Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!
Click on the image below to check out all the authors participating this week!
Ok, after a week off I’m back to it. I’m buried with editing CITY OF SCARS at the moment, my epic fantasy set for release late next month. I’ll be highlighting some of the characters and creatures on my blog next week, but in the meantime I’ll present another excerpt.
When last we checked in we’d first met Ijanna, an exiled Bloodspeaker Dane has been hired to hunt down. This week I’ll introduce another exile in Ebonmark: Kruje, one of the black-fleshed and black-hearted giants called the Voss, who finds himself in a rather dangerous and unfamiliar situation…
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Kruje’s ebon skin was scarred and rough from months of fighting, sleeping on stone and eating trash unfit even for carrion feeders. The iron shackles around his neck and hands grew heavier by the day, and Kruje feared he’d actually grown accustomed to this treatment, all too similar to how the Voss had treated their human prisoners during the Rift War.
That was why he was such a prize to the humans: because he was Voss. Humans regarded he and his kin with terror and awe, and to parade one around like a carnival prize took away their fear of him, demystified the enigma of an ancient and powerful race of giants known as much for their cruel command of arcane engineering as they were for their size and sheer brutality.
Though Kruje couldn’t speak the human’s foul tongue he saw the excitement and disdain in Maddox’s expression when he showed his captive off to his slaver friends. Kruje was Maddox’s freak, but more importantly he was Maddox’s champion. Kruje hadn’t seen another Voss since he’d left Meledrakkar. It was the novelty of his existence on the surface world that Maddox really owned, and it was that which brought so many to watch the giant fight.
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Thanks for dropping by, and have a great weekend!
Drinker of coffee. Lover of wine. Destroyer of hope. Self-published author of military sci-fi and dark fantasy. Part-time zombie hunter. Pie enthusiast.
I’m not sure whether to be angry at the way he’s being treated or glad that such a brutal killing machine has been chained. Great snippet, thanks for sharing.
As it turns out, Kruje isn’t such a bad guy, though the prejudices he holds towards humans are going to be difficult for him to overcome.
Interesting element, Steven. It does elicit a variety of emotions reading it. I guess I’m projecting that weak human penchant for treating others with the golden rule. No room for that in this war, huh? Excellent snippet!
Thanks Teresa!
There’s a great deal of humanity behind that brute. I’m intrigued to see how he fits into your world. Definitely an interesting character, Steven.
Thanks Monica!
Wow, I feel sympathy for Kruje, I must say, and am very curious what will happen next. A very effective excerpt!
Kruje is sort of getting the short end of the stick here. Thanks Veronica
Wow, this is a really good excerpt. Makes me want to read the whole book.
Thanks Kayci!
As usual, the details here are amazing. I feel for Kruje–such a fearsome, intelligent being shackled and paraded like nothing more than a circus act, albeit a circus act that can tear your limbs from your body. Fantastic.
Thank you J.M. Yeah, Kruje is that classic story of an individual suffering for the sins for his race (not that he’s made the rosiest of choices, himself, mind you.)