. The sadistic owner had her kind suspended from the ceiling, framed and hung on walls, cased like bugs, tied and strung together to make wreaths and garlands, set on shelves like porcelain dolls, and the entire scene instilled a sense of dread in her that was hopelessly final.Rein wondered if she had known any of the pixies hanging around the shop, and her anxiety flared to levels she didn’t know was possible. Yet she couldn’t help but timidly examine some of the bodies for familiar faces while also fighting the bile that rose into her throat. To her relief, she didn’t recognize anyone. Though, her search was less than thorough as her captor was in a

Meanwhile, Jorge and the two other Laxer soldiers, as they were called by the enemy, ran through the dense Lucierna Forest with ten Xers on their heels, armed with arrows and swords. The three escapees were equipped with only one sword each and barely enough strength to wield them. Even in their depleted conditions they ran like Southern Elves were after their souls.Travis broke off first, diving into the cold waters of the Sirene Lake. He knew it was a risk—his lungs already burned from the chase—but he saw no other option. His sickly body ached for air the moment he slipped beneath the surface. The other Laxer, Jole, vaulted into the tangled underbrush, while Jorge managed to swing himself into a tree.The Xers reached the lake’s edge, spotting only Travis disappearing under the water. They waded in after him, weapons drawn and ready. But Jorge couldn’t let them reach his comrade. He launched from the tree, crashing into one of the soldiers and slamming his head against a rock as th

That morning, Rein awoke to the familiar beam of light streaming through the keyhole, a silent reminder of her confinement. No one had come in yesterday, and the stillness beyond the door suggested it would be the same today. She allowed herself a moment to fully wake, listening for any sounds from the office. Satisfied with the silence, she rose and resumed her practice, the ball and chain still shackled to her ankles. Each movement was a challenge, but she had grown accustomed to the weight and restriction.Rein had come to the conclusion that Jed and Mazyr planned to starve her to death. Yet, she had discovered a small leak in the roof where water trickled down the wall and pooled on the floor. There wasn’t much as it hadn’t rained in the last two days, but she assumed it had started snowing, and it provided just enough sustenance to quench her thirst and stave off hunger.As she continued her exercises, something unexpected happened—the weight lifted off the floor. Startled, she st