Henry's Back!
Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity: Missive Six is now available in Kindle format.
It's been a while but I've finally 'put it out there'.
Henry's changed in some ways but his essential character remains the same.
I hope you enjoy this missive as he fights his way within the Land of the Fae.
Of course, there are monsters - but other things, too; you may be surprised.
Universal Link:
mybook.to/Weird6
Blurb:
Henry Ian Darling is stuck in EverVale, the Land of the Fae, until he unravels a prophecy. Is it really about him or has there been a mistake? How can he possibly be part of something so incredible? He’s only a man; despite coming back from the dead.
Dark forces are determined to prevent him from finding the answers, but does Henry have the power and will to slice into the lines of Evil?
Tangled thoughts and problems threaten to unbalance Henry’s determination and yet, if saving Clara is his sacrifice, then so be it, but Time may be against him.
Follow Henry’s mysterious adventure into strange worlds and find out if he succeeds.
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Others in this series can be found on Amazon and Lulu (paperback). Weird #6 will be available in paperback as soon as I can find the time to sort it.
Taster:
I just knew that someone – or something – was watching me. I’d been feeling it for days. And it wasn’t Caladrius, though sometimes he’d stare at me for what felt like hours, those unblinking eyes of his gazing right into my soul.
I wince at the thought of souls – all that nonsense that had assaulted me not that long ago; but how was I really to know how much time had passed? For here I was, stuck in EverVale, the Realm of the Fae, in a mountain cave in the Towell Mountains. Left here by Clara who’d swapped places with her familiar, Caladrius, for a while and…oh, there’s no point in going into all that now.
Something was watching!
I’d been asleep, and I wondered if my fears within the nightmare had been freed into this reality.
Well, of course, if you’ve been reading my missives, then you’d understand all about what can or cannot be real and, I suppose, most things can be; dependent upon your perspective.
But no, I believed that the creature from my dream was not the one that had been stalking me – something that had woken me and brought sweat to the palms of my hands.
I dared a peek from under my lids, my pretence at sleep hopefully a good ruse, while at the same time attempting to keep my mind clear, for as I’d been taught, my thoughts could leak and be used against me.
I wondered if it could be one of the natives of the mountains. Flix had warned me about all manner of inhabitants, although, so far, none had tried to enter the cave – this magical cave that I’m not entirely sure is real at all. Was it all some great illusion? Did it matter? I was here, so it was real at this moment and had been for some time.
I saw movement – merely a shadow – there it was again!
Careful not to breathe out my fright, I waited, my slippery right hand feeling for the handle of the axe that I’d begun to keep near as if a comforting teddy for a child.
Mewling! Yes, a definite mewling sound, like a helpless kitten, but surely I wasn’t to be fooled. It could be anything out there; the noise a trick to soften my senses.
But it was a sound of hurt and not hunger – hunger for me?
Grasping the axe, I sighed and opened my eyes – I was sick of these games. I had been given a mission, a weird one yes, but I’d accepted the challenge and I couldn’t give in at the first real sign of danger; if it was a danger?
I threw aside the covers and rose from the bed and clamped on my boots – much easier than it had been a while ago, I admit, for my stay in EverVale had forced me to shed some pounds and tone my muscles...and no, I would never be Atlas or Adonis, so you can stop snickering. My belly still had that rotund – if lesser – mound and I haven’t suddenly discarded twenty years. I am still grey-haired and, well, me, although, I have not lost any more height since my return from the dead – only that inch – so I didn’t think I would be shrinking to the size of a Munchkin.
Stepping over to the exit – which was also the entrance to the outer mountain slopes – I pulled aside the heavy curtain and faced the coming dawn.
There it was again; that mewling. Something was hurt. Had it always been hurt and had sought comfort from me, or had it been a recent thing? Had its mission been to eat me until it’d fallen or...? What was the point of thinking like this?
Hooking the curtain onto the jut of rock, I stepped outside and was surprised by the chill in the wind. Though it wasn’t as if the mountains could ever be a summer destination, it hadn’t had that easterly bite for a while.
Was this the sign for which I’d been waiting?
Caladrius made me jump with his sudden squawk as he landed upon my shoulder. “Oh, awake, are you? I’m always surprised about your habits, sleeping being just one.”
“It’s not sleep in human terms, more like a state of hibernation so to...”
“Realign the powers to Clara, yes, you’ve told me. How is she?”
For an answer, the bird merely pecked at one of the pure white feathers that were covered in a spectral glow.
I tutted, but knew that getting angry would do me no good – Caladrius would communicate if and when necessary...or when he felt like it. Although, his silence probably meant that Clara, my beautiful wife, must have been busy with the other part of the quandary. I briefly wondered how she was doing regarding Brett and all that other business with the Queen of the Dead – had Clara been successful with the Chinese Fox idea?
