A master at the Wizard’s Guild School calls out for volunteers to go searching for the Guildmaster’s daughter, who has gone missing. Eddiwarth is a playful, energetic man, a half-elf, and has a hard time taking anything seriously. He doesn’t know Thissraelle, but he sees this assignment as a chance for adventure. 

Also that night, DeFrantis and Antonerri escape but are chased by Karendle, who uses her oculus to throw a magical blast at them. 

Eddiwarth and Hamrisonn spend the day looking for Thissraelle and find her with a Giant, getting ready to set sail on a river barge. They teleport to the barge to surprise their quarry but fail to capture her. In the process, Thissraelle sends Hamrisonn into the Vast, and a wizard hunter captures Eddiwarth in an entrapment oculus.

After a time suspended in the oculus, Eddiwarth is released. He discovers that he is in an abandoned Barony of Westwood, with DeFrantis and Karendle. They are bound and tell him how to help them break free. Still unsure, Eddiwarth helps them find the children they were looking for and begin to fight for their freedom. They manage to kill a few of the slaver’s soldiers but their opponents are tough. In the process, Eddiwarth sets the house on fire, and it looks like the party is losing the fight. 

At that moment, Thissraelle opens a portal into the manor, and Granthurg and Antonerri step in and begin fighting as well. Thissraelle joins them, healing the wounded. Antonerri finds the power of his light and they defeat the slavers.

They all return with the children and establish an orphanage at the abbey near Dirae. Eddiwarth plays with the children and helps in the monastery.

But life is starting to get difficult in Twynne Rivers for wizards and those that use magic…

 

 

At the monastery near Dirae, Thissraelle and Karendle are clashing and arguing. Eddiwarth is smitten by Thissraelle’s beauty, and in an attempt to spend more time with her, makes things worse. Karendle leaves, wanting to return to Twynne Rivers.

Also, Thissraelle says she was visited by St. Ivarr in a dream and is also told to find Heathrax. Granthurg and Eddiwarth prevail on her to return to Twynne Rivers to look for Karendle first. They leave, but DeFrantis and Antonerri must stay to care for the children in the orphanage at the monastery. 

On a dark, rainy afternoon, Thissraelle and Eddiwarth are near the Grand Cathedral and the Wizard’s Guild Hall, because they presume Karendle will be looking for the wizards that employed her. They find Karendle in the Cathedral. Using mental powers, they contact Granthurg, who is walking in a different part of the city. 

At that moment, wizards leading drakes attack three chapels of the Church of Three Lights, including the Grand Cathedral and a lesser chapel near Granthurg. Thissraelle and Eddiwarth join Karendle and begin helping in the fight and healing the victims. They encounter Parith and Korr as well, defending the monks of the church. A priest fights the drakes but is killed by the wizards, who are wearing the robes of the Wizard’s Guild. They attack and overcome Thissraelle. The acolytes of the Seekers of the Great Reality open a portal for the friends to escape to the Vast.

Eddiwarth and Karendle are in the Vast with the Seekers of the Great Reality. They get to know Parith and Korr, who were also fighting the drakes in the Cathedral. Thissraelle took a while resting before she regained consciousness.

They discover that Korr is also trying to find Heathrax, though neither of them knows why. The Seekers tell them that he is believed to be living in the Emberfire Mountains. Eventually, they all decide to return to Twynne Rivers and journey north, through the deep of the Umbrawood Forest to search for him.

Eddiwarth and Thissraelle’s new team steps out of a dimensional portal back into Twynne Rivers, in “The Great Reality”. They are shocked to find that the land had moved on into late fall, nearing winter, while they spent what seemed like only a few days in the Vast. They are met in the street by a strange old man and guided to those who can help them in their journey.

As they travel north out of Twynne Rivers, toward the Umbrawood Forest, Thissraelle reveals her fear of the wood elves, offending Parith. Parith also discovers Eddiwarth’s feelings for her and teases him about it. 

