Khalim wanted to pray, but there was no one to listen. Once, he had carried a god with him, and though he did not ask for much, whatever he had asked for had been granted  to him–safety, reassurance, and the power to heal. With these gifts, he’d had nothing to fear. Nothing could harm him in any way that mattered. 

He should never have left the city.

Interlude Four: The Land of Ghosts

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Her huge, sunken eyes blinked twice as she gave me a blank stare. “The serpent provides all we need,” she said at last.

Chapter XXXI: Black Desert Night

Eske is just trying to get to the sea, but trouble finds him wherever he goes, this time in the form of a strange person remarkably unperturbed about being fed to a giant serpent. You can read this chapter right now on Patreon (a subscription is only $3 a month), or wait until next week for it to make its appearance here on the blog.

Also, if you’re enjoying what you read here, the best way to support my work, without spending any money at all, is to tell your friends about me! Word-of-mouth is still where I get all my best book recommendations.

As I pressed on, the voice grew louder, and its cries formed a few words I recognized: desert and full moon, sandstorm and devourer—the last a term that Kelebek had used to describe the tempest we had encountered in the southern ocean.

Chapter XXX: The Sea of Dust

Good morning! Eske is off on another adventure, and you can read about it right now on Patreon, or wait until next week when it moves over here.

West, then—as the river turned away toward the sea, and the distant peak of Mount Abora faded into memory, I pursued the setting sun through monsoon-flooded lowlands. Somewhere far to the north lay Phyreios, sleeping quietly under the watchful eye of its god, the mines empty and quiet; farther still stood the land of my birth, winter spreading over it like a cloak.

Chapter XXIX: Caravanserai

The newest chapter of Journey to the Water is now available on Patreon, and it isn’t even late! If you need to catch up, check under the Stories tab above (inside the menu if you’re on mobile).