Free Excerpt!
As my novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, makes its way through the causeways toward the nearest stores and on its way into your hands, onto your kindles and other reading devices, I feel that I want to share a bit more of the story with you. I have excerpts on my website which you may read at any point in time here:
http://www.ashenclaw.com/index.php/book-excerpts
but I have one more I would like to share with my blog community.
Here is a small bit on Rose Thorne, a pick-pocket, rogue archetype and dagger-dual-wielding wonder! Enjoy!
Rose swallowed hard, understanding that they would not leave. She also understood that she could simply walk through the shadows and they would never be able to follow her. She could escape right now and they would be none the wiser. But something compelled her to stay. She thought that they were not in league with the Thieves' Guild, who at least had a code of ethics. They would also be doing this to countless others if left unchecked. Once more she let herself fall into that predatory side that allowed her to survive the horrors of her youth. Yes, she thought as she approached her enemy. It was all coming back to her. "You were warned—remember that," Rose stated as she stepped out from a shadow that seemed to engulf her only a second ago. Otis' surprise was evident as his blue eyes filled with dread. He weakly moaned in pain as he felt the sharp edge of a pair of daggers slash across his throat and neck. The lifeblood drained from his body quickly as the man slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap. Olaf, Blaine and Morton all spun as they heard the body of their now-fallen companion hit the floor. Olaf gasped in horror at seeing his brother's lifeless body fall to the hard ground of the alley. His shock turned quickly to resentment as he used his brother's death to fuel his fight."That's it," Rose egged them on from the far end of the alley. "Come on!"Olaf withdrew his dagger and club, one in either hand and charged at her. Blaine and Morton followed, although Morton was several steps behind. Rose took note of this fact.She traversed the shadow realm again and stepped out just to the right of Morton's heavy frame. With unusual speed and agility for one his size, the mercenary saw her and scored a quick jab with the brass knuckles on his right fist, grazing her, but hitting hard enough that it drew blood. I underestimated this one's speed! Rose chastised herself silently, recovering from the blow and concentrating once more through the initial pain.He thrust his dagger and stabbed at where she had been only seconds ago to find that she had vanished again. Appearing behind him, she put Morton between herself and the other two assailants. She reached her left hand around and grabbed Morton's chin, pulling it to her left while plunging the dagger in her right hand through the side of his throat, killing him instantly. She winced noticeably at the ferocity of the attack. She was well-versed in the art of killing, but took no pleasure in it. "Leave now or suffer the same fate," Rose warned them, as she stepped once more into the shadow plane, disappearing from sight. Her voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Bah! I'll kill you for what you did!" Olaf claimed as he shook with rage, wiping sweat from his unshaven, dirty face.Rose reappeared and struck the back of Olaf's thigh with a thrust of her dagger, causing him to stumble forward in pain, clutching his hamstring. Blaine, who was now behind Rose, kicked out solidly, connecting with the small of her back. Her head jerked back violently from the force of the blow and the kick knocked the wind out of her. She clutched her stomach and throat and needed a brief respite to recover as she was momentarily shaken. Once more, she traversed the plane of shadow, disappearing and reappearing in back of Blaine, who stood engulfed within the shadows. He suspected this and was ready for her, however—Blaine was a seasoned warrior, and he recognized her tactics. He spun as soon as she stepped from the shadow, anticipating her appearance and grabbed her firmly by the throat. He smacked her once with his free right hand and then wrapped both hands around her throat, depriving her of oxygen and quickly choking her. After several seconds, he managed to get Rose to the ground and sat atop her maintaining his death grip on her neck. Blaine had dropped his dagger somewhere in the dark alleyway and could not find it. He did, however, have his brass knuckles. He swung a wild punch at Rose's face, but she managed to block his arm and the brass knuckles with the hilt of Zaedra, she was barely conscious now and was working on instinct as the breath escaped her lungs and would not return. She removed her hands from his and stopped trying to prevent the choke, realizing his grip was too tight. Instead, she desperately changed tactics, handling the daggers in a reverse-grip. She launched her attack with a pair of symmetrical inward strikes using the pommels of the weapons to strike the bald man's ears. Blaine released his chokehold on her throat, reflexively covering his ears with his palms as his ear drums registered a thundering cacophony of overwhelming pain. With that, Rose finally gasped for air!Still on her back and with Blaine atop her clutching his injured ears, Rose began a second inward motion with her daggers, still held in the reverse-grip, continuing until her wrists crossed over one another. As she did so, the edges of the daggers hit solidly at the front of his neck, directly under the jaw and severing major arteries. Blaine fell backward clutching his wounds in a futile attempt to halt the inevitable. He was dead before he hit the ground.
