Chapter 15: A Game Interrupted

The living room was alive with the sounds of rapid button clicks and the muffled cheers and groans of Yuqi and her friends. They were locked in an intense gaming session, their characters navigating a chaotic level that none of them seemed close to beating.

“Stay behind me!” Ian shouted, frantically dodging an enemy attack.

“I’ve got it covered!” Yuqi replied, her fingers moving quickly over the controller.

Elliot groaned as his character met a sudden, untimely end. “Unbelievable. This game is rigged.”

Chapter 14: School Clothes
The mall was alive with the buzz of summer shoppers, its cool, air-conditioned halls offering relief from the sweltering heat outside. Yuqi walked confidently alongside her mom and Kelly, her purse slung across her shoulder. The air of excitement around her was undeniable—this was no ordinary shopping trip.

Sam and Rick awkwardly got into the ride vehicle, a giant sturgeon with skin marred by peeling paint and bleach stains. The inside of it had been scooped out as if by some hungry giant, the organs and fat replaced by two benches dotted with droplets of water from previous loops.

Eriana finds that the Visund is overloaded and their departure from Bibek is cautious. Their passage is not helped when they are threatened by a Pakmal galley. In Faralan they visit Count Darkwin and receive an offer of assistance.

The Voyage of the Visund

A tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

98 - Return to Faralan

The shuttle glided swiftly back to my parents' house, but my mind drifted between two contrasting worlds. The palace, with its opulent halls and graceful arches, felt like home—a sanctuary where I truly belonged. Yet as I stepped onto the rich, loamy soil of Earth and inhaled the crisp, familiar air, a different kind of warmth enveloped me, one that spoke of childhood memories and unspoken dreams.

Chapter 13: Facing the Music

The afternoon sun blazed down, shimmering off the surface of the pool as Yuqi floated lazily on her back, trying to relax. The water was cool and inviting, a stark contrast to the heat of the day. Kelly swam laps nearby, occasionally splashing Yuqi for no reason other than to be annoying. The day had been quiet, the kind of peace Yuqi knew wouldn’t last forever.

Being Samantha Masters

an homage-sequel to Being Christina Chase

Apologia

“Samantha!” Finley called out, ducking between foreign students as they flooded out of the classroom en masse.

Chapter 11: Lawyer Up

On Saturday, Kelly and Yuqi were having a great time at the pool while their parents tended to some yard work. Suddenly, they noticed three sleek, black SUVs pull up in front of their home. The driver emerged and opened the back doors, revealing three sharply dressed individuals: two Asian women and an Asian man. The man held a beautifully adorned wooden box, while each woman carried a briefcase. Their formal attire and confident demeanor exuded a sense of respect as they approached the front door.

Eriana and Tor attempt to decide who is going on the Visund but extras keep appearing. Deliberations are interrupted by a disturbing invasion of the harbor and river. Later, there is a final unexpected addition to the list of travelers.

The Voyage of the Visund

A tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

96 - Crew Selection

The Lessons of Time

Anthony Michaels was a confident and ambitious 21-year-old college student majoring in Ancient World History at St. Augustine University. Known for his sharp mind and quick wit, Anthony excelled in academics but had a glaring blind spot: his dismissive attitude toward the role of women in history. In class discussions, he often downplayed their contributions, declaring men to be the real architects of civilization.

Chapter 9: Nail in the Coffin

David’s sleep was anything but peaceful. As he lay in bed, his mind raced, consumed by the absence of the medallion that had recently vanished from his life. The empty coffee table loomed ominously in the dim light of the room, serving as a silent reminder of his inner turmoil. Unable to ignore it, he felt an unsettling emptiness, as if a vital piece of his identity was missing, leaving him incomplete and adrift.

Chapter Eight: Unveiling the Truth

David stared at the sneakers in the box, the deep purple color gleaming under the light. “Great,” he muttered, lifting one up for a closer look. “These will match my scales.”

“Your what?” both his mom and Kelly said in unison, their voices sharp with confusion.

David froze, his mind racing. Crap, why did I say that out loud?

“My dragon… oh, umm… these are really pretty.” He trailed off, trying to backtrack, but his mom wasn’t having it. Her expression hardened, and she crossed her arms.

Chapter Seven: Returning Home

The drive home was quiet, the tension in the car palpable. David leaned against the window, watching the familiar streets roll by, but his thoughts were far from comforting. The doctor’s words echoed in his mind, and though his parents tried to keep the conversation light, the weight of the unknown loomed over them.

Fucking brute.

That was the only thing Jim could think as his Dad pontificated on all matters of life and love while he drove them both in his beaten-up white van to the job site.

His dad cleaned septic tanks for a living, and Jim was home on summer break for college, so he had been roped (read: forced) into accompanying him to today’s job, while his Dad’s regular guy, Simon, was out sick with a stomach bug, the product of some bad beef empanadas he had had for dinner the night before.

Akari, driven by her unyielding determination and the dragon’s hearthstone in her possession, was acutely aware that her journey was far from its conclusion. The next phase in her quest to craft the divine artifact was to locate the rare pyresteel, a metal forged in the most scorching of volcanoes. She foresaw this leg of the journey to be as treacherous as the previous ones, but her resolve remained steadfast.

Chapter Five: Back to Normal—Almost

David settled onto the living room couch, the controller fitting comfortably into his hands. The new game his sister, Kelly, had gotten him sat in the console, its startup screen glowing brightly on the TV. He took a deep breath, the familiar sounds and sights of the game pulling him back into a sense of normalcy.

David found himself in a dream once more, but this time, it wasn’t the chaos of war that surrounded him. Instead, he was in a tranquil meadow bathed in soft golden light. The grass beneath him felt cool and soft, and the air was warm, carrying a faint floral scent that was both calming and unfamiliar.