The party reaches the Umbrawood Forest and enters, traveling several days into its dormant autumn depths. Illitharin passes them on the road and acknowledges Karendle with a knowing look. The next morning, the party is attacked and overcome by a patrol of wood elves. They try to capture Thissraelle and Eddiwarth, who are high elves. In the attack, the party of heroes is scattered. Thissraelle, in a panic, uses dimensional magic to teleport randomly away. Eddiwarth manages to get a magical strike off before being overcome by an attacker smothering him with mage’s bane, and being carried away.

Eddiwarth is held and bound in a guarded tent in the high elven soldier’s camp. The troop is led by Illitharin, one of the Dragon's Flame.

The party pursues the high elves. Karendle approaches them, pretending to have captured Thissraelle. In the ensuing fight, Illitharin is killed, Eddiwarth and Karendle are both wounded, the remaining wood elves freed, and the invading high elves scattered. 

The party then recovers and weathers out a snowstorm in the town of TreeHaven while the wood elven leaders decide if they believe that Thissraelle and Eddiwarth are not spies. During this time, Thissraelle and Eddiwarth come to accept their feelings for each other.

Finally, the wood elves, encouraged by Illariel, welcome them and help equip them and guide them to a mountain trail to find a shrine to the “Dragonfriend”.

The party begins the journey up the side of the mountain toward the shrine. They arrive at the shrine and encounter the dragonbonded soldier. To Thissraelle’s surprise, she also encounters her father. Immediately after, two dragons attack. The party fights valiantly and Eddiwarth uses his flame magic well, but several of them are injured, and they struggle. Thissraelle is surprised to see that her father is fighting against the dragons. She had assumed that he was connected to The Dragon’s Flame, and was leading them in an effort to capture her. However, he is able to defeat one of the dragons using dimensional magic.

Another dragon, a large, gray, snake-like beast, swoops into the battle and quickly defeats the remaining green dragon. Thissraelle’s father introduces him as Heathrax, the one that she and Korr had been looking for.

The party, along with Jaxil, Thissraelle’s father, and Heathrax, flee into The Vast before more dragons come to attack. While Eddiwarth comforts her, Thissraelle learns that her father did not order the attack on the cathedrals, that he came to the mountain to help her fight the dragons, and that he has been proud of her for her journeys and growth.  Heathrax agrees to take Thissraelle on as a student of magic, and Thissraelle and Eddiwarth confirm their love.

 

 

As they start book 3, Eddiwarth and Parith are walking through Emberfire City, and they talk about their adventures. Parith wonders about the Dragontooth dagger that Granthurg currently carries. Eddiwarth is troubled by scenes from his past. He had burned his home trying to create magical flames. He also senses that Jaxil, Thissraelle’s father, does not like that he and his daughter are romantically involved.

At a Winterfest celebration, Korr, Parith, and Karendle notice that those in high elven society do not welcome them, either.  Thissraelle talks about her father introducing her to other high elves at the Winterfest as “Dragonfriend”. This is Heathrax’s earned name and she feels awkward that someone has given it to her. Eddiwarth feels slighted.

Later, Eddiwarth is trying to practice controlling his fire magic, but it’s difficult. He keeps remembering a traumatizing time as a child when he set his home on fire. Later, he complains to Thissraelle that her father dislikes him and would like to have Thissraelle fall in love with someone in the high elf nobility. They argue about it, and Eddiwarth realizes he must apologize, but he still feels put down.

Thissraelle’s father confronts Parith and Korr about a poisoning murder of a high elven councilman. They deny it and Korr is able to convince him of their innocence. Still, they all feel it is wise for all of Thissraelle’s friends to not venture into the city for a while.

Thissraelle continues her training, learning to manipulate stone with her newfound nature powers. Eddiwarth is impressed but brings sad news. He feels undeserving of her affections and wants to leave Emberfire City with Korr and Parith to seek his own earned name and dignity, so her father will respect him. Thissraelle insists that her feelings are not tied to her father’s opinions. She is sad but needs to stay to study with Heathrax. She gives him a blue communications oculus to take with him. 

Eddiwarth, Korr, and Parith return to the mountain pass and find themselves at the site of the skirmish with the dragons at the shrine. It stirs difficult memories for all three. Korr remembers when he almost died to a dragonbonded assassin’s poison blade, Parith remembers losing his young drake companion, and Eddiwarth is struggling to figure out how the fight has impacted his life. Later, he communicates with Thissraelle by means of a mental oculus and he is soothed.

