by
- Burke's Lore Briefs: A Heavenly Date / My Damned Best Friend
- Burke's Lore Briefs: Portrait of a Lady Vampire and Other Vampiric Cravings
- Burke's Lore Briefs: I See What You'll Do There
Avgonne and Revell, would-be adventurers, hadn’t yet reached their sixteenth years, but both had dreams. Unfortunately, they lived in the village of Crimplebush, where dreams went to die. Neither wanted to die there. They dreamed of dying just about anywhere else. And maybe living a little before then. So when the thief hatched a plan to make their dreams reality, the warrior went along to a narrow lane off Market Street to the home of Knwult, the village’s resident seer.
Will what is seen portend gloom or gold?
Genres:
Word Count: 9000
Setting: small, generic fantasy towns (e.g, Crumplebush)
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
Word Count: 9000
Setting: small, generic fantasy towns (e.g, Crumplebush)
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
Avgonne, the wannabe warrior, and Revell, the sortawas thief, hadn’t yet reached their sixteenth years, but both had dreams. Unfortunately, they lived in the village of Crimplebush, where dreams went to die. Neither wanted to die there. They dreamed of dying just about anywhere else. And maybe living a little before then. So when the thief hatched a plan to make their dreams reality, the warrior went along to a narrow lane off Market Street to the home of Knwult, the village’s resident seer.
Avgonne, dressed in his finest piecemeal leather armor, watched the raggedly-dressed Revell, who’d donned a previously-owned cape to match his patched pants, attempt to move through the shadows, scanning all the doors.
“I think this is the one,” Revell announced.
“Yeah, it says so right there.” Avgonne pointed to a small sign in the window. “How sure are you about this guy?”
“I heard some good things while skulking about the ale house.”
READ MORE“Skulking? Is that what they call stealing drinks these days? What ‘good’ things did you hear?”
“He can see the future good.”
Avgonne punched his friend in the arm. “That should be a given for a seer.
What ‘good’ things did you hear?”
“Well, he’s clever. Crafty. And…” The young thief thought hard. “Okay, not so many good things. A few things were downright creepy, actually. But he knows stuff, and knowing stuff is good, right?”
Avgonne raised his hands to his face, and shook his head.
Revell tried to raise his spirits. “It’s a solid plan. If we get some answers, we cash in. And if we don’t, we’re no worse off than we are now.”
“And if he tells us stuff we don’t want to hear? What if he says we’re gonna die?”
The thief shrugged off the suggestion. “We all gotta die sometime, right? Do you wanna die on a dung pile? Or even in this dung pile of a town? And maybe we don’t die at all. Maybe we ask the right questions and we come out on top for once. C’mon, what do we have to lose?”
“The little money we have. How much will this cost?”
The thief considered. “I dunno. Hey, maybe I can steal it back.”
“He’s a seer, you moron! He. Will. See. You. It’s his job title, right there on the placard. You can read it, right?”
Staring at the sign, Revell tilted his head to his shoulder and scratched his temple.
“Wait. Can you read it?”
Revell shrugged. “Mostly. I still think it’s worth it. Ask about that bugbear scaring folks in the woods. We find its lair and grab some loot. Then we live the good life!” Revell grasped his friend’s arm with both hands and pleaded. “Would you rather spend your life puddling about Crimplebush or seeing the world? We can go to Wallabout! I heard good things about Wallabout!”
“How’re you always hearing things?” Avgonne pulled his arm free. “You got voices in your head?”
COLLAPSEThe individual books of the series contain stories of a similar theme (e.g, angels & devils, vampires, humor). You don't have to read one to enjoy another, and they can be read in any order.
