Ashes and Sunshine Read online

  Yelpik shriveled underneath his powerful gaze, and screeched out in protest “Ah! It good spear! I say it good spear! It good spear! Better spear than any in the whole of the goblin city! It must be the mighty spear! No hurt me! No hurt me!”

  Tossing aside the worthless weapon, Nandor managed to calm his mind. It isn’t the goblin’s fault, he told himself. It’s my fault for believing a goblin. “I’m not going to hurt you, Yelpik.” He smoldered, turning from the miserable shivering creature. “You know me better than that.”

  It stood straighter, but its shivering did not stop. In its former life, it had been captured by humans for years—tortured, tormented, and ridiculed in a downtrodden tavern for late-night entertainment. It only knew of humans as sources of pain. Nandor was the only man to ever show it kindness, but still, it feared him. “I sorry,” it whimpered. “It good spear.” It bent down to pick up the pieces through watery eyes. “I thought it mighty spear. I sorry. I sorry.”

  “You sad little creature—I don’t blame you. Compared to goblin weaponry, this is, indeed, a good spear. But where I’m from, in the clockwork cities, it would be cast aside by even the lowliest of guards. It’s not your fault,” Nandor muttered. “This is the life I’ve chosen, after all. There are no guarantees on the path I walk.”

  He began to walk away, to search for a path out of the underground ruins. At his back, the goblin scampered up to his side, clutching the part of the spear with the pointy end still attached. “Can I keep it?” It asked, pleading up at him.

  Despite himself, a smile warmed his lips. Broken in half, it was still a suitable weapon for a goblin. “Yes, you can keep it, Yelpik,” he allowed, rustling the creatures dark hair. “Someone might as well benefit from this day.”

  “Thank you! Thank you large man! I remember this!” It enthusiastically bobbed its head up and down.

  “You won’t be traveling with me?”

  “No! I go beneath the ruins! To the homeland! Where there many goblins! They see I have mighty spear, and they know I strong! Then I get many mates! Many!”

  A shadow of a frown fell on Nandor’s intense gaze. Yelpik was a clever goblin. Perhaps even clever enough to—no. Surely not. “You didn’t plan this from the beginning, did you?”

  It grinned, slimed out of his grip, and then turned to scamper away. “Thank you again large man! You may be dumb, but you good!”

  Dumb but good… The goblins words echoed throughout his mind as he let it flee. If that’s what a goblin thinks of me, then what do men think of me?

  He followed a flicker of light until he saw a path upwards, and then he climbed, and cautiously poked his head up.

  Above, the sky was a sea of frosty blue. The drake was no longer flying in the air, and he couldn’t see it on the ground either—perhaps it had found a different source of food, or had gotten bored.

  Nandor shrugged indifferently, not really caring. A drift of snow wafted through a heavy breeze, and he pulled a wooly hood over his head as he searched for where he had left his powered skis.

  “I think it’s time I headed home,” he whispered into the wind. “Clearly my luck has run out in the wilderness…”

  Books by Nathaniel Sullivan

  __________________________

  Morphic Ice 1 The Clockwork War

  “A dangerous expedition in the ice. A war brewing between the three clockwork cities. The legend of a powerful artifact. One man with a vision of peace. Nothing goes as planned.” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KPR2K7L

  Morphic Ice 2 The Crystal College

  “The alliance between the three clockwork cities has been betrayed. Nandor, the only man brokering for peace, is thought dead after his duel against Lord Viken.”

  Morphic Ice 3 The Drake of Death (Coming Soon)

  “Goblins are gathering in a massive swarm of hundreds of thousands. The grandmaster of the college is hiding secrets, and only one man cares. In order to save the new alliance, he must prepare for war, and learn hard truths of ancient teachings.”

  The Epic of Garthel I-III

  “Forced to abandon his family, trapped on the wrong side of a civil war, and unsure of who to trust, a young wanderer is caught in a bad way.”

  https://www.amazon.com/Epic-Garthel-Parts-I-III-ebook/dp/B00FPLEUKA

  The Epic of Garthel IV-VII

  “A brilliant mastermind in a fantasy world gradually enacts his plan for world domination, drastically changing the lives of everyone. Some will try to stop him, others will try to aid him, but few will survive the struggle…”

  https://www.amazon.com/Epic-Garthel-Parts-IV-VII-ebook/dp/B07BHFG3QC

  Clockwork Ice

  “The prologue to the Morphic Ice series. It is about the turbulent youth of Nandor in the Crystal College.”

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L1CKXYX

  Tales of Harrec the Mercenary

  “Harrec has lived a long life. His story starts to the south, and to the east, and the west, and anywhere else a man can travel. He’s been to the coldest regions of slow death to the hottest places of worldly hell.”

  https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Harrec-Mercenary-Nathaniel-Sullivan-ebook/dp/B0721PFXGF

  The Penguin Who Said: “Enough!”

  “Filled with exciting illustrations and clever rhymes, this book will entertain all who open it.”

  https://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Who-Said-Enough/dp/1502952459

  Morphic Ice

  2

  The Crystal College

  Available Soon

  https://www.amazon.com/Nathaniel-Sullivan/e/B00FVBOK8G

  ABOUT THE author

  I am Nathaniel Sullivan.

  Some of my works include, Morphic Ice 1 The Clockwork War, Morphic Ice 2 The Crystal College, Morphic Ice 3 The Drake of Death, Clockwork Ice, Tales of Harrec, The Penguin Who Said: “Enough!”, The Epic of Garthel I-III and IV-VII, and a multitude of upcoming projects.

  My true love is in creation—creating worlds, characters and situations through my writings, drawings, and storytelling.

  Feel free to say hi! You can follow me or contact me here:

  https://www.amazon.com/Nathaniel-Sullivan/e/B00FVBOK8G

  https://www.facebook.com/NathanielSullivanBooks

  Also consider signing up for my newsletter. You’ll receive free books, unique stories, videos, fantastical maps, and other exclusive creations. Occasionally I’ll send updates on books I’m writing or illustrations I’ve drawn. I won’t send any junk, and you can unsubscribe any time.

  http://eepurl.com/dpzG95