The Undying Champions

Our clash ended more quickly than I'd expected. Maybe Arivor had gotten as weary of our struggle ...

Raimie Life in this corner of the woods had always bored me, but what else should one expect w...

Rhylix If you're reading this, please know that I never hated you. Considering the life I'd...

Raimie When an invisible and impossible force stopped pulling me backward, I oriented to where...

Raimie Huddled on the floor beside a candle, I glanced through Eledis' gifted book with a blan...

Rhylix You weren't to blame for our conflict. The rare times when Allanovian's Council let ...

Raimie   Raimie from the line of Audish kings... Had I heard that right? I couldn't have. It w...

Raimie Water cascaded over me, and sputtering, I tried to escape from the stream. This proved ...

Raimie Intent on getting out of Fissid and the trouble I'd found there, I took a step outside....

Rhylix In fact, if anyone should take responsibility for it, it's me. I wouldn't make it in...

Raimie The patter of distant water droplets in a deep quiet was the first thing I registered w...

Raimie As the memory I'd just re-experienced faded away from me, I stared at a familiar stone ...

Rhylix I'm the one who pushed you toward our lives' destruction. The human boy's body slack...

Rhylix And others, in their hate, took advantage of our weakness. Visiting Salna was always...

Raimie I wasn't sure what woke me up. Save for the occasional spatter of water outside, Rhylix...

Raimie Over the course of my fight, several Esela had crowded into the hall, forming a person-...

Raimie Waiting in a small chamber beneath the mountain, I paced between its walls, rubbing my ...

Rhylix Please, Eriadren, forgive yourself for something you had no control over. Left hol...

Rhylix Before I lose myself again, I must set this into writing. Glancing over the gaping C...

Raimie Having returned to a world of black, I wasn’t surprised to find one of my arms nearly f...

Raimie After waiting for several minutes to regain my energy, I felt ready to stand again. Som...

Raimie I wanted out. Out of this town, carved into the mountainside. Out of this new life with...

Raimie Everything hurt. All of my muscles were crying of overuse, and the small bruises formin...

Raimie The chamber I entered was quite cozy, or it would have been if not for the room’s occup...

Raimie I followed my twin anomalies through Allanovian. Presumably because I’d invited them to...

Eriadren Gasping from my sprint, I leaned on the fence outside of my friend’s estate, willing ...

Eriadren Graduation. The day I’d long anticipated had finally come, and I was running late for...

Eriadren My latest customer departed, leaving his farewell ringing in my ears, and I basked in...

Eriadren The war was over. Four years of fighting, of sneak attacks on human supply lines, and...

Raimie On the third day of our trip beneath the mountain, I’d begun to think that I’d made a m...

Raimie “Hello?” I called into the darkness. “Are you there? I’m sorry it’s been so long.” Gla...

Raimie After Rhylix and I had joined the others in our scouting party, I took note of their fo...

Raimie I didn’t know how no one landed a blow on me before I reached a space absent violence, ...

Rhylix For when I next see you, I may not have control. After the display with the tear two...

Rhylix Since our disastrous experiment, I've been trapped in Corruption's sway. The morning...

Rhylix Every day, its madness overtakes more of my mind. It took a few hours, but when the ...

Rhylix I don't know how much longer I can resist its influence When I caught up, neither ...

Rhylix But in the end, how can I do that? Raimie’s splinters had left, and after another fi...

Raimie For six days, we marched, quickly establishing a routine. The group rose with the dawn,...

Raimie At the end of my next weapons training session, I made my goodbyes while accepting Dath...

Raimie I was back. It had been weeks, and gods, I’d missed this place. Or maybe it was more th...

Rhylix I'm fighting a god. I couldn’t breathe. As I staggered away from the tent, I sucked ...

Raimie Waking up didn’t come as a surprise to me. It should have, given everything that had ha...

Raimie Disoriented, I woke up with a snort. What on earth had happened? I’d only meant to lay ...

Raimie Rhylix still looked like I’d smacked him in the face with an unpleasant truth, but he f...

Rhylix Instead, I marshal the remnants of my sanity to delay Corruption. After Raimie woke ...

Rhylix One last fight to convey my wishes before I no longer can. I was beginning to think ...

Raimie Sev was the strangest place I’d ever seen. To be fair, it was the only human city I’d v...

For the first time in years, Nylion emerged into the world. He took a moment to enjoy it, breathi...

Raimie All I could consider in the moments after waking up was the dull throb behind my eyes. ...

Raimie The fight didn’t last long. I fended off two questing stabs at my innards, noting with ...

Eriadren As I wandered through the ruins of a human village, I searched for survivors, althoug...

Eriadren After Lirilith and I had gotten married, we’d pooled our resources to buy a house in ...

Eriadren Now that things in my shed had gone quiet, I was stuck in place with fear singing in ...

Eriadren I took a breath with sunlight bathing my body, and for a while, I just lay in bed, tr...

Eriadren "I'm worried about Rafe." With the day almost over, I was sitting in bed, waiting fo...

Eriadren As I watched a woman weep over her murdered daughter, my sword was heavy in my hand. ...

Eriadren   I was shoved into a carriage, barely catching myself on the floor before the horses ...

Rhylix I would make a final request of you, my friend. Watching the Zrelnach encampment, I ...

Rhylix When next we meet, please kill me. The next day, I was standing in the closest marke...

Raimie I’d decided that I hated traveling by sea. When we’d left Sev behind, I’d already been ...

Raimie As I scoured the dungeon I’d found myself in, I crept down far too many corridors, but ...

Raimie As soon as I’d returned to my cell, I slammed my back into metal, sliding to the floor ...

