Upcoming projects : Afallon Flashpoint & more Episodes of Seven Gates Where Angels fall.

The last year of has been one filled with lots of strides made in teaching myself animation and understanding the production process.  The process is one of learning and developing new strengths on a daily basis, improving each day as much as possible from the day before.

I started out as a writer and made the decision to transition over to animation. The next project I will be working on is taking my Afallon series of novels and adapting them to the animated screen. The project is basically in the early stages of layout and adaption from novel to script. I will continue to work on Seven Gates and this will be my primary focus at the moment. The Afallon series however will be worked on as I need breaks and a change of pace 🙂

 

The Afallon Flashpoint project has a much different focus and approach, one that will slowly develop over time and go full speed once Seven Gates has finished. It’s the very early stages of the creation process at the moment. I am basically at the character creation and scene setup stage for the models and the world itself , establishing their look and feel. The following screen shot is a working concept for two of the main characters, Ray and Lily.

 

 

 

For anyone interested the links at the top of the main page of the site will give you more details on the Afallon series. There are two links listed at the top – Marshall Kaine Journals and Afallon that will give you all the details on the novels as well as several short stories.

All the cast that will be involved in Afallon will be getting free digital versions of the novels to help in learning the characters and the world itself. So if anyone is interested in doing the voice work for this I will give you the digital copy to start reading and seeing which characters you may be interested in. No official casting calls have gone out yet and I am far off from even doing that. The however to this is any current cast of Seven Gates are already by default given the option if they so choose 🙂

I also will be contacting several others who have messaged me about voice acting roles recently as well. This project is far out in the future still. I am taking a different approach in hopes of creating a better production and faster time line once it gets rolling.

 

Episode 2 of Seven Gates will be released within the next week if not earlier. I have finished the first edits already and have only to work out any changes or corrections and it will be ready to post. 

Forgotten Worlds

 

There are worlds long forgotten, lost and submerged within the unconscious mind of the awakened dreamer.

The dreamer awakens and the wonders they have seen fade away. The lives they have lived are forgotten. The fears and worries of the day over take them and the worlds they have traveled are but fleeting memories fading with the mist.

There is always hope. It lingers in the back of the mind, speaking softly. It wants you to return to the forgotten worlds that await you once again. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for your journey will begin again. See the worlds and wonders once again renewed. Live the thousands of lives laid out before you.

Dream.

Sleep and dream forever more.

Awaken if you must dreamer. The forgotten world will still remain awaiting your return.

The watchman’s warning.

The watchman’s warning -The Marshall Kaine Journals

“It is the duty of the watch to blow the horn and sound the alarm.”

I’ve been in worse places then this. The judges tavern, a small pub in the lower section of town, nestled along the canal front. The patrons are mainly blue collar works, many living in the small neighborhood that runs the length of the canal. The place is old and the stench of the canal water seems to permeate through the walls. The owners try to keep the place up, though you can tell money is tight and repairs are only done when truly needed.

The patrons don’t bother me and I don’t bother them. They basically ignore me and go about talking and drinking. I prefer it that way. The last thing I want is trouble. I rather sit back and enjoy my drink in peace. I’m waiting for a new contact to arrive a researcher by the name of Nathan Bloomfield. Nathan claims he has information and evidence of one of the world’s biggest cover up and conspiracy. I highly doubt it. I’ll still give him a chance to convince me otherwise.

The music is way to loud to even hear the large screen TV above the bar. The TV is playing the  nightly news, so I am left with reading the news banners and tickers as they scroll across the screen. The local stuff bores me, but I pay attention once the national news starts. They are talking about Senator Calvin. He’s been making a lot of noise in the news and on the senate floor as of late. He wants the government to fully disclose all the evidence of alien life that is being withheld.

At first  he sounded like a wacko and no one took him seriously, till he started exposing several hidden programs. The first program he exposed was the secret space fleet that has been in production for years. Those in power quickly dismissed that as experimental projects for space exploration and not one of those so called “ships” has ever left earth orbit.  Shortly after that he started making speeches and demanding full disclosure.

The response was expected. First they ridiculed him and sought to discredit him. He remained vigilante and fought back. The next step will be to threaten him and try to control and silence him.  The current new broadcast is proving that to be true. The federal government just announced they would be investigate him and several claims of espionage and collusion with possible foreign governments. In other words they are going to blackmail him. If that doesn’t work they will have to get rid of him some how. I wish him luck. If what he is saying is true and he can prove it. I’m behind him one hundred percent. On the other hand if what he says is not true or he cannot prove it, he will have only himself to blame in the end.

