“Unicorns are mythical, there are no such creatures they say.”

Print Length:	42 pages
Publication Date:	December 19, 2017

Jillian Issayë is a cursed assassin with a habit of stirring up trouble wherever he goes, and sometimes, as if fate can’t leave him alone—trouble finds him.

Leading an already unusual life where seemingly impossible things happen to him, it is not too much of a surprise when he finds himself face to face with a dark and twisted mythical creature.

CHAPTER I

Anuin, the long abandoned village, lay nestled between tall and twisted trees. Its rooftops covered in blankets of lush dark green moss that filled the air with an earthy scent. Despite the warm sunlight shining through the forest canopy, the village appeared subtly cold and dark, as if the foundation stones and wooden walls absorbed the light and heat. Even with the elves gone, the curse still lingered.

It had been one of the first settlements founded by the laerthri after they arrived to Akariën fleeing the Great War. It was a modest village, built with big dreams in mind that never had a chance to manifest. Not long after a dozen houses had been built, the first fire ravaged the village. The inhabitants stubbornly insisted on rebuilding, and so three more times fire thwarted their efforts. Bad luck they thought, shaky hands and cloudy minds causing accidents. After all, they had seen much death in their past, the memories of war still bleeding wounds in their hearts.

Keeping watch over a flame was not easy when fire and ash summoned cries of dying loved ones in elven minds.

It wasn’t until the settlers began dying— withering away without cause— that they finally left. Troubled minds do not starve well-fed bodies. Their nightmares had become strange and seemed to belong to someone else. They dreamed of unknown faces and tall silver cities, shadowed by a fear unimaginable to them. There was something wrong with this place, and with time, Anuin was reclaimed by the forest. Only crows lived there now.

After a time, with no elf daring to visit or return, animals began to see the land as a safe haven, flourishing in the newfound wilderness that Anuin had become. It became the perfect hunting spot for those insane enough to tempt their fate.

-End of sample-

Reviews:

“Lovely dark fantasy short read. Impressive character development and world building. Highly recommenced read.”
-Paul