Suraia and Vasha started walking towards the tavern, the low light of evening stretching their shadows across the uneven cobbles. The market’s clamour faded behind them, replaced by the hush of narrow streets where every footstep echoed in the cooling air. The day’s warmth had given way to a sharp edge, and Suraia drew her […]
Author Archive: Suraia Silverbell
The Outcasts 4: The Three Points Trading Post
Suraia woke to the hush and rush of waves, the sound of water lapping just beyond the cave’s mouth. She blinked into the pale morning, feeling for the first time in days a true, bone-deep warmth—a rare gift after so much cold and fear. Her limbs were heavy with exhaustion, but not pain; she was […]
The Outcasts 3: Into Deep Waters
The morning dawned clear and cold—the world scrubbed raw, the violence of the storm swept away as if it had never been. For the first time since the wreck, sunlight slanted through the trees, painting long golden bars across the cave floor, igniting the green in the moss and the faded brown of driftwood. The […]
The Outcasts 2: Shelter from the Storm
Darkness pressed in. Suraia was running—through endless alleyways, rain pelting her face, boots splashing through muddy puddles. Shadows pressed close, warped by memory and fear. “Heretic!” “Witch! Her hands—did you see them glow?” “Keep her away from my child!” Faces swirled, half-seen in the downpour, their eyes bright with suspicion and something colder—disgust. The red […]
The Outcasts 1: Eedrasil’s Rest
The sea was slate grey beneath the rising sun, waves restless and flecked with cold light as the ship cut its way through churning water. At the prow, a human woman braced herself against the rail, her hands clenched tight, knuckles pale beneath the raw wind. Her cloak snapped wildly around her legs, the early […]
Forbidden Fruit 12: The Last Light
Rayven advanced through the shattered nave, the weight of her plate armour both a shield and a shroud, cloak swirling in the smoke-choked air. The battered symbol of Denday still glimmered on her chest plate, dulled by ash and streaks of blood. Her gauntleted fist tightened around the leather-wrapped hilt of her sword, and her […]
Forbidden Fruit 11: The Breaking of the Light
Neri’Va’s fingers trembled as she straightened the white linen robe across her shoulders, heart pounding beneath her ribs. Candlelight trembled on the bare walls of her little chamber, casting shifting halos as the hour of the cleansing ritual drew near. She ran her hands over the robe again, the cloth cool and fine beneath her […]
Forbidden Fruit 10: On the Eve of Shadows
Neri’Va’s day was a blur of sacred duties and mounting dread. She rose before dawn, mind already spinning, hands busy as she polished golden candleholders until her arms ached. Each glimmer of brass was supposed to reflect the Light, but in the mirrored surface she only saw her own troubled eyes. She folded linens with […]
Forbidden Fruit 9: The Gathering Storm
The woods were still, heavy with the anticipation that comes before a storm. The air was thick with the scent of green and wet earth, and every leaf seemed to hush itself as Rayven passed beneath the canopy. She moved through the undergrowth like a shadow, each step deliberate, each muscle attuned to the secret […]
Forbidden Fruit 8: Secrets and Shadows
Neri’Va closed the door to her chamber with trembling hands. The morning sun was high now, but its light felt cold and uncertain, pressing sharp beams across the wooden floor. She pressed her back to the door, letting her breath out in a shaky rush. The news of her upcoming initiation still spun in her […]