The news switched over to sports and entertainment. I find it amusing  that our attention span is so limited these days. The sleepless masses would rather be entertained and  coddled then informed and in control of their own lives and destiny. I wonder sometimes why I even bother writing these journal entries, maybe I just like hearing my own voice echoing in my head.

 I see Nathan enter the bar. He’s hard to miss. The wild unkempt hair that seems to stick  up all over the place coupled with the nervousness of a cat in a room full of rocking chairs makes him stick out in a crowd. I wave him over and order another drink. It’s time to get this show started. I hope it’s worth it. The last thing I want to hear is about his experiences seeing lights in the sky that disappeared when planes approached. He likes telling me that story for some reason.

~ end of journal entry~

Secrets within the mystery.

 

“What happens when you pull away the scales that have covered your eyes your entire life? The secrets within the mystery start to unravel,  and  the  truth slowly begins to emerge. What secrets you ask. The  secrets   behind the lies and the falsehoods behind the delusion. Those are the secrets that I am referring to.”

Conspiracies, secrets and hidden truths. Why are we drawn to these types of claims? Why do we enjoy reading books and watching TV shows about them? What drives us to be enticed by those words?

Finally what does the image at the top of this post have to do with it?

First off the picture really has nothing to do with the post. It’s a scene from my recent novel. So we can simply leave that as it is.

I want to start first with the definition of a conspiracy. The dictionary defines a conspiracy as follows:

“A secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful…”

“A plan or agreement formed in secret, by two or more persons to commit an unlawful,harmful or treacherous act…”

We don’t always think of it that way. Instead we think of subterfuge and intrigue. We think about secret societies plotting to take over the world. We think about government cover-ups in regards to aliens and so forth. We seem to be drawn to these types of stories because we want the answers to questions that we cannot answer and others cannot answer in a satisfactory manner. The questions are the same ones we as a species, race, civilization and society have seemed to ask throughout time.

“Why are we here?”

“Who are we?”

“What is the purpose of life?”

Science, religion, mythology and even science fiction have tried to answer that. The religious answers are obvious as well as the spiritual and metaphysical ones. I don’t want to really get into those because that is not the point of what I am trying to say. Each one of us has a different journey to take and experience. The road down the spiritual and metaphysical differs for each person. What is considered religion to one person is different to another. To beat that drum at this moment wouldn’t accomplish much.

The real secret within the mystery is not a secret nor is it a mystery. Our worst enemy is ourselves. We do not need to look to outside sources such as government or beings from another world to envision our destruction, we are completely capable of doing that ourselves.  We let hate, race, religion, politics and ideology divide us. We draw lines in the sand and claim we are on the correct side of the line, while anyone on the other side is our enemy. Instead of extending an open hand in love and acceptance we extend a fist in defiance of the differences we see in others. Unless we love one another and raise each other up nothing will change. We have torn each other down and degrade others for long enough.  It is time to stop claiming we are tolerant of others. All the while we are degrading those who we believe are intolerant because of their views. We  need to embrace those who are different than us and believe differently. Until we see that we are all the same in the eyes of God we will always remain in the darkness. This is the real secret of the mystery.

Unleashing the conspiracy

The time has arrived. The truth will be known. The time of disclosure is at hand.

Many have been telling us for years that we need to change and awaken to the lies we have been told. The human race needs to change and embrace a new way of being and thinking before our time draws near.

If we do not embrace hope and love and come together as one, we will be forced to do so. The path is ours to chose. Otherwise sooner or later the choice will be made for us.

The question is no longer what if. The question is, what do we do next?

We now know we are not alone. We now know our governments have played a part in our demise. Everything that was done was in the name of greed and the lust for power. Everything we thought we knew has proven to be wrong. Our History and beliefs shattered in an instance. The words of those who continually warned us, now echo in our minds.  We can not go back and we can no longer look to the future, for the time is now. Our eyes have been forced open. The horror has just begun and the time for disbelief has passed.

Listen to words that echo still. The voices that cry out from the dead woods. The voices of those we scorned and vilified because they spoke of things we thought could never be true.

“We tried to warn them, so many times in so many ways. They would not listen. Now the price has been paid. The darkness has fallen and the long night has descended. There is still hope, it flickers softly. Even in the darkness there is always a shimmer of light.

