by Dawn Chapman
“There’s a time limit on our return, and we’re pushing it as it is.”
I’d not seen any time limit. I tried to focus on my character stats, the pop-ups I’d tried to push away and had managed to while they were fighting, and the whole Hamu fell apart.
There it was.
QUEST UPDATE – GET TO HELLS PASS TO JOIN THE WAR OR BE LOST IN TRIDON, FOREVER.
Two days.
That was all it was giving us. And that was almost two days ago.
“Maddie.” Tears started to form, and Maddie placed her hands on mine and turned to the people she’d arrived with.
One guy ran forward, his name was Steve. I’d seen him about, but not spoken to him. “We’ve time if we’ve got a ride. Especially now that damned clock’s ticking properly!”
“It wasn’t?” I asked.
“Long story, but no, there’s a lot I don’t understand.” He said. “This timeline, you, your sisters. It’s been weird. Messed up. But it started ticking when I met you. I think the system needed that to start it off again.”
“Okay, then if we can get there, quickly, I’m all for it. I’m ready.” I glanced at Noc who was watching us all from the Tromoal’s side.
“I need to deal with this and this city.” Kamaal noted the half-dead creature behind me.
“Alia, Noc!” I shouted. “I think you guys can handle integrating Gestal and his minions into your Guild.”
Alia almost spat out her teeth. Kamaal stared at her and around the courtyard. “You need these creatures here, just as much as you need your own Guild to succeed. I will return to help you, as soon as I’ve gotten our mutual friends to Maicreol.”
“I’m going with them,” Noc said to his mother and stood by my other side. That I’d not expected, at all.
The Tromoal spread its wings out once more. Huge, fine and leathery. I couldn’t imagine what it would be to have wings, to fly, and I was scared. But looking to the people who surrounded me, who had protected me and freed me from the spell Gestal had cast on me in the first place, I didn’t mind where the future would take me because I knew it was to Maicreol. To my sisters.
Noc helped me onto the Tromoal and climbed behind me and one of the creature’s large spikes. He wedged me in which was weird. But when he wrapped his arms around me, I felt good.
Maddie and the gentleman called Steve climbed up and so did Kamaal. Within seconds, the Tromoal pushed off with his strong legs, and the city was hundreds of feet and then thousands of feet below us. The ocean shone ahead in the moonlight and there it was, something twinkled in the waters.
We approached at an extremely high speed, and as the water drew closer, I realised the Tromoal was aiming for it, and that it was a portal. But it looked like to get to it we were diving!
We hit the water at speeds I couldn’t comprehend. The freezing shock sank in deep, but within seconds we were out. Out into the scorching heat of a bright summer’s day. Above a red sandy land.
This time the pop up that came into view read:
WELCOME TO MAICREOL
THE WAR HAS STARTED.
To be continued…
If you’ve enjoyed these stories, please let us know, consider leaving a review or sending Dawn a message.
Afterwords
Coming Soon
Puatera Online Continues with the epic return of Maddie for book 8!
War for Maicreol.
About Dawn
Dawn Chapman has been creating sci-fi and fantasy stories for thirty years. Until 2005 when her life and attention turned to scripts, and she started work on The Secret King, a 13-episode Sci-Fi TV series, with a great passion for this medium.
In 2015, Dawn returned to her first love of prose where she revelled in the world of The Secret King, Letháo and First Contact, as an epic prose space journey over 3 generations.
This year her experience of working with Producers/Directors from the US and AUS has expanded. From Drama, Sci-Fi, Action, to Litrpg. Dawn's built a portfolio of writing, consulting, publishing, and audio proofing.
You can follow on any of her public pages or her website - https://dawnchapmanauthor.com/
And her discord link if you’re wanting to chat in real time is…(word hunting permitting) - https://discord.gg/3tmdnRE
Many Thanks!
About Jess
Jess was born in the quaint village of Woodbridge in the UK, has spent some of her childhood in the States and now resides near the beautiful Roman city of Bath. She lives with her husband, Phil, and her very dapsy cat, Pleaides.
During her still relatively short life Jess has displayed an innate curiosity for learning new things and has therefore studied many subjects, from maths and the sciences, to history and drama. Jess now works full time as a writer, incorporating many of the subjects she has an interest in within her plots and characters.
When she's not working she can often be found with friends, enjoying a vast array of films, ice skating or trekking all over the English countryside.
You can find out more about the author and her upcoming projects by following her on twitter or her fanpage on facebook or at her blog www.jessmountifield.co.uk.
Recommended books
Here’s some of my favourite authors!
Check them out! and if you do, let them know I sent you. :)
Michael Chatfield - Emerilia, Ten Realms and our co-written work in his world - Maurakian Wars
https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Chatfield/e/B00WCAOQME
K.T Hannah - Somnia Online
https://www.amazon.com/K.T.-Hanna/e/B00ZBPYU78
Bonnie L. Price - Deck of Souls
https://www.amazon.com/Bonnie-L.-Price/e/B079QM5LNT
Blaise Corvin with Delvers LLC and Nora!
https://www.amazon.com/Blaise-Corvin/e/B01LYK8VG5/