While traveling in the Umbrawood Forest, they encounter Illariel and her spider friend, Ari. She tells them of the incursions of the high elves and tells them that it’s not safe for them to stop in Treehaven. She guides them to Dirae where they spend some time with Eddiwarth’s old friends DeFrantis and Antonerri.

The party continues to travel south to Korr’s academy. He must report on his quest to find Heathrax and face a final bout as a test before earning advancement to the next level of training. He is uncertain he will be approved. He fights his bout, finds himself “One With the Moment”, and is able to defeat his three challengers. However, at the celebration banquet, he chooses to follow Parith and continue the quest for the Dragon’s Tooth dagger. His master is pleased and says that in doing so, he is continuing his studies.

At the time of Vernalfest in the lands around the kingdom of Twynne Rivers, the party, Eddiwarth, Parith, Illariel, and Ari travel toward the city. They stop in the small village of Larnisboro for the festival. Rains delay them in the village, but one night, as Eddiwarth speaks to Thissraelle via oculus, she confesses her love, much to Eddiwarth’s happy surprise.

The party catches a barge to the city. To be able to get the spider into hiding, they sneak her and Illariel off the barge late at night. They get separated as Parith leaps along the rooftops. Parith is mugged and badly wounded.

The next morning, while searching for Parith and Illariel, the rest of the party comes upon a street fight between the Boar’s Head insurrectionists and the House Kaeligsoldiers.  Eddiwarth is happy to find Parith and Illariel, and in the fight, they are joined by Shylai’a.  

Parith, Korr, and Illariel discover the Seekers of The Great Reality in the underground of Twynne Rivers. They reveal to Parith what they know of the plans of the Dragon’s Flame Cult to conquer Wynne. Their drive to acquire the dagger intensifies. Hamrisonn, one of the Seekers and an old schoolmate of Eddiwarth’s, wants to visit him.

Eddiwarth finds his family in Twynne Rivers. He is struggling to find his place in life and in the world. His mother is excited to see him and initially thinks that Shylai’a is his sweetheart. His father, Mellar, is also happy to see him, but because of Eddiwarth’s history of letting his magic get out of control and setting their house on fire, is a little leary.

Eddiwarth thinks about the raw ruby gem in his pocket as he talks with his father. Mellar tells Eddiwarth that he must take charge of his life and accept himself. The party stays with Eddiwarth’s family while they decide their next move.

Hamrisonn comes to Parith and tells him that Umbrawood City was attacked by high elves, Khelnar, and dragons. King Twynnham of Twynne Rivers is mustering soldiers to send to the wood elves in the forest for support. Parth and Illariel are in a panic to find out about their families in the forest town of Treehaven. They hurry to tell Eddiwarth.

Karendle also finds Eddiwarth. Her father had found out that someone killed their friend Granthurg, took the dagger, and sold it to the Dragon’s Flame. Eddiwarth mourns Granthurg’s loss with Thissraelle. He asks himself, “What’s the point?” Thissraelle wants to come to him, but Eddiwarth feels like he has failed and doesn’t deserve her.

A few days later, there is a meager SummerFest event with a few decorated wagons, banners, and ribbons when the dragons fly overhead. They call up lots of city drakes, many of which were still living there from the time of the cathedral attack the previous year. They bring flames and chaos, attacking the people in the plaza and other places in the city.

Eddiwarth summons the party, and they run to the fight, mostly trying to rescue civilians. Eddiwarth finds he can redirect the flames for the rescue, and it surprises him.

Thissraelle is magically reaching out to contact Eddiwarth, but an entropy storm is gathering in the Vast, making it difficult for her to reach him. She vicariously experiences the attacks and is afraid for Eddiwarth and her family.

Another day, Eddiwarth and the rest of the party venture out into the dangerous streets to try and find the Seekers of the Great Reality. They return to the bookseller’s where Parith had found them before. It has been ransacked, and books are scattered everywhere. While they search, a patrol of the Dragon’s Flame cultists and soldiers sweep through the streets, rousting people out of their homes and trying to capture them into servitude. Eddiwarth calls everyone into the fight to save the innocents.

