The Druid and His Crow

By Jonathan Evan Hudson

A magical disaster plagues the city of Heyron. Only the corrupt and brutal few survive.

A crow as his only companion, the druid Sem seeks to save the city. But not everyone wants the city saved.

And will kill to keep it that way.

Grab this spellbinding short story of sword and sorcery and enjoy an adventure into hope and despair!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Swordpulp Studios
• Release date: Oct 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393059998

Jonathan Evan Hudson

Widely traveled, Jonathan Evan Hudson spends as much time studying life as he does writing gripping tales of fantastic adventures. From the giant redwoods of California to the deserts of Israel, his thrilling stories all draw on first-hand experiences and expand them with the fantastic and his acclaimed creativity.

Book preview

The Druid and His Crow

Over the City of Heyron an odor of manure and fear settled. The druid Sem - dressed in robes, cloaks, and gloves that beefed up his body nearly a quarter of its size - eased the empty merchant’s cart toward the city. With a jerk of the ropes and then another jerk, the cart rolled to a bumpy stop in back of a line of carts and people.

On his shoulder his crow Keyar shuffled toward his head. Don’t over act the part, Keyar told Sem mentally. That’s easy for him to say. He isn’t itching and he doesn’t have sweat over every inch of his body.

About seven people and three carts waited before him. In the front, the guard hassled an old man about something. A second guard strolled up and down the line, eying everyone like a vulture.

Suddenly, he yanked out a beardless dwarf with a blue toupee and more muscles than a bull.

He smirked at him like a fox who found a mouse. You look like a mole looking for a root to chew.

The racial slur darkened the dwarf’s skin by several shades of red. Sem tightened his grip on his horse’s reins, knowing how violently dwarves will often react to such provocations, knowing that once the dwarf attacked the guard, he would die. Don’t give yourself away. There’s nothing you can do. If there’s any roots to chew, the dwarf said, I’ll chew—

The bully punched him, sending him backwards a couple steps. A chill swept over Sem. A grown man shouldn’t have the strength to knock a dwarf back that much. The guards must have ethereal ore on them. Hey, Marvo, looks like I’ve found a rebel.

Yeah, yeah, said the guard who remained at the entrance. He kept his attention on the pale couple who kept glancing at the poor dwarf. Deal with him yourself.

With fists and spittle flying the dwarf charged the instigator. The man watched the dwarf come and just when his victim