A Life Worth Dying For

By Michael S. Miller

A world of dark sorcery—a time of sharpened bronze. The pale tower of the Academy has governed the city of Lytrops with wisdom and learning for centuries. When Oshala the Hex finds the entire city forced into menial labor and her lover beset by restless spirits, what price will she pay to break their chains?

This is a 6,900-word short story in the sword and sorcery tradition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael S. Miller
• Release date: Sep 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370481286

Michael S. Miller

Michael S. Miller has played with stories all his life. As a game designer, he has published the superhero role-playing game With Great Power. As a writer, he pens the sword-and-sorcery tales of Oshala the Hex. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, three cats, and far more books, comics, games, and movies than his grandchildren will possibly want to inherit.

Book preview

A Life Worth Dying For

A tale of Oshala the Hex

Smashwords Edition

Incarnadine Press • Pennsylvania

Copyright © 2016 by Michael S. Miller

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

Author photo copyright © 2016 by Cory Fritz

About the Cover:

Cover design by Kat Miller

Hand silhouette courtesy http://openclipart.org

Fonts Tillana and Cinzel Decorative courtesy http://www.google.com/fonts

Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

A Life Worth Dying For

More from Michael S. Miller

About the Author

A Life Worth Dying For

The spot where the river Nars flowed into the city of Lytrops resembled an open maw in the tall, grey wall that surrounded the city. The river current swept a sturdy, wooden river barge into that maw, the sharpened metal teeth of the open portcullis passing just a few cubits over the heads of the crewmen and passenger. Once ingested, all of them—save the captain—labored with long wooden poles to steer the barge to the wharves and slow the momentum of its cargo of nearly three hundred talents of freshly-quarried stone. The captain shouted orders in rhythm as the wharves grew closer, the crew’s muscles straining in perfect tandem with his voice. Years of work had forged a single body from this group of seven men—every thought, every word, every movement devoted to the needs of their vessel.

The single passenger also worked a wooden pole against the soft river bottom. Her thrusts landed a moment after the rest of the crew. Her short, slight, tawny frame contrasted with the tall, muscled, brown bodies