Caladrius stopped preening at that sound. “Yes, it’s a sign of distress, but do you think it may be a trick?” I asked.
As Clara’s familiar, Caladrius was able to do many things such as heal, as that’d been a bonus after my practising through the bowls – I did say that I’d become fitter, if not ready for any body-building competition. But it’d cost me many a sleepless night due to the pain and without a touch of healing, I could have contracted many infections – not that I was sure of anything.
Bewitching enemies is another gift, if not always successful, and as he took flight, I knew he was checking out the source of the noise.
Not that either of us had spied whatever it was before, and the stalking had been going on for a while. Whatever it was, must have a gift of being able to hide.
Within moments, Caladrius flew back onto my shoulder and said, “Follow me!” Then flew off again.
What else could I do?
I should have donned my jacket, as I wound my way around this shelf on the mountain, but it was too late to turn back and was glad I’d decided to be fully clothed even in sleep...just in case. I was eager to find out what it could be and then...
Oh my, it was a shocking sight, both shadow and light folding in and out of each other – I could hardly tell what it was.
“It’s an Elemental of sorts, but it’s been manipulated,” stated Caladrius, back on my shoulder again.
I’m sure he was correct because there before us was an ever-changing mesh of light and dark and yet in between I could spot a shape; however, even that changed. Sometimes a dragon, if small, then a cat and then, well, I wasn’t sure exactly what, but it was its cry that squeezed my heart. For good or ill, I knew I had to help it.
I took a step closer and saw a brief glimpse of an eye the colour of amber and a name jumped into my mind – Aveus.
Caladrius must have had the same thought because he squawked and said, “It’s a Time Elemental, somebody has used a soul stone and caused a line of chaos.”
“Chaos itself, do you think?”
“That’s not clear, but the only way to help...Aveus...is to break the tie.”
“And how would I do that?” I asked taking another step closer to the suffering creature.
I don’t think anyone would have guessed what the next words would be but I was both shocked and yet not surprised at them – the oddities in my life had smoothed the way to the strangest of things.
Have you guessed? Well, I had to jump into the creature, search out the malignancy and destroy it.
Oh dear.
***
Thanks for your time - stay safe out there. Oh and if you do read my work, please think about leaving a review.
It's been a while but I've finally 'put it out there'.
Henry's changed in some ways but his essential character remains the same.
I hope you enjoy this missive as he fights his way within the Land of the Fae.
Of course, there are monsters - but other things, too; you may be surprised.
Universal Link:
mybook.to/Weird6
Blurb:
Henry Ian Darling is stuck in EverVale, the Land of the Fae, until he unravels a prophecy. Is it really about him or has there been a mistake? How can he possibly be part of something so incredible? He’s only a man; despite coming back from the dead.
Dark forces are determined to prevent him from finding the answers, but does Henry have the power and will to slice into the lines of Evil?
Tangled thoughts and problems threaten to unbalance Henry’s determination and yet, if saving Clara is his sacrifice, then so be it, but Time may be against him.
Follow Henry’s mysterious adventure into strange worlds and find out if he succeeds.
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Others in this series can be found on Amazon and Lulu (paperback). Weird #6 will be available in paperback as soon as I can find the time to sort it.
Taster:
I just knew that someone – or something – was watching me. I’d been feeling it for days. And it wasn’t Caladrius, though sometimes he’d stare at me for what felt like hours, those unblinking eyes of his gazing right into my soul.
I wince at the thought of souls – all that nonsense that had assaulted me not that long ago; but how was I really to know how much time had passed? For here I was, stuck in EverVale, the Realm of the Fae, in a mountain cave in the Towell Mountains. Left here by Clara who’d swapped places with her familiar, Caladrius, for a while and…oh, there’s no point in going into all that now.
Something was watching!
I’d been asleep, and I wondered if my fears within the nightmare had been freed into this reality.
Well, of course, if you’ve been reading my missives, then you’d understand all about what can or cannot be real and, I suppose, most things can be; dependent upon your perspective.
But no, I believed that the creature from my dream was not the one that had been stalking me – something that had woken me and brought sweat to the palms of my hands.
I dared a peek from under my lids, my pretence at sleep hopefully a good ruse, while at the same time attempting to keep my mind clear, for as I’d been taught, my thoughts could leak and be used against me.
I wondered if it could be one of the natives of the mountains. Flix had warned me about all manner of inhabitants, although, so far, none had tried to enter the cave – this magical cave that I’m not entirely sure is real at all. Was it all some great illusion? Did it matter? I was here, so it was real at this moment and had been for some time.
