Elora
The common hall of the inn was bathed in the light of the dying sun. Its beams showed dusty patterns in the air. Though the hearth stood unlit, the evening air was thick with the remnants of the day’s warmth. Only the occasional breeze of the wind gave some relief.
We had gathered in a far corner, away from the great fireplace, thankfully. I caught the teasing and electric glances between Ash and Faelwen, their bodies drawn together like twin stars in some cosmic dance. Probably only strengthened by the bond they shared. Something I hoped one day would cross my own fate.
With every passing minute, their unspoken connection deepened to my frustration. Until at last, Ash rose. Finally. Faelwen followed without hesitation, their departure silent but for the brush of fingers against his arm.
Spook averted his gaze, his expression hardening, though I could see the storm brewing behind his eyes. A week of travel had been enough to notice the fractures between them, the tension threading through their interactions like an unspoken poem.
I had seen it from the moment I met them, the unresolved emotions that clung to them like ghosts. Humans. Such emotional beings. I tilted my head toward Spook, trying to get his attention.
“Tell me, mister ‘I’m a grown man’, what’s going on with you three? The air is thick with it, and I don’t appreciate being left out.”
Spook’s reaction was immediate, his entire body stiffening as if I had just suggested he step off the edge of a cliff.
“What? Us? Nothing,” he muttered, eyes darting anywhere but at me.
“Nothing?” I raised my eyebrows. Beneath the table, Artemis gave a low, amused snort, his ears flicking forward in what I could only assume was his version of a chuckle.
“Well then,” I pressed, my voice laced with curiosity, “tell me about this ‘nothing’, because it sure feels like something.”
A heavy sigh escaped Spook, and when he finally turned to face me, the mask slipped. Good. Keeping emotions bottled up would lead to outburst, as my father used to say. His expression darkened, shadows settling beneath his eyes.
“I don’t know how to put it into words,” he admitted, his voice quieter now. “You know they’re together.”
I nodded, waiting. Patience was key.
“Well…” He exhaled slowly, shoulders sagging. “When I first met Faelwen, she… intrigued me. And in the time we spent together, I grew fond of her. So when she left, I followed. I thought…” he trailed off, then shook his head. “But then I found out she loved Ash.”
I studied him, the sorrow in his voice tangible, woven deep into his being. There was more to it than simple fondness.
“I think you feel more for her than you’re willing to admit.”
Spook swallowed, his jaw tightening.
“Maybe,” he whispered. “But it doesn’t matter. She’s soul-bonded to Ash.” He looked away, the weight of those words settling upon his shoulders like a burden he had carried for far too long. “You’ve seen them.”
“Being soul-bonded doesn’t mean they have to love each other,” I murmured. “Bonds can fray. They can break.”
Spook turned to me then, some feeling I didn’t understand flashing across his face.
“That’s really comforting,” he said, his voice thick with irony. “You think I want to break them apart? I know Faelwen cares about me. I just… I hope they won’t fight about it.”
I studied him, the turmoil roiling beneath his carefully constructed mask. His pain was real, raw, but there was something else.
A quiet, unspoken longing perhaps? Something that lingered in the quiet moments between his words. I placed a hand on his arm, offering silent comfort. Something my father used to do with me when I was but a child. The silence stretched between us until he finally asked, “What is a soul bond?”
The question caught me off guard.
“You don’t know?” Then I chuckled. “Of course you don’t. It’s rare among humans, after all. It has to do with their short life span.”
He watched me intently as I continued, his curiosity sharpening his gaze. “A soul bond is… a connection, a tether between two souls that transcends time and space. It cannot be forged by mortal hands, nor severed by will alone. Only destruction of the soul can break it. Death may weaken the bond, but sometimes, even then, it lingers. We don’t fully understand why or how it happens, only that the gods sometimes intervene, guiding fate to maintain balance in the universe.”
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I leaned back slightly, recalling old tales told to me by my mother.
“In the First Era, when the great cataclysm buried Armenelos beneath the earth, a single elf saved its people. My ancestor, the child of two soul-bonded elves, brought them to a new home, Caradsher?n, where his kin could thrive among the elves who already lived there. The bond between his parents had been necessary for the survival of many.”
Spook listened in silence, so I pressed on.
“But it’s not always about lineage. Two of the sorcerers who aided the High king Talron in imprisoning the Fiend were soul-bonded. Not lovers, but brothers in all but blood. Their bond was not forged in romance but in friendship and was needed to combine their strength to imprison the Fiend.”
Spook let out a frustrated breath.
“That doesn’t make this any easier. If anything, it makes it worse. Now I have false hope that maybe, just maybe, Faelwen and I…” he shook his head.
I sighed. Humans were like elven teenagers. It must be exhausting to live your entire life with so many emotions. I responded, my voice softer now.
“I know it feels like this pain will never leave you. But the truth is, love should not be a prison. If the love you hold turns to loneliness, it is not the love you want.” I reached out and gently placed my hand on his shoulder. “As I see it, you have two choices, Spook. You can either wait for her, waste away in the shadows of what-ifs, or you can move forward. Seek love elsewhere.” I shrugged, offering a wry smile. “Given how short human lives are, I’d recommend the latter.”
Spook blinked, then let out a low chuckle, rubbing at the moisture in his eyes.
“You’re not wrong.”
