Otherness and Nine Realms Press have something in common. They are both magical places "where anything might happen." The following takes place in the Albanian mountain known as Death, just outside otherness.

The statues had been napping, but each sprang up as soon as its double stood. They all said goodnight, but Aurelia lunged over and hugged Gerald for a long time. When she let him go, she looked up seriously into his eyes. “I just wanted to make sure it’s real. Goodnight, Father.” She turned a cheek for him to kiss and kissed his in turn. Soon they were all in their rooms preparing to sleep.

Just as he fell asleep, Gerald wondered, Do the statues sleep? Do they sit around and discuss us? Do they have a feast? Do they really think, or do they just mimic us? But mine winked before ever it saw me wink. Did it learn that in a different shape, waiting on someone else? With that he fell asleep, the siren call of otherness haunting his dreams.

Excerpt from Chapter 10, "Another Last Night", of Golden Dawn, Book IV of The Dragon Lord Chronicles. Due out soon!

Illustration (chapter 8) by Alli W. Ritchie

Copyright 2018 Miles O'Neal, Round Rock, TX