Eddiwarth jumps into a burning building to free some people there. He doesn’t realize it, but he pushes the flames aside to get to them. Illariel and Ari, the giant spider, get separated, and Illariel comes to help Eddidwarth. She is surprised by his ability to control the fire. The people escape, but Eddiwarth and Illariel are captured.

Eddiwarth awakens to find himself imprisoned with Illariel, who is sleeping. He contemplates his life, feeling like a failure, and prays to the Creator for guidance.

Meanwhile, in the Vast, Thissraelle decides to brave the entropy storm and try to reach out to Eddiwarth. In the storm, she loses control of the connection and is whipped through time and space. She sees herself as a child, then screams out to Heathrax to save her when she sees herself fighting the dragons in the mountain crevasse by the shrine. Finally, she sees Eddiwarth confronting three huge dragons in a throne room and calls out to him before they belch flames onto him. It’s a foreshadowing of things to come.

Late that night, in their donjon cell, Eddiwarth and Illariel talk about Eddiwarth’s powers, and she helps him see that when he stops focusing on the magic and just tries to help people, his magic works. Later, while she sleeps, he gets a visit from a Champion of the Creator, a young boy named Toolie, who was one of the children held captive in the Barony of Westwood. The boy champion encourages Eddiwarth and gives him a blessing.
Eddiwarth wakes Illariel, then surges his will to blast the lock, and they escape.

Illariel and Eddiwarth sneak through the palace to the entrance of the throne room and find themselves face-to-face with the dragons. Eddiwarth knows that the fighting must stop, and walks up to them to talk them down or to die trying.

As Eddiwarth begins speaking, the dragons don’t flame him because they’re surprised and they think he is a servant. Eddiwarth tries to convince the dragons that the battle is wrong and why they are attacking. Revenge on hominids is wrong, domination is wrong. He starts to get through to Xintalan. Parith and the others in the party find them and Parith tosses the dagger to Eddiwarth. He reaches for it, but Tonklyn rushes him and grabs the blade. The dragons react and a fight begins.

Eddiwarth, his shoulder hurt in the struggle, crawls aside. Drakes swarm down from the rafters, and dragons begin flaming and biting. Guard soldiers rush in, but the enraged drakes begin attacking anything on two legs. Spiders, summoned by Ari from the surrounding city, descend on threads from the ceiling and join the fight.

Korr and Shylai’a fight side by side. Korr sunblasts the dragon Ryxitt to protect Shylai’a, and another dragon kills Korr. Shylai’a flies into a rage, grabs the dagger, and kills three dragons before she is knocked aside, defeated.

Eddiwarth struggles to his feet and shouts for the fighting to stop. He sends out a mental blast that shocks everyone to a moment of stillness. Thissraelle appears to him and strengthens him. He is carrying the raw ruby gem. Eddiwarth knows it isn’t magical but it was from Thissraelle and it strengthens his resolve. Exakas and the other dragons turn on Eddiwarth and bathe him in flames.

Furious, Xintalan attacks Exakas as he and the other dragons are trying to burn Eddiwarth. In a fearsome fight of both physical might and magical prowess, she kills Exakas, then is horrified by her own savagery. She calls the other dragons to follow her and flies away.

The flames don’t burn Eddiwarth. Instead, they symbolically burn away Eddiwarth’s misconceptions and purify him. He is worthy. He tells himself that though the gem is raw, he has been refined.

In the aftermath of the battle, Eddiwarth tells Illariel to heal Ryxitt, and assures her by reminding her that “It’s something Thissraelle showed me.” They can’t find Shylai’a. Eddiwarth is stricken to find Korr dead. Ryxitt leaves the dagger with Eddiwarth, saying he’s the only sensible hominid or wyrmkin he’d met. Finally, Ryxitt flies away after Xintalan.

That evening, Illariel and Eddiwarth are conversing on the battlements of the tower, and Thissraelle comes to Eddiwarth, riding on Heathrax. They reunite and reaffirm their love and confidence. Heathrax tells Eddiwarth to keep the dagger.

 

Not written yet. He and Thissraelle probably marry and they help Jaxil rebuild the family home. Or something like that.