Hope has sparked our conviction and our conviction has strengthened our resolve. We will be the light that shines in the darkness. We will be that voice that echoes through out creation. “We will be free.” “

Afallon goes live in September!

Pre-release sales available now at the following links.

Available in both 6×9 paperback and 4×7 paperback format, as well as an e-book.

I’m still waiting on the review process for distribution to Amazon, Barnes&Noble and ibooks.  However, it is available right now directly from lulu.com

http://www.lulu.com/shop/rk-souliske/afallon-episode-1-flashpoint/paperback/product-22331864.html

http://www.lulu.com/shop/rk-souliske/afallon-flashpoint/paperback/product-22331750.html

Long Live The voice In the Dead Woods

It has been sometime since I last posted anything on the blog. The reasons though are well worth it. I’ve been working on a new project. Specifically a new series of books entitled Afallon. The first book in the series is due to be released in the next few months. My target date is August- September, as long as all goes well in the edits and all that fun stuff. Here is the actual synopsis of the series.

In a dystopian future, the world is under alien occupation. One man’s message has kept hope alive. It has become a rallying cry to “hold on through the long dark night”. Humanity has continued to fight back, holding on to an ideal and a dream. Those they once called “radicals” for their “wild” conspiracy theories have now become the unsung heroes and fallen prophets. The truth has been revealed. While the dawn of a new age arrives a new threat has caused the lines of dissension to be redrawn.

The series will be several short novels. They will be written as TV episodes. The idea is to present this as if you were watching a new TV series, that is if I can pull it off.

What I really want to focus on today is the background behind one of the main characters. The character’s name is Noah Israel, known as the “voice in the dead woods”. Noah is one of the resistance leaders, a voice of hope to the entire world. If  I give more than that it will spoil a lot of the story. What I can do though is tell you that this character is based of the writings and the man “Jacob Israel”, with his permission of course. This is the reason he is called ” the voice in the dead woods”. I suggest you check out his blog and the novel the calling ” A voice in the dead woods.”  His website is located here.

http://www.jacobisrael.org/  as well as his blog http://jacobisrael.com/. You wont regret it.

The following video is also the first released trailer. The voice over was done by Jacob Israel.

Forge’s Inn

  (Another excerpt from my novel “Ancient Darkness”)

They surrounded the inn like a pack of ravenous wolves. The shrieks and howls echoed across the valley like a violent storm thunderously rolling down the mountain side. Dkhra sprang forward and approached the door, his talons scratched across the wood surface loudly as he grasped the latch. He pulled and turned but the lock refused to give. He stepped back his feral rage increasing as he anticipated the sweet victory of killing and feasting on his prey. He let out a howl that pierced the valley and echoed for miles. The Uttar sprang forward attacking the inn with fang and talon smashing through the windows and ripping the inn down piece by piece.

“My Inn!”

Forge yelled as the Uttar attacked them from every angle. Forge swung his axe with bestial fervor, his anger fueling his attacks. He picked up body parts from impaled and severed Uttar and tossed them into the surging horde.

“Stupid beasts….butt ugly, foul smelling, inn destroying …. Arrrrhhhh…!” Forge sputtered out insult after insult as he attacked with no concern what so ever for his well being as he waded deeper and deeper into the mass of Uttar.

“Forge! The idea is to defend the tunnel entrances!” Rastain yelled to the half crazed dwarf as he impaled one Uttar after another with deadly accuracy. He was precise and deadly with his bow, moving fluidly and with practiced ease. Saleena found her self enthralled watching him fight, as one Uttar broke through her defenses and sliced her arm. The warm sensation of blood running down her arm broke her momentary lack of focus and brought her back to the task at hand. She cursed loudly as she unleashed a series of savage attacks impaling the Uttar hilt deep with her sword. She kicked the dead body back and backed up next to Rastain.  Forge came crashing through the advancing Uttar, severing heads and limbs as he came to stand next to Rastain.

“You know you do this to me every time.” He huffed as he tried to catch his breath.

“Do what?” Rastain asked as he fended off the surging horde of Uttar, trying to give the dwarf time to catch his breath.

“Cost me money… The inn is completely destroyed…. The damn beasts even ripped up the floor boards! Why the hell do they need to rip up the floor boards?”  Forge smashed his axe into the head of a lunging Uttar and felt a small sense of retribution for his lost inn.

“Do we have a plan?” Saleena asked as they backed up closer to the tunnel entrance. They were surrounded on all sides with their backs to the tunnel entrance. Rastain looked to Forge.

