Born with glowing green eyes. Destined for rotten luck.
Peasant girl Meya Hild was offered the chance of a lifetime to become a Lady. At swordpoint. By mercenaries. Engaged to a dying nobleman. Poisoned with one month to live. Tasked to loot a cast...
Draken glanced at Brodel, swallowing his anger as he remembered all that was at stake. Heaving a frustrated sigh, he gestured carelessly at the boy,
"Cuff him one on the noggin—with the handle, mind! And give Krulstaff the blade if he dun't shut it about me son."
After one last glare at the seething Krulstaff, he barked at the remaining men, "Move out!"
Before Brodel even took one step towards their squealing captive, the sharp crack of a breaking branch tore through the silence. The men turned as one to the wall of trees. Crossbows raised and pointed, they slowly retreated—then an arrow sprung from Krulstaff's bow.
"For the love of—!"
The scream of a young girl drowned out Draken's feverish curse. He knew that scream!
"Meya? That you, lass?"
Draken dashed in to see to the poor thing, but a gust of wind sent him flying backward as something barreled past, crashing through the trees to land before them.
A blinding flash of white, then the shroud of night swallowed the forest whole. The moon hadn't risen. Their lamp was lost. The only pinpricks of light were two disembodied, glowing green eyes hanging in mid-air above their heads.
The eyes darted in unseen sockets, glaring at each man spread out below as though the being saw them clear as day, then blinked out as it issued a roar of rage and pain.
The ground shook. Trees shuddered. Startled birds fled into the night. Out of the black, a fan of orange flames blasted toward them. The kidnappers flattened themselves to the snowdrift for dear life as bone-melting heat scorched the tips of their hair.
The inferno collided with the trees behind. Dying branches burst into flames, flooding the clearing with light, but the sight that greeted the men had them wishing to be cast back into the dark—
A reptilian creature armored in gleaming metallic scales. Trees trampled like hay under gigantic silver claws. Acid-green eyes blazed above a long, narrow muzzle. Tendrils of smoke trickling out between silver fangs.
Its claws carved deep welts into the earth as it spread its leathery wings wide. It dashed forth, snatching the stunned young boy between its talons and soaring off towards the west, trailing the boy's pathetic screams as it disappeared into the night sky.
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Check out the COVER and CHARACTER DESIGNS for Luminous, courtesy of artist Aximetrik (https://www.instagram.com/aximetrik__/) !
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