Bound by Fire
by Ronald Craft
An ancient promise.A forgotten treachery.Seven souls, bound by fire, will begin their quest for the truth.Ilian, an apprentice blacksmith, has the heart of a god sealed within him. When Karena, the beautiful red-haired assassin, kills his father and rips his soul from his body Ilian soon becomes entangled in a rivalry that has spanned over hundreds of years.Avar-Tek Event #2 (short story): When a military accident releases swarms of microscopic robots called forger nanites into the environment, science intern Kutisha finds that her lab is their target. As three swarms head her way, the military dispatches hover-tanks carrying human sized robotic mechs. Alone, late at night, she places her faith in the mechs, watching the battle between the big and little machines unfold on her doorstep. The question may not be who will win, but who to trust.