“I’ve been roaming this world for 120 years. I know what I’m talking about. And I’ve learned that closure happens right after you accept that letting go and moving on is more important than projecting a fantasy of how the relationship could have been.” I grinned, clapping him on the back. “And if you ever crave the warmth of a woman in the meantime, well… I’m here.”
He raised an eyebrow, his familiar cheeky grin finally breaking through all the melancholy.
“How can I say no to that, princess?”
I laughed, leaning into his embrace, letting the moment linger, the weight between us just a little lighter than before.
? ? ?
Ash
Dawn arrived sooner than expected, bleeding grey light through the gauzy curtains of our room. I opened my eyes to the waking world around us. My gaze was immediately drawn to the curled-up figure beside me. Still deep asleep. I smiled.
Reluctant to let go, I pushed myself up with a sigh, stretching the stiffness from my limbs as the scent of spiced tea and fresh bread drifted up from the common room below.
Faelwen stirred next to me, her mumbling drawing my immediate attention. I turned to her sleepy eyes. She smiled up at me.
“You know I love you, right?” she murmured.
I couldn’t help the cheeky grin appearing on my face.
“Until the end of time?” I teased her.
“And even longer,” she giggled in response. I leaned in, holding her chin gently between my finger and thumb as my lips found hers.
? ? ?
At breakfast, Faelwen leaned in with a glimmer of determination in her eyes.
“We should return to the library,” she suggested, her voice hushed but brimming with resolve. “If there’s any knowledge on pacts with the Fiend, it’ll be there. Elora had the right idea.”
Spook, ever the watchful shadow, interjected before I could respond.
“I’d rather stay close to the inn,” he murmured, his keen eyes flickering toward the door. “That stranger, whoever they are, that has been following us too closely… I suspect they’ll make their move soon. I want to be here when they do.”
Elora, arms crossed, nodded in agreement.
“I’ll stay too. You’ll need me if you plan on actually understanding this mysterious stalker of yours.”
She cast Spook a pointed glance, and he merely smirked in return. That left me with Faelwen and the promise of dust-covered tomes and arcane secrets. Before we set off, though, Faelwen had her morning ritual to attend to.
Training.
She honed her skills each day, sometimes with me, sometimes with Spook or Elora, determined to master both her magic and the steel she carried at her hip.
Today, it would be Spook who tested her. She brushed a feather-light kiss against my lips before departing, the warmth lingering even as she vanished through the back door of the inn, stepping onto the small stone patio where the day’s lesson awaited her.
Spook followed her. That left me alone with Elora and Artemis who lay curled beneath the table. She regarded me over the rim of her teacup, hazel eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“Shouldn’t you be out there with them? Training?”
I exhaled, giving her a sidelong glance.
“I could ask the same of you.”
She smirked, setting her cup down with a soft clink.
“Oh, I have more pressing matters to attend to. Like figuring out how exactly you got yourself tangled up with the Fiend.”
There it was again. The question she had been circling since the moment we met in her parents’ palace. I had dodged her inquiries with carefully placed deflections, clever distractions, and, on occasion, outright vanishing acts. But Elora was nothing if not persistent. I leaned back, pinning her to her chair with a glare.
“It’s complicated.”
Her expression softened despite my warning glare, but the sharp edge of her curiosity remained.
“Try me.”
I sighed, the weight of the Fiend’s mark on my back made my heart feel heavy. There were some things too dangerous or personal to share. Some secrets that, once spoken, could never be taken back—and even be used against me. So, as I had done before, I offered her only the vaguest of answers shaped by carefully phrased words.
“I was tricked.”
“That’s what fiends do,” Elora snorted. “I’m surprised you took the deal at all. You don’t look like a fool.” I rolled my eyes.
“I’m not,” I grumbled, taking another sip of my drink. “I’m done talking.”
“I’m not,” she said. “What’s with the necromancer’s robes? Care to share that story with me?”
“You already know. I told you when we first met.”
“You tried to get help, but they refused to help you,” She recited my words from her memory, her eyes scanning my face. “They were probably aware of your… predicament.”
I sighed. Why was this woman so persistent? I knew Elora wouldn’t stop until she had the whole story.
Dark steampunk fantasy webnovel
The world of Rohana exists beneath a barrier of luminous crosses. Here, the Rohana Federation bends to Rohai, whose staff bears seven crystals of immense power. His Church of Harmony has divided civilization: city dwellers harness crystal technology while villagers cling to simpler traditions beyond the Church's reach.
In Haugstad, a forgotten village, Haran Baratti and his son Heron knew fragile peace. Then, unknown assailants burn it to ash. Haran draws the attackers away, giving Heron a chance to survive. His final words: We will meet again in Tiwaz.
Star-cycles later, Heron must earn an adventurer's passport to cross borders closed to villagers. To reach his father, he'll navigate crystalline cities and brutal hierarchies where allies carry secrets as dangerous as the enemies.
What to expect:
- Dark steampunk-inspired power fantasy with extensive world-building
- Magic systems where power comes at a psychological cost
- Visceral, well-choreographed combat sequences
- Mysteries that unfold across multiple volumes
- Steampunk aesthetics merged with elemental magic
- Stories where the actors are often found in morally grey areas
This work will appeal to readers who enjoyed:Works of Dan Simmons (Hyperion, Drood, The Terror), The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, A Song of Ice and Fire, Fullmetal Alchemist, HunterxHunter.
More influences and details can be found on the novel's page.
Chapters (1200 - 1500 words) are released daily at 20:00 (8 PM) GMT+1