She stood in the greatest city human hands had ever built, capital of the world’s mightiest nation, and home to more people from more lands than she had ever dreamed she might see. If you want to get drunk, you can do it before Chet even knows you have returned.īut Loren was sixteen, and her homeland was half a kingdom away, and it was the middle of the night. There is wine in the palace, said her more sensible side. Gold weights clinked together, thick and familiar, resting on some pennies and slivers. She probed the inside pocket of her black cloak. Perhaps a cup of wine would do the trick. There were words beneath the image, but Loren had never learned to read. On the sign over its door, Loren could just make out a painting of a donkey rearing, its front hooves planted on a great silver bell. Voices drifted on the air, pouring from a tavern not far away. She had no wish to cast her own dark cloud over him, but she did not know how to rid herself of it. But she felt too defeated, her mood too grim. Chet waited for her there, and part of her longed to return to his welcoming arms. Loren could see its golden spires shining in the moonslight. Loren pushed away from the wall and walked on. She had never expected she would miss the Birchwood. But the scent of humans usually warded them away-and if not, she always had one of Chet’s bows.Ī pang of longing struck her heart, surprising her. In the Birchwood that she had once called home, such creatures would often study her, trying to decide whether she was a threat or a meal. For a moment, she could imagine the moons like the pale white eyes of a forest creature glimpsed in the night. Both moons hung bright and full above her. She leaned against the wall of a building that looked like a cobbler’s shop. The wizard she hunted was somewhere across the Great Bay, likely in one of the eastern kingdoms. But she had gone all the way to the eastern gate, and the designs had still pointed east. Part of her wanted to continue her search. She turned and looked back down the street. When she burned the hairs, the dagger had led her east. She had been investigating an agent working against the High King. Loren had found some blonde hairs in the bedroom of an inn. When she burned the hair of a wizard on the blade, the designs would point in that wizard’s direction, no matter how far away they were. It was some magic of the dagger that she only partially understood. It was finely crafted, with twisting black designs on the blade. But that hunt had returned no prey, and now her steps were listless.Īfter checking to make sure that the street was empty, she drew her dagger from her belt. Some hours ago, she had strode the opposite direction with purpose, chasing a wizard. Loren of the family Nelda, known to some as the Nightblade, walked west down the main road that crossed the island city of the High King’s Seat. Her black cloak enshrouded her more completely than the night ever could. If you’re new here, welcome to Underrealm. But for the curious Underrealm reader, if you want to know the chronological order of the stories, the best approximation is as follows: They are presented to you in the order they were published. They are not in chronological sequence, and most are unrelated to each other, aside from some characters they share in common. The stories do not have to be read in any particular order. But if you’ve never heard of Underrealm before you read it in the title of this book, the stories will be just as enjoyable. If you are already a reader of Underrealm, this story will reveal things you’ve never known about your favorite characters, and introduce you to new characters we know you’ll love. The book you hold in your hands is the first realization of that intention. But Underrealm was always intended to be a collaborative effort, rather than the work of one person. I created the nine kingdoms of this realm in 2010, and I first published in 2014 in the novel Nightblade. The stories in this book are stories of the land of Underrealm. (You’ll also learn the secret that makes great fantasy books, great.) You’ll receive exclusive updates and see behind the scenes as we create them. Join our email alerts list, and we’ll send word whenever we release a new book. Legacy Books is home to the very best that fantasy has to offer. Please leave a review wherever you bought the book, or on. The author greatly appreciates you taking the time to read this work. Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events or locales is purely coincidental. Keene, Rhea Newton, Garrett Robinson, Liandra Sy, Eric UglandĬopyright © 2018 by Legacy Books. THE CHRONICLES OF UNDERREALM: COLLECTION ONEĪntoine Bandele, E.L.
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