Matthew Maine—The Voidwalker Saga

Allena covered her mouth in shock. The Phoenix had not only been sighted in Serevar, it had attacked. Capala simply shrugged nonchalantly. “Bound to happen, wasn’t it?” She said coolly. “But I still need to pass this along, mates, so just tell me the rest. What else was on the iron token?” “What about Violet Shoals? Are they okay?” “No idea. What was on the other side?” “A face. Nondescript, bald. No distinguishable features other than it being a face.” Capala didn’t bother to hide her frustration. “That could be a few things. I need to see it.” “We… lost it along the way.” Capala squinted as she tapped her chin in thought. “Nah. Awful liar, you. Whatever suits you, though, it’s all the same.” “But you know what it is, right?” Lura asked. “We’ve been trying to figure that out for ages. “It’s a message. And a key. The right words at the right door will open it up. Nothing you need to worry on.” “I’ll worry just the same,” Tanzik insisted. “We’ve risked our lives for this several times.”...

The city of Katavysia loomed ahead in the distance like an enormous ivory monument. The city was massive, tapering off from Whitespire Peak in the Pandhara Mountains. Tall stone buildings cascaded down into the lower edges of the city, and the smaller buildings eventually became impossible to see beyond the towering walls that surrounded the capital. Lura’s jaw dropped slightly in surprise. She had never been in a city larger than Stormhall, and while the capital of Serevar was impressive in its own way, it didn’t compare to the sheer size of the sprawling metropolis that laid bustling before them. Most of the buildings were carved beautifully out of the white mountain stone and were adorned with banners and pennants. The wall looked impregnable and was dotted with towers that were all fully manned by city guards and Imperial soldiers. Tanzik drew his coat closer. He had appreciated the warmer climate they had been in, but the air grew chillier as they approached the mountain range whe...