I saw movement – merely a shadow – there it was again!
Careful not to breathe out my fright, I waited, my slippery right hand feeling for the handle of the axe that I’d begun to keep near as if a comforting teddy for a child.
Mewling! Yes, a definite mewling sound, like a helpless kitten, but surely I wasn’t to be fooled. It could be anything out there; the noise a trick to soften my senses.
But it was a sound of hurt and not hunger – hunger for me?
Grasping the axe, I sighed and opened my eyes – I was sick of these games. I had been given a mission, a weird one yes, but I’d accepted the challenge and I couldn’t give in at the first real sign of danger; if it was a danger?
I threw aside the covers and rose from the bed and clamped on my boots – much easier than it had been a while ago, I admit, for my stay in EverVale had forced me to shed some pounds and tone my muscles...and no, I would never be Atlas or Adonis, so you can stop snickering. My belly still had that rotund – if lesser – mound and I haven’t suddenly discarded twenty years. I am still grey-haired and, well, me, although, I have not lost any more height since my return from the dead – only that inch – so I didn’t think I would be shrinking to the size of a Munchkin.
Stepping over to the exit – which was also the entrance to the outer mountain slopes – I pulled aside the heavy curtain and faced the coming dawn.
There it was again; that mewling. Something was hurt. Had it always been hurt and had sought comfort from me, or had it been a recent thing? Had its mission been to eat me until it’d fallen or...? What was the point of thinking like this?
Hooking the curtain onto the jut of rock, I stepped outside and was surprised by the chill in the wind. Though it wasn’t as if the mountains could ever be a summer destination, it hadn’t had that easterly bite for a while.
Was this the sign for which I’d been waiting?
Caladrius made me jump with his sudden squawk as he landed upon my shoulder. “Oh, awake, are you? I’m always surprised about your habits, sleeping being just one.”
“It’s not sleep in human terms, more like a state of hibernation so to...”
“Realign the powers to Clara, yes, you’ve told me. How is she?”
For an answer, the bird merely pecked at one of the pure white feathers that were covered in a spectral glow.
I tutted, but knew that getting angry would do me no good – Caladrius would communicate if and when necessary...or when he felt like it. Although, his silence probably meant that Clara, my beautiful wife, must have been busy with the other part of the quandary. I briefly wondered how she was doing regarding Brett and all that other business with the Queen of the Dead – had Clara been successful with the Chinese Fox idea?
Caladrius stopped preening at that sound. “Yes, it’s a sign of distress, but do you think it may be a trick?” I asked.
As Clara’s familiar, Caladrius was able to do many things such as heal, as that’d been a bonus after my practising through the bowls – I did say that I’d become fitter, if not ready for any body-building competition. But it’d cost me many a sleepless night due to the pain and without a touch of healing, I could have contracted many infections – not that I was sure of anything.
Bewitching enemies is another gift, if not always successful, and as he took flight, I knew he was checking out the source of the noise.
Not that either of us had spied whatever it was before, and the stalking had been going on for a while. Whatever it was, must have a gift of being able to hide.
Within moments, Caladrius flew back onto my shoulder and said, “Follow me!” Then flew off again.
What else could I do?
I should have donned my jacket, as I wound my way around this shelf on the mountain, but it was too late to turn back and was glad I’d decided to be fully clothed even in sleep...just in case. I was eager to find out what it could be and then...
Oh my, it was a shocking sight, both shadow and light folding in and out of each other – I could hardly tell what it was.
“It’s an Elemental of sorts, but it’s been manipulated,” stated Caladrius, back on my shoulder again.
I’m sure he was correct because there before us was an ever-changing mesh of light and dark and yet in between I could spot a shape; however, even that changed. Sometimes a dragon, if small, then a cat and then, well, I wasn’t sure exactly what, but it was its cry that squeezed my heart. For good or ill, I knew I had to help it.
I took a step closer and saw a brief glimpse of an eye the colour of amber and a name jumped into my mind – Aveus.
Caladrius must have had the same thought because he squawked and said, “It’s a Time Elemental, somebody has used a soul stone and caused a line of chaos.”
“Chaos itself, do you think?”
“That’s not clear, but the only way to help...Aveus...is to break the tie.”
“And how would I do that?” I asked taking another step closer to the suffering creature.
I don’t think anyone would have guessed what the next words would be but I was both shocked and yet not surprised at them – the oddities in my life had smoothed the way to the strangest of things.
Have you guessed? Well, I had to jump into the creature, search out the malignancy and destroy it.
Oh dear.
***
Thanks for your time - stay safe out there. Oh and if you do read my work, please think about leaving a review.
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