The Talisman

By Annie Shepard

Blinded and helpless, they reached out to each other. Shizarah grabbed Stonewalls forearm with both hands and secured a vice-like grip on it. He in turn pulled his arm closer to pin her between himself and his shield. Colin and Darseni were left drifting alone, hands vainly seeking out something to hold onto as they felt themselves falling.

Four friends from a world of magic and fantastical creatures find themselves dropped in a world of technology with their only way home broken into pieces. Lost in a place unfamiliar to them, they must retrieve their ride home and undo the damage they have caused to someone elses home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: May 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781532024009

Annie Shepard

Annie Shepard is a new author from Washington state and enjoys writing fantasy stories that are occasionally based on her many dungeons and dragons adventures. An artist first, she began writing to give form to her various characters in campaigns. She hopes you enjoy reading her work as much as she enjoyed writing it. You can find her online on FaceBook, or as ElvenAnnie on Twitter and Tumblr.

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Copyright © 2017 Annie Shepard.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5320-2399-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-2400-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017907774

iUniverse rev. date: 05/12/2017

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Epilogue

Dedicated to:

Hannah

Spencer

Mitchel

Conner

Thanks for everything you guys.

CHAPTER 1

The way forward was difficult to see on the moonless night and the group of three mismatched adventurers ran and stumbled over themselves as they raced to a stone cottage amid a clearing in a dense forest. A lithe elf led the group, prancing and dancing to the door of the cottage. The flowers woven into her chin-length brown hair bobbed as she turned around to check on her two friends. Her bright green eyes watched them slow to a walk as they entered the clearing. She smiled at them and opened the wooden door.

The smell of slightly burnt bread and wood smoke hit her immediately as firelight spilled into the clearing outside. The inside of the stone cottage was roomy, with a large entry hall leading directly to an open living room. A set of stairs that led to the four upstairs bedrooms was jutting out from the wall on the right. Three more rooms were directly connected to the living room: a library, a kitchen, and a store room. Various decorations hung from the walls, ranging from tranquil paintings to polished skulls of various beasts. Drying plants hung from the walls of the archway that led into the kitchen. In the living room, an intricately stitched rug stretched twenty-five feet down the living room, and fifteen feet across. A table for four stood in the center of the room, with a large, three-wick candle in the center. Plates were already sitting on the table in front of mismatched chairs.

The elf bounced into the living room where the final member of their group was placing too-toasted bread on the table. He looked over at the short girl through his blond bangs and smiled.

Welcome back, Shizarah, he murmured with a small smile as he turned back towards the kitchen. are the others with you?

Shizarah hopped into the closest chair on the right. They were right behind me. And Darseni’s got some exciting news for you! she told him excitedly.

As she spoke, footsteps and the sound of metal shoes being kicked off echoed down the hall. A woman standing about three and a half feet high strode into the living room, unbuckled her breastplate and set it on a nearby shelf. She had grey-green eyes, a nasty scar that bisected her left eyebrow, and a matching scar running over the bridge of her nose before angling up towards her left eye. A golden necklace decorated with amethysts matched her earrings. Her grey undershirt had a new tear at the bottom, and a dark red liquid was quickly staining it.

Oh whoops, she muttered as she turned back to her companion, who was entering behind her. Stonewall, I got hit, she turned her side to show him the wound.

Stonewall, nearly three feet taller than her, knelt down and examined the cut. His lizard-like appearance normally put people off, but his bright yellow eyes and silver scales were a comforting sight to his friends. Long, curved horns that began at the top of his head stretched out behind him. He removed his old, dented gauntlets and waved his clawed hand over her wound. A slight golden glow appeared between them and the flesh knotted itself back together. Darseni smiled at him.

Thank you, she said, turning back to Shizarah and sitting next to her at the table. Stonewall took the large chair across from Shizarah. His tail tapped the ground ever so gently.

I burned the bread a little bit, but I managed to cook this roast just right, came the always calm and accented voice from the kitchen. Colin carried a massive platter to the table and set it as close to the center as he could. A large chunk of roasted beef sat on the platter, covered in spices and herbs. Colin, who stood at roughly five and a half feet tall, sat next to Stonewall and pushed a few loose strands of blond hair out of his face. His constantly moving hands tapped the table quietly. His dark brown eyes darted to Darseni. I heard you had exciting news for me?

Darseni simply smiled at him. I’ll tell you after we eat this dinner you worked so hard on.

Colin nodded and began carving the roast, humming just under his breath. The roast let out a smokey smell that filled the room. The plates were passed to him and he handed them back with large slices, smiling as he did so. The bread was passed around the table, and Stonewall broke off a slightly bigger piece than he meant to, then handed it to Shizarah, as she’d been eyeing it hungrily. Darseni and Colin spoke of matters in nearby villages, from troublesome wolf packs to an overabundance of fish in the nearest river. To Stonewall, Shizarah told him of elven legends she was sure she hadn’t told him before. Between bites, she spoke quickly, using her free hand to make elaborate gestures, and contorting her face to convey emotions she couldn’t quite describe. He listened closely, even though he had read many of the legends years before.

After the meal, Stonewall collected everyone’s plates and took them to the kitchen to wash them. He dipped his head as he passed the archway to keep his horns from leaving more scratches on the frame. He immediately set to work