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
http://www.ashenclaw.com/index.php/book-excerpts
but I have one more I would like to share with my blog community.
Here is a small bit on Rose Thorne, a pick-pocket, rogue archetype and dagger-dual-wielding wonder! Enjoy!
Rose swallowed hard, understanding that they would not leave. She also understood that she could simply walk through the shadows and they would never be able to follow her. She could escape right now and they would be none the wiser. But something compelled her to stay. She thought that they were not in league with the Thieves' Guild, who at least had a code of ethics. They would also be doing this to countless others if left unchecked. Once more she let herself fall into that predatory side that allowed her to survive the horrors of her youth. Yes, she thought as she approached her enemy. It was all coming back to her. "You were warned—remember that," Rose stated as she stepped out from a shadow that seemed to engulf her only a second ago. Otis' surprise was evident as his blue eyes filled with dread. He weakly moaned in pain as he felt the sharp edge of a pair of daggers slash across his throat and neck. The lifeblood drained from his body quickly as the man slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap. Olaf, Blaine and Morton all spun as they heard the body of their now-fallen companion hit the floor. Olaf gasped in horror at seeing his brother's lifeless body fall to the hard ground of the alley. His shock turned quickly to resentment as he used his brother's death to fuel his fight."That's it," Rose egged them on from the far end of the alley. "Come on!"Olaf withdrew his dagger and club, one in either hand and charged at her. Blaine and Morton followed, although Morton was several steps behind. Rose took note of this fact.She traversed the shadow realm again and stepped out just to the right of Morton's heavy frame. With unusual speed and agility for one his size, the mercenary saw her and scored a quick jab with the brass knuckles on his right fist, grazing her, but hitting hard enough that it drew blood. I underestimated this one's speed! Rose chastised herself silently, recovering from the blow and concentrating once more through the initial pain.He thrust his dagger and stabbed at where she had been only seconds ago to find that she had vanished again. Appearing behind him, she put Morton between herself and the other two assailants. She reached her left hand around and grabbed Morton's chin, pulling it to her left while plunging the dagger in her right hand through the side of his throat, killing him instantly. She winced noticeably at the ferocity of the attack. She was well-versed in the art of killing, but took no pleasure in it. "Leave now or suffer the same fate," Rose warned them, as she stepped once more into the shadow plane, disappearing from sight. Her voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Bah! I'll kill you for what you did!" Olaf claimed as he shook with rage, wiping sweat from his unshaven, dirty face.Rose reappeared and struck the back of Olaf's thigh with a thrust of her dagger, causing him to stumble forward in pain, clutching his hamstring. Blaine, who was now behind Rose, kicked out solidly, connecting with the small of her back. Her head jerked back violently from the force of the blow and the kick knocked the wind out of her. She clutched her stomach and throat and needed a brief respite to recover as she was momentarily shaken. Once more, she traversed the plane of shadow, disappearing and reappearing in back of Blaine, who stood engulfed within the shadows. He suspected this and was ready for her, however—Blaine was a seasoned warrior, and he recognized her tactics. He spun as soon as she stepped from the shadow, anticipating her appearance and grabbed her firmly by the throat. He smacked her once with his free right hand and then wrapped both hands around her throat, depriving her of oxygen and quickly choking her. After several seconds, he managed to get Rose to the ground and sat atop her maintaining his death grip on her neck. Blaine had dropped his dagger somewhere in the dark alleyway and could not find it. He did, however, have his brass knuckles. He swung a wild punch at Rose's face, but she managed to block his arm and the brass knuckles with the hilt of Zaedra, she was barely conscious now and was working on instinct as the breath escaped her lungs and would not return. She removed her hands from his and stopped trying to prevent the choke, realizing his grip was too tight. Instead, she desperately changed tactics, handling the daggers in a reverse-grip. She launched her attack with a pair of symmetrical inward strikes using the pommels of the weapons to strike the bald man's ears. Blaine released his chokehold on her throat, reflexively covering his ears with his palms as his ear drums registered a thundering cacophony of overwhelming pain. With that, Rose finally gasped for air!Still on her back and with Blaine atop her clutching his injured ears, Rose began a second inward motion with her daggers, still held in the reverse-grip, continuing until her wrists crossed over one another. As she did so, the edges of the daggers hit solidly at the front of his neck, directly under the jaw and severing major arteries. Blaine fell backward clutching his wounds in a futile attempt to halt the inevitable. He was dead before he hit the ground.
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
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