“Something will come to mind eventually.”  The dwarf grinned in response.

The Uttar stopped, pacing back and forth like ravaged dogs encircling them. Rastain knew something was about to happen he couldn’t see any way out for them, he just hoped that the rest had made it through the tunnels and out the exit already.

“How far is the tunnel exit?” He asked. Forge looked around at his feet for a few minutes before answering.

“Umm…” He wasn’t sure how to answer.

“Forge?” Rastain asked, the alarm in his voice making Forge feel even more guilt then he already was. “Bah…. The exit collapsed in the spring after the heavy spring rains.”  He couldn’t bear looking at Saleena or Rastain.

“So they are trapped?” Saleena asked she was on the edge of breaking down into tears as she held back the hopeless feeling in her gut.

“You are all trapped….” The voice was hoarse and grating that answered.  They all looked up to see a large Uttar standing several feet away. His long black hair soaked in blood hanging over his face. The eyeless face looked at them as he grinned.

“Give us the priest… my master has need of him.” Dkhra cracked his neck and shoulders as he dropped to all fours and slowly inched forward.

“And you might live.” He whispered.

Forge laughed before anyone could answer.  He spread his feet apart planting them firmly and gripping his axe with both hands.

“Come and get him.” Forge sneered as he answered.

Dkhra sneered and simply nodded. The Uttar horde screamed and surged forward. The ground suddenly started to shake and rumble causing the Uttar to halt in confusion. Then the ground stopped shaking as abruptly as it started. The Uttar surged forward once again as they did a loud thunderous clasp of lighting exploded across the forest. The sound and light expanded from one focal point at the base of the hill like ripples across the still surface of a pond. The Uttar fell to the ground withering in pain as they grasped the sides of their heads.

“What was that?” Saleena asked as she covered her ears, the ringing in her head was intense.

“Trolls” Forge shouted as he pointed to the hill side.

The forest seemed to suddenly come alive itself as trolls appeared ripping into the flanks of the Uttar horde. The trolls rushed forward picking up the Uttar and snapping them like twigs. The Uttar recovering from the stun spell surged forward attacking the trolls in response.

“Ha-ha!”  Forge cheered as he rushed into the battle.

“I told you something would come up.” The dwarf shouted over his shoulder as he joined the battle.

“Where did they come from?” Saleena turned to ask Rastain but she noticed he wasn’t standing there. She looked around and saw him fighting with the Uttar that had demanded they hand over the priest.

The tide of battle had turned and now the advantage was no longer on the side of the Uttar. Dkhra was unsure what to actually do next. He could hear the cries of his brethren as they fought, they all wanted to flee but the desire to kill was to strong. They also had their orders to retrieve the priest. Defying those orders would mean certain punishment, even death from the master.

He rolled to his left as he avoided the ranger’s furious attack. He had never encountered any one that could attack so fast before. It took all of his ability to stay out of the ranger’s deadly reach. He crouched low and sprang forward lashing out with his talons. The ranger easily sidestepped and countered with a savage thrust of his blade. Dkhra parried off the attack and skidded across the ground to come to a stop a few feet away. He remained crouched on all fours staring at the ranger.  His sightless vision was confusing him the ranger’s aura seemed to change during the battle. The normal energy that surrounded the ranger seemed to change and fluctuate from blue to yellow then to red. Most humanoids, elves, dwarves and humans appeared blue to the Uttar as a blue shimmer of energy and noise, while demons and other celestial beings appeared red or yellow. Dkhra couldn’t understand why he was seeing different auras, but for one reason or another it frightened him. It was an odd sensation to feel fear from a human and something in his mind told him he needed to get away. He frantically looked around for a way to escape but saw none. The ranger charged forward his two blades held close to his side. Dkhra slid to his left but the ranger seemed to anticipate the move, the blades slicing deep into his side. The pain was intense as he slid across the ground his breathing was becoming more labored, each breath brought a burning pain and a rush of lightheadedness. Dkhra could feel his life draining from his body, he needed to escape. He turned to flee and came face to face with the large wolf.  The aura of the wolf flared red and then yellow as it attacked. Dkhra fell to the ground as the wolf lunged and then the world went black.

Saleena watched in horror as Sid emerged from the tunnels and lunged savagely to help Rastain. The wolf was savage and brutal as it ripped the wounded Uttar apart, it was as if the wolf had snapped and its killing instinct took over. She turned her head away, even though the creature was intent on killing them the sight was to gruesome to watch. She heard Sid howl and then both him and Rastain dashed off into the heart of the battle.

