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The Return, Part One

 Cold, wet, and slush-covered lanes best described the city of Qeynos in January. The cold, salt-smelling air, mixed with the constant mist and grey skies, lent a dreariness that belied the city’s radiant optimism, the one time of the year when a cold darkness took hold of the streets and avenues. Lady Alustrae D’Arbene stood on the naval docks of Qeynos Harbor, her daughter Opalynna by her side, along with her Royal Guard Asuka. She sighed as she watched her luggage being unloaded and put onto the back of a cart. “Will we be in the city for a while?” Asuka asked, the drops of mist already adorning her gold armor. “No,” Alustrae said, “just in town for the annual Royal Court meetings for the new year, the parliamentary boards, position appointments, treasury meetings, and Ambassadorial Service yearly planning sessions. After this, we are back in the jungle to finish the matter with the hellfire weapon and put an end to that once and for all.” “Understood, Milady,” Asuka said with a...
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A Long Hot Summer, Chapter 6

 "Move the damn dire wolves," the man snapped at the two handlers, "and bloody keep them quiet!" The wagons arrived in Thundermist Village in the middle of the night, rented a large barn, and proceeded to unload their deadly cargo into the barn. They just had to wait here a day for the wagons that would take the wolves inside Qeynos to come, and their part of the deal would be done. "They're hungry," the female wolf trainer said, her face pale and drawn. "I don't care if they're starved," the man snapped. "We're not feeding them anything, and if you have to, feed them something from the wild. No villagers." "Yes, sir," the trainers said, their voices barely above a whisper. "How's our guest?" the man asked, staring at a cage. "He's not going anywhere," the second trainer said, wiping his brow. "Good," the man said, his eyes glinting in the dark. "I want him awake when ...
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A Long Hot Summer, Chapter 5

"What is this about?" Royal Guard Asuka said as she adjusted her gold armor, having hastily gotten dressed in the middle of the night. She walked towards Qeynos Castle with the rest of Alustrae's group, dedicated servants of the Qeynos Ministry of Justice. The elven sisters Angelaya and Kaliaya walked ahead of her, meeting Lady Alustrae and her daughter Opalynna at the end of the bridge over the castle's moat. "Security breach at the castle," Alustrae said. "The Queen is calling us all in." In moments, the group stood in the Royal Reception Room as Queen Antonia Bayle entered, her anger apparent. "There has been a security breach," Antonia said, her voice filled with authority. "Someone entered the Queen's Chambers. Information was shared with me by a trusted source, which gave me reason to doubt the effectiveness of this entire investigation." Alustrae and her team were quiet, as was the rest of the group, who stood nearby....
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A Long Hot Summer, Chapter 4

Ophyila stood on the deck of the ship, staring out at the open sea. She could hear the waves crashing against the hull, and the smell of saltwater filled her nostrils. She looked back at the crew, a group of burly sailors who were working to keep the ship afloat. "So, what's the plan?" she asked. The captain, a grizzled human, grinned. "We drop you fools off at Dead Mines Island, and then we wait, but not too long. Got another shipment of goods to pick up from Freeport." "Sounds good," Ophyila said, turning back to face the ocean. The ship sailed towards the shore, and she could see the island's outline ahead. It was a small, barren place, with little vegetation. As the ship drew closer, she could see the remnants of a ruined city, long since abandoned. "Rich in iron ore," Captain Ashvale said, "Very little else here. It is rumored that the ancient dwarven city of Karanath was here before the Sundering. There is an old dwarven fortre...
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A Long Hot Summer, Chapter 3

 She watched the river lazily flow by, sitting in the darkness under the covered bridge leading to Qeynos. She heard the wagons approaching on the road and waited to sense the minds that she felt were there and were slowly approaching. Tiny fish darted about under the water, and she relaxed, preparing her mind for what would come next. The hooves of the horses drawing the first wagon began to cross the bridge above her, each hoof fall making a loud thud, and then the wheels started to cross the bridge. Tali closed her eyes and sensed the occupants of the first cart, trying to tell the brokers apart from the mercenaries they hired to protect this load. The brokers knew something; the mercenaries did not. There were six minds. Two minds were those of the brokers, their greed and arrogance evident. The four mercenaries were a mix of human and orc, their minds hardened and experienced, and their loyalty to the job bought. "Are you sure we can trust this person?" One of the broker...
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Kelethin, Chapter 1

 She saw a dark elf today. Standing on the platform of the grand tree city of Kelethin, she peered over the edge and met eyes with a dark elf female, who looked back into her eyes the moment she peered over the edge. The woman's eyes were a deep shade of purple, and her hair was white. She was clad in black, form-fitting armor, and her face was bluish. The most notable part about her was her hair, which was long and white. The elf and dark elf stared at each other, and then the dark elf was gone, her dark cloak hiding her from sight. They were worlds apart, the elves and the dark elves, yet here one was, peering up at the platforms, and surely would be killed by the rangers of the city. "You saw her?" A male elf stood behind her. He was a ranger, an archer. His name was Kiron. "I did," she answered. He turned to his companions. "Spread out and look for the Tier'dal! We must not let her infiltrate our city." "Yes, sir," the others said. Th...
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