Raimie Squaring my shoulders, I stiffly strode to the table, folding into the chair opposite Q...

Raimie When Kaedesa eventually rested her quill atop on top of her notebook, I set my cup down...

Raimie Thinking back on my meeting with her, I wasn’t sure why people thought Kaedesa was a vi...

Raimie “What do you want to know?” Dim asked me, as mischievous as ever. “Hmm.” I had plenty...

Raimie I’d been doing this for three months, but even still, when I opened a window for tonigh...

Raimie Once I was inside the castle, I crept through it on silent feet, perfectly aware that w...

Rhylix I cannot live under the control of a god. After a long day, I trudged into the safe ...

Rhylix Especially not one whose sole aim is to destroy creation. Sneaking into the Zrelnach...

Raimie The military man, looming over Eledis, didn’t seem surprised by my sudden entrance. In ...

Raimie I was half-aware of my grandfather relaxing opposite me, mostly occupied with watching ...

Rhylix I know what I'm asking of you. “They’re here.” Opening my eyes, I stared at Creatio...

Rhylix I do not ask it lightly. Several hours later, I understood why Raimie had seemed so ...

Raimie   With shaking hands, I opened the hatch above my head before climbing the last few rung...

Raimie   After two days of drifting, I met with Commander Marcuset, Eledis, my father, and Capt...

Rhylix   But you're the only one who can end me.   Something was wrong with Raimie. While sai...

Rhylix   I've placed myself in harm's way more times than I can count.   “Raimie?” I said as ...

Raimie   When I woke up to darkness with the comforting noises of maritime life all around, I w...

Raimie, Rhylix   Raimie No other noteworthy events occurred for several days, and during this ...

Raimie, Rhylix   Raimie Huddled between crates, I kept an eye on the hatch that led into the h...

Eriadren   I waited in my cell for the Council to decide my fate. It was taking them a while to...

Eriadren   After the guards brought me home, I couldn’t do much besides lay in bed for who knew...

Eriadren   With a tight jaw, I stood on the city wall, looking over the blanketed spread of ang...

Eriadren   Getting to Arivor was surprisingly easy, at least at first. My disguise got me throu...

Eriadren   I’d finished my recounting of everything that had happened in the last day, and Liri...

Raimie   Bored, I sprawled on neatly trimmed grass while waiting for Alouin. Humming to myself,...

Raimie   Rhylix and I walked back toward the forest, all while I wondered if we’d have to move ...

Raimie   Raising Silverblade, I caught the first blow on it. My attacker, small and lithe, spra...

Raimie Grabbing Ren’s tunic, Rhylix propelled her into a tree, hovering his dagger in front of...

Rhylix I've even attempted suicide as my desperation has increased. She was alive. Even as ...

Raimie “We need to talk,” I said. Nylion and I had nearly reached the top of the well with on...

Raimie With a start, I woke to the forest’s quiet. Sitting up, I gradually recalled where I wa...

Raimie As I approached a familiar head of hair, I stayed behind him, and I must have done it w...

Rhylix But still, I've found no release, only a continuation of life. After three and a hal...

Raimie Ren was determined to lose me and Oswin in this strange forest. In the short time we’d ...

Raimie As soon as we'd stepped through the widened crevasse into Ren’s home, I stopped short. ...

Raimie “So?” Ren’s father said. “Who are you, and what do you want from me?” I waited for a h...

Raimie When I stepped out of Tanwadur’s study, I slumped before crossing the three steps neede...

Raimie It took me longer than I’d like—my body was loudly crying for sleep and any delay in ge...

Raimie I didn’t head toward Oswin after trudging free of the sand. Instead, I retrieved my thi...

Raimie   Dim had been right to direct my attention away from Bright. The people at my back must...

Raimie We found my father in front of a tent, one that was slightly larger than the common sol...

Rhylix We share a unique bond, Eriadren. The signs had stopped. For three hours now, I’d fo...

Rhylix One that might let me slip free of my prison. At my side, Creation numbly followed u...

Rhylix I beg you, for the friendship we once shared, to do what must be done. The dining ro...

Rhylix End my life. Hours had passed, and I was still awake, struggling to paste my mask ba...

Raimie As Rhylix and Ren again explained what was coming for us, I absently tapped Silverblade...

Raimie When the first of my summoned guests arrived, I was as ready as I’d ever be. Tugging on...

Raimie On the tail end of my shout, a knife sailed between me and Oswin, impaling itself in th...

Rhylix Stop the misery that I may, in my insanity, wreak upon the world. As the older gentlem...

Rhylix You're the only one I've ever known with the strength to do what's right. Evening ha...

Rhylix Ever your friend, Arivor The next day dawned clear and beautiful. Any other day, I ...

Raimie, Rhylix Raimie Why had I ordered my friend to do something that would almost certainly...

Raimie, Rhylix Raimie If I’d learned anything from the battle, it was that Daevetch was incre...

Raimie After who knew how long spent running, I had to stop and catch my breath, if I didn’t w...

Eriadren   For what seemed like forever, I aimlessly wandered down the city’s streets, half-hop...

Eriadren   My efforts to murder Doldimar weren’t going as planned. In fact, nearly a year into ...

Eriadren   Finally, I was here. As the last of Doldimar’s soldiers slid off of my blade, I kep...

Rhylix, Raimie Rhylix “…might become a problem,” I finished with nary a flourish. When Raimi...

Raimie When returning to the battlefield, I hadn’t been sure what to expect, but it certainly ...

Nylion, Rhylix Nylion In the dark of night, I waited for my target to come home. Raimie had f...

Doldimar The woman in front of me was making a noise I refused to acknowledge. I’d gotten used...