Honour Rae

18. Gambler Class

Over the next few weeks, Arthur settled into a routine. Rising from a bed roll with the fading dawn stars overhead became normal. The pain when he thought of the village slowly lost its jagged edge...

17. Avoid The Silvers

Arthur stared.

His first impression had only been partially correct. What stood on the rocky bank was a ghostly illusion of Doshi the dragon, transparent to the point where he could see trees...

16. Why Did You Run

For a startled moment, Arthur wasn't in his bedroll on top of a thick mat of straw. He was back at his home village, hiding under scraggly bushes as the red dragon roared and killed the soldiers un...

15. What's In The Box

The food the inn served was excellent. Freshly baked bread, still warm from the oven, sliced roast beef slathered with thick gravy, and some kind of steamed vegetable Red had ...

14. Poker (Five-card draw) (Gambler Class)

Arthur picked his way from building to building, slinking along to the dark and out-of-the-way places. Luck was with him in that the sun was sinking and elongating shadows.

He didn’t spot t...

13. The Town

Arthur’s trick had worked, though with unexpected consequences. As soon as Second’s cart had started moving, a small mound of the loose leaf slipped free, fell out of the cart, and landed on th...

12. Basic Stealth (Rogue/Thief Class)

The first time Arthur was smacked across the face, it took him completely by surprise.

It was his second night away from the cottage, and the first traveling with the trader’s caravan. He a...

Ch. 11. New Adventure

Arthur coughed his throat clear and then stared at his father in disbelief. “What do you mean?” His voice grew higher pitched. “You’re sending me away?”

Red guffawed again. “You c...

10. Basic Equine Care (Animal Husbandry Class)

To Arthur, the next few days passed in a blur.

His newly forged determination to learn as many skills as he could, to not let another tragedy happen again on his watch, was still there. But i...

9. Herbal Medicine Preparation (Healing Class)

“Arthur! Arthur, wait—“ his father called, but Arthur was already out the door and pelting down the road.

It can’t be real. It can’t be him, he thought desperately, trying ...

8. Apprentice Meal Preparation

By the time Arthur finished with the flyers, an hour later, his Basic Reading skill had increased up to level seven. By far his best level.

He could sound out most of the words easily enough,...

7. Basic Reading

Arthur’s body may now be magically boosted from having a card, but the last two days had been exhausting. He slept in late on the cold floor with a ratty, torn blanket thrown over him. It was one...

Ch. 6

Arthur and his father trudged back to their cottage to find it in shambles.

It was obvious their small home had been searched multiple times throughout the day. Everything that had been insid...

Ch. 5

Arthur and his father were  forced to walk back to the village, still without their shoes. However,  they weren’t the only ones. Up and down the lanes, people were being  shoved ou...

Ch. 4

Dragon soil had to be tilled  into scourge-deadened fields, and it needed to be done while the soil  was as fresh as possible. It also had to be done carefully because not  only coul...

Ch. 3

Holding his breath, Arthur  pushed the card to his chest. He had doubts this would work. A man’s  heart was supposed to be the size of a fist. This card was longer than  his hand f...

Ch. 2

The spell card was encased yet again within a thin sheet of glass with a lock surrounded by complex runes.

It was... beautiful.

Larger than a man's spread hand, the card was  thick...

Ch. 1

Arthur sprinted across the scourge-deadened  fields. The soil was gray and lifeless and the black remains of weeds  disintegrated under his boots.

Though he ran flat out, he breathe...