"It hasn't been that long, and you're already writing so well!” enthused the tall shield maiden, patting the head of her companion. The mute goblin smiled in return and hugged the wax tablet she had bought for him. She encouraged him to learn to write in order to communicate more effectively. Bouncing along in the firm grip of his traveling companion, he scribbled a sentence and held it up. Emma smiled. “I’m happy you're...

“Why did my order have to establish such a blanket mandate?” brooded the confused paladin as he re-adjusted the shield on his back. “I told you why,” rebuked a coarse female voice. “You pillars of justice, righteousness, and other fancy-sounding words were failing poorly at your vows of abstinence.” “I’ve never done anything to damage the reputation of the knights.” “Maybe not you personally, but your compatriots have – o...

“Princess Emmaline, this is already highly unorthodox! I implore you to please reconsider! Your safety, not to mention your virtue, is at stake!” “I already have, Chief Steward, more times than you can imagine – lying in bed at night wondering who I was going to be married off to for what political favor or economic gain – and I have come to the realization that since I’m third in line for the throne, my virginity is unne...

Heat tumbled off the cascading granite spires defiantly pointing toward the sky. Few creatures called the badlands their home. It was dry, hot, and contained almost no natural resources. Nearly no one ventured into this region but the rare intrepid adventurer or those needing a shortcut to more habitable lands, making it even stranger to see a group of four travelers trekking across this barren stretch of land. "I'm gonna...

Crossing the pass proved to be uneventful as they steadily descended from the highlands to the lowlands. This led them to Mog Marsh, a shallow basin so expansive it hadn’t been entirely mapped. “We’re here!” Trixi announced. “We are?” Lysander questioned, looking in all directions. “The edge of my tribe's territory. From here on, we go by boat. There should be some hidden in the grass somewhere.” With Lysander putting her...