“It makes you wonder doesn’t it?”

Saleena turned to see Kiera standing next to her. She was weak but her wounds had been bandaged and she stood there swords drawn ready to fight.

“What does?” Saleena asked

“Watching a battle from the sidelines… The gruesome brutality and senseless taking of lives. We hide behind our ideals and morals but in the end this is what it comes down to. It’s either us or them.” Kiera looked at Saleena, she could tell the woman was torn, her world was changing and she was no longer in control of those changes.

“I have no pity for these creatures…” Saleena answered with a steel edge in her voice.

“You do. You just don’t want to admit it and that is what angers you.” Kiera simply answered. She was answering from experience. The conviction in her voice cut to Saleena’s heart and tugged at it.

“What do we do then?” She sighed as the world she once knew came crumbling down. She could feel it as she watched the battle unfold in front of her.

“We have faith.” Icardan answered from behind them.

Ancient Darkness

“Rastain!!” Saleena cheered and quickly blushed as she realized that she must have sounded like an enamored school girl. She grabbed Kiera and pulled her toward the other side of the village center.

“Come on, follow me.” Saleena yelled as she raced through the village center. Kiera shrugged and followed, it didn’t matter to her which side of the center she died on.

Saleena was overjoyed to see Rastain, more so then she would have liked to admit. She felt as if suddenly everything was ok, his presence alone ensuring their survival. She scolded herself mentally though, she needed to remain focused.

“Quickly. Head up the hill toward the portal and get everyone through it…”   Rastain turned to Saleena as she stood at his side fighting off the Uttar. He needed everyone in the portal no exceptions.

“That means you too.”

Saleena heard the commanding tone in his voice and instantly her anger rose, she was not a farm girl to be ordered about.

“I’m staying here. You need my help.” She answered in between slashes of her sword and bashing of her shield against any Uttar that managed to get past Rastain’s barrage of steel and Sid’s fury of fangs.

“In the portal… Azzorrian can only maintain it for so long.”   Rastain looked over his shoulder noticing that Nadja was ushering the villagers through the portal as they fought off the Uttar.

“I’ll go through when you do.” She grunted as another Uttar slammed her to the ground. Kiera responded faster then Rastain could by kicking the Uttar off of Saleena. The Uttar sprang to his feet and leapt towards Kiera. She expertly sidestepped and parried off the creatures attack.

Rastain was getting annoyed now he couldn’t concentrate on protecting them and fending off the Uttar at the same time. He picked Saleena up and pushed her toward the portal.

“Go!!”  He fended off another attack while ducking to avoid forge’s wide arched swing of his axe.

“Forge?” Rastain looked at the dwarf exasperated. Forge merely laughed and charged forward into the nearest group of Uttar.

“Yer quick on yer feet lad… What you whining about?” The dwarf shouted in response as he severed limbs off of several Uttar at once.

“I told you I’m staying.” Saleena’s voice was edged with steel. She couldn’t understand his over protectiveness, she was a trained warrior and able to handle herself in battle. Why could he not see that? She turned to see her mother standing next to her struggling to fend off one of the creatures. The creature had flesh and blood dripping off its fangs and face. It had just recently finished devouring the remains of one of its fallen comrades. Driven by a crazed bloodlust the creature was relentlessly gaining an advantage on the older woman. Saleena intercepted the creatures lunge with a shield bash to its face. The stunned creature slumped to the ground shaking its head. Saleena pounced upon the stunned creature like a cat would a mouse, severing its head open with one swift blow.

She then turned to help her mother.

“Mother, get through the portal.” She turned to see Rastain looking at her. He said nothing but the look in his eyes said it all. He wanted her to take her own advice and go through the portal as well.

Nadja noticed the unspoken battle of wills between the two and decided it was time to intervene. Her daughter could be stubborn at times and if she felt she needed to make a point she was even more so. Nadja let her left leg start to drag and grunted in mock pain. Saleena instantly noticed.

“Are you ok?” Her voice softened with worry. She looked around frantically for help.

“Kiera! Help my mother to the portal.” Saleena shouted. Kiera turned and was instantly hard pressed as two Uttar attacked her. She slipped upon the blood drenched ground, letting out a yelp of pain as one of Uttar sliced open her side. Rastain was at her side in an instant fending of the attacking Uttar. He whistled attempting to call Sid to his side. The large black wolf responding instantly raced to his master side. Sid stood protectively over Kiera defending her as she pulled her self up. She was bleeding profusely barely able to stand. Rastain lifted her up in his arms and ran toward the portal. He glanced at Saleena and Nadja, hoping the stubborn female warrior would listen to him this time.

