From Sand And Ash Novels & Stories

Ian asked, sipping bourbon. “Hell yes, I am so old I didn't care if I’d die. I followed the mysterious sand that moved on its own to an abandoned warehouse. Staying outside, I heard noises coming from there. A place that looked abandoned with no one in there suddenly had men trooping out, I couldn't understand the magic.” Robert smoked out before looking into space. “Dark magic shit, they are using the sand to create an army.” I sat back taking my share of bourbon along.

We draw our weapons and cautiously step through the open iron gates, our boots crunching softly on the sand-covered stone floor. The courtyard, which should have been echoing with the frantic shouts of guards and the heavy boots of our garrison, was buried beneath an unnatural, deathly hush. The sand beneath us wasn't natural river grit; it was fine, pale ash that shifted and sighed with every step we took, radiating a faint, residual heat that felt like the dying embers of a massive, suppressed bonfire. I kept my broadsword raised high, the steel catching the dim, sickly grey light filtering through the broken portcullis above.

The air grew dry, and the smell of ash filled their lungs. “This place feels dead,” Arden said. “No,” Serakha replied. “Not dead. Waiting.” They entered the Ashlands by midday. The sky above was dark, even though it wasn’t night. The wind here sounded strange, like voices whispering through the burned branches. Lucian held his sword in hand. “Do you hear that?” Arden nodded. “It’s the echo of what happened here. Fire doesn’t just burn land. It burns time.” They followed a narrow path through the ruins of the forest. Ash clung to their boots and cloaks. It coated the ground like snow. Every step left a mark.

"To every woman who was told she was too emotional, too soft, too ambitious. To every person who lost everything and had to start again. This is your reminder that we rise. And we rise stronger." That night, Natalie sat on the balcony of her penthouse, watching the stars return to a sky once clouded by doubt. Lila joined her with two glasses of wine. "You know," Lila said, handing her a glass, "I always believed you’d come back. But I never expected this." "Neither did I," Natalie admitted. "But maybe sometimes we have to be burned down to remember what we’re made of." Lila raised her glass. "To rising from the ashes."

There was lethargy to his movements, and without warning he fell to his knees. "Mikhail!" she screamed and ran toward him, just as he fell face-first on the icy wet sand. He didn't move, didn't stir. When she reached him, she touched his skin with her hands. It was ice-cold. "What happened?" a voice bellowed from somewhere behind her, bouncing off the rocks. She turned to see Randolph Belishaw racing across the beach toward them. "He'sHe's a" "A dragon, yes. But what happened to him?" Belishaw knelt by Mikhail and rolled him onto his side. Mikhail coughed, and some water escaped his lips.

On the ground, the men fruitlessly pressed their hands to their ears but the force of that singular howl was so loud that they fell back. Asher screamed as pain shot through his ears. He felt warm liquid trickle between his fingers. Suddenly dark clouds covered the sky. The day became night as clouds rushed to cover the sun. The wolf was still howling, its voice drawing even more clouds together. The sound waves became a strong wind that soon became a whirlwind, forcing the men to their knees, picking the motorcycle and every other thing that wasn’t anchored to the ground. Asher felt a shiver go through his body. He threw his head back and through the sand storm that was beginning to form sa

Nina slightly confirmed my thoughts with a nod and opened the box, and I saw a kind of sand there, but it was of a golden hue, a mix of silver and a soft purple hue, a mix of these three colors that made the sand iridescent. "Achilles, I need you to step back." Nina explained. My companion gave me another soft kiss and did as asked. Nina raised her hand, and the sand followed its course, enveloping me, and I felt a strange pain as the sand penetrated my skin, and gradually I could hear the sound of bones breaking, and I screamed.

he said, and after a while, I heard him calling Conrad. "What is it, buddy?" Conrad asked enthusiastically, eager to hear what Asher had to say. "Did you know that sand can exhibit interesting phenomena, like 'singing sand' or 'booming dunes'? Certain types of sand produce sounds when grains rub against each other or when the wind passes through the dunes," Asher shared, leaving Conrad momentarily speechless. I covered my mouth to stifle my laughter. Conrad glanced at me, his eyebrows furrowed. "Did he start reading encyclopedias at one year old?" he asked, his forehead creased.

He stepped forward, and Nil flinched. Orion and the others charged, shouts tearing from their mouths, but it made no difference. Asher moved once, and they flew through the air like toys, slamming into snow and stone, arms twisting, legs bending wrong. The sand soaked red. Nil’s ears rang. Dust and snow stung his eyes. _________ Nil finally got to his feet. “I will not let you take her,” he said, spitting blood. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and reached for his sword.

**** ASHER Kaida’s scream was deafening. Already exhausted, my legs gave way, buckling under the sheer decibel level of her cry. The ground wobbled as if it were about to flip over. My stomach lurched with a violent urge to vomit as the earth tilted sideways like a massive, unstable swing. Then, the ground breathed upward. I collapsed as a sudden slope formed, forcing me to roll downward. It happened fast; dust and sand pelted my face, bruising my skin as the level ground transformed into a steep incline.