Forge noticed Rastain running toward the portal carrying the wounded woman. Most of the villagers were safely through the portal, with the exception of themselves and a few others. Forge ran over to Nadja and Saleena. The dwarf grabbed them both and started pulling them toward the portal.

“Hey… I’m not leaving till Rastain does.” Saleena pulled away from him.

“Yes you are.” Forge grabbed her and dragged her toward the portal. He wasn’t about to argue with the crazy woman.

“Listen… I don’t know who you think you are.” Saleena was interrupted as Forge pushed her through the portal.

“Shut up.” He turned to see Nadja standing behind him. She bent down and gave the dwarf a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, my daughter can be stubborn at times.” She smiled and walked through the portal. Forge stood there for a moment blushing and looking at his feet before he realized the Uttar were still advancing up the hill.

Rastain had given the wounded Kiera over to the priest who was struggling to get her to the portal. Forge charged forward smashing into the front lines of the Uttar that Rastain had been fending off, knocking them back.  A loud piercing howl echoed across the valley followed by a series of shrieks and guttural sounding grunts. The Uttar stopped attacking and backed off a bit surrounding them and the portal completely.

“Now what?” Forge panted as he stood next to Rastain.

“I don’t know but go through the portal with those two now. The priest is past exhaustion and needs your help.” The steel in Rastain’s voice told Forge that he was expecting the worse. Forge nodded and ran over to the priest and the wounded Kiera.

“Come on lad, let’s go.” Forge grunted as he lifted the unconscious Kiera, the battle fatigue was setting in faster then he had anticipated. Icardan nodded and stepped through the portal followed by Forge.

Sid stood at Rastain’s side his fur bristling and fangs dripping with saliva. The large wolf was filled with rage and fury that needed to be unleashed. Rastain looked down at his life long companion.

“Go and protect them.” He stood with his swords drawn watching the Uttar that surrounded them. Sid looked up whining, the wolf wasn’t about to abandon his master.

“Go now!” The emotional strain was evident in Rastain’s voice, he didn’t want Sid to leave but he had no choice. Sid dropped his ears and tucked his tail in as he whined and stepped through the portal.

Azzorrian stood entranced, sweat pouring down his face as he strained to keep the portal open. He had pushed beyond his limits and abilities to maintain the portal. The sheer power of his will alone was sustaining him.  Paligar and the rest stood at his side looking through the portal. They saw Rastain standing there waiting encircled by the Uttar with his back to the portal.

“What’s he doing? Why doesn’t he just run through the portal?” Saleena asked. She wanted to dash through the portal and physically drag him back through.

“I’m going back.” She grabbed her sword and shield and headed to the portal. Icardan stopped her. The priest’s complexion was pale and ashen. He was exhausted and barley able to stand.

“You can’t, the strain on the mage is great, if you go through he won’t be able to maintain the portal. I have already cast a power tab between him and myself, but I’m afraid that I am weak and have little power to help him. He’s holding it open by sheer will right now.” His voice weakened as he collapsed to the floor. Nadja ran over and helped him to stand. She looked at her daughter the steel in her eyes burned like a raging fire.

“Stop it Saleena. You will make his sacrifice mean nothing.” She turned and headed into the kitchen toward the tunnels. Forge sighed and gently turned Saleena away from the portal.

“Come on Lass, at least get to safety. Do that much for him.”

Azzorrian screamed as the last of his power faded. He slumped to the floor his vision fading as the last bit of strength left him, his will giving out under the immense strain.

“I’m… sorry….” The words slipped out as he faded into the black numbness of unconsciousness

Tears rolled down her face as she slumped to the floor.  She saw Rastain look over his shoulder one last time as the portal began to close. He turned and dashed toward the portal as it shimmered out and closed. The room went dark and cold as Saleena felt her heart shatter open. The portal had closed and its light faded, leaving her in complete darkness.

“RASTAIN!!!!!” she screamed as she slumped forward sobbing.

Excerpt from “Ancient Darkness” – Available anywhere books are sold.

http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Darkness-R-K-Souliske/dp/1627464840/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374887523&sr=8-1&keywords=Souliske

Age of Ruin: Chapter 1 Page 7

Age of Ruin : Chapter 1 Page 6